[cukiyoko]

Hi all,

I could really use your advice about how I can set my libraries up the way I want.

What I would like to do is have all my versions of Kodi (Amazon fire tv, PC, iPad, Android phone) mirror the same library setup and stats - which is set up on my WD My Cloud Gen 1 NAS 4TB (1 Bay).
That is, they should all show which items have been watched and also displays the libraries and any custom changes the same way. If I watch something on the ipad, I want it to update the library, so if I access the Fire TV it mirrors the watched stats from the ipad.

I know there are ways of doing this, but I don't know if they will work with my setup. (disclaimer - I tried the UPNP sharing on the kodi wiki, but I didn't like how it worked. I had to access the files via the video option and it was like accessing the NAS directly, rather than mirroring the libraries).

I know you can do it with mySQL / emby via a NAS, however my issue is that my particular WD NAS does not allow installing of apps. If you go to the WD UI interface, I have no options to install or add anything. I believe you can do it with their later drives, but mine is first gen.

Therefore, can anyone suggest how I might go about getting my libraries shared via the NAS? I have heard that some people have been able to achieve it, but I am not sure how.
Please, any tips would be much appreciated!

Thank you!

[DarrenHill]

You should be able to host the MySQL database on the PC for example.

A quick Google search turned up this, but there are loads of options out there.

You are correct the later/larger WD devices can do this built-in (I run a MyCloud Mirror Gen 1 and host my shared MySQL database on that), but as you say the earlier devices are more limited.

Another alternative is buy something cheap and cheerful like a Raspberry Pi and host the database on that.

[cukiyoko]

Thanks for the advice - all very useful to know.

My concern with setting up mySQL on my PC is that I can't keep the PC on 24/7, so I am guessing that would cause a few issues? For example, what would happen if the PC was off and I started up the fire tv? Would it fail to load the library completely, or would it just open the most recent sync of the library?

The Raspberry pi is a new idea - I hadn't thought of that! However, I'm wondering if it's worth just upgrading my NAS in the end, if it isn't up to doing what I want it to. All food for thought, and thank you for providing your knowledge

[DarrenHill]

Yes, if the MySQL isn't available when you start up the device then you'll have problems. It would try to access things, then eventually time out and wouldn't load the library at all. There is no sync of the library, everything is accessed via the networked common database so if it's not there then things won't work.

The Pi and similar devices are quite useful for such "small server" applications, as they take very little power, aren't expensive and are fairly easy to set up with support from the internet. I've got a few around my network doing various jobs and they work fine. But what's best for you is of course your decision - the NAS upgrade is always an option too.

[cukiyoko]

Thank you again, your advice is invaluable.
I'll investigate a raspberry pi for now, and keep an eye on eventually upgrading my NAS. I would like to learn how to use a NAS for more than just streaming, but for now I think that is all my WD cloud is capable of at the moment, so it might be worthwhile investing in something more powerful for the future.
The Pi sounds like a great intermediate solution, so thanks for that tip!