/.mythtv/ should *not* get created (blank homedir)

[xris]

Myth should probably error out if no homedir is defined, rather than creating a .mythtv directory a /

[Nigel]

Yes, if HOME isn't set, QDir::homeDirPath() seems to return '/'. The real question is, what should it be in this situation? Current directory? /tmp?

[Nigel]

(In [15796]) Prevent startup if no home directory path, and suggest env. var change. Thanks to Mike Dean for the clarifying discussion. Closes #4593

[andrei@…]

Even though QDir::homeDirPath() will use other environment variables on Windows when HOME is not set, libdvdnav needs HOME, and segfaults without it.

[andrei@…]

set HOME environment variable on Win32

[taco_mel@…]

An additional comment - I run my mythbackend out of inittab, and since HOME is not set there, this change would have broken my ability to do this without hacking around at the environment in a wrapper script. I have since commented out the new "return false" so that this works again, but I would suggest that preventing startup might be harsh.

[xris]

How about a way to pass in a HOME var on the commandline?

[andrei@…]

How many windows users (home users, not developers) do you know who are aware that an application can be launched with command line parameters?

[xris]

How many "windows users" are running mythbackend straight out of inittab?

My suggestion wasn't to replace the env var check, but to add extra functionality for the edge case.

[sphery <mtdean@…>]

Though, really, with a proper command line, the user can pass HOME (or any other environment variable) even when running directly out of inittab. I.e. as in Option 2 at http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Frontend_Auto_Login (but without the need for a VT in the case of mythbackend, where the user can use either /bin/su - or /bin/sh -l to get a proper environment) or http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_Dapper_Installation#Automatic_frontend_start.

[anonymous]

Please back out the change that prevents startup if the HOME var is not found. Printing a warning is fine, but not preventing startup. This entire ticket is a non issue.

[stuartm]

Anon - please state your reasons on the -dev list. We aren't going to respond to anonymous requests, especially when you don't give any reasons.

[stuartm]

Can we open a new ticket for the issue of setting HOME etc on other platforms? They aren't strictly related to this ticket.