Duplicate Track Listings

[TheCAG]

I performed a complete re-install of LinuxMCE yesterday. I was trying to eliminate the duplicate track listings I was experiencing. I thought maybe I had done something wrong in the past and thought that if I started completely over I might avoid some mistake I had made in the past. Sadly, that was not the case.

I set up a Hybrid LinuxMCE configuration on one computer on my network. I only have one other Windows XP machine on my network where I store my media files. LinuxMCE connects to the Windows XP using upnp and it is able to find my media files in the folders that I have set for sharing.

The problem I am having is that for tracks on my audio albums, LinuxMCE seems to attributing each track with multiple attributes. For every track and attribute combination, there is an additional listing in media grid when I am browsing my media. In one particular audio album, each track is listed 12 times.

I have looked through this forum to see if anyone else is having this problem but it seems that most people are not experiencing this issue to quite the same extent I am. It is being discussed as just a minor issue. From my perspective, this issue is having a significant impact on my ability to use the system.

Can anyone provide me with some insight on how to fix or minimize this issue? Have I configured linuxmce or my windows file sharing in such a way that could have caused this? Are there any steps I can take to eliminate this problem?

Thanks for the help.

[colinjones]

Ideally you shouldn't be using upnp to share your media to LMCE unless it is absolutely unavoidable ... it will often cause problems like this. Can you just turn off your upnp sharing your media folder?

How you should set it up:

Remove the existing upnp sharing
Create a new folder for your media on your XP machine.
Share this folder using normal Windows file sharing (grant full access to the share, LMCE needs write access as well)
Wait for LMCE to detect this folder (may be speeded by either reloading the router or rebooting the PC)
When LMCE prompts you, tell it you want to use this share
When LMCE prompts you, tell if you want to use the LMCE folder structure (this is important)
LMCE will now create the standard media folder structure. Once it has done this, now move your media into the appropriate folders and LMCE will scan it into the database.
Do not turn on upnp for this folder structure, otherwise LMCE will detect it a second time, and double everything up (it has no way of telling that it is not a different share)
Any other application can access your media through the normal Windows shares.
Any upnp application can access your media through the LMCE upnp system, if you set it up - LMCE will re-share out via upnp all the media it can access through the normal Windows shares (unless you have a driving need for upnp, do NOT set it up, it is unwieldy, and almost always unnecessary)

[TheCAG]

Thanks for the information. I have been a little slow to reply because I was hoping to try out some of these steps and see if they work.

First, when you instruct me to "remove the existing upnp sharing", I am assuming that you are referring to turning off the upnp service on my Windows XP machine. I did this by going to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services and I disabled both the Universal Plug and Play service and the SSDP Discovery service.

Next, I created a new folder and moved all my media into this folder. Then I right clicked on the top most parent folder and selected the "Sharing and Security..." option. There I checked "Share This Folder on the Network" option and the "Allow network users to change my files" option.

Now I am waiting for LinuxMCE to discover this new folder and ask me if I want to use this Share.

So far I have not been prompted with this question. Is there anything I can do to help this step along? Is there a way for me to see which folders I have Shared on my Windows XP machine that LinuxMCE is monitoring?

Thanks for the help.

[colinjones]

Generally, LMCE should see it on its own and present it to you as an option... eventually, it may take some time before it sees it. But if after several hours it still hasn't done this, then there are a few things that may be preventing it or that you can use to stimulate it:

1. If you have XP's firewall on this will cause any number of problems for connectivity... turn it off, it is on your Internal LMCE network so it is already protected by LMCE's firewall.

2. Try disconnecting the PC's network cable for a few seconds and reconnecting it... this will retrigger DHCP, and that may cause LMCE to redetect it.

3. When you first booted this PC on your LMCE internal network (assuming no firewall), LMCE should have prompted you to add it as a "Fileserver". If you said No, and don't ask me again, then it will be in your ignored list. In the web admin, Advanced->Configuration->Unknown devices, find the PC, and use the Unlock button.

4. Reload the router

5. There is a Samba scanner script that possibly could retrigger the process....

6. Make sure that your XP machine is in the LINUXMCE workgroup

7. Worst case, we can add the share manually, but it would be better that you troubleshoot why it isn't seeing the server/shares automatically...

[TheCAG]

Responding point by point

1. Windows XP Firewall is already turned off

2. I disconnected and even tried rebooting Windows XP but it did not cause LINUXMCE to redetect.

3. I checked Advanced->Configuration->Unknown devices and there were a number of devices listed. there. I decided to unlocked every unknown device in the list.

4. I then reloaded the router.

5. I have not seen the Samba scanner retrigger the process. I have been checking it on and off for a couple of hours but nothing yet.

6. I checked and my Windows XP machine does have LINUXMCE as its workgroup.

[colinjones]

hmmm you could try adding it manually...

As a child of the Core device in the Devices Tree, add a File server device (template #1837) - you need the IP and MAC addresses set, then in the device data, put in a user name and password (to be sure), serial number is \\<IPADDRESS> and a descriptive name.

Then as a child of that device (assuming it doesn't autodetect) add Windows share device (template #1768)

Choose Plutos structure, set the share name, username and password. Tick Use Automatically, and filesystem is cifs

Serial number is \\<MACADDRESS>\<SHARENAME>

And tick Online. Save and reload the router. Wait several seconds then refresh the share details and the Online should still be ticked....