[moveright]

Ok, I read through the profiles section of the wiki and it left me with a few questions.

I have all of our media located on a central desktop system. This box is connected to our TV and is where we watch our shows/movies.

Recently, I installed XBMC on my daughter's laptop so she could watch from her room. I added our /tv shows and /movies folders to her video sources via the UPnP option built into XBMC (is that the preferred method?).

I realize that because she is 8, there are certain shows and movies that she shouldn't be watching. She claims to follow the rules but hey, she's 8, she claims many things.

Here's the functionality I'm looking to accomplish, please let me know if this is achievable.

I'd like to create a profile for her on the CENTRAL machine which stores all the media. I'd like to make it so that if she wants to use XBMC on her laptop, her only option is to log in to her profile. Once she logs in, the only media available to her would be what was made available, either manually by myself or if there were some way to sort it out by rating i.e. PG, PG-13, etc.

possible?

[jhsrennie]

You'll need different sources for your daughter's profile on her PC. On the server you need to divide up the media files into different directories with one set holding the adult movies and the others holding the child friendly movies. Then scan the films into the local database on your daughter's PC so it contains only the safe videos.

When you use uPnP you're using the database on the server and it has access to all the movies. There is no way to filter the results returned by the uPnP server.

JR

[moveright]

Thanks for the reply!

Question: Can I store her profile on the server as a roaming profile? Or do I need to create the profile on her machine and it will be stored locally on her machine?

I will separate the files into folders as you prescribe. That makes sense. So, I take it you are advising AGAINST the use of UPnP as a method of sharing? What method do you suggest as an alternative?

You've been very helpful.

[jhsrennie]

You don't need to mess around with profiles at all. Just create sources on her PC that point to the safe directories, then do a library scan. Her XBMC will then only show media in the directories you've pointed it to.

If you use a layout on the server like:

smb://servername/Video
|__Children
|__Adult

then on your daughter's PC add the source smb://servername/Video/Children and on your PC add smb://servername/Video. That way you will see all the files while your daughter only sees the safe ones.

I've used the potentially confusing notation "smb://servername/Video" above. Suppose your server is called "Fred" and you've created a shared directory called "Video". When adding the source click the Browse button, then scroll the list down and select "Add network location". In the "Add network location" dialog choose the protocol "Windows network (SMB)" and fill in the server name Fred and the share name Video and click OK. If you now look at the list of network locations you'll see a new location called "smb://fred/video". This is XBMC's notation for Windows network, server = "fred" and share = "video". I find this the most reliable way to add sources for servers.

JR

[moveright]

Ok, for some reason I cannot get her laptop to talk to the main computer. It can SEE the shared folders and it can ADD them as a source but that's where it stops.

something about access problem from her machine, and BOTH machines run windows 7.

Is there a step by step walkthrough for XBMC network sharing somewhere? thanks so much for all the help btw.

[karandras24]

something about access problem from her machine, and BOTH machines run windows 7.

Is there a step by step walkthrough for XBMC network sharing somewhere? thanks so much for all the help btw.

ON the desktop / server....

make sure either the video shares are set so everyone can read them OR make her a standard account on the desktop with the same username and password she uses on her laptop. That will sort the permissions issue out.

[moveright]

ON the desktop / server....

make sure either the video shares are set so everyone can read them OR make her a standard account on the desktop with the same username and password she uses on her laptop. That will sort the permissions issue out.

did both, and it works now! thanks!

[karandras24]

NP Matey, Glad it worked.