[robweber]

As a suggestion, the last_run could be written to file for comparison so that when the service started (like on an xbmc restart), it could determine if there was a need to update the library on startup.

Additionally, a sleep time after startup could be specified in service.py at the beginning of the first while loop. This would allow the user to specify a period after xbmc startup to wait before updating the library. This would allow less contention between the library update, watchlist and recentlyadded scripts. On large libraries, the impact of all 3 running simultaneously is somewhat disruptive.

I think adding a startup delay is a reasonable request. For most users it is probably unneeded so the default would just be 0 but for people running a variety of startup tasks it would be nice to offset them.

I've also been toying with the idea of writing the last_run variable to a file to allow for a better means of communication between the 'program' aspect of the addon and the 'service' piece. Currently the service does not know about manually run updates; which in theory should probably reset the last_run timer back to 0 instead of running the next scheduled update.

I'll get to these soon. Thanks for the input.

[GJones]

I'll get to these soon. Thanks for the input.

Glad you felt it was helpful.

[amorf]

I'm a week-old newbie vis a vis XBMC.

I am trying to set it up on a box (PC) that has no regular internet connection.
This player will only be used to play Audio CD's.

I think I can get it to rip the CD's, even when offline. That proved to be not as simple as I had anticipated. Anyway, the names and tracks are generic like 'Unknown Artist', etc.

This box is supposed to be connected to the internet, once in a while, through wireless, via my Samsung Galaxy Android Tablet's WiFi Hotspot feature, so it can update the information from previously ripped CD's and get some nice identifying information that makes more sense than the generic stuff.

Am I understanding correctly that this addon/plugin would come in handy, in this situation that I have outlined above?

If so, I would like to make one more request: make it possible to manually start the update.
That way I can do a manual update any time I bring my Android Tablet and temporarily turn on its Hotspot feature.

In my situation I think I really need this feature. It makes little sense to have to wait an hour (for instance), turn on the Tablet and Hotspot just before that time, let the box run the update, etc. Besides, the box might be currently playing to the entertainment of someone else, and I might be just dropping by to quickly do the library update.

So just an option 'run update now', in addition to or optionally instead of the scheduled runs, would that be possible?

[GJones]

I'm a week-old newbie vis a vis XBMC.

I am trying to set it up on a box (PC) that has no regular internet connection.
This player will only be used to play Audio CD's.

I think I can get it to rip the CD's, even when offline. That proved to be not as simple as I had anticipated. Anyway, the names and tracks are generic like 'Unknown Artist', etc.

This box is supposed to be connected to the internet, once in a while, through wireless, via my Samsung Galaxy Android Tablet's WiFi Hotspot feature, so it can update the information from previously ripped CD's and get some nice identifying information that makes more sense than the generic stuff.

Am I understanding correctly that this addon/plugin would come in handy, in this situation that I have outlined above?

If so, I would like to make one more request: make it possible to manually start the update.
That way I can do a manual update any time I bring my Android Tablet and temporarily turn on its Hotspot feature.

In my situation I think I really need this feature. It makes little sense to have to wait an hour (for instance), turn on the Tablet and Hotspot just before that time, let the box run the update, etc. Besides, the box might be currently playing to the entertainment of someone else, and I might be just dropping by to quickly do the library update.

So just an option 'run update now', in addition to or optionally instead of the scheduled runs, would that be possible?

You can run an update whenever you wish without the plugin. Go to your movies library, click menu and choose update library.

[amorf]

You can run an update whenever you wish without the plugin. Go to your movies library, click menu and choose update library.

As I said, I'm only using this for Audio CD's, not DVD's. And I don't see a menu entry for movies, just VIDEO. If that's what you meant, there is no option 'Update Library' on the context menu -- possibly because I don't have any video's there.

Anyway, it's totally unclear to me if this is what you're suggesting. I just temporarily activated the hotspot and brought wireless up on xbmc (that works fine), but still the context menu for the ripped audio CD's (ripped while offline; presently they have some generic names and numbered albums and/or tracks) do not have any items that seem to work. I tried 'Scan to Library' but that doesn't do a thing and gives no feedback. Again, there is a wireless connection up, and it's good because I also ripped a new audio CD and it fetched the info correctly from the net.

I'm a bit disappointed at present that it seems such a hassle to get the info for previously ripped audio CD's that were ripped while being offline.
The golden tip is probably yet to come here -- I hope

[GJones]

As I said, I'm only using this for Audio CD's, not DVD's. And I don't see a menu entry for movies, just VIDEO. If that's what you meant, there is no option 'Update Library' on the context menu -- possibly because I don't have any video's there.

There should be an option to update library from the context menu when you're in the music library. If any of your music you want scraped (while the Internet is up) was scraped while the Internet was down (unsuccessfully), there might be an issue.

[amorf]

There should be an option to update library from the context menu when you're in the music library. If any of your music you want scraped (while the Internet is up) was scraped while the Internet was down (unsuccessfully), there might be an issue.

Okay, I'm assuming you're talking about the 'Scan to Library' option in the context menu. Now we're on the same freq.

To better explain the background of my question and requirements: my situation would allow Joe Average to insert and rip CD's on XBMC, without an internet connection having to be up always. As a matter of fact, this one HAS no regular connection; the scraping would be done at a later date when I come by and bring my tablet and bring up the hotspot. That's the flexibility I'm looking for. In essence a time shift between ripping and scraping.

Indeed, what you describe seems to be the problem, and just the issue that led me post here. I ripped one CD while being offline. I remember you get a popup then, saying something to the effect 'Error [3] Socket error', and I think it then proceeds to rip the CD, and store it with generic names and basically an album that's a number and tracks that are in the form of times.

So my understanding (i.e. hope) was that, on a next time when there's a connection up, I would be able to manually do a scrape for this previously ripped CD, whereby XBMC would fetch the info 'now'.
That's what I'm trying to achieve and at the moment trying to get a grip on, if that's possible at all. My experimentation tells me it doesn't look good, but I can hardly believe that XBMC would be shortcoming in this regard. It must be me.

For me, if that works, I can setup XBMC at a place where I am not always myself present, and where there is no regular internet connection. If this doesn't work, XBMC is out. That's what it boils down to, and if it would somehow be the latter, that would be a letdown, and --as I personally see it-- a high priority issue for XBMC. There must be more situations like mine, where the scraping could be done only at irregular times, with very intermittent internet connections.

[GJones]

Okay, I'm assuming you're talking about the 'Scan to Library' option in the context menu. Now we're on the same freq.

No, we are not. You are in the file view, not the library view. If you were in the library view of music, you would see the option to update library. Because you are navigating through file view, it only gives you the option to update one directory at a time (scan for new content).

The reason this is such an unusual request is that most people have an Internet connection at the time the music is ripped. This is because most ripping software queries a cd database to pull the title, artist and tracks. It then embeds them into the individual files.

[gobsmob]

I left my xbmc osx setup runs all the time. It goes to screensaver when it is idle for 5 minutes. The auto-update will not run on the background. It will only start when the screeensaver is deactivated. Is there anyway to let the auto-update run on time irregardless of screensaver running?

[GJones]

I left my xbmc osx setup runs all the time. It goes to screensaver when it is idle for 5 minutes. The auto-update will not run on the background. It will only start when the screeensaver is deactivated. Is there anyway to let the auto-update run on time irregardless of screensaver running?

I think the problem is not the auto update but the fact that your computer is going to sleep. The update can't run when the computer is in sleep mode.

[robweber]

I think the problem is not the auto update but the fact that your computer is going to sleep. The update can't run when the computer is in sleep mode.

Agreed. If the computer is causing the screensaver and most likely some type of sleep mode; none of the XBMC functions will run until you bring it back out of sleep mode again.

If you want a screensaver you could try disabling the operating system screensaver and power features and then trying the built in XBMC ones. These won't put your computer to sleep.

[amorf]

If you were in the library view of music, you would see the option to update library. Because you are navigating through file view, it only gives you the option to update one directory at a time (scan for new content).

In Library View though, the ripped CD 'Unknown Title Unknown Artist' doesn't show up; just the CD's that were ripped with a connection up are shown. Indeed for these there's a context menu item 'Update Library', though I wouldn't know what that would do, since as far as I can see they have their info and thumbnails, and what have you, fine in the first place.

So my conclusion now is this just doesn't work -- XBMC will forever treat a CD ripped while being offline as an unnamed paria. That's a major deficiency in a program that's being touted as THE media player. Indeed everything looks nice about it, I was upbeat installing it and ready to give it a try, but this is a show stopper. I am really sorry to say that.

--

[Martijn]

So my conclusion now is this just doesn't work -- XBMC will forever treat a CD ripped while being offline as an unnamed paria. That's a major deficiency in a program that's being touted as THE media player. Indeed everything looks nice about it, I was upbeat installing it and ready to give it a try, but this is a show stopper. I am really sorry to say that.

--

How can you expect any program to know what cd you have ripped?
You will always need and internet connection with any program to automaticly identify the artist/album and tracks.

This is also not within the scope of the library updater.

[robweber]

This is also not within the scope of the library updater.

I agree!

Sorry that XBMC can't magically get album details from a generic "Track1.mp3" file that you ripped when the program was offiline. There has to be a way to tie the file to an album/song and without any identifiers this can't be done. Sorry if this bursts your bubble.

If you really wanted I suppose you could just enter all the mp3 ID information manually when ripping (you'd need another program for this I think), but you wouldn't get any artwork. At least XBMC would get the song title and artist this way. More work on your end, but since you aren't on the internet there is not a lot you can do.

As I see in posts all over this forum - if you don't like the way it functions you're welcome to submit a patch.

[gobsmob]

Agreed. If the computer is causing the screensaver and most likely some type of sleep mode; none of the XBMC functions will run until you bring it back out of sleep mode again.

If you want a screensaver you could try disabling the operating system screensaver and power features and then trying the built in XBMC ones. These won't put your computer to sleep.

Nope. I am using my Mac for sickbeard, couchpotato and headphones too with system screensaver and sleep permanently disabled. Since XBMC is running on foreground all the time serving all my video needs, I have enabled the screensaver inside XBMC it self through settings --> appearances --> screensaver. It will kick in after 5 minutes of idle in XBMC.
I have tried to lower down to the auto updates settings to 1 hour, but with the screensaver on, it would not run. I still have to run it the updates manually once I am out the XBMC screensaver.