I have been doing a lot of reading around and research and it seems there is no option for centrally managing a library on a server for XBMC. To explain...
I have setup a mySQL setup with multiple clients and everything is great, synched and instantly accessible across the system. But there are issues with this. When new content is added to my server drives it needs to be scanned and scraped and then the data is distributed to my machiens via the shared mySQL database and automated scripts for thumbs and images.
I have migrated from Meedio which did not have central shared database but did have a "backend" editor which I used via VNC on my server to add new content and then send the database files to the clients. I like managing all this off my server because I don't have to switch on yet another machine in the house to do my library updates and plus I can do this when at work or away from home without the wife knowing a thing (shows and movies just appear on screen like magic) and also from the iPad via VNC.
I know there is a plugin that can run automated updates periodically but I was hoping to just run a cut down version of XBMC on my server 24/7 and have that scan in every 20 minutes when stuff is added. The issue is that XBMC does not appear over VNC (just a black screen).
Is there any option for doing what I am trying? I just use my dev machine at the moment to do library management which is fine but it's not always on and the machine I use to VNC to my server when home is a music and video production machine which I don't install additional software on.
You could use a scheduled task that uses the HTTP API to request XBMC to do a library update.
JR
Why dont you make your Thumbnails directory a shared directory on all the machines? Then you don't have to sync all your thumbnails to your machines, the files are "already there"
Example:
Make a Thumbnails directory on your mysql server
Make it shared
On xbmc machine make a share from xbmc/userdata/Thumbnails to /mysqlserver/Thumbnails
*google how to share directories with whatever operating systems you are using
atari800 Wrote:Why dont you make your Thumbnails directory a shared directory on all the machines? Then you don't have to sync all your thumbnails to your machines, the files are "already there"
Example:
Make a Thumbnails directory on your mysql server
Make it shared
On xbmc machine make a share from xbmc/userdata/Thumbnails to /mysqlserver/Thumbnails
*google how to share directories with whatever operating systems you are using
Couple of reasons for this...
1. There is a bit better performance when used locally as opposed to across a network (especially for my laptop connencted via wifi)
2. On XP it requires certain steps and applications (I believe) to setup a shared link directory (easier on win7 with symlinks)
3. It's an automatic way of keeping a backup across machines. Should my htpd_data drive on the server crash I have backups of all thumb cache data (required even when restoring an sql backup of my database) without having to schedule backups (I don't run RAID)
4. I have selective control per-machine what is synched and what is not allowing me to do simple tests on my dev machine while still being part of the whole system without affecting any other machines or data.
I also sync playlists, shared folders, RSSfeeds, fanart backdrops, screensaver images etc and its all bi-directional and flexible and works with the ability for me to set any machine as being a "local" machine which has its own separate images while still having access to the main database.
So, lots of reasons really.
All very easily done from a batch file that you could launch from the scheduler.
JR
jhsrennie Wrote:All very easily done from a batch file that you could launch from the scheduler.
JR
Can this be initiated without XBMC running?
What are the strings to update the librarys?
jhsrennie Wrote:All very easily done from a batch file that you could launch from the scheduler.
JR
You're still stuck with keeping a client online to do that though. The appeal of running a headless client for library management is that it can be on a server machine that's running 24/7 anyway.
I have a cobbled together solution running XBMC in a virtual machine on my ESXi server, and manage the shared thumbnail cache with a combination of inotify tools (to push new thumbnails out to the other machines in real time as they're scraped) and rsync (to catch things up in case inotify fails). Sickbeard, CouchPotato, et al all interact with that instance only, and any manual updating of library items is done via XWMM. This way the HTPC clients can be suspended or shut down, but still have immediate access to the new library items when they resume.
phsyraxion Wrote:Can this be initiated without XBMC running?
What are the strings to update the librarys?
These will trigger Library updates (subsitute the appropriate network address, obviously), but as you implied, you do need XBMC running.
Code:
http://xbmc:8080/xbmcCmds/xbmcHttp?command=ExecBuiltIn(UpdateLibrary(video)%20)
Code:
http://xbmc:8080/xbmcCmds/xbmcHttp?command=ExecBuiltIn(UpdateLibrary(video)%20)
Yeah this is where the issue is a bit...
My server is headless and accessed via VNC. XBMC is just a black screen when run on the server so I need to configure it before uploading it and when its open I have no idea what its doing.
fade23 Wrote:You're still stuck with keeping a client online to do that though. The appeal of running a headless client for library management is that it can be on a server machine that's running 24/7 anyway.
I have a cobbled together solution running XBMC in a virtual machine on my ESXi server, and manage the shared thumbnail cache with a combination of inotify tools (to push new thumbnails out to the other machines in real time as they're scraped) and rsync (to catch things up in case inotify fails). Sickbeard, CouchPotato, et al all interact with that instance only, and any manual updating of library items is done via XWMM. This way the HTPC clients can be suspended or shut down, but still have immediate access to the new library items when they resume.
Does your system account if someone has made a change on a HTPC?
I want the central management of the data PLUS the case where I am flipping through my HTPC and find a banner or something I want to change and being able to change it with the remote and have this reflected by all other clients. I have this all setup and working great, just for central management my dev machine has to do it which I don't switch on all the time. Might have to just think about adding a head to my server.