[DJ_Izumi]

So, to sum it up, I'm going to start doing some cold storage backups of some of my media files.  Mostly out of print/unavailable in my region kinda stuff.  It'll be a cherry picked amount of content going to offline cold storage drives and an even more selective amount being backed up to 100GB BDXLs.  I was thinking it would be neat to have all the necessary library information, thumbs, NFOs, ect.  That way if the media ever had to be re-ingested from backups, all necessary library information is also in those folders without needing to consult an online database.  Bonus, some of my media has custom episode names I entered via Kodi, usually when I have multiple versions of the same episode and they needed specific differentiation in the title.

So maybe I'm going about this wrong, but I know Kodi can export the library to multiple files, which would populate ALL folders with that data, but is there any way to target this to a specific series at a time so as to not clutter up my media server with all those additional files?

[DarrenHill]

Thread moved to OS independent

[trogggy]

Two possibilities:
Option 1:
Export the whole library to separate files.  Backup whatever you want.  Run a cleanup script to remove all .nfo and .jpg files from your folders.  In windows you could do that with a batch script.
Option 2:
Stop kodi.  Backup your video library (MyVideosxxx.db, Texturesyy.db, Thumbnails folder).  Start kodi.  Go to videos/files and remove all sources you don't want to back up. Clean library.  Export library to separate files.  Stop kodi.  Put the backed-up library back in place.

I'd go with option 2.  Both ways are a bit messy, obviously.  If there's a 'clean' way I don't know it.

[DJ_Izumi]

Two possibilities:
Option 1:
Export the whole library to separate files.  Backup whatever you want.  Run a cleanup script to remove all .nfo and .jpg files from your folders.  In windows you could do that with a batch script.
Option 2:
Stop kodi.  Backup your video library (MyVideosxxx.db, Texturesyy.db, Thumbnails folder).  Start kodi.  Go to videos/files and remove all sources you don't want to back up. Clean library.  Export library to separate files.  Stop kodi.  Put the backed-up library back in place.

I'd go with option 2.  Both ways are a bit messy, obviously.  If there's a 'clean' way I don't know it.

 I feel like Option 1 would be my go, it was already my 'Bite the bullet fallback plan'.  Since it doesn't involve messing with my library itself.  Though it'd be nicer if I could just export the librarty to an alternate set of folders or something.

[scott967]

why not just do a single file export and get the whole lot in a separate folder tree?

scott s.
.

[DJ_Izumi]

why not just do a single file export and get the whole lot in a separate folder tree?

scott s.
.

 Maybe I don't understand the usefulness of the single file export, but how will having one GIANT XML file, that doesn't export any images, help me in adding the necessary art and NFO's into the folder of the backup media?

[scott967]

First, Kodi export doesn't back up your art, it backs up your thumbnail cache of art.  What I see as an advantage of the "single file" method is you don't have to concern yourself about what you need to back up.  Admittedly, it would be more work to restore than if you save all the nfo/art alongside the media files.  I guess for me it would depend on how often I think I would need to restore.

scott s.
.

[DJ_Izumi]

First, Kodi export doesn't back up your art, it backs up your thumbnail cache of art.  What I see as an advantage of the "single file" method is you don't have to concern yourself about what you need to back up.  Admittedly, it would be more work to restore than if you save all the nfo/art alongside the media files.  I guess for me it would depend on how often I think I would need to restore.

scott s.
.

 Yeah, I think that's where I wasn't clear.  What I seek is to have all the NFO and Thumb files and such in the folder with the particular series on the backup media.  So if it ever had to be ingested again, all custom information can EASILY be ingested along with it, and since all the data is there, it could even be ingested into my Kodi machine again or a NEW setup, without access to TVDB.  Not that's a LIKELY scenario, but if I'm making some cold storage backups, why not keep the library info along side it too, ya know?

But since these will be cold storage drives, it won't be one backup of the WHOLE library, it'll be in pieces (And not the ENTIRE file library either), so I also want the libary info in the same pieces.

[Karellen]

I think @troggy gave you the two best solutions, and Option 1 seems to be the easiest by far.

But I would not export the Artwork as it would have been modified from original. I would grab a media manager and download the artwork separately.