Ability to share and synchronize XBMC userdata profiles between multiple machines

i wish there was a way to synchronize multiple xboxes (maybe there is and i just don't know how?). i currently have two machines around the house that are fed media from a couple servers in the basement. i would like to upgrade to four xboxes, but the pain of managing them all keeps me from doing it.

example: i purchase a new dvd and rip it to the server. i now have to go to each xbox and scan the movie in. if imdb scans in some incorrect info for the movie, i then have to go in and manually edit the db on each machine.

it's not a major problem with two machines, but you can see what a pain it would be with 4 or more. what sucks is that ultimately the movie info in the db needs to be the same across all the machines. it would seem a logical solution would be to move the db's to the server, but i think some db elements like the stored aspect ratio might make that problematic.

does anyone have a suggestion on this or even a better idea that could possibly be implimented in future releases?

sure, i have the same problem. just copy the database between boxes (assuming all of them are running the same exact version.)

just run an automated script, or even a quick batch file that will delete the current db and ftp over a new one when ever you run it.

one problem with copying over the db is that i don't leave both the xboxes turned on all the time. if i ever get as many xbmc boxes as i want, i'll be running all over the house turning them on just so i can update the db on all of them and then run all around and turn them all back off. that's why something like a non-local db would be so great.

in any event it looks like copying the db will be my only option.

senergy - i don't know how to write a script or batch file. do you know anywhere i can get some info on how to write one to do that?

well.. xbmc can run a script at startup right? what about when closing? if you can get it to do it when closing you could always....

make a small script that on closing, uploads the database file to your server.

then just make a script that upon loading xbmc it downloads the latest database when it starts.

this way you don't have to do it. every time you turn on your xbox and start up xbmc it would grab the latest database.

that sounds like a great idea.  is it possible?  can the xbox initiate a file download from a computer?  

really, all it would need to do is run at startup and delete the current db on the system and download the updated one from my server.  i wouldn't need a script to run at shutdown, because i would always keep a up-to-date copy of the db on the server and that would be the one i edit.

that would be a killer solution if it's possible... and if i can figure out how to write the script to do it!

anyone with anymore input on whether this is doable or not? are there any potential pitfalls?

well it should be possable, if you can't get it to work with ftp (which it should be able to do, belive i've seen ftp scripts...) you could always run a web server on the server and just grab the file that way. we know the xbmc python can do web pages, that's how quicktime browser and all that work. so i would say it's very possable.

anyone care to help me out with this script? i've never wrote on before and i've been reading some python tutorials, but they're more about making some text or a window pop up. i don't see anything about initiating an ftp session and copying a file. nor do i see how to run a script at startup and shutdown.

after thinking about it more, and i think xlilcasper is right. i need it to copy the db from the server on startup and copy to the server on shutdown.

i'd really appreciate any help on getting started with this.

is there an easy* way to share all of the database data between multiple xbmc's on the same subnet? i have a mythtv box that's on 24 hours connected to my xbmc's using smb, so that would be a likely candidate for hosting.

essentially, i'd be looking to do something like this: whenever i get imdb data on one xbox, that data's stored someplace on my server. even cooler, when i stop a video on one xbmc, that stop point would be stored on the server so that regardless of which xbox i'm at, the video resumes from that stop point.

any ideas?

*"easy" meaning one or more text files i can edit without have to recompile all of my own code.