At http://www.mysettopbox.tv/linhes.html Cecil has a mini-how-to. I thought I would elaborate on it as I recently made some more changes to my setup and used some of these instructions.

This also assumes that you have 2 machines. One is a MBE (Master Backend) and the other is a SBE (Slave Backend). The MBE keeps the program database, settings, and files. The SBE connects as needed and can play the recorded TV programs or videos.

**Start with an AUTO-INSTALL on both machines.

Customization:

This step adds a way to tie a name like mbe.mysettopbox.tv to an IP Address. On the MBE:
1. Open Terminal
2. su root
3. vi /etc/hosts:
4. Add


Where 192.168.x.x is the IP address of the SBE (Slave Backend).

This step will export the myth directory where all of the TV shows, videos, and MP3's are located and allow your SBE to connect to it.
1. vi /etc/exports:
2. Change to say


This step will start NFS automatically.
1. update-rc.d nfs-kernel-server defaults

**Note: You do not need to do this step to view recorded TV stored on MBE from SBE**
**Note: I keep all of my files on my MBE. So, my setup differs from Cecil's. Both the MBE and the SBE need to have same source directory.**
1. cd /mnt
2. mkdir music
3. mkdir video
4. ln -s /myth/music music
5. ln -s /myth/video video
6. mythfrontend
7. Setup-Music Settings-General Settings, change the directory to hold music to /mnt/music
8. Setup-Video Settings-General Settings change directory to hold videos to /mnt/video

**This step sets up the proper IP and networking for the MBE and SBE to talk to each other.**
1. mythtv-setup
2. Change the IP Addresses to the IP Address of the MBE
3. Exit.
4. vi /etc/mysql/my.cnf
5. Find line that looks like this

6. Change to


Now switch to the SBE


This step adds a way to tie a name like mbe.mysettopbox.tv to an IP Address. On the SBE:
1. Open Terminal
2. su root
3. vi /etc/hosts:
4. Add


Where 192.168.x1.x1 is the IP address of the SBE (Slave Backend).
Where 192.168.x2.x2 is the IP address of the MBE (Master Backend).

This step will automatically mount a nfs shared directory automatically from the MBE. On the SBE:
1. vi /etc/fstab
2. Add


This step will start NFS automatically.
1. update-rc.d nfs-kernel-server defaults

Since this is just a Slave Backend, there are some things that don't need to run. This will make Mysql and Apache not start automatically.
1. update-rc.d -f mysql remove
2. update-rc.d -f apache remove

Since MBE already keeps track of the TV listings, the SBE doesn't need to do it too.
1. rm -fr /etc/cron.daily/mythtv-backend

**Note: You do not need to do this step to view recorded TV stored on MBE from SBE**
**Note: I keep all of my files on my MBE. So, my setup differs from Cecil's. Both the MBE and the SBE need to have same source directory.**
1. cd /mnt
2. mkdir mbe
3. ln -s mbe/video video
4. ln -s mbe/music music
5. mythfrontend
6. Setup-Music Settings-General Settings, change the directory to hold music to /mnt/music
7. Setup-Video Settings-General Settings change directory to hold videos to /mnt/video

**This step sets up the proper IP and networking for the MBE and SBE to talk to each other.**
1. mythtv-setup
2. Change the first IP Address to the IP Address of the SBE
3. Change the second IP Address to the IP Address of the MBE
4. Exit.

**Change the SBE to connect to the MBE database.**
1. cd ~/.mythtv
2. vi mysql.txt
3. Change it say


**Done and time to reboot**
On MBE
1. shutdown -r 0

**Wait for MBE to boot.**

On SBE
1. shutdown -r 0
2. Cross fingers

At this point both of them should work. Place a video on the MBE at /myth/video and see if it plays on SBE.

Also, I noticed that some of the video quality and frame rate is bad on my files. So, I updated to the newest XVID core.
1. su root
2. apt-get update
3. apt-get install libxvidcore2
4. apt-get install libxvidcore4

Both my MBE and SBE have ATI remotes. So, one remote will control the other box when it is turned on. More info here http://www.oxxus.net/host/2.6.8/hosting-ati_remote.htm

On MBE:
1. On remote hold down hand icon until it blinks. The number of blinks shows its channel number.
2. Press 1 then hand. It should blink once. The channel is now 1.
3. su root
4. ati_remote (if you haven't already)
5. vi /etc/modules
6. Change

to say

This will ignore every other channel except 1.
7. Reboot. (I don't know the command to reload modules)

On SBE:
1. On remote hold down hand icon until it blinks. The number of blinks shows its channel number.
2. Press 2 then hand. It should blink once. The channel is now 2.
3. su root
4. ati_remote (if you haven't already)
5. vi /etc/modules
6. Change

to say

This will ignore every other channel except 2.
7. Reboot. (I don't know the command to reload modules)

Hope this helps! I'm there are problems/optimizations in here, but this should get you started. Here is the benefit of my Linux experience.

Here are some of the changes as of R5A12 to do make LinHES:



Should be:



At the part where you add the ati_remote to /etc/modules. It should be:

Well, I thought I would get adventurous and try the MBE and SBE setup as outlined here, but did not quite succeed. I did my best to follow this how to, and my MBE seems to be running with the settings except it will no longer access the music files. The video recordings show up and still work with the new settings.

My SBE will not start the frontend. Here is the error message I am getting when trying to start the frontend from xterm:


Both the SBE and the MBE have nearly identical hardware as shown in my signature and both were working perfectly as stand alones with R4V5 installed on them.

The only deviation I saw from the posted instructions was the mysql.txt file. It was located in /etc/mythtv directory and not in ~/.mythtv location as suggested. I have gone over all the settings twice and will check them again.

Any suggestions on what to check?

_________________
SIS K7S5A mb R4V5
Amd 2000 + cpu Atheros chipset wireless NIC
GF4 ti4200 Video onboard ALSA sound card
768 meg sdram partial install on Nuv2disc
120 g maxtor HD
PVR 250 Video Capture card

Perhaps MySQL isn't listening for network connections?

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

Do the other modules work? From the SBE can you view the TV schedule? Can you view the list of movies?

I am not sure what you mean by "do the other modules work"

I cannot view anything (movies, scheule, etc) from the SBE, it will not boot into the frontend. It returns the message I posted above.

From xterm on the SBE, if I type "ping mbe" it returns

From the SBE if I ping the sbe it returns

From the MBE when I ping the sbe and mbe I get



So there seems to be communication via nfs. Should there be a ping returned on the MBE when I ping the MBE? I cannot double check the ip's I entered into the setup screens on the frontend since the frontend does not start.

typing "mythtv-setup" returns

So MySql seems to be the problem.

The server on the MBE should be listening with these setting in /etc/mysql/my.cnf

_________________
SIS K7S5A mb R4V5
Amd 2000 + cpu Atheros chipset wireless NIC
GF4 ti4200 Video onboard ALSA sound card
768 meg sdram partial install on Nuv2disc
120 g maxtor HD
PVR 250 Video Capture card

Perhaps you should re-read my post?

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

Cesman, I have read and re-read your post.

As I mention above, I have commented out "skip networking" in the /etc/mysql/my.cnf file on the MBE as per the instrucions in this How To. I have searched for other ideas on what to do but did not find any.

Is there something else I am missing that will enable MySQL to listen for network connections on the MBE?

_________________
SIS K7S5A mb R4V5
Amd 2000 + cpu Atheros chipset wireless NIC
GF4 ti4200 Video onboard ALSA sound card
768 meg sdram partial install on Nuv2disc
120 g maxtor HD
PVR 250 Video Capture card

try searching the forum for skip networking. There's another thread about this with an answer, but I don't have time to look it up right now.

_________________
Have a question search the forum and have a look at the KnoppMythWiki.

Xsecrets

Did you change the mysql.txt too?

Here is my mysql.txt on the sbe:

Here is the mysql.txt on the mbe:

_________________
SIS K7S5A mb R4V5
Amd 2000 + cpu Atheros chipset wireless NIC
GF4 ti4200 Video onboard ALSA sound card
768 meg sdram partial install on Nuv2disc
120 g maxtor HD
PVR 250 Video Capture card

The mbe hostname is likely not resolving; use the IP address. I do not think you need the LocalHostName line (I don't have it).

I have tried replacing some of the host names with ip's but the frontend will still not log on to the mbe. Here are my settings now:

sbe: /etc/hosts

SBE: /etc/mythtv/mysqll.txt

On the MBE: /etc/hosts

on MBE /etc/mythtv/mysql.txt

Since the frontend will no longer start, where can I look to double check that I entered the correct ip's for the sbe/mbe setup?

_________________
SIS K7S5A mb R4V5
Amd 2000 + cpu Atheros chipset wireless NIC
GF4 ti4200 Video onboard ALSA sound card
768 meg sdram partial install on Nuv2disc
120 g maxtor HD
PVR 250 Video Capture card

Why are you using my domain name in your /etc/host? Granted, it isn't routed, but still...Will show you what your IPs are.

_________________
cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

Actually your domain name shows up residually in a couple places under /etc... For example I just noticed and removed it in: /etc/webmin/miniserv.conf and a quick find/xargs/grep under /etc turns up...

Most of these are harmless or not an issue...