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Information HOW TO - Modify Estuary & Install - Work In Progress - Printable Version

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+--- Forum: Skins Support (https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=67)
+---- Forum: Estuary (https://forum.kodi.tv/forumdisplay.php?fid=260)
+---- Thread: Information HOW TO - Modify Estuary & Install - Work In Progress (/showthread.php?tid=371717)

HOW TO - Modify Estuary & Install - Work In Progress - jjd-uk - 2023-01-31

Getting the skin files to work on

Skin are just another another addon and so can be located in one of two folders.
  • Addons which are provided by default when Kodi is installed go into the install/system folder, the location of this will be different dependent on the OS in use.
  • Addons which are installed by the user go into the Kodi data folder, for location of these see https://kodi.wiki/view/Kodi_data_folder

Estuary as the default skin goes into the install/system folder.

Method 1 - From Github source code

If you don't have easy access to the file system, for example you are using an Android device, but you have a Windows/Linux/OS-X pc you can work on, then can get the Estuary skin files by doing the following:

  1. Go to https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/releases
  2. Download source code:
    • For latest release you will see Source code (zip) link. Select this to download.
    • For older releases you will have to select the release before you can see the Source code (zip) link.
  3. Unzip the downloaded files.
  4. Open the resulting folder and in there you should see a folder named addons
  5. Within the addons folder there will be a folder skin.estuary and this contains all the files related to Estuary. You can copy this skin.estuary folder elsewhere, and then delete everything else that was extracted from the zip.

Method 2 - From Kodi install with File Manager

This can be done using the Kodi File Manager more information on which can be found at https://kodi.wiki/view/File_manager using special protocol paths which can be found at https://kodi.wiki/view/Special_protocol
If you can't work out how for yourself what to do then you shouldn't be attempting this method at you can cause your Kodi install to cease to work.

IF YOU STILL DECIDE TO USE FILE MANAGER DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK, WE ACCEPT NO LIABILITY

RE: HOW TO - Modify Estuary & Install - WIP - jjd-uk - 2023-01-31

Making Estuary your own personalised skin

We strongly recommend you use the skin.estuary folder and it's files to create your own personalised skin. Attempting to adjust the original Estuary skin can result in Kodi failing to start, or starting with only a blank window, which can be difficult to recover from if you're not experienced in Kodi file locations, or have a system with more limited files system access.

To create you own personalised version of Estuary carry out the following:

  1. First rename the skin.estuary folder to something that will have meaning for you that it contains your skin mod e.g. skin.estuary.mymod
  2. Within the your newly renamed folder find the addon.xml file.
  3. Edit the addon.xml file.

    Example

    From
    xml:
    <addon id="skin.estuary" version="3.0.10" name="Estuary" provider-name="phil65, Ichabod Fletchman">

    To something like

    xml:
    <addon id="skin.estuary.mymod" version="3.0.10" name="Estuary My Mod" provider-name="phil65, Ichabod Fletchman">

    Where id must match the folder name that renamed skin.estuary to.
    Where name is the name shown in the GUI to identify the skin.



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RE: HOW TO - Modify Estuary & Install - WIP - jjd-uk - 2023-01-31

Making modifications

RE: HOW TO - Modify Estuary & Install - WIP - jjd-uk - 2023-01-31

Installing modified Estuary

Method 1 - Install from zip

Zip the skin folder.
Use the Install from zip file in Add-on Browser, for detail on this see https://kodi.wiki/view/Add-on_manager#How_to_install_from_a_ZIP_file

Method 2 - Use the Kodi File Manager to transfer the skin folder

Information on using the Kodi File Manager can be found at https://kodi.wiki/view/File_manager

When using the File Manager there are shortcut paths that can be used to access the various Kodi folders, these use the special protocol on which you can find details at https://kodi.wiki/view/Special_protocol

For transferring the skin folder then you want to add either the path special://home added as a source and then navigate to the addons folder, or you can add the path special://home/addons for direct access to addons folder.

Once it has been copied across to the Shield you need to enabled it but first you need to close Kodi then reopen it. Then if you go to My add-ons and All you should hopefully see it listed with whatever name you gave it e.g. Estuary My Mod so select it, Enable it, and select Use to start.