v17 Way to convert Kodi library from Windows to Linux
#1
I am finally planning on stepping away from Windows to Linux Mint, and I am looking for a way to export, then import my Kodi library into the Linux version of Kodi. Given the differences between the pathnames in Windows and every other OS out there, I know that I cannot do this directly. 

I am currently using Kodi Krypton on a Windows 7 platform, and will be using the latest and greatest version of Kodi available for Mint 20.3.
Any suggestions on how to do this? I have been a Kodi user for a long time, and I literally have thousands of files bagged and tagged over the years, that I do not want to have to go through a tedious process of marking movies and TV shows watched.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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#2
(2022-05-20, 12:43)MarkS-Indy Wrote: I am looking for a way to export, then import my Kodi library
Separate Files method... https://kodi.wiki/view/Import-export_library/Video
My Signature
Links to : Official:Forum rules (wiki) | Official:Forum rules/Banned add-ons (wiki) | Debug Log (wiki)
Links to : HOW-TO:Create Music Library (wiki) | HOW-TO:Create_Video_Library (wiki)  ||  Artwork (wiki) | Basic controls (wiki) | Import-export library (wiki) | Movie sets (wiki) | Movie universe (wiki) | NFO files (wiki) | Quick start guide (wiki)
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#3
(2022-05-20, 12:43)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Any suggestions on how to do this?

If you have SQL skills, then there is a faster way than the export/import method. On what type of machine/OS are you media files stored?
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#4
Files are on a FreeNAS box.
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#5
I do have some SQL skills, albeit, they have been dormant for a number of years.
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#6
(2022-05-20, 13:10)Karellen Wrote:
(2022-05-20, 12:43)MarkS-Indy Wrote: I am looking for a way to export, then import my Kodi library
Separate Files method... https://kodi.wiki/view/Import-export_library/Video
How will this facilitate the export from Windows and its unique pathname methodology, to the Unix/Linux pathnames that everyone else uses?
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#7
(2022-05-20, 14:28)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Files are on a FreeNAS box.

FreeNAS is a Linux-based OS, paths and folders will not change that much going from Windows to Linux Mint, as the paths/folders are based on the file server. Use the same file protocol (SMB probably), and the use of Kodi in Linux shouldn't be too much of a hassle.

Are you also using a MySQL/MariaDB centralized database? If not, copying the local database in Windows to the Linux Mint pc is easy enough.
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#8
(2022-05-20, 14:44)MarkS-Indy Wrote: How will this facilitate the export from Windows and its unique pathname methodology
Using Separate Files method does not require Windows and Linux matching file paths. Kodi scans for your media, sees the nfo file next to the video file, and uses it. Whether you are using Windows, Linux, Mac or whatever is irrelevant .
If you were using Single File Export, then YES, it may be a problem.
My Signature
Links to : Official:Forum rules (wiki) | Official:Forum rules/Banned add-ons (wiki) | Debug Log (wiki)
Links to : HOW-TO:Create Music Library (wiki) | HOW-TO:Create_Video_Library (wiki)  ||  Artwork (wiki) | Basic controls (wiki) | Import-export library (wiki) | Movie sets (wiki) | Movie universe (wiki) | NFO files (wiki) | Quick start guide (wiki)
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#9
(2022-05-20, 20:07)Karellen Wrote:
(2022-05-20, 14:44)MarkS-Indy Wrote: How will this facilitate the export from Windows and its unique pathname methodology
Using Separate Files method does not require Windows and Linux matching file paths. Kodi scans for your media, sees the nfo file next to the video file, and uses it. Whether you are using Windows, Linux, Mac or whatever is irrelevant .
If you were using Single File Export, then YES, it may be a problem.
Does this method then place that information in each folder where the file is contained, so that it can be used on an import?
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#10
(2022-05-20, 20:52)MarkS-Indy Wrote:
(2022-05-20, 20:07)Karellen Wrote:
(2022-05-20, 14:44)MarkS-Indy Wrote: How will this facilitate the export from Windows and its unique pathname methodology
Using Separate Files method does not require Windows and Linux matching file paths. Kodi scans for your media, sees the nfo file next to the video file, and uses it. Whether you are using Windows, Linux, Mac or whatever is irrelevant .
If you were using Single File Export, then YES, it may be a problem.
Does this method then place that information in each folder where the file is contained, so that it can be used on an import?

Also, does status information (watched/unwatched) get exported and available upon import?
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#11
(2022-05-20, 20:52)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Does this method then place that information in each folder where the file is contained, so that it can be used on an import?
Yes, it is saved next to the video file.

(2022-05-20, 20:54)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Also, does status information (watched/unwatched) get exported and available upon import?
Yes, but in v19 you need to add some advancedsettings.xml tags as explained at the top of the page. For v20, this was changed so the tags are not needed.
My Signature
Links to : Official:Forum rules (wiki) | Official:Forum rules/Banned add-ons (wiki) | Debug Log (wiki)
Links to : HOW-TO:Create Music Library (wiki) | HOW-TO:Create_Video_Library (wiki)  ||  Artwork (wiki) | Basic controls (wiki) | Import-export library (wiki) | Movie sets (wiki) | Movie universe (wiki) | NFO files (wiki) | Quick start guide (wiki)
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#12
(2022-05-20, 21:11)Karellen Wrote:
(2022-05-20, 20:52)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Does this method then place that information in each folder where the file is contained, so that it can be used on an import?
Yes, it is saved next to the video file.
(2022-05-20, 20:54)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Also, does status information (watched/unwatched) get exported and available upon import?
Yes, but in v19 you need to add some advancedsettings.xml tags as explained at the top of the page. For v20, this was changed so the tags are not needed.
I went ahead and did the export and examined some of the .nfo files it created. It seems that this is definitely the ticket for "saving" all of my status information, which is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Also, I checked my current advancedsettings.xml, and all of the status tags are set to true. I will make sure that is the case when I do the Kodi install on Linux, which will probably be tomorrow.

Once again, thanks. This is saving me a ton of work!
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#13
Just wondering. Is there someplace that provides a definition for each of the tags in the exported .nfo file?
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#14
(2022-05-20, 21:27)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Just wondering. Is there someplace that provides a definition for each of the tags in the exported .nfo file?
Most are self-explanatory. But a list is here... https://kodi.wiki/view/NFO_files/Movies
My Signature
Links to : Official:Forum rules (wiki) | Official:Forum rules/Banned add-ons (wiki) | Debug Log (wiki)
Links to : HOW-TO:Create Music Library (wiki) | HOW-TO:Create_Video_Library (wiki)  ||  Artwork (wiki) | Basic controls (wiki) | Import-export library (wiki) | Movie sets (wiki) | Movie universe (wiki) | NFO files (wiki) | Quick start guide (wiki)
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#15
(2022-05-20, 21:51)Karellen Wrote:
(2022-05-20, 21:27)MarkS-Indy Wrote: Just wondering. Is there someplace that provides a definition for each of the tags in the exported .nfo file?
Most are self-explanatory. But a list is here... https://kodi.wiki/view/NFO_files/Movies
Thanks.
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