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[shortie]

With all the different posts about MC setup for this or that version or distro, it makes sense (to me at least) that JRiver would just distribute MC for Linux as a docker container. It insulates them and the user from all the vagaries and headaches associated with the different versions. Ok, maybe not ONLY as a container but certainly as another alternative. Seems simple enough but maybe I’m missing something.

[mwillems]

 MC currently has a premade deb, and is in the Arch Linux user repositories, so it's pretty easy to install on Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, or Arch based distros, which are collectively a big slice of the linux pie.  Just install from the repos and go.  Fedora and Suse folks have to do some legwork it's true, but MC is only officially supported on Debian anyway (and docker doesn't run well without additional repos and kernel modules in the current debian stable). 

For my part, I'd rather have a deb, but I wouldn't mind something like an appimage or flatpak type container as an additional option. 

I personally deeply dislike interacting with docker for any reason, especially for anything that could require a graphical user interface or debugging.  In theory docker is easy; in practice it's been easier for me to find another way to install anything even slightly complicated.  That said, if you want one, there's an unofficial docker image on the forums, have you tried it?  My recollection is that it has some strange quirks, but that's my experience of docker containers all over 

[max096]

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I personally deeply dislike interacting with docker for any reason, especially for anything that could require a graphical user interface or debugging.
Except, the reason we do use docker is NOT because we want to interact with a graphical user interface. Itīs because you got some NAS or server or whatever that you could use as central point to save everyhing, except we donīt if we are gonna install JRiver on some machine and then manage the library there. Sure enough you could install a debian VM intead, but docker is more lightweight and potentionally much easier to get up and running (including remote access with VNC or browser based anything to get to it) on ANY distro with zero hassle. Appimage does not replace docker if you got a headless server. You also gotta somehow access that JRiver instance, witch you then gotta setup yourself.

We DON`T use docker, because we absolutely want to. If you would provide a jriver version that only includes the media server and no UI what so ever, weīd use that instead. But as it stands docker is the easiest way to get close to that without installing an entire operating system for the sole purpose of being a 'never to be looked at again' - jriver install.

Just for the record Iīm already using an unofficial docker image of sorts since day 1 of me using jriver. But again itīs not because I want to use docker specifically. i just wanna use anyhting at all that I can put on whatever distro that works and stays out of my way, but keeps track of my music, playlists and so forth. An official docker image based on debian is probbaly the easiest thing you can do to support that officially, since you already got debian officially working. Ofc, we can hack our way around official support. But thatīs not really the point of this thread, I think.

[mwillems]

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I personally deeply dislike interacting with docker for any reason, especially for anything that could require a graphical user interface or debugging.
Except, the reason we do use docker is NOT because we want to interact with a graphical user interface. Itīs because you got some NAS or server or whatever that you could use as central point to save everyhing, except we donīt if we are gonna install JRiver on some machine and then manage the library there.  Sure enough you could install a debian VM intead, but docker is more lightweight and potentionally much easier to get up and running on ANY distro with zero hassle. Appimage does not replace docker if you got a headless server, it does nothing for you.

We DON`T use docker, because we absolutely want to. If you would provide a jriver version that only includes the media server and no UI what so ever, weīd use that instead. But as it stands docker is the easiest way to get close to that without installing an entire operating system for the sole purpose of being a 'never to be looked at again' - jriver install.

My point was that at the moment JRiver requires a GUI to function.  You can run it on a headless server, but still need an xserver (or MC won't even start) and a VNC server to actually interact with the server's GUI.  JRiver Clients can't actually do all library administrative functions, so it's not like you can just ignore the server instance once it's configured.  For example, I'm not sure how you're doing, say, cover art changes on your "never to be looked at again" jriver install, because those can only be done by interacting with the GUI on the server instance of MC (just one of many examples).

If there were a "server-only" MC package that didn't require an xserver (which I would welcome), I agree that docker might make sense (although I still wouldn't use it).  But right now, MC is GUI only, and docker seems (to me) like an invitation for trouble.  If you're happy with it, good on you, and I certainly didn't intend to disparage the work of the folks maintaining the MC docker image.

Also to be clear I don't work for JRiver, I'm just a user like you. 

[BryanC]

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I personally deeply dislike interacting with docker for any reason, especially for anything that could require a graphical user interface or debugging.
Except, the reason we do use docker is NOT because we want to interact with a graphical user interface. Itīs because you got some NAS or server or whatever that you could use as central point to save everyhing, except we donīt if we are gonna install JRiver on some machine and then manage the library there. Sure enough you could install a debian VM intead, but docker is more lightweight and potentionally much easier to get up and running on ANY distro with zero hassle. Appimage does not replace docker if you got a headless server, it does nothing for you.

We DON`T use docker, because we absolutely want to. If you would provide a jriver version that only includes the media server and no UI what so ever, weīd use that instead. But as it stands docker is the easiest way to get close to that without installing an entire operating system for the sole purpose of being a 'never to be looked at again' - jriver install.

Just for the record Iīm already using an unofficial docker image of sorts since day 1 of me using jriver. But again itīs not because I want to use docker specifically. i just wanna use anyhting at all that I can put on whatever distro that works and stays out of my way, but keeps track of my music, playlists and so forth. An official docker image based on debian is probbaly the easiest thing you can do to support that officially, since you already got debian officially working. Ofc, we can hack our way around official support. But thatīs not really the point of this thread, I think.

I think that MC relies too heavily on its GUI settings to be reliably run truly headless. The closest you could get is to set up an installation on a local instance of MC, make a library backup, and restore it on the headless version. But that's just such a pain, I'd personally much rather use VNC or some other remote desktop software to admin it remotely.

Also, I'm currently writing a guide about how to set up a server instance of MC using minimal resources. I'll post a link here when it's finished.

[mwillems]

Also, I'm currently writing a guide about how to set up a server instance of JRiver using minimal resources. I'll post a link here when it's finished.

That sounds exciting. I've got some auto install scripts written for JRiver VMs, but they don't produce the most resource efficient VMs, so I'm excited to read your guide!

[max096]

For example, I'm not sure how you're doing, say, cover art changes on your "never to be looked at again" jriver install, because those can only be done by interacting with the GUI on the server instance of MC (just one of many examples).

Iīm not. I havenīt been using jriver to tag my files yet. I put all the metadata into the flacs or mp3īs before even putting it into jriver. If I was using JRiver for that, I would also first have to make sure that it does actually put the metadata into the files. So they stay portable and Iīm not completely lost without jriver (or on Android). Maybe, iīll try what JRiver brings to the table here, but I wasnīt very interested at all yet.

Itīs not a truly headless server in that way, obviously. And sometimes I have to VNC into it. But thatīs very rare and most of the time, just to press the auto import NOW button, rather than waiting for it to scan eventually. But if you donīt use docker you gotta figure out how to setup VNC in the first place and you need a guide for that if you donīt already know. With docker. You donīt really need a sizeable guide at all. Itīs just a few parameters to map the directory where your music is and thatīs basically all you gotta do. Itīs very easy, fast and painless to set it up. Provided the docker image done for you and you donīthave to make it yourself. Witch is why an official docker image would be pretty great.

[max096]

Also, I'm currently writing a guide about how to set up a server instance of MC using minimal resources. I'll post a link here when it's finished.

There is nothing wrong with a VM, you can do it that way. But, with a docker image if you compare the times to set that up youīre done with the docker install before you even made it threw the OS installer of your VM setup. But you get to make all the choices much more easier with a VM. If you want to do the same with docker and customize the image yourself. It gets more complicated. But using prebuilt images is almost the same as doing an apt install.

[shortie]

Guys, I've been a JRiver customer since Media Jukebox 9 back in 2002 (I just found my buy button email). I'm aware of its capabilities. But I use it pretty much ONLY to keep my music. I don't tag anymore as I don't do a lot of the other things I did in the early days. And I'm not saying they should stop producing their Linux debs etc. I just want something that'll pick up new music that I add and keep it in a library that I can search.

Long ago I quit obsessing over keeping my linux systems completely current. I tend to run a linux system for a few years and throw it away and start over (maybe I'm still stinging from some of the early attempts at in-place upgrades that destroyed my home directory). So, updating my linux system to run MC isn't an option. Ubuntu 14.04 may seem ancient but it runs 18.04 containers just fine without any of the headaches and hassles. And that's what I'm after. I understand my security exposures and am comfortable with them.

Sure, I can build my own container and I can put the associated files up on github and upload stuff to dockerhub. It's almost trivial. But I think more people would be happier if it were an official JRiver thing. That's all. Make your religious arguments all you want, I'm just trying to make life easier for some people.