Installing and using MythTV

Robert Kulagowski, mailto:rkulagow@rocketmail.com

1. How to obtain this document.

2. Introduction.

3. Checking prerequisites.

• 3.1 Hardware.
• 3.2 Software.

4. Setting up paths, ldconfig and other shell variables.

• 4.1 Distribution-specific information.
• 4.2 Checking QTDIR and the PATH.
• 4.3 Modifying /etc/ld.so.conf

5. Downloading and compiling.

• 5.1 Notes on compiling on a system with non-Intel processors.
• 5.2 Building LAME.
• 5.3 Building XMLTV.
• 5.4 Manually building MythTV.
• 5.5 Gentoo.
• 5.6 Debian.

6. MySQL.

• 6.1 Mandrake 9.0
• 6.2 Red Hat Linux 8.0
• 6.3 Gentoo
• 6.4 Setting up the initial database.

7. Setting up ALSA and the mixer.

• 7.1 Graphically setting up the mixer.
• 7.2 Setting the mixer from the command line.

8. Setting up a remote control.

• 8.1 Gentoo
• 8.2 Mandrake 9.0
• 8.3 Red Hat Linux 8.0
• 8.4 Obtaining and compiling lirc.
• 8.5 Completing the lirc install.
• 8.6 Additional information for lirc.
• 8.7 Configuring lirc for use with an IR blaster.

9. Configuring MythTV.

• 9.1 Configuring the master backend system.
• 9.2 Post-configuration.
• 9.3 Configuring a non-master backend.
• 9.4 Configuring and running mythfilldatabase.

10. Configuring mythfrontend.

• 10.1 General
• 10.2 Appearance
• 10.3 Program Guide
• 10.4 Playback
• 10.5 Recording

11. Using MythTV.

• 11.1 Using themes with MythTV.
• 11.2 Adding DirecTV information to the database.
• 11.3 Adding support for an external tuner.

12. MythWeb.

• 12.1 Installation and prerequisites.
• 12.2 Completing the installation.

13. MythGallery.

• 13.1 Installation and prerequisites.

14. MythGame.

15. MythMusic.

• 15.1 Manual installation of prerequisites.
• 15.2 Mandrake 9.0
• 15.3 Red Hat Linux 8.0
• 15.4 Compiling MythMusic.
• 15.5 Configuring MythMusic.
• 15.6 Using MythMusic.

16. MythWeather.

17. MythVideo.

18. Troubleshooting.

• 18.1 Illegal Instruction.
• 18.2 mythfilldatabase failing.
• 18.3 MythTV seems to disappear; can't see video.
• 18.4 Fast CPU, choppy or jittery video.
• 18.5 I keep losing all of my settings every time I compile!
• 18.6 Compile errors.
• 18.7 My screen goes blank, but comes back when I wiggle the mouse or use the keyboard.
• 18.8 I can't checkout using CVS anymore!
• 18.9 I get segfaults / MythTV isn't doing anything.
• 18.10 MythTV makes my system crash.
• 18.11 Troubleshooting audio.
• 18.12 I can't see parts of the On Screen Display.
• 18.13 The mythbackend program told me to look at this section.
• 18.14 My remote doesn't work / works sometimes and not others / "ghost"
• 18.15 My PVR-250 card doesn't show inputs in the setup screen.
• 18.16 Where's my "canada-cable" entry gone to?
• 18.17 Mythweb is showing a db_open error when I connect to it.

19. Miscellaneous.

• 19.1 I'd like to watch the files without using MythTV / I'd like to convert the files to some other format.
• 19.2 I'd like to use some other window manager.
• 19.3 I'd like MythTV to automatically startup.
• 19.4 What capture resolution should I use? How does video work?
• 19.5 MythTV GUI and X Display Sizes.
• 19.6 I'd like to save or restore my database.
• 19.7 I'd like to delete the mysql database.
• 19.8 btaudio
• 19.9 Removing unwanted channels.
• 19.10 I'd like to use a hardware MPEG-2 encoder.
• 19.11 I'd like to use NFS.
• 19.12 I'd like to automatically start mythbackend at system boot time.
• 19.13 Advanced Backend Configurations
• 19.14 Advanced Partition Formatting