Installing Mythbuntu 14.04.1 with MythTV 0.27

Summary

This tutorial outlines the steps to install Mythbuntu 14.04.1 and MythTV 0.27 on a custom MythTV PVR.

It's been over three years since we first started the process in May 2011 of cutting the cord on cable TV, and selecting hardware for a custom MythTV PVR. We were happy with our Mythbuntu 12.04 install, however recent changes with the TV listings provider for Schedules Direct prompted us to take action. See Mythbuntu: Actions required by Nov 1st due to Schedules Direct change.

We chose to move to Mythbuntu 14.04 with MythTV 0.27 and the latest fixes that work with the new Schedules Direct service. Note that if you are migrating from an existing Mythbuntu installation and wish to migrate your recordings, then be sure to read this and other migration specific articles so that you save the appropriate information before you begin installing Mythbuntu 14.04. For example, read Migrating Mythbuntu 12.04 to Mythbuntu 14.04.

Following are the steps to install Mythbuntu and configure MythTV to work on the custom MythTV PVR. By the end of this tutorial you will have a functional PVR.

Update 2018-06-27: Add remote control button mapping for Teletext and other keys available on Phillips MCE remote control.

Update 2016-08-08: Add "noatime, nodiratime" to /etc/fstab for /data mount (contains recordings) to reduce hard disk drive wear and tear.

Completed PVR
A. Setup BIOS
B. Partition Drive
C. Create Mythbuntu CD/USB
D. Install Mythbuntu
E. Choosing Country, Language, and Database Configuration
F. Exiting MythTV Frontend after Mythbuntu Boot
G. Configure Desktop [Optional]
H. Opening Terminal Window
I. Enable TV Capture Card
J. Apply Updates
K. Install TV, DVD, and HDD Utilities [Optional]
L. Ensure Full Boot Up After Power Off
M. Direct Sound Through HDMI on Intel HD Graphics
N. Install Flashplayer and Firefox
O. Add Extra MythTV Plugins
P. Update to latest MythTV Packages [Optional]
Q. Add New Remote Control Button Mappings
R. Prepare RAID [Optional]
S. Setup /data Directory
T. Setup Static IP Address [Optional]
U. Create Schedules Direct Account [Optional]
V. Reboot Computer
W. Navigating MythTV
X. Configure MythTV Backend
Y. Configure MythTV Frontend
Z. Setup Mythbrowser [Optional]
AA. Setup Mythmusic [Optional]
BB. Setup Mytharchive [Optional]
CC. Create Mythbrowser Bookmarks [Optional]
DD. Optimize for SSD [Optional]
Installation Complete
References
Future Articles

Completed PVR

Following is a picture of the completed PVR in operation.

Completed MythTV PVR in operation

Hopefully this picture will provide the incentive to complete the build of your own PVR.

Although this page has a lot of steps, remember that these only need to be performed once. The reward of building your own custom PVR will be worth it. It certainly has been for us.

A. Setup BIOS

Often the default Basic Input Output Settings (BIOS) are fine. However, since I would be providing support to family (three PVRs), I wanted to ensure that each PVR would be the same and would boot properly after a power outage.

To view or change the BIOS settings you usually need to press a key while the computer boots. For this custom PVR the key to press while booting is the Delete key.

On each ASUS P8H61-M motherboard I made sure I had the following BIOS settings:

Ensure BIOS updated to same level (0702 in May 2011)
Set dedicated iGPU memory to maximum amount (128 MB)
Set SATA to AHCI mode
Set Power ON when power restored
Disable full screen on bootup
Change boot order to DVD then USB then HDD

B. Partition Drive

When I set up a computer I like to choose my own custom partition layout. For the PVR I created an MSDOS partition table with the following partition layout:

    Path name   Partition type   Size       File system  Volume label
    /dev/sda1     Primary             40690 MiB   ext4           mythbuntu1404
    /dev/sda2     Primary              8192 MiB   linux-swap     swap
    /dev/sda3     Primary            ###### MiB   ext4           data

NOTE: The last partition (sda3) uses all of the remaining space on the disk.

Though you can create this partition layout with the Mythbuntu installer, I prefer to use a graphical partitioning tool such as gparted from a GParted Live CD-RW. With GParted it is much easier to create new partitions so I will not document the steps.

NOTE: If you do not wish to create a custom partition layout, then you can choose to let Mythbuntu create a default partition layout during the Mythbuntu installation. MythTV will work fine with either setup. The only difference is that you will need to ignore tutorial steps that deal with settings using the /data directory.

Personally I set up three PVRs, each with an SSD for the operating system and swap, and two HDDs in a RAID 1 mirror for the recordings. See Why Consider RAID for PVR Recordings and Solid State Drive for Mythbuntu Operating System for the reasons I chose this configuration.

My current partition layout is as follows:

    Solid State Drive /dev/sda:
    Path name   Partition type   Size       File system  Volume label
    /dev/sda1     Primary             40690 MiB   ext4           mythbuntu1404
    /dev/sda2     Primary              8192 MiB   linux-swap     swap

    Hard Disk Drives /dev/sdb and similarly /dev/sdc:
    Path name   Partition type   Size       File system  Volume label  Flags
    /dev/sdb1     Primary            ###### MiB   unformatted                    raid

    The single partition takes up the whole disk, 953869 MiB on an 1 TB drive.

    RAID 1 Mirror /dev/md0:
    Path name   Partition type   Size       File system  Volume label
    /dev/md0p1    Primary            ###### MiB   ext4           data

    The RAID uses /dev/sdb1 and /dev/sdc1 in a mirror configuration.

C. Create Mythbuntu DVD/USB

In order to install Mythbuntu, we first need to download the software and write it to a DVD or a USB flash drive.

Download Mythbuntu 14.04.1 64-bit .iso
Burn the .iso file as an image to a DVD-R(RW),
or write the image to a USB flash drive.
Note that the image is too large to fit on a CD-R(RW).

D. Install Mythbuntu

Boot computer with Mythbuntu Live DVD.
When prompted, choose English language
and click on Install Mythbuntu.
Select Download updates while installing and Install this third-party software (mp3)
and click on Continue.

If you pre-created the partitions, choose Something else
and click on Continue

NOTE: If you do not wish to custom partition the drive, choose Install Mythbuntu, click on Continue and skip to the next numbered step.

Select from Device column: sda1
Click on Change...

Choose the following setttings:

                      Use as:  Ext4 journaling file system
                 Mount point:  /
        Format the partition:  [ ]     # Yes if need to erase file system
                                       # No will maintain volume label

and click on OK

TIP: If you choose _not_ to reformat a partition, then you will be prompted later with a message similar to:

The file system on /dev/sda1 assigned to / has not been marked for reformating...

Simply click on Continue when this happens.

Select from Device column: sda3

NOTE: If you place the recordings on RAID then skip setting up /data on /dev/sda3. We will set up the RAID later.
Remember to perform the last of this section of steps to select the device for the boot loader installation.

Click on Change...

Choose the following setttings:

                      Use as:  Ext4 journaling file system
                 Mount point:  /data
        Format the partition:  [ ]     # Yes if need to erase file system
                                       # No will maintain volume label

and click on OK

Select Device for boot loader installation: /dev/sda

Click on Install Now
When prompted Where are you? choose your own time zone (e.g., Edmonton)
and click on Continue
Choose the Keyboard layout (e.g., English (US))
and click on Continue

When prompted Who are you? choose the following:

                Your Name:  Personal Video Recorder
            Computer Name:  mythpvr
                User Name:  pvr              # You should choose your
                 Password:  pvrpassword      # own user name and password
      Login automatically:  Yes
      Require my password to login:  No
            Encrypt my home folder:  No

and click on Continue

Choose the Installation type Primary Backend w/Frontend
and click on Continue

Choose the following Additional Services

             SSH:  enable                # secure shell
           Samba:  disable               # windows file system sharing
             NFS:  disable               # network file system
          MythTV:  disable               # remote frontend connections

and click on Continue

For Infrared Remotes choose the following:

    Choose:  USB & Serial Remote Support via LIRC (Linux Infrared Remote Control)
    Choose Remote:  Windows Media Center Transceivers/Remotes (all)
                               Generate dynamic button mappings:  enable
    Generate frontend restart mapping (Power followed by Clear):  enable

and click on Continue

Grab yourself a fine beverage to enjoy.

*** The installation might take 1/2 hour or so (15 minutes on SSD) ***
When Installation Completed then click on Restart Now
Remove Live DVD when prompted, press the Enter key and let the PVR reboot.

E. Choosing Country, Language, and Database "Configuration

Choose the country, language, and database configuration settings.

Choose your country and language.
For example,
```
     Country: Canada
    Language: English
    
```
and click on Save.
On Database Configuration 1/2 screen
leave settings alone
and click on Next.
On Database Configuration 2/2 screen
configure the following settings:
```
    Enable database server wakeup: enable
                   Reconnect time: 1
    
```
TIP: The above database setting prevented the country and language window from popping up every time I rebooted the PVR.

F. Exiting MythTV Frontend after Mythbuntu Boot

In several of the following configuration steps we will need to reboot the computer. By default the computer will boot into the MythTV Frontend. This is perfect for when we are using the computer as a PVR, but since we have more configuration to perform we need to exit out of the MythTV Frontend.

TIP: If prompted with a warning regarding connection to the database, simply acknowledge this by pressing the Esc or Enter key.

TIP: If prompted with a note that a new version of theme chooser is available then click on OK.

To exit the MythTV frontend:

Press Escape key until prompted: Do you really want to exit MythTV?
Use arrow keys to select Yes, Exit now and press Enter key.

G. Configure Desktop [Optional]

Following are some desktop configuration changes I make to improve my desktop experience, and so that I am not nagged to apply desktop updates.

Ensure Correct Display Resolution

Start Applications -> Settings -> Display

TIP: If the menu is off-screen, you can right-click to access the menu.
Choose a Resolution from the drop-down list.
At the prompt Would you like to keep this configuration? click Keep this configuration.
Close the window.

Enlarge Desktop Font

Start Applications -> Settings -> Appearance
Click on the Fonts tab.
Change font from Ubuntu 10 to 16.
Click OK.
Close the window.

Delay Screensaver

Start Applications -> Settings -> Screensaver
Change Blank after from 10 to 500 minutes.
Close screensaver window.

Turn Off Update Notifier

Start Applications -> Settings -> Session and Startup
Click on Application Autostart tab.
Disable Update Notifier (Check for available updates automatically)
Click Close button.

H. Opening Terminal Window

Several of the following steps require commands to be entered in a terminal window.

To open a terminal window:

Start Applications -> System -> Xfce Terminal

I. Enable TV Capture Card

The driver for the Hauppage WinTV HVR-2250 MC Dual TV Tuner / Encoder card is not included in the default Mythbuntu installation. Hence we will need to install the appropriate driver.

In a terminal window:

Download the driver.

wget http://www.steventoth.net/linux/hvr22xx/firmwares/4019072/NXP7164-2010-03-10.1.fw

Copy the driver to the proper location.
```
sudo cp -p NXP7164-2010-03-10.1.fw /lib/firmware
```
NOTE: When prompted to authenticate, use your "pvr" account password.

*** a reboot is needed later to load the firmware ***

CAUTION: Hauppauge Shipping HVR-2255 in HVR-2250 Packaging.

On July 17, 2014, Hauppauge announced the new WinTV HVR-2255 dual tuner. Unfortunately the new HVR-2255 is not yet well supported by GNU/Linux, and is being shipped in the HVR-2250 packaging.

Update 2015-07-26: Hauppauge now has a web page that details how to configure the WinTV-HVR-2255 drivers on Ubuntu 14.04 (requires patching and recompiling Linux kernel). See: Support: Running WinTV TV tuners and HD PVR 2 under Linux.

J. Apply Updates

Because many software updates have been released since the Mythbuntu 14.04.1 was officially released, we should update the software to include the latest bug and security fixes.

If Software Updater is flashing on top task bar, then click on Software Updater.
Otherwise select menu option Applications -> System -> Software Updater.
Wait while the Software Updater is checking for updates
*** This might take 5 minutes or so to finish ***
Click Install Now.
*** This might take a 1/2 hour or more to download and install all of the updates ***

NOTE: If or when prompted to authenticate, use your "pvr" account password.
Close window.
Reboot if prompted and use the Exiting MythTV Frontend after Mythbuntu Boot steps above to get back to the desktop.

K. Install TV, DVD, and HDD Utilities [Optional]

Following are applications I install to help with viewing pictures and creating DVDs. These are optional. However, if you are not familiar with Linux text editors then I highly recommend installing at least leafpad.

In a terminal window, enter the following commands:

sudo apt-get install leafpad              # Graphical Text Editor

TIP: Start Applications -> Accessories -> Leafpad.
Close the leafpad editor window.
This creates the ~/.config/leafpad/leafpadrc configuration file with the proper "pvr" ownership.

sudo apt-get install ivtv-utils           # TV Tuner Utilities

sudo apt-get install avidemux             # Video Editor

sudo apt-get install devede               # DVD menu creator

sudo apt-get install gsmartcontrol        # Hard Disk Health Monitor

sudo apt-get install ristretto            # Picture Viewer

sudo apt-get install xfce4-screenshooter  # Screenshot tool

L. Ensure Full Boot Up After Power Off

In a terminal window:

Edit /etc/default/grub
```
sudo leafpad /etc/default/grub
```
to add the following two lines to the bottom of the file:

---------- begin lines to add ----------

# Ensure full boot up after power outage GRUB_RECORDFAIL_TIMEOUT=10
---------- end lines to add ----------

TIP: Optionally reduce GRUB boot timeout.
Change GRUB_TIMEOUT from 10 to 5 seconds.

Save the file and exit the editor.
Update the GRUB 2 boot loader with:
```
sudo update-grub
```

M. Direct Sound Through HDMI on Intel HD Graphics

Normally sound from your computer is routed through the audio out jacks. This works well when you have speakers connected directly to your computer. However for a PVR, we wish this sound to be directed through the HDMI cable.

In a terminal window:

Determine the card and device number with the command:

aplay -l

Sample output:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
    card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC887-VD Analog [ALC887-VD Analog]
      Subdevices: 1/1
      Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
    card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC887-VD Digital [ALC887-VD Digital]
      Subdevices: 1/1
      Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
    card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
      Subdevices: 1/1
      Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

Check the row containing HDMI for these details. For my PVR it was card 0, device 3.

Create file /etc/asound.conf with command:

sudo leafpad /etc/asound.conf

and paste in the following contents, replacing the card and device numbers with the ones for your computer.

---------- begin file /etc/asound.conf ----------

pcm.hdmi_hw {
 type hw
 card 0
 device 3
 }

pcm.hdmi_formatted {
 type plug
 slave {
  pcm hdmi_hw
  rate 48000
  channels 2
  }
 }

pcm.hdmi_complete {
 type softvol
 slave.pcm hdmi_formatted
 control.name hdmi_volume
 control.card 0
 }

pcm.!default hdmi_complete

---------- end file /etc/asound.conf ----------

Save the file, and exit the editor.

Test you can hear sound with:
```
speaker-test -Dplug:hdmi -c2 -twav
```
Remove pulseaudio package.
```
sudo apt-get remove --purge pulseaudio
```
Reload alsa drivers.
```
sudo alsa reload
```
A reboot will also reload the drivers.
Test you can hear default sound setup with:
```
speaker-test -c2 -twav
```

N. Install Flashplayer and Firefox

In order to be able to stream live content from the Internet, tools such as Adobe Flashplayer are often required.

In a terminal window:

Install firefox
```
sudo apt-get install firefox
```
Install flashplayer.
```
sudo apt-get install --reinstall flashplugin-installer
```
Flashplayer is installed by default, this command re-installs.
Start Applications -> Internet -> Firefox Web Browser

TIP: If prompted Firefox is not default browser, click Yes.
Enable Firefox Menu and Bookmarks toolbars.
1. Click on the icon with three stacked horizonal bars in the upper right-hand corner of the Firefox window.
2. Click Customize
3. If prompted, close Hint
4. Click Show / Hide Toolbars
5. Enable Menu Bar
6. Enable Bookmarks Toolbar
7. Click Exit Customize
Create Firefox bookmarks [Optional]
1. Select View -> Bookmarks Toolbar
2. Remove bookmark Getting started
3. Create bookmarks for your local TV stations
  
  For myself, I created the following bookmarks
```
          Global TV*
          CTV*
          CityTV
          CBC
          google
        
```
  * These TV stations did not work with native GNU/Linux Firefox. For a solution, see Streaming CTV shows not working with Firefox on Linux.
Close Firefox.

O. Add Extra MythTV Plugins

To enable MythTV to archive shows to DVD and view web sites we need to install a few extra MythTV plugins.

Start Applications -> System -> Mythbuntu Control Center
Choose Plugins

Enable the following:

        MythArchive
        MythBrowser

Note the following are left enabled by default

        MythGallery
        MythMusic
        MythWeb

Click on Apply.

NOTE: If or when prompted to authenticate, use your "pvr" account password.
Click on Quit.

P. Update to latest MythTV Packages [Optional]

If you are not using the Schedules Direct service, then you can skip this section.

Otherwise, in order to accomodate the Nov. 1st, 2014 Schedules Direct URL Change, we need to update to MythTV 0.27.4 or higher. Since this version is not included in the Mythbuntu 14.04.1 image, we need to enable two repositories and update packages.

Start Applications -> System -> Mythbuntu Control Center.
Choose Repositories.
Enable Activate MythTV Updates repository.
Enable Activate Mythbuntu Updates repository.
Click Apply.
In Apply Settings? window, click Apply.
If prompted, provide your "pvr" password.
Close Mythbuntu Control Center window.

In a terminal window enter:

      sudo apt-get update
      # If prompted, provide your "pvr" password.
      sudo apt-get upgrade

When prompted with Configuring mythtv-database dialog, tab to No and press Enter

      Will other computers run MythTV?
      <No>

When prompted with Configuring mythweb dialog, tab to Yes and press Enter

      Will you be using this webserver exclusively with mythweb?
      <Yes>

Close terminal window.

Q. Add New Remote Control Button Mappings

The default Media Center Edition remote control codes are sufficient for operating the PVR. However, I like to add a few more mappings for keys that are not used in the default configuration.

TIP: To learn the remote control keycodes, in a terminal window start the program irw and it will echo the keycodes as you press keys on the remote control.

The file containing the raw keycodes from the remote control is /etc/lirc/lircd.conf.
We need to edit the user file to add additional functions in ~/.lirc/mythtv.

The keys we wish to re-map are:

      Remote Key  LIRC Key    Key      Function
      ----------  ---------   ------   ---------
      Pictures    Pictures    PgUp     Page Up
      Music       KEY_AUDIO   PgDown   Page Down
      Videos      KEY_VIDEO   End      Forward 1 day in TV Guide
      Radio       KEY_RADIO   Home     Backward 1 day in TV Guide
      Zoom        Aspect      W        Zoom
      Subtitle    BB2         T        Toggle teletext closed captioning
      ----------  ---------   ------   ---------
      Red*        KEY_RED     W        Zoom
      Blue*       KEY_BLUE    T        Toggle teletext closed captioning
      Teletext*   Teletext    T        Toggle teletext closed captioning

[*] Keys available on Phillips 5100 4in1 MCE Remote Control.

Edit the file ~/.lirc/mythtv

leafpad ~/.lirc/mythtv

and add the following many lines to the end of the file:

---------- begin many lines ----------

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = Pictures
    config = PgUp
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = KEY_AUDIO
    config = PgDown
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = KEY_VIDEO
    config = End
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = KEY_RADIO
    config = Home
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = Aspect
    config = W
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = BB2
    config = T
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = Teletext
    config = T
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = KEY_RED
    config = W
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

begin
    remote = mceusb
    prog = mythtv
    button = KEY_BLUE
    config = T
    repeat = 0
    delay = 0
end

---------- end many lines ----------

Save and exit the editor.

Note to self: Investigate if/how we can use KEY_DVD for the DVD Menu

R. Prepare RAID [Optional]

If you are not using RAID then skip this entire section.

If you choose to store your recordings on RAID, then additional preparation steps are needed.

The steps in this section were taken from Setting Up RAID and Migrating MythTV Recordings and adapted for Mythbuntu 14.04.

Install Linux Software RAID package.


    sudo apt-get install mdadm

TIP: Use TAB or ARROWS to navigate prompts, and ENTER to accept.

At first Package Configuration screen:
TAB to "Ok" and press ENTER.
At second Package Configuration screen:
ARROW UP to "No configuration", and TAB to "Ok" and press ENTER.

Ensure boot from degraded RAID.
1. Edit /etc/default/grub.
  
  sudo leafpad /etc/default/grub
  Change the line:
  
  GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
  By adding "bootdegraded=true" to become:
  
  GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash bootdegraded=true"
  Save the file and exit editor.

Update the boot loader to boot from degraded RAID.


    sudo update-grub

NOTE: RAID Monitoring Suggested

In the default configuration, Mythbuntu will not boot if the RAID is in a degraded state (for example, one drive has failed). Hence when a drive in the RAID fails, we will become aware of this by Mythbuntu failing to fully boot up.

Since we change the configuration to continue with boot even in a degraded state, we need another way to know when there are problems with the RAID. Later on we describe how to add basic RAID monitoring.

Install gparted graphical partitioning software.


    sudo apt-get install gparted

NOTE: Mythbuntu 14.04 uses older GParted 0.18.0

This older version of GParted echos many error messages which can be safely ignored. The problem was fixed with GParted 0.19.0. See Prevent GLib-CRITICAL Source ID not found warning messages.

Partition the RAID drive (For example: /dev/sdb and /dev/sdc).

Run GParted from a terminal window using the following command:

sudo gparted
1. Select the /dev/sdb device using the upper right-hand-side drop-down list.
2. Use Device -> Create Partition Table to write an msdos (MBR) partition table.
3. Select the unallocated space.
4. Use Partition -> New to create one new unformatted primary partition spanning the drive.
  NOTE: On my 1 TB drive this is 931.51 GiB or 953,869 MiB.
5. Use Edit -> Apply All Operations to apply this operation.
6. Close the Applying pending operations window.
7. Use Partition -> Manage Flags to set "raid" flag.
8. Repeat steps "a" to "g" selecting /dev/sdc this time round.
9. Exit gparted.

Create the RAID level 1 mirror on the drive partitions (For example: /dev/sdb1 and /dev/sdc1).


    sudo mdadm --create /dev/md0 --auto=p --level=1 \

          --raid-devices=2 /dev/sdb1 /dev/sdc1

NOTE: Creating RAID will take a long time

Creating the RAID level 1 mirror on my 1 TB drives took 3 hours.

You can use the watch command to frequently check the progress of building the RAID:

watch -n 10 cat /proc/mdstat
Use Ctrl+C to stop watching the progress.

Partition the RAID.

sudo gparted /dev/md0
1. Use Device -> Create Partition Table to write an msdos (MBR) partition table.
2. Select the unallocated space.
3. Use Partition -> New to create one new ext4 primary partition spanning the drive with label "data".
  NOTE: On my 1 TB partitioned drive this is 953,738 MiB.
4. Use Edit -> Apply All Operations to apply this operation.
5. Close the Applying pending operations window.
6. Exit gparted.
Update /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf to re-assemble RAID with name md0 on boot.
1. Add the RAID configuration to the end of the /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf file with the following command:
  
  sudo mdadm --detail --scan >> /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf
  This should add a line like the following to the end of mdadm.conf:
  
  ARRAY /dev/md/0 metadata=1.2 UUID=8d8a88cc:e239f398:8c202a01:d3750e45 name=mythpvr:0
  NOTE: If you run this command multiple times, then you will need to edit /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf to remove the duplicate entries.
2. Rebuild the current initramfs.
  
  sudo update-initramfs -u

Create script for mdadm to notify of RAID problems.

Create new script file /usr/bin/mdadm-notify-mythtv.sh


        sudo leafpad /usr/bin/mdadm-notify-mythtv.sh

and paste in the following contents:

---------- begin file /usr/bin/mdadm-notify-mythtv.sh ----------

#!/bin/bash
#    Purpose:  To notify user of problems with Linux software RAID
#  Called by:  /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf
# Parameters:  1 - Event, 2 - Device, 3 - Optional Component
#
#
# Write message to MythTV Frontend / MythWelcome
#
mythutil --message \
  --message_text="RAID Status :: $1 :: $2 :: $3" \
  --timeout=5 \
  --bcastaddr=127.0.0.1
#
# Write message to Desktop
#
notify-send 'RAID Status' "$1 :: $2 :: $3" \
  --expire-time=5000

---------- end file /usr/bin/mdadm-notify-mythtv.sh ----------

Ensure script file is executable.

sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/mdadm-notify-mythtv.sh

Add notification script to mdadm configuration.

Edit /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf:


        sudo leafpad /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf

add the following two lines:


        # notify if problems with RAID

        PROGRAM /usr/bin/mdadm-notify-mythtv.sh

The resulting file should look something like the following:

---------- Begin example file mdadm.conf ----------

# mdadm.conf
#
# Please refer to mdadm.conf(5) for information about this file.
#

# by default (built-in), scan all partitions (/proc/partitions) and all
# containers for MD superblocks. alternatively, specify devices to scan, using
# wildcards if desired.
#DEVICE partitions containers

# auto-create devices with Debian standard permissions
CREATE owner=root group=disk mode=0660 auto=yes

# automatically tag new arrays as belonging to the local system
HOMEHOST <system>

# instruct the monitoring daemon where to send mail alerts
MAILADDR root

# definitions of existing MD arrays
ARRAY /dev/md/0 metadata=1.2 UUID=8d8a88cc:e239f398:8c202a01:d3750e45 name=mythpvr:0

# notify if problems with RAID
PROGRAM /usr/bin/mdadm-notify-mythtv.sh

# This file was auto-generated on Sun, 19 Oct 2014 09:56:47 -0600
# by mkconf $Id$

---------- Begin example file mdadm.conf ----------

Rebuild the current initramfs:

sudo update-initramfs -u
Test notification with:

sudo mdadm --monitor --scan --oneshot --test 2>/dev/null
When I ran my tests, I was only able to see a visual indication of any RAID problems while viewing the XFCE desktop. While the MythTV Frontend was running, or when viewing a recording, I did not see a visual indication of RAID problems until after I exited the MythTV Frontend.

Create a root crontab file to automatically have mdadm monitor the RAID at a time when you usually watch TV.
I choose 8:35pm or 20:35 in 24 hour time format.
1. Start up the crontab file editor using the leafpad editor.
  
  sudo sh -c "export VISUAL=leafpad && crontab -e"
2. Add and save the following three lines at the end of the file:
  
  ---------- Begin three crontab lines ----------
```
#
# Monitor mdadm RAID and notify if problems
35 20 * * * /sbin/mdadm --monitor --scan --oneshot 2>/dev/null
        
```
  ---------- End three crontab lines ----------
3. Confirm the crontab file by listing the contents.
  
  sudo crontab -l

S. Setup /data Directory

If you did not create a separate /data file system, then you can skip this section.

From my personal experience, I have found it very useful to store recordings separate from the operating system. The main reasons are for ease of migration, upgrades, and failed disk replacement.

In a terminal window:

Create a /data mount point.
```
sudo mkdir /data
```
Note that /data should already exist if /data was specified when installing Mythbuntu.
Determine the UUID of your separate data partition using a command like:
```
sudo blkid /dev/sda3
```

Edit /etc/fstab to entry to mount /data.

sudo leafpad /etc/fstab

and check for a line for /data.

If no line for /data is found, then add the following lines, replacing the UUID value with the one you discovered in the above step.

---------- begin /etc/fstab lines ----------

# /data on /dev/sda3
UUID=2f02b4a8-acfa-4a09-b809-73d1823d1d01   /data   ext4   defaults,noatime,nodiratime   0   2

---------- end /etc/fstab lines ----------

TIP: If using RAID then add an entry like:

---------- begin /etc/fstab lines ----------

# /data on /dev/md0p1
/dev/md0p1                                /data   ext4   defaults,noatime,nodiratime   0   2

---------- end /etc/fstab lines ----------

Test mounting the directory.
```
sudo mount -a
```
Change into the directory.
```
cd /data
```

Create sub-directories.

sudo mkdir mythtv mythtv/recordings  mythtv/videos \
                  mythtv/music       mythtv/pictures \
                  mythtv/livetv      mythtv/db_backups \
                  mythtv/mytharchive mythtv/mytharchive/temp \
                  mythtv/streaming

Change ownership.

sudo chown -R mythtv.mythtv /data/mythtv

Change permissions.
```
sudo chmod -R g+ws /data/mythtv
```

T. Setup Static IP Address [Optional]

By default Mythbuntu will use a dynamically assigned Internet Protocol (IP) address. Personally I like to have a known static IP address configured so that I can easily remotely connect to the PVR.

If you do not wish to set up a static IP address, then you can skip this step and your PVR will continue to work correctly.

For my PVR I chose:
IP-address: 192.168.1.55
hostname: mythpvr

For the steps to set up a static IP address see the following tutorial:

How To and Why Set Up a Static IP Address on GNU/Linux

U. Create Schedules Direct Account [Optional]

In North America, television show listings are conveniently provided by a Schedules Direct subscription. MythTV can be configured to automatically use these TV show listings.

If you are not in North America, then consult the MythTV XMLTV page to learn how to acquire TV show listings.

High level instructions on how to create a Schedules Direct account follow.

Start a web browser and visit http://www.schedulesdirect.org.
Create an account ($25 USD per year).

Write down all the details you provide.
Set up TV listings.

To get all listings on Schedules Direct: login, refresh all lineups and edit for the channels you desire.

For Over-The-Air broadcasts, I used the name HD Antenna
For Analog Cable connection, I used the name Shaw Cable

For my PVR, I only have an HD antenna connected. I note the Shaw Cable connection for my family and my friends that still have analog cable TV subscriptions.

TIP: To update MythTV immediately, use the following command in a terminal window:

        mythfilldatabase --dd-grab-all

V. Reboot Computer

At this point we reboot the computer to ensure all of the above settings become active.

Start Applications -> System -> Logout
Choose Restart.
Exit the MythTV Frontend using the steps described in Exiting MythTV Frontend after Mythbuntu Boot.

W. Navigating MythTV

In some of the following steps we need to navigate through the MythTV backend or frontend and alter values. Rather than detailing each keypress required, I have opted to describe how the keys work.

   Key            Action
   ---------      ------------------------------
   Tab            Moves forward through options
   Shift+Tab      Moves backward through options
   Esc(ape)       Backs out of a screen or setting
   Enter          Enters a screen or setting
   Right arrow    Like Enter, but also change value
   Left arrow     Like Esc, but also change value
   Down arrow     Move down through options
   Up arrow       Move up through options

X. Configure MythTV Backend

Before we can use MythTV, we need to tell it about the computer hardware. The MythTV backend handles recording shows and hence must be told about the TV capture card and the TV listings source.

Start Applications -> System -> MythTV Backend Setup
Click Yes to close any currently running mythbackend processes.
Enter your "pvr" account password.

Configure each of the backend screen settings as described below:


    1.  General
          On Miscellaneous Settings (near File Management Settings)
            Follow symbolic links when deleting files: Enable
                                  Delete files slowly: Enable
          On Job Queue (Backend Specific)
            Max simultaneous jobs on this backend:  2
          On Job Queue (Global)
            Start auto-commercial-detection jobs when recording starts: Enable
          On Program Schedule Downloading Options
            Automatically update program listings: Enable

    2.  Capture Cards

        For ATSC Over-The-Air Antenna (connection LHS from front of PVR):
          Select New Capture Card
                    Card type:  DVB-T/S/C, ATSC or ISDB-T tuner card
            DVB device number:  /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0
            Recording Options   # This was slow to open for me
              Max simultaneous recordings: 2
          Select New Capture Card
                    Card type:  DVB-T/S/C, ATSC or ISDB-T tuner card
            Recording Options
            DVB device number:  /dev/dvb/adapter1/frontend0
              Max simultaneous recordings: 2

        For Shaw Analog Cable (physical connection RHS from front of PVR):
          Select New Capture Card
                    Card type:  MPEG-2 encoder card
            DVB device number:  /dev/video2
          Select New Capture Card
                    Card type:  MPEG-2 encoder card
            DVB device number:  /dev/video3

    3.  Recording Profiles
          Choose MPEG-2 Encoders (PVR-x50, PVR-500)
            For each of Default, Live TV, High Quality, Low Quality,
              Volume (%):  60

          See also: How to Fix MythTV Analog Volume Too Loud

    4.  Video Sources
          NOTE:  Here you will use you schedules direct account
          New Video Source
            Schedules Direct - "HD Antenna"
            Channel frequency table: us-bcast
            Retrieve lineup
          New Video Source
            Schedules Direct - "Shaw Cable"
            Channel frequency table: us-cable
            Retrieve lineup

    5.  Input Connections

        For ATSC Over-The-Air Antenna:
          Choose /dev/dvb/adapter0/frontend0
                Video source: HD Antenna
                        Name: HDTuner1
            Starting Channel: 2_1
              Input Priority: +1
              Schedule Order: 1   # Ascending order, increment by capture card max simultaneous recordings
               Live TV Order: 3   # Descending order, to avoid conflicts with scheduled recordings

          Choose /dev/dvb/adapter1/frontend0
                Video source: HD Antenna
                        Name: HDTuner2
            Starting Channel: 2_1
              Input Priority: +1
              Schedule Order: 3
               Live TV Order: 1

        For Shaw Cable (tuner on LHS near power supply):
          Choose [MPEG: /dev/video2](tuner) -> (none)
                Video source: Shaw Cable
                        Name: Shaw Cable Tuner 1
            Starting Channel: 3

          Choose [MPEG: /dev/video3](tuner) -> (none)
                Video source: Shaw Cable
                        Name: Shaw Cable Tuner 2
            Starting Channel: 3

    6.  Channel Editor
          NOTE:  For Over-The-Air HDTV broadcasts do a full channel scan.
                 For Analog Cable TV fetch listings from source.
          Full Channel Scan
          Icon Download                         # ~pvr/.mythtv/channels/*.jpg
          Note:  Space bar chooses icon
          Upload for others
          Delete unneeded channels

    7.  Storage Directories
          "Default" Storage Group directories
             Select /var/lib/mythtv/recordings
             Edit to be
               /data/mythtv/recordings
          "LiveTV" Storage Group directories
             Select /var/lib/mythtv/livetv
             Edit to be
               /data/mythtv/livetv
          "DB Backups" Storage Group directories
             Select /var/lib/mythtv/db_backups
             Edit to be
               /data/mythtv/db_backups
          "Videos" Storage directories
             Select /var/lib/mythtv/videos
             Edit to be
               /data/mythtv/videos
          "Streaming" Storage directories
             Select /var/lib/mythtv/streaming
             Edit to be
               /data/mythtv/streaming

    8.  System Events
          No changes.

Press Esc until you exit the MythTV Backend.
Enter your "pvr" account password to start mythv-backend.
Click Yes to run mythfilldatabase.

Y. Configure MythTV Frontend

The MythTV frontend handles the display of recordings from the backend. As such we need to configure the frontend for our preferences.

Start Applications -> Multimedia -> MythTV Frontend
Select Setup -> General
On Database Configuration page:
Note this page contains the database password if you should need it in the future.

Select Setup -> Appearance

    On Appearance page:
            Paint engine:  Auto

Select Setup -> Audio

    On Audio System page:
       Audio output device:  ALSA:default
    On Audio mixer page:
       Master Mixer Volume:  70 -> 100
          PCM Mixer Volume:  81 -> 100

Select Setup -> Video -> Playback

    On Playback Profiles (3/8) page:
      Select Content Video Playback Profile: OpenGL High Quality
    On Commercial Skip (8/8) page:
      Commercial skip automatic rewind amount (secs): 1

TIP: The OpenGL High Quality setting fixes the video tearing problem with Intel GPUs.

Be sure to navigate forward through all 8 pages in the playback section to ensure that the setting is saved.

Select Setup -> Media Settings -> Video Settings -> Player Settings

       DVD Drive: /dev/sr0      # was /dev/dvd

TIP: Mythbuntu 14.04 does not create /dev/dvd entry.

Since /dev/dvd is missing, we change to use /dev/sr0 instead.

See Mythbuntu 14.04: /dev/dvd and /dev/dvdrw symlinks no longer created.

Z. Setup Mtyhbrowser [Optional]

This plugin permits you to view web pages on the MythTV frontend Information Center -> Web page. Personally I use this page to stream TV shows that are hosted by my local television station web sites. Later on I describe how to create bookmarks.

Select Setup -> Info Center Settings -> Web Settings

    Text Size:  1.5
    Enable browser plugins (Flash, etc): Enable

AA. Setup Mythmusic [Optional]

This plugin permits you to store and play music on the MythTV frontend Media Library -> Listen to Music page.

Select Setup -> Media Settings -> Music Settings -> General Settings

    On General Settings screen
      Directory to hold music: /data/mythtv/music
                    CD Device: /dev/sr0            # was /dev/cdrom
    On Player Settings screen
      Automatically play CDs: Enable
    On Ripper Settings screen
      Encoding type: Lame (MP3)
      Leave default rip quality at "Low" = 128 kb/s
                                "Medium" = 192 kb/s
      Disable "Automatically eject CDs afte..."

BB. Setup Mytharchive [Optional]

This plugin permits you to burn recordings to DVD-R on the MythTV frontend Optical Disks -> Archive Files -> Create DVD page.

Select Setup -> Media settings -> Archive Files Settings

    On Mytharchive Settings screen
      MythArchive Temp Directory: /data/mythtv/mytharchive/temp
                                  # was /var/lib/mytharchive/temp
         Video Format: NTSC
      Location of DVD: /dev/sr0   # was /dev/dvd

The NTSC video standard is used in North America. The PAL video standard is used in many other parts of the world.

CC. Create Mythbrowser Bookmarks [Optional]

Personally I create bookmarks to various locations for weather, and also links to TV stations such as: Global TV, CTV, City TV, and CBC.

I use the category zTV Shows so that this sorts to the end of the categories as I more often check the Weather.

Select Information Center -> Web

Press the M key to access the menu to add bookmarks and follow the prompts to create your a bookmark.

    Category:  Weather
        Name:  location
         URL:  link to weather web site

    Category:  zTV Shows
        Name:  TV station
         URL:  link to TV show web site

Repeat above step for each bookmark you desire.

Note that you can use your mouse, keyboard, or remote control to navigate web sites in the Mythbrowser.

DD. Optimize for SSD [Optional]

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are completely different than standard spinning hard disk drives. As such I spent some time researching SSDs and discovered some optimization tips. The general recommended practice is to lessen write activity where possible, and to reserve ~10% unallocated space when partitioning (some newer SSDs supposedly do this already -- maybe that explains the difference in SSD sizes such as 60 GB versus 64 GB).

Following are the tips I implemented on my Mythbuntu PVR.

Add "noatime" and "nodiratime" to SSD file system mounts to inhibit last access time updates.

Edit /etc/fstab


      sudo leafpad /etc/fstab

and add "noatime,nodiratime" parameters to "/" mount. The resulting line should look something like the following:

---------- begin /etc/fstab lines ----------


      # / was on /dev/sda1 during installation

      UUID=d819744e-5a07-4039-95b8-9d322954b065   /  ext4  noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro  0  1

---------- end /etc/fstab lines ----------

NOTE: Some Recommend Adding "discard" or Scheduling TRIM

From my research some people advise adding "discard" to /etc/fstab to help with wear levelling. However I have read that this can increase the time to perform a delete.

Some other people advise scheduling regular TRIM operations to perform this same wear levelling.

Since I was unsure of all the implications, I opted to not implement either method and instead take a wait-and-see approach. So far my PVR has been running without these "discard/TRIM" settings since May 2013 and I have not experienced any noticeable degradation in SSD performance.

Limit swap space wear and tear by reducing the inclination to swap.

Edit /etc/sysctl.conf

sudo /etc/sysctl.conf
and add the following 5 lines to end of file:

---------- begin 5 /etc/sysctl.conf lines ----------
# # Sharply reduce swap inclination vm.swappiness=1 # Don't shrink the inode cache aggressively vm.vfs_cache_pressure=50 ---------- end 5 /etc/sysctl.conf lines ----------
Limit write actions in Firefox.

Start Applications -> Internet -> Firefox Web Browser.

Select Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced
On Network tab
Click on Clear Now
Override automatic cache management:
Limit cache to 0 MB of space
Click on Close
Exit Firefox

Installation Complete

Congratulations! You have now completed the steps to setting up an always on PVR, that should reboot and work properly after any power outages. Enjoy!

References

While setting up a Mythbuntu MythTV PVR, I found the following references useful:

Future Articles

In future articles, I plan to cover the following steps of our path:

The Medusa Deception novel - free first in series

Installing Mythbuntu 14.04.1 with MythTV 0.27

Summary

Contents

Completed PVR

A. Setup BIOS

B. Partition Drive

C. Create Mythbuntu DVD/USB

D. Install Mythbuntu

E. Choosing Country, Language, and Database "Configuration

F. Exiting MythTV Frontend after Mythbuntu Boot

G. Configure Desktop [Optional]

Ensure Correct Display Resolution

Enlarge Desktop Font

Delay Screensaver

Turn Off Update Notifier

H. Opening Terminal Window

I. Enable TV Capture Card

J. Apply Updates

K. Install TV, DVD, and HDD Utilities [Optional]

L. Ensure Full Boot Up After Power Off

M. Direct Sound Through HDMI on Intel HD Graphics

N. Install Flashplayer and Firefox

O. Add Extra MythTV Plugins

P. Update to latest MythTV Packages [Optional]

Q. Add New Remote Control Button Mappings

R. Prepare RAID [Optional]

S. Setup /data Directory

T. Setup Static IP Address [Optional]

U. Create Schedules Direct Account [Optional]

V. Reboot Computer

W. Navigating MythTV

X. Configure MythTV Backend

Y. Configure MythTV Frontend

Z. Setup Mtyhbrowser [Optional]

AA. Setup Mythmusic [Optional]

BB. Setup Mytharchive [Optional]

CC. Create Mythbrowser Bookmarks [Optional]

DD. Optimize for SSD [Optional]

Installation Complete

References

Future Articles