[100/200/300/400] MiniDLNA v1.0.25

[vaidyasr]

MiniDLNA is server software with the aim of being fully compliant with DLNA/UPnP clients. The MiniDNLA daemon serves media files (music, pictures, and video) to clients on a network. Example clients include applications such as totem and xbmc, and devices such as portable media players, Smartphones, Televisions, and gaming systems (such as PS3 and Xbox 360).

MiniDLNA (ReadyDLNA) is a simple, lightweight alternative to MediaTomb, but has fewer features. It does not have a web interface for administration and must be configured by editing a text file.

Installation:
For 100 Series : O-PKG.
For 200/300 Series : O-PKG.
For 400 Series : O-PKG.

[k0liber]

Thank you Vaidyasr so much!

I have tested minidlna package compiled by you and it works great. I am running it from command line using Lundman shell.

I use minidlna to feed my Playstation 3 with photos. In my opinion PS3 has the best photo viewing application and it has always been my concern how to share photos archived on Popcorn harddrive with it. Built-in UPnP is not so great and unfortunately PS3 is not able to access samba shares.

MiniDLNA doesn't generate any DLNA error that are PS3 nighmare, sends photo miniatures in low resolution so they appear in PS3 browser vary fast, exim date and time are preserved.

I plan to do some more testing in the evening - try to run miniDLNA from PCH webservices and access it using my Panasonic Plasma TV. Will keep you informed.

Thank you, and in short words - YOU MADE MY DAY !!!

k0liber

EDIT: As I expected no problems with DLNA client in my Panasonic Viera TX-P46G15E plasma tv (I am only testing photos).

But running minidlna from web services seems impossible. I always get "request cannot be processed" info.

I suspect that running minidlna (as the csi package is prepared at the moment) from web services have no chances to succeed. In the appinfo.json file in minidlna directory there one can find following statement: gayaui_path="#PATH#/lib" wchich leads to lib directory that contains only libraries and no html or php file that could be processed by gayaui.
I think that appinfo.jsop file should look like that:

Code:

{
    appinfo_format="1",
    name="minidlna",
    version="1.0.18-nmt1",
    enabled="1",
    daemon_script="daemon.sh"
}

and daemon.sh file should be added to minidlna root directory containing something like that:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/share/Apps/minidlna/lib/
case "$1" in
    start)
    cd /share/Apps/minidlna; bin/minidlna -f etc/minidlna.conf;
    ;;
    
    stop)
    killall minidlna;
    exit
    ;;
    
    restart)
    killall minidlna;
    cd /share/Apps/minidlna; bin/minidlna -f etc/minidlna.conf;
    ;;
esac

I have prepared modified (according to above thoughts) CSI install package that can be installed using "Install from file" option of CSI that works quite well. One can install minidlna server that starts working right away. You can also control it (start, stop, restart) from CSI. If you change your settings in /share/Apps/minidlna/etc/minidlna.conf file and want minidlna do rescan all the media from beginning, you just need to delete /share/Apps/minidlna/cache/files.db file and restart minidlna.

If someone is interested just PM me and I will send it to you. I will try to put it online if I only find some hosting space. EDIT: you can download it from here: http://www.k0liber.iscool.pl/minidlna-daemon.zip

Yours,

k0liber

[rkriekaard]

Hi,

I just installed this to enable playback on a PS3.

Question: Do I need to also run uPnP server or does this utility run stand-alone?

thanx,
Rob Kriekaard

[k0liber]

(09-01-2010 03:04 PM)rkriekaard Wrote:  Question: Do I need to also run uPnP server or does this utility run stand-alone?

You don't have to run uPnP server. MiniDLNA is completely undependent solution.

Yours,
k0liber

[k0liber]

I have written a script that watches for changes in media direcories defined in minidlna config file (script assumes that it is /share/Apps/minidlna/etc/minidlna.conf). Once the change is detected it deletes minidlna database (hardcoded to /share/Apps/minidlna/cache/files.db) and restarts minidlna server using CSI appinit method. Then it waits for minidlna to finish reindexing files (that is achieved by waiting for only 1 minidlna process to remain active as reindexing uses additional process).

Script uses stat command to detect changes and so far I am quite confident that it doesn't wake up hard drive that it is sleep (suspend) mode.

If someone is brave enough to test it - please do so. In the future I am planning to prepare CSI package that will install and run the script together with minidlna server and therefore circumvent limitations emerging from the fact that Popcorn kernel does not support inotify.

Any ideas, remarks and corrections are very welcome. I know that some solutions in script might be primitive - forgive me that.

Here is the code: EDIT: Please be warned that script monitors only media directories without subdirs - it is changed in corrected script some posts below

Code:

function waitforminidlna ()
{
while :
do
  if [ $(ps |grep minidlna |sed -e '/grep/d' -e '/monitorminidlna/d' |wc -l) == 1 ]; then break; fi
  sleep 60
done
}

media_dirs=$(cat /share/Apps/minidlna/etc/minidlna.conf |grep ^media_dir |sed -e 's/P,//' -e 's/A,//' -e 's/V,//' -e 's/media_dir=//')
# setting statold$n variables for the first time
n=1
for a in $media_dirs
do
  statold[$n]=$(stat -t "$a")
  n=$(($n+1))
done
# main loop
while :
do
  n=1
  for a in $media_dirs
   do
    statnew[$n]=$(stat -t "$a")
     if [ ! "${statnew[$n]}" == "${statold[$n]}" ]
      then
       rm /share/Apps/minidlna/cache/files.db
       cd /share/Apps/AppInit; ./appinit.cgi restart minidlna
       waitforminidlna
     fi
    statold[$n]=$(stat -t "$a")
    n=$(($n+1))
   done
  sleep 300
done

Take care,

k0liber

[vaidyasr]

(09-02-2010 10:06 PM)k0liber Wrote:  Script uses stat command to detect changes and so far I am quite confident that it doesn't wake up hard drive that it is sleep (suspend) mode.

Did you tried to execute in PCH? because some of the code syntax will work only in ksh (k-shell) where as in PCH only sh (shell) is there.

[k0liber]

(09-03-2010 07:12 AM)vaidyasr Wrote:  Did you tried to execute in PCH? because some of the code syntax will work only in ksh (k-shell) where as in PCH only sh (shell) is there.

Hello Vaidyasr,

yes. The script was solely written and tested on PCH C-200.

Unfortunately it appeared that it monitors only given media directories WITHOUT subdirectories (thanks Lordy!) I thingk I have already found a solution of this problem that I presented in inotify thread, but I still need some time to implement it to minidlna script.

k0liber

[k0liber]

Well, here is the corrected script - changed so it monitors not only defined media directories but also its subdirectories. Restarting of minidlna is now done on its own, without use of CSI appinit.cgi. Minidlna database file location is read from its config file.

Any comments are very welcome.

Code:

#set -xv

IFS=$'\n'
minidlna_config=/share/Apps/minidlna/etc/minidlna.conf
interval=600
dbfile=$(cat $minidlna_config |grep db_dir |sed -e 's/db_dir=//')/files.db
media_dirs=$(cat $minidlna_config |grep ^media_dir |sed -e 's/P,//' -e 's/A,//' -e 's/V,//' -e 's/media_dir=//')

function isminidlnaindexing ()
{
if [ $(ps |grep minidlna |sed -e '/grep/d' |wc -l) == 1 ]; then echo false; else echo true; fi
}

function waitforminidlna ()
{
while :
do
  if ! $(isminidlnaindexing); then break; fi
  sleep 60
done
}

function multistat ()
{
for b in $1
do
  stat $b
done
}

function restartminidlna ()
{
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/share/Apps/minidlna/lib/
killall minidlna;
cd /share/Apps/minidlna; bin/minidlna -f etc/minidlna.conf;
}

# setting alldirs$n (list containg media directory and all its subdirectories)
# and setting statold$n variables for the first time
n=1
for a in $media_dirs
do
  alldirs[$n]=$(find $a/ -type d)
  statold[$n]=$(multistat "${alldirs[$n]}")
  n=$(($n+1))
done

# main loop
while :
do
  n=1
  for a in $media_dirs
   do
    statnew[$n]=$(multistat "${alldirs[$n]}")
     if [ ! "${statnew[$n]}" == "${statold[$n]}" ]
      then
       echo $(date) Change detected somewhere in $a directory or its subdirectories.
       rm $dbfile
       restartminidlna
       waitforminidlna
       statold[$n]=$(multistat "${alldirs[$n]}")
       break
     fi
    statold[$n]=${statnew[$n]}
    n=$(($n+1))
   done
  sleep $interval
done

k0liber

[k0liber]

Hello,

after some more developement of my script presented in previous posts I have created something I call minidlnamonitor.

Minidlnamonitor watches for changes in minidlna directories and when change is detected it deletes old minidlna database and restarts minidlna server. The check interval is 10 minutes but you can adjust it by modifying script (not hard to find - added a comment there).

I distribute it as separate CSI package. I think it is a better way, as somebody might just want sole minidlna server. Use install from file option in CSI.

Minidlnamonitor HAS TO BE USED with minidlna package modified by me (find the link in earlier posts in this thread). It will not work with package prepared by Vaidyasr (who compiled minidlna for C-200 - thanks again!!!), as his package doesn't contain deamon.sh script which I use to start and stop minidlna server and it also requires manual start of minidlna server.

I think that utils and busybox packages are also neccesary for minidlna to work (will check it later and correct that info)

Ok - here is the link: http://www.k0liber.iscool.pl/minidlnamonitor-0.0.1.zip

Any feedback is very welcome.

k0liber

[jpearn]

Hi,

I've edited the minidlna.conf to add my video folder however checking the log I get :

2010/09/08 21:06:39] inotify.c:89: error: inotify_add_watch(/opt/sybhttpd/localhost.drives/SATA_DISK/Video) [Function not implemented]

Browsing the uPNP server from my media player shows that it's not authorized and there's no content ?? Am I missing something ?? !!

Thanks

[k0liber]

(09-08-2010 09:18 PM)jpearn Wrote:  Hi,

I've edited the minidlna.conf to add my video folder however checking the log I get :

2010/09/08 21:06:39] inotify.c:89: error: inotify_add_watch(/opt/sybhttpd/localhost.drives/SATA_DISK/Video) [Function not implemented]

Browsing the uPNP server from my media player shows that it's not authorized and there's no content ?? Am I missing something ?? !!

Thanks

The error message quoted by you is normal, as inotify is not implemented in popcorn hour kernel. However, it should not affect regular operation of minidlna. What media player are you using? Can you see minidlna daemon running if you type ps in Lundman shell? Is files.db file created?

k0liber

[jpearn]

Thanks for the quick reply. O
OK it's an older Syabas Snazzi Media player, I've not had any issues with any other uPNP servers I have around the house.

I deleted the original files.db which contained a list of my Pictures folder, something I had commented out, but it had none of my Video folder.
After restarting the server the Video folder seems to be there.

I can now watch films OK but the FF/RW / jump to 10% etc. doesn't work, I guess that's because it's a cut down server ??

[k0liber]

(09-08-2010 09:57 PM)jpearn Wrote:  Thanks for the quick reply. O
OK it's an older Syabas Snazzi Media player, I've not had any issues with any other uPNP servers I have around the house.

I deleted the original files.db which contained a list of my Pictures folder, something I had commented out, but it had none of my Video folder.
After restarting the server the Video folder seems to be there.

I can now watch films OK but the FF/RW / jump to 10% etc. doesn't work, I guess that's because it's a cut down server ??

Hi, it't good to hear that you made some progress. Please remember, that minidlna on PCH has no feature of rescanning database. If you change content of your media directories you should manually delete files.db file and restart minidlna. You can also have a look at my minidlnamonitor script.

As to FF/RW I don't know, as I use minidlna only for photos, but will try it over the weekend and let you know.

k0liber

[fbianchi]

hi, i've just bought a sony tv and works with dlna servers, so it would be really nice to have one in the PCH to watch all the mkvs!

I don't see this app in the CSI, is it realeased yet? how do i install it?

[k0liber]

(09-11-2010 01:53 AM)fbianchi Wrote:  hi, i've just bought a sony tv and works with dlna servers, so it would be really nice to have one in the PCH to watch all the mkvs!

I don't see this app in the CSI, is it realeased yet? how do i install it?

Hello fbianchi,

you should be able to see minidlna 1.0.18 in CSI and install it. If you don't - try to remove all files from Repository directory in your CSI directory and restart CSI.

Anyway, as far as I know, if you use this approach you will have to start minidlna manually using Lundman shell.

In my opinion it could be easier for you to try my modified CSI package (still based on minidlna binary and libraries compiled by Vaidyasr). If you would like to try it, you should download it to your pc from here: http://k0liber.iscool.pl/minidlna_c200_v...-0.0.1.zip and install it manually by choosing File / Install from file in CSI.
If you use this package minidlna will start right after the installation. You can modify your media directories by editing config file which is /share/Apps/minidlna/etc/minidlna.conf (if you are Windows user I reccomend Notepad++ for doing it, as original windows notepad spoils linux line endings). By default media directories in my package are set to /share/Video for video files, /share/Photo for pictures and /share/Music for audio files.

Please remember, that minidlna running on PCH doesnt detect changes in media directories neither scans for them. If you use my package you can force minidlna to rescan media dirs by using restart option in CSI. This will FORCE media directories to be rescanned. If you want just to restart minidlna without rescanning use stop and start instead. This is new feature that I implemented in minidlna_c200_v1.0.18-mod-0.0.1.zip package.

Alteranatively you can use minidlnamonitor package described earlier in this post that is an add-on to minidlna and will monitor media directories for changes and do the job for you.

If you need any further help don't hesitate to ask.

k0liber