I've had the same problems as above on recent installations/upgrades of KnoppMyth. I started with a clean install of R5A9, upgraded to R5A10 and R5A12 and each time encountered similar permissions issues.

These are usually manifested by:
- setup/backend failing with error reading mysql.txt
- backend failing to start because of access denied on /var/log/mythtv/mythbackend.log
- apt-get or dpkg failing with an error about user mythtv not being a system user

After having 'fudged' a fix to the first two issues with the judicuous use of chmod in previous installs/upgrades, I read this thread, did some further digging and found that, like others, there was more than one mythtv user and group setup on my system:


I backed up the passwd/group files and manually deleted the mythtv user/group with the 1000 uid from the files. I then went a bit chown crazy on any files/directories that were left showing owners/groups of 1000, changing them to mythtv, and everything started working properly. The backend started without an error (including from boot) and I was able to use dpkg to install the new epia packages (gj there btw!).

I did previously have an R4V5 install with the /myth partition on a second drive and that drive got migrated to this install, but as I started with a clean install of R5A9 (not an upgrade) I don't understand how the user/group settings got into the new install??

Very nice diagnoses! I suspect we can whip up a simple script to fix this too... Find the duplicates, kill any extra ones, if there are multiple UIDs/GIDs do a find with those to locate any files which need to be chowned, ... You want to have first whack at it?

I've tried all the tricks offered here to fix this bug, and none of them last more than one or two restarts of my backend. I've also noticed that the problem seems random: that is, it sometimes happens after a reboot, or it sometimes happens after a "Backup KnoppMyth" session. The aforementioned "Backup KnoppMyth" session is done within the frontend of my backend.

-sTv

I am logging in as the mythtv user with UID 1000, and thus all related directories are owned my the same UID. should i still delete UID 1000 and chown the dir/files....or delete the other mythtv user?

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HTPC: Asus A7N8X-E / Atlon XP Mobile +2500
512 DDR3200
Nvidia GForce 5200
Hauppauge PVR350
Silverstone Lascala VFD HTPC case

I just saw the other thread that addresses the "extra user" issue. Now i'm puzzled, if UID 1000 is not the user to delete.

Cesman refers to the DOCS that talks about not using the user Mythtv on install...which doc does this refer to...I've looked.

will reinstalling with a different user name solve all of these conflicts?

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HTPC: Asus A7N8X-E / Atlon XP Mobile +2500
512 DDR3200
Nvidia GForce 5200
Hauppauge PVR350
Silverstone Lascala VFD HTPC case

I don't think it matters which one you delete (so long as you chown everything owned by the UID you're deleting to the one you're keeping) except for a possible conflicts in a later upgrade. Cecil should know the answer on that count.

In the upgrade section, mysettopbox.tv/doc says:

I guess this means that the username entered in the initial knoppmyth setup dialogs should never be mythtv - it should be a 'real' username instead (doh!) - and therefore that it's the installation script that's creating the second mythtv user. I never noticed that before - always used mythtv/mythtv in the past. This explains why I've always had permission problems after the move to R5 and why other R4 users have reported similar problem on upgrade (like me, they're used to entering mythtv and don't read the docs properly).

There is a simple solution to this problem (ATTN KNOPPMYTH DEVS)... make the setup script validate the username input and if mythtv is entered as a username either flag up an error or just skip the user setup all together. Probably a fairly simple change and it would effectively stop this problem from happening in future releases (not that I'm forgetful enough to do the same thing again now I know what the problem is ).

in the new installer the additional user portion will be optional.

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

Xsecrets

ATTENTION USERS READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU INSTALL.

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cesman

When the source is open, the possibilities are endless!

Sorry, didn't mean to sound flippant. Just trying to make a suggestion for some extra validation for dumbasses like me who do read the instructions and still get it wrong.

I would like to state that you guy's are very knowledgeble and I am so glad I found this forum, I hope in the futre I can give back as much as has been given to me.

I would suggest if it is possible to make this thread a sticky.

Thanks to all

Just out of curiosity why have we had soo many people in the last couple of month creating a mythtv user when this portion of the setup hasn't changed more or less since knoppmyth's creation. Is there something that has changed that is leading people to use this username?

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

Xsecrets

I never had the phantom second mythtv user problem. Every time I installed KnoppMyth, I created a normal non-mythtv user. It never occurred to me to create a mythtv user.

Being locked out of mythbackend.log continues to haunt me in KnoppMyth R5A15. Damn.

I noticed this time that is seemed to happen AFTER I added mythbackend.log to the "System Logs" area of the "System" pane in Webmin.
I use Webmin for almost all admin duties for my Knopp boxen.

Something I'm doing is causing Knoppix to think that mythbackend.log belongs to root/admin and not mythtv/mythtv. Or could it be that KnoppMyth is doing it?
It also seems to happen when a new mythbackend.log is created.

Hope this helps us crush this bug. I have RTFM and found no definitive answers.

-Bob K.

...boy was I disappointed just now to find out that the user 'mythtv' was already taken in the forum... <grin>

-brendan