[trax72]

Hi,

I'm using Kodi on Windows 11, and would like to set it up differently for my main Windows user and for my Visitor Windows user, for guests, so that they don't mess up my stuff, watch status, etc.

What I want is:
- Different profile per Windows user without having to use passwords every time from each Windows user
- Share the movies, tv shows and the live TV configurations between the users
- Centeralized database (I have one Kodi machine in the living room and one in the bedroom)
- I don't care about stuff like hacking the main user configuration from the Visitor user (only about guests accidentally messing things up)

I'm not sure it's possible to set this up so I get everything I want...

I tried several different setups - tried MySQL and Jellyfin for the sharing part. both worked ok (MySQL was a bit more of a hassle).

For the users part I tried a lot of things but couldn't get it to work well. I tried the "default" way of having different Kodi configurations for each user, but then I had to manually copy the configuration files when I make a change in my main Windows user to the Visitor user, and then manually correct stuff (like disable the Trakt.tv addon in the Visitor user so that it doesn't mess up my watched status).

I tried using a portable setup (which allowed me at least partial configuration sharing). This allowed me to have a single configuration for both users, but I couln't find a way to link the Windows user to the Kodi profile. The best I could come up with was to either use the Kodi login screen every time (which is a hassle, having to input the password of the master user every time), or to use "login to last user", but then I would forget to log out of Kodi before guests arrive and even when using the Windows Visitor user, Kodi would log into my master user automatically.

A simple command line argument to choose the Kodi profile to use, or to go to the profile selection instead of logging in to the last user would work fine for me, but I couldn't find such an option... (maybe I should make a feature request...)

So basically, my question is - what would be the best, easiest, least complex way to set up Kodi for my needs (if any)...?

Best,
Tal.

[jjd-uk]

If you want Kodi linked to the Windows user profile then install in portable mode to the Windows Roaming folder where user specific data is stored, do this for each user. For any aspects you wish to share between the user specific installs then use path substitution see https://kodi.wiki/view/Path_substitution

[trax72]

If you want Kodi linked to the Windows user profile then install in portable mode to the Windows Roaming folder where user specific data is stored, do this for each user. For any aspects you wish to share between the user specific installs then use path substitution see https://kodi.wiki/view/Path_substitution

Interesting. 

Why in portable mode though, and not only use path substitutions? 

I would need to manually fix permissions for shared folders anyway, right?

[jjd-uk]

If you use portable mode you can do 2 seperate Kodi installs, this means there's no need to use Kodi profiles as they are entirely seperate installs.

[PatK]

Portable mode is the way I would handle this as jjd-uk indicated, if one is screwed up... just delete it and re-copy from the master; sharing permissions is a windows thing.

[jjd-uk]

Moved thread to Windows forum as you're more likely to get other user reponses here if there's anyone with a similar set up already.

[trax72]

If you use portable mode you can do 2 seperate Kodi installs, this means there's no need to use Kodi profiles as they are entirely seperate installs.

Actually if the only reason is to have separate installations, there's no need to use portable mode.

Installing Kodi for one user will put it in C:\Program Files. You can then create a shortcut to the executable from another user.

All the configuration would be separate anyway because it will be placed in %appdata% (e.g., C:\Users\MyName\AppData\Roaming\Kodi), so it would be separate anyway, and this way at least when you upgrade Kodi you won't have to do it twice.

Regarding sharing the configuration, I'll check if I can use path substitution or maybe hard links / junctions. The question is which files/folders exactly I should do that for, but I think I can figure that out.

Thanks!

[scott967]

Think you are correct, as a default install will place the program executable and all required files in one place, which should not be edited by any user.  Each user has independent addons/settings in the user appdata tree.  That would include independent library, watched/in progress, thumbs, etc.  I think you should be able to use path sub to share library sqlite db, as I don't think the db would be held open with uncommitted updates when switching windows users.  But mysql would be safer if you want to share library dbs.  I don't think junctions is the answer, as for databases you would have to share all addons, views, etc.

scott s.
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