Question for anyone using the User Share eg. Movies (spanning multiple disks).  Upon initiation, I was able to obtain a complete list of Movies.  However, on successive movie additions, they have failed to be included in the Movies share listing.  Does it have to be disabled and re-enabled to accomodate such additions? 

 

Also, Tom or I am using MyMovies (add-in to MCE) for my icons and data, but have not been able to utilize the User Share UNC = M:\Movies\{movie name}\video_ts to locate or identify the correct icon/start any movie with this program.  Is that due to the lack of a "disk id" (eg. disk 1, disk 2, disk 3....)?  I can use UNC = U:\Movies on "Tower disk1" but if my goal is to utilize the User Shares for all Movies, "mapping" each disk for MyMovies data sort of defeats the purpose!  Suggestions welcomed.

 

Finally, I posted a question following a PM to Tom re: using the Flash drive to store the meta-data for MyMovies.  This might permit the "flash" to be "mounted" in a dedicated mapped drive with a specific sub-directory being used for all the Movie Data/Icons.  My current MyMovies total SubDirectory is < 30MB so should not be a prob for the 512 MB + Flash Drives currently recommended.  I've not had much success with this as of yet, but still believe that it is possible - similar to Binner's multiple MCE or MCE-Extender setup that he describes (note per Binner does not even need to be an MCE computer, so UnRaid ??).  If we can create a UNC Path to a specific SubDirectory on the Flash for each MCE/Extender/XBMC, it would be pretty easy to transfer all data to each MCE and use the central database.  Thoughts???

 

Dave

I am going to take a stab at helping out here.

 

Question #1 - http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=208.0

 

Question #2 - This makes no sense.  First, if there is a drive letter it is not a UNC share.  It is just a mapped drive.  How you have them mapped is up to you and not unraid.  I can't speak to how MCE works because I do not use it.  To ask for clarification, I  guess what you are saying is that behind the M: Drive is a user share and behind the U: drive is a disk share.  There should not be any difference.  You might search the forum.  There are other users who are apparently using MCE with some success.

 

Question #3 - Why would you want to store this on the Flash and not on a drive?  Reading and writing to the flash a lot is not recommended really.  You can do this now as the flash can be mounted R/W.  You could put stuff under the configuration directory in a sub-dir without issue I would imagine.  The same thing you describe about utilizing the flash across multiple frontends would work if it were on a disk.  It can still be done by manually adding a symbolic link.  That is all the user shares are doing.  If you know Linux you can do this now and add it to the go script.  It is not recommended though for the reasons stated above.

 

What version of unRAID are you using BTW?

This is from the website for the My Movies plugin:

 

The machine chosen to run as server much have the database stored on an UNC path

(\\server\share\folder) that all machines has access to – this requires that all boxes can access

this UNC path, without being prompted for username and password – this could be done by

having the same user on all boxes, and giving these accounts the same password, or by simply

removing password protection on the share (be sure that your network is firewall protected).

Remember that the machine itself can also access its own shares with UNC paths, to make sure

that the path is alike for all boxes.

 

Here they are saying just use a UNC path.  So the DB can be stored on a disk.  just store it on which ever disk has space and give the MyMovies plugin a UNC path instead of a drive letter path.  ex.  \\tower\disk1\[filename or folder]  instead of M:\[filename or folder].  No need to use the flash.

 

Also, you can do this with the user shares.  Instead of mapping a drive give the program the path \\tower\Movies\.

 

Those are just examples and not to be taken literally.  I am assuming the name of the unRAID box is still tower and that Movies is the name of the user share.

 

One more thing.  It occurred to me that the reason MCE and My Movies may be treating the user shares and real disk shares differently is that they REQUIRE write access.  As the user shares are not fully implemented for writes that may be the issue.    BUt what is confusing is that the documentation refers to a central database so why would it need to write? 

Hypyke,

 

Thanks for the response!  Re: #1 - I knew there had to be a process to update the Movies Share but couldn't find the link - probably should be a "Sticky" for dummies like ME !

 

Re: # 2 & # 3 - Point taken, the rationale for a "mapped" drive is for ease of access for those less familiar with UNC naming conventions (eg WAF/guests).  My thought re: the Flash is to have a "resident" list of movies that show up in MCE (also other devices - e.g. MG-35 (I have) & possibly 'networked' DVD players (i.e. GoVideo/Linksys/Buffalo Linkstation - though most require DIVX... - also these devices do not generally work with UNC at all).

 

Re: #3 (2nd reply) - Exactamundo! a centralized database accessible by all MCE type devices really is "read-only" so should work well on the Flash (though it seems a bit more complicated than that). 

 

The other rationale is for the ability to select from several hundred movies online WITHOUT spinning up a drive!  And also to be able to manipulate the DATABASE - eg Artist, Director, Genre, etc. which MyMovies allows, again w/o spinning up a disk, since the Flash is always on that becomes irrelevant!  As we complile larger numbers of movies (several folks have > 1-2 TB), this becomes a management issue.  Further if this works for Movie Data, it should also work for Music etc.

 

I profess less knowledge of Linux commands than others, thus your initial suggestions are somewhat beyond my expertise.  However, Tom noted in another thread, that he was using MyMovies with his MCE devices/computers with success. 

 

This is just another attempt at attacking what most of us are seeking a DIY (aka "poormans" Kaleidescape) minus the $ 30,000 entrance fee !  It may not be as 'elegant' or finished/polished but its ours and we can fix it, add to it, rebuild it etc w/o paying another fortune or two!

 

Dave

 

PS - per your request - UnRaid Pro Version 3.0 Final - Asus P5PE-VM (I pioneered this board); 512MB Ram; 1 500 Parity; 1 300; 2 x 250; 2 x 160 (promise); CoolerMaster Cac5 case.  I started with 128MB and upgraded with Tom's new program to 3.0 and thus far have had no difficulties (though also saw a bit of stuttering the other night).  Lots of reads/writes and thus far no errors (don't jinx me )!

 

Ah, Without spinning up a drive.  Cool.  If that is the intent I would suggest another Flash drive just for the DB in that case.