updateepg.bat script to check if a recording is in progress before update

[snagglewest]

I'm trying to get a script running that checks if a recording is in progress before updating the EPG. My updates are scheduled to run at 5am, not a time I normally have recordings going, but ever once in a while it presents a problem. I messed around with this a while back but couldn't get it working. Having lost another recording has motivated me to fix it. I good while ago I found a snippet that is supposed to check if a recording is in progress and wait until it's done before starting the EPG update. Unfortunately running the bat file seems to put the script into a loop and never actually does anything. I added some simple logging to the script so I could see were the problem occurs. There's nothing recording but the script just keeps restarting itself. Could someone script savvy take a look and see if there's any glaring errors that might be causing

Code:

@ECHO off REM Update EPG only if not recording ECHO -------------------------- >> epg.log ECHO Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - %time%>> epg.log CD /d "%~dp0" :loop set chknpvr=1 "c:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\NScriptHelper.exe" -isInUse | find "NOT RECORDING" set chknpvr=%ERRORLEVEL% if %chknpvr% NEQ 0 timeout 300 if %chknpvr% NEQ 0 goto loop if %chknpvr% EQU 0 "C:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR\NextPVR.exe" -updateepgonly ECHO updateEPG BAT complete - %time%>> epg.log exit

And here's a portion of the log that gets generated.

Code:

Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:07:56.88 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:07:58.18 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:07:59.50 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:00.80 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:02.09 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:03.43 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:04.73 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:06.01 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:07.30 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:08.58 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:09.89 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:11.23 -------------------------- Starting new updateEPG BAT file run - 13:08:12.52

Snag

[dixxfixx]

I am not a rocket surgeon or NextPVR script expert, but I'll bet that when the script calls -updateepgonly, NextPVR first calls the updateepg.bat script, which then calls -updateepgonly, which calls the updateepg.bat script again, etc. Rinse and repeat. Probably just leave that call out, 'cause it's already headed that way when the script terminates.

[JavaWiz]

Try the below script... A few notes:

• Update the BASEPDIR to reflect your system
  
• Update the DEBUG variable to FALSE once debugging is complete, so the script won't pause at the end.
  

The script will create a log and output to the screen. Also, I've commented out the -UpdateEpgOnly call, much for the same reason dixxfixx identified in prior post.

Code:

@ECHO off REM Update EPG only if not recording Set DEBUG=TRUE Set BASEUDIR=c:\Users\Public\NPVR REM Set BASEPDIR=c:\Program Files (x86)\NPVR Set BASEPDIR=c:\Program Files\NPVR Set LOGFILE="%BASEUDIR%\Logs\EpgCheck.log" Set NSHELPER="%BASEPDIR%\NScriptHelper.exe" Set NPVR="%BASEPDIR%\NextPVR.exe" CALL :LOGMSG CALL :LOGMSG ----------------------------------------------- CALL :LOGMSG Begin EPG Update process :VALIDATEENV CALL :LOGMSG Validating Environment FOR %%i IN ("%BASEUDIR%") DO IF NOT EXIST %%~si\NUL ( CALL :LOGMSG ABORT: Base user directory does not exist. Check script variable BASEUDIR GOTO :ENDJOB ) FOR %%i IN ("%BASEPDIR%") DO IF NOT EXIST %%~si\NUL ( CALL :LOGMSG ABORT: Base Program directory does not exist. Check script variable BASEPDIR GOTO :ENDJOB ) FOR %%i IN (%NSHELPER%) DO IF NOT EXIST %%~si ( CALL :LOGMSG ABORT: NScriptHelper.exe does not exist. Check script variable NSHELPER GOTO :ENDJOB ) FOR %%i IN (%NPVR%) DO IF NOT EXIST %%~si ( CALL :LOGMSG ABORT: NextPVR.exe does not exist. Check script variable NPVR GOTO :ENDJOB ) set chknpvr=1 :LOOP CALL :LOGMSG Check to see if any recording in progress... %NSHELPER% -isInUse >> %LOGFILE% %NSHELPER% -isInUse -isInUse | find "NOT RECORDING" set chknpvr=%ERRORLEVEL% REM CALL :LOGMSG isInUse returns %chknpvr% if %chknpvr% NEQ 0 ( timeout 300 GOTO :LOOP ) CALL :LOGMSG No recordings in progress, update the EPG. REM %NPVR% -updateepgonly CALL :LOGMSG EPG Update complete GoTo :ENDJOB -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :LOGMSG if "%*". EQU "". ( echo. ) else ( echo %* ) echo %date% %time% %* >> %LOGFILE% Goto :EOF -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :ENDJOB If %DEBUG% EQU TRUE Pause

My log looks like this:

Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:22.39 -----------------------------------------------
Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:22.40 Begin EPG Update process
Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:22.41 Validating Environment
Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:22.42 Check to see if any recordings in progress...
RECORDING
Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:41.06 Check to see if any recordings in progress...
RECORDING
Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:52.88 Check to see if any recordings in progress...
NOT RECORDING
Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:55.11 No recordings in progress, update the EPG.
Sat 10/03/2015 11:49:55.13 EPG Update complete

[snagglewest]

Thinking about it I suspect you're correct that the EPGupdate script calls the updateepg.bat again which starts the loop.

Wiz, does leaving off the -updateepgonly mean Npvr opens the user interface? If so does it stay open and update the EPG? I've no idea exactly how it works behind the scene. I haven't tested it yet, I have a recording going right now. I'll wait till it finishes in case I jack things up

Snag

[JavaWiz]

Wiz, does leaving off the -updateepgonly mean Npvr opens the user interface? If so does it stay open and update the EPG? I've no idea exactly how it works behind the scene. I haven't tested it yet, I have a recording going right now. I'll wait till it finishes in case I jack things up

Snag

The line

Code:

REM %NPVR% -updateepgonly

Is fully commented out. NextPVR is not called. When the EPG updates, the UI is not visible.

To my understanding, the process works as follows

• Based on the settings in the config, the EPG update is called (via the recording service) at the target config time.
  
• The batch file EPGUpdate.bat is called, this will run commands prior to NextPVR actually updating the EPG (such as running XMLTV or other pre-processor)
  
• Once batch file completes, the recording service updates the EPG (i.e. you don't have to call nextpvr with -updateepg) No visible UI.
  

[snagglewest]

Thanks for the script Wiz, I think I have it working now. I tried it by forcing an update and it seems to have worked correctly. I'll let it run at 5am and hopefully everything goes as planned!

Snag

[JavaWiz]

Make sure you set DEBUG=FALSE or it will get stuck on the PAUSE statement.

[dixxfixx]

As long as we're having scripting class, why are there two "-isInUse" options in "%NSHELPER% -isInUse -isInUse | find "NOT RECORDING""? What does that do?

[JavaWiz]

As long as we're having scripting class, why are there two "-isInUse" options in "%NSHELPER% -isInUse -isInUse | find "NOT RECORDING""? What does that do?

The first one directs the results to the log file
the second one is used to search for the "NOT RECORDING" string.

I did that mostly to debug the script, so I could see what NScriptHelper was returning.

[dixxfixx]

No, I mean where there's two in the second line, together, like I quoted.