[thezero]

Hi guys,

I'm a long-term XBMX/Plex user (I've changed between the two over the years) and now I think I'm about to permanently settle on XBMC, as I have an idea that will solve all my problems. However, I don't know whether it will work.

Essentially, I want to buy a NAS drive to store all my XBMC media, and store the library on the NAS drive too. I then want to share the library out so any of my devices can access any of my media from where I left off last time I watched it.

Can anyone tell me if this is possible, and what a good NAS drive would be? I don't mind about storage (I have a spare 2TB drive) but I don't want to spend too much. Also, is there any way I could use a Raspberry Pi to watch XBMC media via the NAS drive?

Thanks for any advice.

[cable_guy]

yes it's a good idea and I do the same,although I'm too lazy to put the library database on one box but i'll do it eventually. I'd advise a HP N40L Microserver for your storage device

[nickr]

Try reading the instructions!

Go to http://wiki.xbmc.org/

Look through the page until you find the link to HOW-TO:Sync_multiple_libraries

Click on that link, enjoy

[eg4190]

Yes, you can set up your NAS as a MySQL server and have each XBMC machine on your network sync with the shared library. Here's a good starting point: http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=HOW..._libraries

MySQL support is a pretty standard feature for a NAS these days, but obviously make sure you choose a NAS with solid support and robust documentation before buying.

I can't make any specific NAS recommendations because I use a home-made Ubuntu server, but whenever I've shopped around, it always seems to be a better deal to buy a diskless NAS system (i.e., one that doesn't include pre-installed hard drives) and then load it up with your own SATA drives. NAS systems that come with storage seem to use lower capacity hard drives, and they charge you a premium for including the disks. I like WD Green drives because they're low power and (in my experience) very durable. If you're going to buy a 3TB drive, make sure your NAS can handle that without freaking out -- not much of an issue with newer hardware, but older hardware has difficulty handling HD capacities over 2TB. Searching through the feedback section for a product on Newegg can be very helpful; generally speaking, the commenters know what they're talking about and can spell out the pros and cons of a product.

Installing XBMC on Raspberry Pi seems to be well-documented and fairly straightforward, you can start here: http://wiki.xbmc.org/index.php?title=Ras...spberry_Pi

Once you have the NAS setup and you have XBMC running on your RPi, you would just point your XBMC music/tv show/video libraries to the appropriate shared folders on your NAS. Also, if you plan on setting up a MySQL server, do that before you start populating the library on your RPi, because otherwise you'll just have to wipe out the library and start over again after you set up MySQL.

[thezero]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the info. I tried setting up MySQL with XBMC before and it was a total nightmare! The instructions on XBMC were for an older version of MySQL, so I had trouble following the steps. However, it seems the Frodo XBMC might make things easier - is there a better way to share libraries now (through uPnP?) or am I stuck with MySQL?

[DigitalAnvil]

I personally love my Synology NAS (you might want to look into that as well as several other manufactuers. Another well recognized one is QNAP)

[nickr]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the info. I tried setting up MySQL with XBMC before and it was a total nightmare! The instructions on XBMC were for an older version of MySQL, so I had trouble following the steps. However, it seems the Frodo XBMC might make things easier - is there a better way to share libraries now (through uPnP?) or am I stuck with MySQL?

I don't think it matters which version of mysql you have, the commands will be the same.

[strikervi]

i would have ya avoid the one i bought , iomega idx-200d , at 8 tb for 700 i thought it was a good deal, but its not ..." modable".

Coulndt get mysql to install with several guides,short of putting my own os on there.. and some tricks,and the thing is flaky on the drives out of box. couple erases, and factory settings, and all 4 drives are seen and the raid is up.

so it is kinda just a giant storage area now for me , the main PC is running the mysql.

but the ipad and the apple TV and the pc have no other issues.

[eg4190]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the info. I tried setting up MySQL with XBMC before and it was a total nightmare! The instructions on XBMC were for an older version of MySQL, so I had trouble following the steps. However, it seems the Frodo XBMC might make things easier - is there a better way to share libraries now (through uPnP?) or am I stuck with MySQL?

Yeah, it can be a hassle. I set up MySQL back in the Camelot days and it worked fine on my bedroom HTPC, but caused a horrible slowdown issue on my living room HTPC. After a few hours of troubleshooting I decided it wasn't worth it and just went back to local libraries for each machine on my network, and haven't gone back, although I'm certain that specific issue has been addressed in later versions of XBMC. I think one of the devs mentioned on this forum that shared libraries through uPNP was where they wanted to move going forward, because it's much easier for the average end user to set up, but I don't think it's there yet.

It's really not the end of the world to use local libraries -- multiple machines don't really go out of sync if they're both set to auto-update and auto-clean regularly, so all you're losing are the "watched" flags and the ability to pause in one room and pick up in another. On the rare occasion that I change rooms in the middle of a movie, it's not all that difficult to navigate to the scene where I left off. Although all this MySQL talk has me wanting to set it up again.

[rmilyard]

Anyone know how to set this up with Iomega NAS? I have ix4-300d and I have installed MySQL but can't seem to find interface to config this.

[nickr]

The interface is command line. You will need to SSH in.

[rmilyard]

The interface is command line. You will need to SSH in.

Any guides out there to guide me along?

[nickr]

HTTP://wiki.xbmc.org

[rmilyard]

HTTP://wiki.xbmc.org

Still not sure how to do this with my NAS. When I try CREATE USER command get error

[nickr]

Copy and paste the exact command sequence and responses.