unRAID and Kodi


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I've been using unRAID for a number of years to run a couple of servers.  One of them is simply a media server that feeds MKV content to 5 Dune Media Players.

 

The writing is on the wall that the life of this Dune network is limited.  I've ordered a Pi3 and plan to install LibreElec to run Kodi.

 

My unRAID is pretty vanilla.  I don't run any Dockers.  I don't run any VM's.  Hardware is only a Sempron 145 with 2GB RAM to minimize power consumption.

 

But I'm sure there are some folks out there serving up content to standalone Kodi boxes.  What am I looking at to set this up?  Is it a mySQL docker?  MariaDB?  Emby?  I see lots of threads for troubleshooting people's setups, but couldn't find a primer for getting started with unRAID.

 

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks!

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I used the same exact proc that you are using. However I just installed my files on the server and let each Kodi Client scan and keep their own databases. I didn't over complicate it with Central Databases or any other "In my opinion" nonsense. 

 

I later switched to Plex and and a more powerful machine and now to my Xeon and honestly I don't worry about anything, but that is just my story/setup.

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MariaDB docker is really all you need for a shared central DB that keeps everything in sync.  But add the headless KODI docker and it adds to the experience.  The kodi docker will scan and import the videos files so when you kodi clients startup they have the latest directory/media all ready to roll.

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29 minutes ago, kizer said:

I used the same exact proc that you are using. However I just installed my files on the server and let each Kodi Client scan and keep their own databases. I didn't over complicate it with Central Databases or any other "In my opinion" nonsense. 

 

I later switched to Plex and and a more powerful machine and now to my Xeon and honestly I don't worry about anything, but that is just my story/setup.

 

The only advantage that I see to the shared DB is the ability to pause on one machine and resume the same spot on another.  Or is that only something Emby can do?

 

To throw another wrench into things, my current Dune/unRAID configuration is offline.  It is on a standalone sub-net in my house.  I keep it isolated from all other PC's and outside influences to prevent ransom ware, file theft, etc.  I have a dual NIC PC.  About once per week, I connect a physical cable to my second NIC on my PC.  I copy over new files and scrape DFI data, run goodsync to sync the DFI data to all my Dunes, and then pull the plug on the ethernet cable.

 

That brief 30-60 minute period once per week is the only time there is any potential threat exposure to my unRAID.

 

Trying to figure out a similar process to work with Kodi.

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17 minutes ago, dalben said:

MariaDB docker is really all you need for a shared central DB that keeps everything in sync.  But add the headless KODI docker and it adds to the experience.  The kodi docker will scan and import the videos files so when you kodi clients startup they have the latest directory/media all ready to roll.

Does either docker add much overhead to the hardware?  Curernt only use 24% of 2GB and CPU is hardly ever over 4%.  May go up around 20% when a couple of people watch something.  But it is just a single core CPU... so don't know how much I can expect unRAID to do.

Edited by KYThrill
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15 minutes ago, KYThrill said:

Does either docker add much overhead to the hardware?  Curernt only use 24% of 2GB and CPU is hardly ever over 4%.  May go up around 20% when a couple of people watch something.  But it is just a single core CPU... so don't know how much I can expect unRAID to do.

 

I don't see any real load.  The DB just serves up the directory/media information to the clients.  The KODI docker doesn't play any movies, just scans and imports, normally (in my case) when triggered by Medusa or Radarr etc.  When your clients are actually playing the videos, neither DB or Kodi docker are involved.

 

FWIW I have just added Profiles to the mix.  So now the kids have their profile, adults ours, and teenager theirs.  You can go to any KODI client in the house, login to your profiles and the viewed/not viewed/new/resume where you left off is available on any device.  For a family with different viewing habits it's working a treat.  This sort of functionality can only be achieved with a shared MariaDB.

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2 hours ago, dalben said:

 

I don't see any real load.  The DB just serves up the directory/media information to the clients.  The KODI docker doesn't play any movies, just scans and imports, normally (in my case) when triggered by Medusa or Radarr etc.  When your clients are actually playing the videos, neither DB or Kodi docker are involved.

 

FWIW I have just added Profiles to the mix.  So now the kids have their profile, adults ours, and teenager theirs.  You can go to any KODI client in the house, login to your profiles and the viewed/not viewed/new/resume where you left off is available on any device.  For a family with different viewing habits it's working a treat.  This sort of functionality can only be achieved with a shared MariaDB.

How are you handling profiles with the headless docker? One docker for each profile was the only way I could get this to work

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Emby server with Kodi does work decently enough.  BUT, I personally find the Emby clients are much simpler to use and the interface is much better - cleaner, more info, easier to access media, easier to change users etc.

 

Now, I think you could get as good a user interface if you messed with the Kodi setup enough and didn't use the Emby plug-in.

 

But, I'm happy with the Emby server. I think it's  was well worth the lifetime premier cost.

 

Personally, I'd setup the Emby server and then use something that supports the clients, like a Chromecast or FireTV. Take a look at their supported clients - you might even have some smart TV's that could run it directly.

 

 

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10 hours ago, DZMM said:

How are you handling profiles with the headless docker? One docker for each profile was the only way I could get this to work

 

Same at the moment.  But I’m looking at how I could write a script to stop the container, copy a different advanced settings.xml and then restart for each additional profile to do an update.

 

or I just tell the kids to do a library update when they start up the client if they want their latest videos. 

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53 minutes ago, dalben said:

 

Same at the moment.  But I’m looking at how I could write a script to stop the container, copy a different advanced settings.xml and then restart for each additional profile to do an update.

 

or I just tell the kids to do a library update when they start up the client if they want their latest videos. 

the docker is so small, I just had two running at the same time - one for the grown-up library and one for the kids.  I'm not actually using it at the mo through as it doesn't support Leia, which I've been using for around 3 months or so with no problems.

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4 hours ago, Fireball3 said:

Are you running unRAID 6 on that CPU?

I hat real issues with parity checks. Speed went down and CPU load was pinned @100%

Yes, I've been running it since 5.0.2, but no problems with unRAID 6.1.X.  

 

I just updated to 6.4, but didn't see a workload increase because of that (CPU still around 4% and RAM around 20% utilized).

 

However, I did enable Docker (first time) and added MariaDB.  Memory is up to 56% and 22% CPU while idling.  I doubt I have much capacity to do anything else and keep some overhead.  I will need to see what happens to system resources if I have to serve up files to 3-4 clients.  

 

Docker/MariaDB may have to go, or system be updated.  Fortunately, I think my MB will accept up to an 8-core Phenom, and is only using 1 stick of RAM, so tons of room to expand on that front, at the cost of power consumption.

 

In the past, serving up files to 3-4 clients with a 54TB server has averaged less than 100 Wh power consumption.  At idle it is around 20 wH.  I'll miss the power consumption as I update.

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I first tried the Emby server on a 4850e processor with 2gig of memory and it worked on that hardware to serve one client. It doesn't need that much as long as the clients can direct play the media.

 

Running MariaDB should be trivial by comparison and should work on your hardware.

 

I'd still recommend you install the Emby server and try it out. The feature set is pretty impressive.

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11 hours ago, KYThrill said:
15 hours ago, Fireball3 said:

Are you running unRAID 6 on that CPU?

I hat real issues with parity checks. Speed went down and CPU load was pinned @100%

Yes, I've been running it since 5.0.2, but no problems with unRAID 6.1.X.  

 

I just updated to 6.4, but didn't see a workload increase because of that (CPU still around 4% and RAM around 20% utilized).

Idle and some easy file serving tasks shouldn't be of an issue.

How is the parity check performance? Any increase in time when switching from 5.0.2 to 6.1.x? CPU load?

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On 1/17/2018 at 3:07 AM, Fireball3 said:

Idle and some easy file serving tasks shouldn't be of an issue.

How is the parity check performance? Any increase in time when switching from 5.0.2 to 6.1.x? CPU load?

 

I really didn't time any parity checks and it has been a couple of years since I switched from 5 to 6.1.6.  I usually start my parity checks at night before I go to bed, and when I get home from work the next day, it's finished.  So fast enough for me.  

 

I want to think the time estimate is normally around 14-16 hours, but I don't remember exactly.  It's 19, 2 and 4 TB drives.  Almost ready to put in my first 8TB parity and 8TB data disk, so I expect parity check times to be increasing soon.

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Didn't even think to look at parity check history.  Averages around 13.5 hours at around 82 MB/s on average.  Don't have any numbers from 5.X.  Was probably faster back then, because I switched to 6.1.6 to add 4TB drives.  So all 5.X checks would have been against all 2TB drives, and recent numbers from history are a mix of 2 and 4 TB drives.

 

That 80+ MB/s range is what I was seeing in 5.X too.

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  • 1 year later...

I know this thread is one year old but I don't think it's worth opening another thread just for asking about this. 

 

I have a J1900 server, low power consumption and no PCI-E slot. 

For this reason and the price Plex and Emby asks to enable hardware acceleration I'm moving to Kodi. 

 

Going to access my files over SMB using the android TV SPMC or KODI and kodi with the xbox one in my bed room. 

 

 

Now if I install MariaDB it will scan my files within the array, give me an output that can be used by Kodi? 

Do I understand how it works properly? 

 

I just received a new 240gb SSD that I'll be adding as a CACHE drive. 

So I should install MariaDB into the Cache drive?

Let it scan and, how would Kodi know where to look for metadata? I don't see any option to point it out to it. 

 

Am I thinking this right?

Edited by TheFreemancer
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