Comskip installed using Linux Synaptic Package Manager does not work

[RAK]

I have the Linux version of NextPVR v7 installed and working, but there are no files or folders in the /var/opt/nextpvr/scripts folder needed for Comskip where I think the file ParallelProcessing.sh should be installed.

Thanks to AI, I have step-by-step instructions from the Internet that I used to install Comskip with (using) my Linux Debian 12 Synaptic Package Manager.  I have ATTACHED these instructions for others to use, and comment if they are flawed or inadequate.    The Synaptic Package Manager did not throw any errors during the Comskip installation.

I was very careful to be sure all the required dependencies are installed before and after the installation.  A sample of the dependencies I found installed on my system hard drive are:
/usr/bin/comskip
/usr/share/doc/comskip
/usr/share/doc/comskip/changelog.Debian.gz
/usr/share/doc/comskip/copyright
/usr/share/man/man1/comskip.1.gz
/var/cache/apt/archives/comskip_0.82.009+git20230112.d0cc422+ds.1-2_amd64.deb
/var/lib/dpkg/info/comskip.list
/var/lib/dpkg/info/comskip.md5sums
/usr/bin/ionice
/usr/bin/nice
/usr/bin/renice
/usr/bin/snice
/opt/nextpvr/system/wwwroot/vendor/font-awesome/svgs/brands/docker.svg
/usr/share/gtksourceview-4/language-specs/docker.lang
/usr/share/nodejs/prismjs/components/prism-docker.js
/usr/share/nodejs/prismjs/components/prism-docker.min.js

Missing is the shell script  ParallelProcessing.sh   It is also missing in the Debian repository and I could not find it anywhere on the Internet.  I think we need Parallel Processing, but since neither Comskip, nor NextPVR, nor I are installing it, how do we get Comskip running?   

Also attached are my zipped Log files.  Martin, I rebooted my computer this morning to try to reduce the size of the zipped Log files as you suggested, but their size increased to 4.0 MB. 

The link is:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rOFLMKl...sp=sharing

[mvallevand]

ParallelProcessing.sh is something a a user creates and is not provided by NextPVR. Comskip is just one usage. I don't support user scripts but get it working from the command line first. Parameters explained here https://github.com/sub3/NextPVR/wiki/Scripts

You have a big file that needs to roll off and maybe it will get smaller if not just use external links.

Martin

[RAK]

Tnx Martin, knowing I have to create a ParallelProcessing.sh file to get Comskip working is a great help.  Your reply allowed me to do an AI assisted search on the Internet to find  https://forums.nextpvr.com/showthread.php?tid=60293 (2020-01-17, 08:46 AM) in which you provided a script for ParallelProcessing.sh.  It also gave me the script for the comskip.ini file that I (as a new User) would not have even known about.  The comskip.ini file I am now using is attached.

I understand parallel processing script files must have Execute permissions and can be named either ParallelProcessing.sh or PostProcessing.sh, so I created both identical files and have both installed in the directory /var/opt/nextpvr/scripts/ (and are also attached).

I used the Linux Command Line to determine that Comskip is working as you suggested, But it is NOT working correctly.  From a Linux Terminal, I repeatly ran the "ps aux" Command beginning immediatly after a short section of a TV show "Two.and.a.Half.Men.S01E06" finished recording (in real time).  From my Terminal Log shown below, it can be seen that the "ps aux | grep Comskip" Process runs each time, but the "/usr/bin/comskip" Process runs only for a short time.  When the Comskip Process does run, I cannot interpret all that is shown, but it does not look successful.  It does include time tags from 14:01 to 14.04. 
Terminal Log shown below:

dick@deb:~/NextPVR$ ps aux | grep comskip
dick      51906  0.0  0.0  6340  2156 pts/1    S+  14:01  0:00 grep --color=auto comskip
dick@deb:~/NextPVR$ ps aux | grep comskip
nextpvr    51913  163  2.0 2656228 160108 ?      RNLl 14:01  0:01 /usr/bin/comskip --ini=/usr/bin/comskip.ini /home/dick/recordings/Two and a Half Men/Season 01/Two.and.a.Half.Men.S01E06.Did.You.Check.With.the.Captain.of.the.Flying.Monkeys.ts
dick      51920  0.0  0.0  6340  2156 pts/1    S+  14:02  0:00 grep --color=auto comskip
dick@deb:~/NextPVR$ ps aux | grep comskip
nextpvr    51913  153  2.0 2656560 164100 ?      SNLl 14:01  1:01 /usr/bin/comskip --ini=/usr/bin/comskip.ini /home/dick/recordings/Two and a Half Men/Season 01/Two.and.a.Half.Men.S01E06.Did.You.Check.With.the.Captain.of.the.Flying.Monkeys.ts
dick      51925  0.0  0.0  6340  2160 pts/1    S+  14:02  0:00 grep --color=auto comskip
dick@deb:~/NextPVR$ ps aux | grep comskip
dick      51933  0.0  0.0  6340  2088 pts/1    S+  14:03  0:00 grep --color=auto comskip
dick@deb:~/NextPVR$ ps aux | grep comskip
dick      51938  0.0  0.0  6340  2088 pts/1    S+  14:03  0:00 grep --color=auto comskip
dick@deb:~/NextPVR$ ps aux | grep comskip
dick      51942  0.0  0.0  6340  2092 pts/1    S+  14:04  0:00 grep --color=auto comskip
dick@deb:~/NextPVR$

When I play back this recording, it still includes Commercials as do a number of others I've tried, so Comskip is definitely NOT working correctly. I have used Long Path Names everywhere I can and checked that they match where comskip, nice, and installed components are located without finding errors.  Without any Comskip instructions and unfound forum threads clues I'm stuck at this point.  I hope my attached Log zip files help.

Link to Logs - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zfBz_2E...sp=sharing

RAK

[mvallevand]

You do need to use a client player that support comskip, the web player doesn't the last I checked. Using parallel processing many client don't support dynamic comskip, I would stick with ui client.

Martin

[RAK]

Is it possible that there is NO way for Comskip to remove commercials in a Debian Linux version of NextPVR v7 ?

I ask this question because I can't implement your recommendation of using a UI client to get Comskip to work. The only Linux UI Client I can find is Kodi, but Kodi uses NextPVR as its built-in add-on leaving me with the same NextPVR problem of Comskip not being able to remove commercials.

I have an idea to get around the complications of Parallel Processing that I'd like to have the Forum consider. Let's say I am sitting in front of a Linux Terminal without an Internet connection, and I only have the Comskip program, all of its dependencies, and a copy of a NextPVR recorded video. Next, I run a single Linux command like: "comskip -options Long_path_to_video-recording-filename Output-filename-with-no-commercials" on that Linux Terminal to create an output video file without commercials in this static environment. The question is, would Comskip successfully produce a commercial-free file in this simpler static environment?

If this is possible to do in a static environment at this point, then there is a Linux_Script.sh solution for creating commercial-free files because all required elements exist to do so. Otherwise, I think that comskip does the complicated Parallel Processing that NextPVR does not support, but either way, it does not matter because your recommended UI Client solution can't be implemented anyway. If necessary, I can do without Comskip which also has problems of its own. Meanwhile, any comments from the forum are welcome such as solution(s) using docker. Tnx.

RAK

[mvallevand]

Comskip works in Debian that is the platform I use, but comskip has never removed commercials you need to research EDL files. Also maybe search for ComCut if you really must remove them but that will be a challenge with parallel processing, and usually not worth the effort.

Kodi does support comskip EDL files. I have an open source UI client coming that should work in most Linux distros.

Martin

[sub]

comskip isn't perfect. I wouldn't rely on it to cut bits out of recording. You'll absolutely end up with bits of shows missing.

NextPVR's build in player will use the edl files comskip produces to autoskip the areas that it thinks are adverts, but with the bonus of skipping back (or disabling) if it got the ad detection wrong. If you instead cut these bits from the recording, you're pretty much out of luck if it detects the wrong bits.