MythTV Users, Big Changes in Schedules Direct Coming!

If you are a MythTV user, and you are using Schedules Direct for your listings data, there is an important change coming, effective Nov1, 2014. Full Details of the changes can be found here:

Mythbuntu - Schedules Direct Changes - November 1st

In a nutshell, if your MythTV system is running a version prior to .27, you will need to upgrade in order to get the required fixes. This upgrade is mandatory to all backend and frontend machines if you want to keep using Schedules Direct as your listings source. For most folks using Mythbuntu. you can select the version .27 repository from the Mythbuntu Control Center. Then run the system update manager.

It took a bit of work on my backend  since a partial upgrade was needed due to some residual issues from a previously failed upgrade. But once this was accomplished, and the machine rebooted, all I had to do was run the MythTV backend setup program, run the mythfilldatabase program, and my system was completely updated. Updating the frontend machines was accomplished by selecting the .27 repository from the Mythbuntu Control Center and then running a system update as well.

And by the way, the enhancements in version .27 over versions .26 and before are really SWEET!

10/25/2014 Followup:
I had a few days last week where the listings did not update, and the number of days in the listings dropped down as low as 11 days instead of  the usual 13-14 days. The most recent update seems to have resolved that and now I am showing 13-14 days of listings, which extend well beyond Nov 1st .


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Mythbuntu 12.04 and the mythfilldatabase bug - SOLVED!

I had a bit of a scare the past few days when I suddenly realized my MythTV HTPC was showing only 6 days of programming info. Searching various forums indicated that this was not uncommon, and the solutions, even over a year since these reports started to flood in, were not clear, and in fact, most suggestions were either horribly complicated or virtually ineffective. After hours of searching, checking settings, checking file permissions, emailing back and forth with Schedules Direct, I did finally fix the problem on my machine. In the event that my solution might actually help someone else avoid this type of HTPC angst, I'm posting it here-

For reference, I am running Mythbuntu 12.04 and myth .025, and I did a complete shutdown and reboot before proceeding with these steps-

1) Using a different computer, log into Schedules Direct, and select the resend lineups button
2) On the HTPC, shut down frontend and backend, go into backend setup

3) Manually check every channel to make sure none are using EID data

4) Clear and re-enter the password for logging into Schedules Direct (Data Direct), and made sure the user ID is correct

5) Download the lineup data from Schedules Direct

6) Match the correct lineup from the pull down to the correct source (I have two)

7) Repeat steps 4-6 for each additional source.

8) Exit the backend setup, then run mythfilldatabase.

9) Run mythfilldatabase a second time using the --dd-grab-all option

10) Restart the backend and the frontend and if all goes well, you should find all the listings were restored properly

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At Last! A FIX for the annoying FULLSCREEN bug in Chrome and Chromium!

Since sometime in 2011, Google Chrome and it's open source equivalent Chromium have been plagued with the dreaded ''Fullscreen'' bug which *seems* to occur randomly after updates. I've labored over editing configuration files in the past, so that I didn't have to restart with a blank user profile, and then rebuild, which is most often suggested as the only solution.So when I got slammed with the bug again today, and was painfully searching for the info I needed to once again do a manual edit of the configuration file, I found this little gem - A solution that is painless, and nothing short of miraculous! Thanks Dansoonie, for sharing this with the rest of us! You are AWESOME!

http://dansoonie.tistory.com/m/post/view/id/665

In a nutshell, when faced with this problem, you simply change your screen resolution to one SMALLER than you normally use. Your browser will resize itself accordingly. After that, it's simply a matter of reverting back to your normal screen resolution, and your problem is permanently fixed! No need to lose your existing profile settings, no need to painstakingly edit the profile defaults by hand!

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Tomato Firmware makes a great wireless bridge!

Since my oldest son Bill told me yesterday that he didn't need the spare WRT54G wireless router I had, I decided to flash it with the latest Tomato firmware and turn it into a wireless bridge so that I can use the Laserjet network printer that has been sitting idle in the laundry room for lack of usable space to hook it up within reasonable cabling distance to a network connection. The other alternative, crawling underneath the house and running Cat5 cable wasn't too appealing, especially in the middle of a Michigan winter! The flashing process was relatively simple. After that was done, it took a while to configure the new bridge so that it could communicate with the existing router, and I had to switch network cables from the normal router to the bridge and back again about a dozen times before I got it all set up. Now every computer in the house can print directly to the Laserjet. No more copying files to a USB key and having Michelle take them to work to print them out!!! Of course, you do have to remember to turn the printer on first before trying to print to it!

Kudos to polarcloud for their awesome Tomato firmware -
http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato

And a hat's off to Wi-Fi Planet and Aaron Weiss for an excellent tutorial on how to set it all up-
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/3810281

Next project will be using my Tomato powered Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 with all of it's advanced network/traffic/monitoring capabilities to replace the stock Linksys router we are currently using!

All logos, trade names, trade marks, and photos of the same belong to their respective owners. The use of such material in this article falls under the Fair Use provisions of intellectual property laws.