Getting Media From Windows Shares

[Vizeo]

I just got LinuxMCE up and running. I am trying to test it's cababilities with my existing media that I have on a windows XP share before I make the plung and switch everything to LinuxMCE. However I can't seem to figure out how to access the files in my windows shares.

What settings do i need to change in windows or where can i add username and password information to LinuxMCE so that it can see my shares.

I am about as familiar with linux as i am with brain surgery so please be discriptive.

[Drice]

I am not a linux guru either but I saw this on the wiki.

Short to say create a directory on the windows share.
Make a network mount to that share in the directory structure explained below

If you want to add more storage you can map drives under those directories. For example, if you have another 2TB drive array that you want to use for both public music and your private movies, create 2 directories on that array, let's say: public_music and john_movies. Using a network mount, or a symlinc to a network mount, create a folder such as /home/public/data/music/my_2TB_nas that maps to public_music and /home/user_xxxx/data/movies/my_2TB_nas that maps to john_movies.

http://wiki.linuxmce.com/index.php/How_are_media_files_organized%3F

[Vizeo]

Is mounting the only way for LinuxMCE to access windows shares. From what I know of linux that means anytime I restart the computer I have to remount the shares.

[Drice]

You can put an entry in /etc/fstab to automatically mount at startup

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s=5be2bd6aed81f07728c6ec81a270f5e1&showtopic=475119&pid=587664405&st=0&#entry587664405

[asgard]

The steps that linuxmce takes to add widows shares to the system goes like this:

- Scans the network to find active samba (windows shares) servers and prompts the use about the detected ones
- If the user choses to use that add that computer as a 'file server' that a device is created (device template 1837) in the database for that computer
- After the 'File Server' device is added it automatically runs the configuration script for that device: "/usr/pluto/bin/Configure_1837.sh -d <DEVICE ID>" where <DEVICE ID> is the device id of the newly created 'file server' device. You can look for in the web admin interface to see which device id coresopnds to it.
- The configuration script for device template 1837 (File Server) is searching for active shares on that computer and prompts the user to see if he wants to access those shares from LinuxMCE.
- For each share that the user chose to use, a new device is created (Window Share / device template 1768)

Now since the configuration script for device 'File Server' is executed only once, when the device was added, you will need to manually run it once again to detect shares created on the computer after that moment. The correct method would be to use the 'Reconfigure device' checkbox from web admin and do a reload router, but you can also run the configuration file by hand from a console passing the correct device id.


Using fstab to mount is not the proper way to do it since you will lose all the advantages of a pluto device:
 - automount so you don't need to manually mount and remount it every time the file server restarts
 - get the share available on the core and every media director that you have in the sytem, not on only one location
 - integration with the linuxmce media directory structure
 - ...

[steveb]

Presumably it only looks on the internal network nic ?

[asgard]

Presumably it only looks on the internal network nic ?

Right, it only scans the internal network.

[steveb]

Anyway to make it look on the external for testing ? I dont want to mess up my lan or have alter machines.

[asgard]

Anyway to make it look on the external for testing ? I dont want to mess up my lan or have alter machines.

I would not recommend. For now add another device with the 'File Server'  device template. Make sure you type the ip address of the samba server there. Run the configuration file for that device so it can detect and create the samba share device on the hybrid.

[Vizeo]

I want to do this the right way but I can't for the life of me add a device and it is not seeing it any where. I have added a second IP on to my windows computer so that it is in the internal network. But I still can't see the device.

I try adding it through the administration site but nothing happens and none of my changes are saved.

Perhaps you can give me a detailed example that will explain how manually add a windows share. I would realy love to get this working.

[cckrobinson]

I'm close to being able to add a windows share, but I'm not quite there.  Here's what I tried:

1. Clicked on 'Core' under My Devices in LCME admin page.
2. Clicked on 'Create Child Device' in the right hand window.
3. Typed in the IP of my windows box and hit 'Pick device template'.
4. From 'Device Category' selected 'File/Media Server'.
5. Clicked 'Apply filter'.
6. From 'Device Template' selected 'File Server'.
7. Clicked 'Close'.

'File Server' was now listed under My Device->Core.

8. Clicked on 'File Server' and recorded the Device Info number (45).
9. Opened a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+F2)
10. Typed sudo /usr/pluto/bin/Configure_1837.sh -d 45

I got this message:

mythtv@dcerouter:/media$ sudo /usr/pluto/bin/Configure_1837.sh -d 45
Domain=[HOME] OS=[Windows 5.1] Server=[Windows 2000 LAN Manager]
Domain=[HOME] OS=[Windows 5.1] Server=[Windows 2000 LAN Manager]

I then Reloaded the Router.  Success right?  Not exactly.  Based on the the info in this thread, I was expecting to get prompted from LMCE to add my shares, but I don't.  So I decided to try to add them manually.

11. Clicked on 'File Server'.
12. Clicked on 'Create Child Device' in the right hand window.
13. Clicked on "Pick device template".
14. From 'Device Template' selected 'Windows Share'.
15. Clicked "Pick device template"
16. Scrolled down to the 'Device data' section and entered the share name in the 'Share Name' field.
17. Clicked 'save'.
18. Reloaded the Router

The share that I added contains pictures.  Once LMCE started up again I went to Media and selected Pictures.  The only thing that I see is flickr.  Why aren't my pictures there???

I'm stuck.  I verified that my windows share is valid\visible because I can see it from a browser like this:
smb://192.168.2.136/

Any Ideas?

[Vizeo]

I have finally gotten the LinuxMCE to see my windows computer. I have even added my user name and password to the device. I created a share called public_movies and told the system to reconfigure the device.

Now that i have done all this I would assume that i should be able to see my movies but there is nothing.

How do I accomplish this? The files are MP4's create by Nero Recode. Are the files just not showing because of the type?

Is there a way I can test to see if the system is even accesing the shares?

[k84]

Just for a test, try renaming to .avi
it will probably see the file and play it.

[Vizeo]

Unfortunatly that did nothing. I am not being prompted to add my shares even though the computer is now a device. If I try to add them manually via add child devices when ever I click the Pick Device Template the values i put in for desctiption, IP address and MAC Address dissapear. In addition after I enter all the information for the device nothing happens.

[cckrobinson]

My window shares are now visible within LMCE.  The steps that I posted in this thread are correct.  The problem was that LMCE doesn't seem to allow me to view my pictures.  I noticed that all of the images on my windows share were being added to the database.  The problem is that they don't appear under Media->Pictures.  For fun I tried adding an avi file to the windows share and voila it appeared in the Media->Videos folder.

Also, I was able to get DVD ISO images to play from a windows share (sort of).  I initially tried modifying the database to add ISO as one of the supported video extensions.  That worked to the extent that it allowed my ISO's to be visible under the Media->Video.  The problem appears to be that xine don't know how to play files with a .iso extension.  The work around is to rename them to .dvd instead.  This works and they play just fine.

It's too bad the VLC can't be used to play video since it natively supports .iso and just about every other format known to man.

Now If I could just get MythTV working I'd be a happy camper.