charrua Wrote:There is a new feature already implemented in XBMC(since svn r28142) that lets you use a central MySQL database for all your clients.
The basic steps you need to do in order to use it are:

1. Setup a MySQL server (a database server) accesible from all the machines running XBMC. Even some NAS support running MySQL server, so an option is to run the database server directly on your NAS (if you have one that supports it) or run it on any machine that you want (MySQL server is freeware and supports lots of OSs).

2. Modify your advancedsettings.xml located in the userdata folder of XBMC adding this lines:

Code:

<videodatabase>
  <type>mysql</type>
  <host>localhost</host>
  <port>3306</port>
  <user>xbmc</user>
  <pass>xbmc</pass>
  <name>xbmc_video</name>
</videodatabase>

where:
host is the network address of the server running MySQL
port is the port used by the MySQL server (default is 3306)
user and pass are the credentials used to connect to the MySQL server
name is the name of the MySQL database you want XBMC to use (it must be all lowercased)
(you don't need to create the database, XBMC will create it for you the first time you run it after modifying the advancedsettings.xml).

You can also setup a central database for music albums, you need to add these additional lines to your advancedsettings.xml:

Code:

<musicdatabase>
  <type>mysql</type>
  <host>localhost</host>
  <port>3306</port>
  <user>xbmc</user>
  <pass>xbmc</pass>
  <name>xbmc_music</name>
</musicdatabase>

The same explanation given for videodatabase applys here, just one more thing: you can't share the same database for music and video, so just pick a different name for each database (also all lowercased)
Remember to modify the advancedsettings.xml of each XBMC you intend to share the MySQL database with.

Some advantages of this setup:
Every PC or MAC running XBMC can access that central database even simultaneously (instead of using a local database for each instance of XBMC), avoiding the need to scrape movie info once per each XBMC. Also sharing the info of watched/unwatched movies/tvshows/musicvideos and any other info that XBMC stores in the media library database (like stop/resume bookmarks).

For more info, trobleshooting and details you can check this thread (readers beware: it may be a bit technical (it's in the developers area of the forum)).

colbert Wrote:Hi there, linux user here (Arch distro) and I did not have an advancedsettings.xml file in my ~/.xbmc/userdata folder, so I created one and pasted the first part you displayed for video database. I changed the localhost to 192.168.1.101 which has MySQL all set and running xbmc 24/7.

Now that file is there, what else needs to be done or is that all? I am looking to keep my laptop and desktop in sync, so now with it setup on the desktop, I just pop the advancedsettings.xml on my laptop as well, referencing 192.168.1.101 where the MySQL is running?

zosky Wrote:your advancedsettings.xml needs start with <advancedsettings> and end with </advancedsettings> (sorry, that may be too obvious)

zosky Wrote:the other thing you need to do is deal with tumbnail cache (fanArt/movie cover/TV banners...) found in ~/.xbmc/userdata/Thumnails. i use rSync in both directions w/ cronTab

Code:

## local to livingRoom
rsync -avr ~/.xbmc/userdata/Thumbnails xbmc@xbmc:~/.xbmc/userdata/
## livingRoom to local
rsync -avr xbmc@xbmc:~/.xbmc/userdata/Thumbnails ~/.xbmc/userdata/

i've read you can mount a centralized cache, but i imagine your laptop's xbmc would browse the library slow(er) as its fetching thumbs over the network

colbert Wrote:Haha, indeed it is not! I forgot to do that :o



Hmm, before visiting this thread to start the MySQL going, I had added the movie+tv sources on my laptop and completed the content scan, all art/thumbs are there. Do I still need to do this? I'm wondering if when I update the library on the laptop, it will download the necessary art as normal and I just continue to do that?

zosky Wrote:you're laptop now has a local.db (~/.xbmc/userdata/Database/MyVideos34.db) which contains all the MetaData (title/air-date/actors...)

the cache is based on each entries $PATH/$File.name ... so *IF* the (sources &) paths are the same in your laptop's local DB & your localhost (mySQL.db), then yes, its fine. otherwise you will need to blow away the laptop's cache & copy over from localhost.

thats the 1st part (setup), then comes maintenance... if you scan for new content on 1 box, the meta-data will be added to the (mySQL) db, but the thumbnails will only exist on that box... hence my rSync solution.

hope that clarifies

colbert Wrote:So I'm having some errors here just running XBMC (from xbmc.log):

Code:

16:40:15 T:3022292864 M:2263351296   ERROR: Unable to open database at host: 192.168.1.101 db: xbmc_video (old version?)

I have the MySQL daemon running fine, but am such a noob to MySQL that I must be missing something obvious lol.

1. first you need to create the mySQL.db
   
   Code:

   $mysql -u root -p $PASSWORD$
> create database xbmc_video;
2. by default (for security) it does not broadcast over the network ... so that needs to be changed
   in /etc/mysql/my.cnf change bind-address=127.0.0.1 to $mySQL-server-LAN-IP$ & restart mySQL
   
3. at this point i could see port 3306 was finally open, but it still woudn't accept connection from any other machine (only localhost). turns out thats another default that needs to be changed ...
   
   Code:

   $mysql -u root -p $PASSWORD$
> grant all privileges on xbmc_video.* to xbmc@[*your-laptop.IP*] ;
   (you can grant privees to *.* ... but that seems a little dangerous to me)
   

zosky Wrote:im convinced being proficient at mySQL needs black-magic or selling your fist born to the devil.

zosky Wrote:

1. backUP (move) the cache folder as noted previously
   
2. make a new mount point ... sudo mkdir /media/samba
   
3. open /etc/fstab ... sudo nano /etc/fstab
   
4. add a new line (at the end of the file) & edit to match your setup...here's the ex from ubuntu's wiki
   
   
5. close nano... cntrl+x ... save = y
   
6. mount all (mount -a) or restart (sudo shutdown -R now)
   
7. simLink your cache folder ... ln -s /media/samba/[path/to/cache] /home/htpc/.xbmc/userdata/Thumbnails
   

ti_gusus Wrote:Anyone ?

Now my problem , Each time I need to reboot, the shortcut is not created. Have to "Mount -a" each time
What wrong ??
This is the last item on my list to get it work at 100%

Please help.
Thank

Quote:dump-freq adjusts the archiving schedule for the partition (used by dump).

pass-num Controls the order in which fsck checks the device/partition for errors at boot time. The root device should be 1. Other partitions should be either 2 (to check after root) or 0 (to disable checking for that partition altogether).