It looks like lots of users have trouble with MythTV and Mariadb. My error looks a bit different that what I've seen posted. Here is the console output from mythtv-setup with the error message highlighted in red.
--------------------
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> whoami
mythtv
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> /usr/bin/myth-startup
bash: /usr/bin/myth-startup: No such file or directory
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> /usr/bin/mythtv-setup
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747697 I Setup Interrupt handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747706 I Setup Terminated handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747709 I Setup Segmentation fault handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747711 I Setup Aborted handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747713 I Setup Bus error handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747715 I Setup Floating point exception handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747718 I Setup Illegal instruction handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747721 I Setup Real-time signal 0 handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747763 C mythtv-setup version: tag: v0.27 [317d5b7] MythTV, Open Source DVR
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747766 C Qt version: compile: 4.8.5, runtime: 4.8.5
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747768 N Enabled verbose msgs: general
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747773 N Setting Log Level to LOG_INFO
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747864 N Using runtime prefix = /usr
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747870 N Using configuration directory = /home/mythtv/.mythtv
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747905 I Assumed character encoding: en_US.UTF-8
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747907 I Added logging to the console
2013-12-26 00:06:58.748159 N Empty LocalHostName.
2013-12-26 00:06:58.748162 I Using localhost value of linux-wh01
2013-12-26 00:06:58.773387 E Unable to connect to database!
2013-12-26 00:06:58.773400 E Driver error was [1/1045]:
QMYSQL: Unable to connect
Database error was:
Access denied for user 'mythtv'@'linux-wh01' (using password: YES)
2013-12-26 00:06:58.809593 N Desktop video mode: 1920x1200 59.950 Hz
2013-12-26 00:06:58.892647 E LIRC: Failed to connect to Unix socket '/var/run/lirc/lircd'
eno: No such file or directory (2)
2013-12-26 00:06:58.892708 E JoystickMenuThread: Joystick disabled - Failed to read /home/mythtv/.mythtv/joystickmenurc
2013-12-26 00:06:58.892723 I UDPListener: Enabling
2013-12-26 00:06:58.893698 I Binding to UDP 127.0.0.1:0
2013-12-26 00:06:58.893725 I Binding to UDP 192.168.123.59:0
2013-12-26 00:06:58.893744 I Binding to UDP 192.168.123.255:0
2013-12-26 00:06:58.904346 I Using Frameless Window
2013-12-26 00:06:58.904367 I Using Full Screen Window
2013-12-26 00:06:58.906342 I Using the Qt painter
2013-12-26 00:06:58.969674 N Setting QT default locale to en_US
2013-12-26 00:06:58.970842 I Starting mythlogserver
2013-12-26 00:06:58.971078 I Starting process manager
2013-12-26 00:06:58.971116 I Starting process signal handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.972146 I Starting IO manager (read)
2013-12-26 00:06:58.972275 I Starting IO manager (write)
2013-12-26 00:06:59.051423 I MythUIWebBrowser: Loading css from - file:///usr/share/mythtv/themes/default/htmls/mythbrowser.css
2013-12-26 00:06:59.051686 E MythUIWebBrowser: failed to find our parent screen
2013-12-26 00:06:59.051756 I MythUIWebBrowser: enabling plugins
2013-12-26 00:06:59.071310 I Added logging to mythlogserver at TCP:35327
2013-12-26 00:06:59.183231 I System Locale (en_US), Country (US), Language (en)
2013-12-26 00:07:03.629942 E Error Loading en_us translation for module mythfrontend
2013-12-26 00:07:03.783676 I Starting mythlogserver
2013-12-26 00:07:05.337602 A User cancelled database configuration
2013-12-26 00:07:05.342908 E Failed to init MythContext, exiting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've done a few variants of the mysql.txt, whith the current one being:
---------------------------
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> cd .mythtv
mythtv@linux-wh01:~/.mythtv> ls
Cache-mythtv-setup-linux-wh01 config.xml mysql.txt MythBrowser themecache
mythtv@linux-wh01:~/.mythtv> cat mysql.txt
DBHostName=linux-wh01
# By default, Myth tries to ping the DB host to see if it exists.
# If your DB host or network doesn't accept pings, set this to no:
#
DBHostPing=no
DBHostName=linux-wh01
DBUserName=mythtv
DBName=mythconverg
DBPassword=mythtv
# Set the following if you want to use something other than this
# machine's real hostname for identifying settings in the database.
# This is useful if your hostname changes often, as otherwise you
# will need to reconfigure mythtv (or futz with the DB) every time.
# TWO HOSTS MUST NOT USE THE SAME VALUE
#
#LocalHostName=MYCOOLMYTHTVHOST
# If you want your frontend to be able to wake your MySQL server
# using WakeOnLan, have a look at the following settings:
#
#
# The time the frontend waits (in seconds) between reconnect tries.
# This should be the rough time your MySQL server needs for startup
#
#WOLsqlReconnectWaitTime=0
#
#
# This is the number of retries to wake the MySQL server
# until the frontend gives up
#
#WOLsqlConnectRetry=5
#
#
# This is the command executed to wake your MySQL server.
#
#WOLsqlCommand=echo 'WOLsqlServerCommand not set'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can see I created the user mythtv. I'm running of out idea here.
--------------------
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> whoami
mythtv
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> /usr/bin/myth-startup
bash: /usr/bin/myth-startup: No such file or directory
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> /usr/bin/mythtv-setup
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747697 I Setup Interrupt handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747706 I Setup Terminated handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747709 I Setup Segmentation fault handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747711 I Setup Aborted handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747713 I Setup Bus error handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747715 I Setup Floating point exception handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747718 I Setup Illegal instruction handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747721 I Setup Real-time signal 0 handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747763 C mythtv-setup version: tag: v0.27 [317d5b7] MythTV, Open Source DVR
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747766 C Qt version: compile: 4.8.5, runtime: 4.8.5
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747768 N Enabled verbose msgs: general
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747773 N Setting Log Level to LOG_INFO
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747864 N Using runtime prefix = /usr
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747870 N Using configuration directory = /home/mythtv/.mythtv
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747905 I Assumed character encoding: en_US.UTF-8
2013-12-26 00:06:58.747907 I Added logging to the console
2013-12-26 00:06:58.748159 N Empty LocalHostName.
2013-12-26 00:06:58.748162 I Using localhost value of linux-wh01
2013-12-26 00:06:58.773387 E Unable to connect to database!
2013-12-26 00:06:58.773400 E Driver error was [1/1045]:
QMYSQL: Unable to connect
Database error was:
Access denied for user 'mythtv'@'linux-wh01' (using password: YES)
2013-12-26 00:06:58.809593 N Desktop video mode: 1920x1200 59.950 Hz
2013-12-26 00:06:58.892647 E LIRC: Failed to connect to Unix socket '/var/run/lirc/lircd'
eno: No such file or directory (2)
2013-12-26 00:06:58.892708 E JoystickMenuThread: Joystick disabled - Failed to read /home/mythtv/.mythtv/joystickmenurc
2013-12-26 00:06:58.892723 I UDPListener: Enabling
2013-12-26 00:06:58.893698 I Binding to UDP 127.0.0.1:0
2013-12-26 00:06:58.893725 I Binding to UDP 192.168.123.59:0
2013-12-26 00:06:58.893744 I Binding to UDP 192.168.123.255:0
2013-12-26 00:06:58.904346 I Using Frameless Window
2013-12-26 00:06:58.904367 I Using Full Screen Window
2013-12-26 00:06:58.906342 I Using the Qt painter
2013-12-26 00:06:58.969674 N Setting QT default locale to en_US
2013-12-26 00:06:58.970842 I Starting mythlogserver
2013-12-26 00:06:58.971078 I Starting process manager
2013-12-26 00:06:58.971116 I Starting process signal handler
2013-12-26 00:06:58.972146 I Starting IO manager (read)
2013-12-26 00:06:58.972275 I Starting IO manager (write)
2013-12-26 00:06:59.051423 I MythUIWebBrowser: Loading css from - file:///usr/share/mythtv/themes/default/htmls/mythbrowser.css
2013-12-26 00:06:59.051686 E MythUIWebBrowser: failed to find our parent screen
2013-12-26 00:06:59.051756 I MythUIWebBrowser: enabling plugins
2013-12-26 00:06:59.071310 I Added logging to mythlogserver at TCP:35327
2013-12-26 00:06:59.183231 I System Locale (en_US), Country (US), Language (en)
2013-12-26 00:07:03.629942 E Error Loading en_us translation for module mythfrontend
2013-12-26 00:07:03.783676 I Starting mythlogserver
2013-12-26 00:07:05.337602 A User cancelled database configuration
2013-12-26 00:07:05.342908 E Failed to init MythContext, exiting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've done a few variants of the mysql.txt, whith the current one being:
---------------------------
mythtv@linux-wh01:~> cd .mythtv
mythtv@linux-wh01:~/.mythtv> ls
Cache-mythtv-setup-linux-wh01 config.xml mysql.txt MythBrowser themecache
mythtv@linux-wh01:~/.mythtv> cat mysql.txt
DBHostName=linux-wh01
# By default, Myth tries to ping the DB host to see if it exists.
# If your DB host or network doesn't accept pings, set this to no:
#
DBHostPing=no
DBHostName=linux-wh01
DBUserName=mythtv
DBName=mythconverg
DBPassword=mythtv
# Set the following if you want to use something other than this
# machine's real hostname for identifying settings in the database.
# This is useful if your hostname changes often, as otherwise you
# will need to reconfigure mythtv (or futz with the DB) every time.
# TWO HOSTS MUST NOT USE THE SAME VALUE
#
#LocalHostName=MYCOOLMYTHTVHOST
# If you want your frontend to be able to wake your MySQL server
# using WakeOnLan, have a look at the following settings:
#
#
# The time the frontend waits (in seconds) between reconnect tries.
# This should be the rough time your MySQL server needs for startup
#
#WOLsqlReconnectWaitTime=0
#
#
# This is the number of retries to wake the MySQL server
# until the frontend gives up
#
#WOLsqlConnectRetry=5
#
#
# This is the command executed to wake your MySQL server.
#
#WOLsqlCommand=echo 'WOLsqlServerCommand not set'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can see I created the user mythtv. I'm running of out idea here.