XMLTV grabber returned error code 1

[bill6502]

I agree that the above works, tested using hard links myself. But strongly disagree on the solution.
The intent is to have a single setup/use method to an already tough change for some. Those who
understand other solutions are welcome to use them. Like we could stop them ;).

Always run MFDB manually as user mythtv (some run it as other users, but that's another story)
and then the setup and maintenance of the copy of the <source_name>.xmltv files aren't required.

[mtbdrew]

Just ran mythtv-setup to confirm it is using Multinational (Schedules Direct JSON web services with SQLite....). When I sudo su - mythtv I then run this "tv_grab_zz_sdjson_sqlite --manage-lineups --config-file $HOME/master/.mythtv/SD.xmltv" to initialize etc (followed the wiki) so I should definitely be using the tv_grab_zz_sdjson_sqlite correct?

Okay so adding:
cache=/home/mythtv/.xmltv/tv_grab_zz_sdjson.cache
channel-id-format=default
previously-shown-format=date
username=your sd username
password=your sd password
mode=lineup
lineup=USA-OTA-76078

Seems to have fixed a lot of issues. I can now run this command:
tv_grab_zz_sdjson --days 0 --config-file $HOME/.mythtv/SD.xmltv > list.xml

Which always failed before. The skipping channels is not and issue anymore either. Unfortunately I am back to getting a error 1:
2020-07-24 12:41:46.319014 E XMLTV grabber returned error code 1
But not the same issue regarding the malformed XML

If I add "database=SD.xmltv" back in then the error code goes away but the skipped channel issue returns.

[bill6502]

Yes, Multinational (Schedules Direct JSON web services with SQLite....) and
tv_grab_zz_sdjson_sqlite --manage-lineups --config-file $HOME/master/.mythtv/SD.xmltv
are for the SQLite version.

The Wiki doesn't mention using master in the path to the config file,
it should look like this: --config-file $HOME/.mythtv/SD.xmltv .

It doesn't use a cache= entry in the --config-file. That's for the tv_grab_zz_sdjson version of the
grabber. Which you've now switched to by changing the data in $HOME/.mythtv/SD.xmltv, and
using the tv_grab_zz_sdjson grabber. So you must change the grabber in mythtv-setup too.

Finally, "database=SD.xmltv" is used by the SQLite version. The version you've chosen doesn't
use a database (plus it needs a full path, not just a file name.)

[mtbdrew]

So I need to take database=SD.xmltv back out and then go into the backend (mythtv-setup) and change the grabber to which one exactly?

[bill6502]

It's here: https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/XMLTV#Setup ... _zz_sdjson

[mtbdrew]

Made the changes in mythtv-set this cleared the error code but I still get fewer skipping messages but this do have these:
2020-07-24 16:53:09.671307 N Unknown xmltv channel identifier: I100147.json.schedulesdirect.org - Skipping channel.

Tried editing the file $HOME/.mythtv/SD.xmltv as per https://www.mythtv.org/wiki/XMLTV#Setup ... _zz_sdjson but get directory doesn't exist error.

[wesnewell]

I get about 20 unknown channels on mine. those are channels that aren't in your DB because you don't get them doing a scan. Don't worry about them, or get a bigger antenna so you might receive them. I get about 85 channels from the dfw antenna farm in Cedar Hill which about 40 miles SW of me.

[mtbdrew]

I'm showing about 30 but can't image these are not showing up in the OTA scan as i have a 100 mile antenna and get a crap load of stations that are picked up in the mythtv-setup scan. Now I did go in the channel edit and deselected all the shopping, Spanish, other non-English stations. Could this be why they are skipped? Also went into Schedule Directs lineup and removed all the stations I am not recording from.

[bill6502]

When you tried to edit the file, were you user mythtv? If yes, then what does
this command return: echo $HOME . If not, then become the mythtv user as
you have done before.

[bill6502]

The Schedules Direct lineup is no longer used with the grabber. No, that's notwhy they're skipped.
It means the identifier (as before) isn't in the MythTV database, but the grabber is getting programs
for it. The identifier in the above log snippet is I100147.json.schedulesdirect.org.

To skip channels, now that you've elected not to use the SQLite grabber, look at the
"Channel selection shortcut" part of the Wiki you cited. You just change lines similar
to this: channel=11460 to channel!11460. Full disclosure, I don't use that grabber.

[paulh]

If that doesn't work copy this to both /home/mythtv/.mythtv/SD.xmltv and /home/<user name>/.mythtv/SD.xmltv if you want to run mythfilldatabase from that user terminal.

cache=/home/mythtv/.xmltv/tv_grab_zz_sdjson.cache
channel-id-format=default
previously-shown-format=date
username=your sd username
password=your sd password
mode=lineup
lineup=USA-OTA-76078

Run mythfilldatabase from either user prompt. This has worked for me for years. It is the regular grabber. not the sqlite one. I've never run the sqlite version.

This is a really bad idea since the two xml grabbers uses a completely different format for their config files. You could copy your existing working config file but you would likely have problems with file permissions on the DB file that would need fixing.

[paulh]

I've only quickly skimmed through the thread so may have missed something but from my experience you get something like this error when you are missing a perl module and XMLTV is simply failing to run.

[wesnewell]

In the BE setup I selected the standard grabber, not the sqlite one. I actually didn't configure the control file in setup. I just copied it from from a backup from a previous install. At least that's what I remember. Maybe I'll try and change to the sqlite version and see how that goes. I remember when I first set it up on V29, setup was run as user wes, and it didn't work until I modified it to point the cache to user mythtv and copied the control file to user mythtv too. This setup has worked on the last 3 versions. Maybe a little unorthodox how I got there, but it works.

[mtbdrew]

When you tried to edit the file, were you user mythtv? If yes, then what does
this command return: echo $HOME . If not, then become the mythtv user as
you have done before.

Yes I was in mythtv user.
echo $HOME gives me this:
/home/mythtv

if I use this command "nano $HOME/.mythtv/SD.xmltv" I get the file that you had me edit earlier but there are no channels listed:
cache=/home/mythtv/.xmltv/tv_grab_zz_sdjson.cache
channel-id-format=default
previously-shown-format=date
username=xxxxxxx
password=xxxxxxxx
mode=lineup
lineup=USA-OTA-76078

[wesnewell]

And there won't be any channels to edit using mode=lineup and llineup=USA-OTA-76078. It just give you all the channels assigned to that zip code. The ones you don't get with a scan and entered into mythtv's DB are just ignored and skipped. Don't worry about it.
If you aren't getting guide data for some of the channels you get, you can manually enter the channelID in setup or mythweb for that channel. You can find the channelid's by hovering over the channel in SD's lineup for your zipcode. If you find one that isn't in the lineup, conteact SD so they can add it.