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[JimH]

This is a quick stab at documenting the changes about to be made in Media Server.

In the Beta 4 bug thread, drosoph said:
How do I connect to MJ Media Servers now  (same prob as sstrick)  

I did see the new Local Library in the library management .. Im guessing something BIG is coming down the pipe ...  

Wouldnt it be SWEET if we could setup multiple remote libraries and be able to manage them

all at the same time  (pipe dream ? or next beta build ? )  

On the server side, the change is minimal.  Under Tools, the Media Server option will start Media Server.

The client side of managing connections to remote Media Servers will move into the Library Manager (under File/Library).  This should happen in build 78, later today or tomorrow.  

[Two quick definitions for non-techies.  The "server" has media files that are made available to other PC's by running Media Server.   These other PC's are each a "client".]

To connect to a Media Server, you will be able to choose File/Library and the remote server you want.

MJ will also automatically find any Media Servers running on your local network.  If just one is found, that will be offered as the default for startup.  If more than one is found, you will be asked to choose.

Media Server will serve more media types.  Image types (jpg and gif), for instance.  Our plan is to eventually make all media files available.

[RemyJ]

Great news!

The "automatically search..." thing makes me a little nervous though, from a security perspective.  Will there be an option to disable it?  

[John Gateley]

Hi RemyJ,

I don't think there is much to worry about for security here. It displays the servers, it does not access them until you click ok. The protocol is mostly download of data, no upload, so it would be hard to take advantage of it to attackt the client. The search is limited to the segment of the network you are on as well. Finally, there will be an option to disable it.

j

[RemyJ]

I just get worried about broadcasts.  Exactly how is this going to work?  What port are you scanning?

The broadband provider for the last apartment complex I lived in basically wired every apartment to a dumb switch fabric creating a single class 'B' subnet of about 400 apartments.   399 of those apartments had their computer directly connected without the benefit of a router/firewall.

Here at work we've got about 150 hosts on the same subnet.  Pretty typical.

An option to turn off auto-search or changing to an explicit search will head off problems, I think.

[drosoph]

Tell me if I'm wrong:

You cannot have two libraries open at the same time? (Would like to, but hey, I understand that playlists/whatnot are going to be separate by library) ...

But, you can MERGE libraries ... Can you merge Media Server Libraries, or possibly include them with your current LOCAL library ?

Basically, what I am getting at is:  I want to be able to select a file to play whether or NOT it is local or remote.  If this happened, what we might want to do in the future is also include a field called "LIBRARY" so that we could create separate playlists or use the field for a search criteria

(Bring on that new build and let's see how she tests out of the box)

[RemyJ]

15. NEW: Added option to disable autofind feature.

Cool.   I like the checkbox on the server side and the fact that you have to explicitly ask for a search on the client.  I was afraid that every time you tried to catalog a remote library MJ would automatically do a search.

It's got some bugs to be ironed out but I like the implementation.

One question though:  If you've got more than 1 library on a server how do you serve them both?   Would it be possible to include the library name as part of the connect  string:  "m01p://somehost:8080/library1/"  "library1" being the name assigned to the library in MJ on the server.

Oh yeah, are you going to apply to the IANA to reserve port 5556?

[drosoph]

Where is this Auto-Search function found ? I can't seem to find it ...

ON A SIDE NOTE:  Anyone know why the HTML code works (if you view the MJ server directly from a browser) for IE ... but NOT for Mozilla ?  Has anyone tested it on a Netscape version ?  Just curious ...

[RemyJ]

It's on the library sub-menu.  I think there's an install problem with this version as I had to do an uninstall and install to see it.

Not sure about the browser issue.

[drosoph]

OK, I will try the uninstall/reinstall thing later (have to reget my key, etc) ...

Also, I did notice that if you set the default Library to be a remote library ... that it will connect on startup .. BUT .. if you decided you dont want to wait for the download (ie, CANCEL) b/c the download takes forever  ... it cancels opening up MJ ..

Can you change the *action* to Open to "default" library on Cancel ?   It works that way if you try to open to a remote library and that remote library is not available ...

My library files is over 2 Megs ... and sometimes I dont want to wait for the download just to change the to my default library ...

[JimH]

My library files is over 2 Megs ... and sometimes I dont want to wait for the download just to change the to my default library ...

This is still changing so don't worry.  We'll make it easier in the next few builds.

Right now, you may be best off to always switch to your default library before exiting.

[JimH]

I spent the day wrestling with Media Server problems but I think I know how to do it now.  It's running well on three machines.

There is a loose end right now in that you cannot get it to work if you have Media Server set to share your default library.  You can still share your default library, but you have to do it by using the option called "Use a specified library" and then setting the location to:

C:\Program Files\J River\Media Jukebox\Data\

That will change next week, but right now it's the only way.

You may also need to delete this registry key on the client side to get it to work the first time:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JRiver\Media Jukebox\Properties\Libraries

Remy's uninstall/reinstall probably solved the same problem a different way.

The good news is that you can play images or playlists that have music and images from the machine running Media Server.  You also can get album cover art.

We still have some work to do on this, so don't get too excited about anything that doesn't work yet.

[JimH]

To add a new server to your available options in MJ, use File/Library/Library Manager and add it with any name you want and a location like one of these:

m01p://192.168.1.101:8123

m01p://beebalm.cowflower.com:81

where 8123 and 81 are the sockets the Media Server is running on.

[michel]

Until yesterday media server was running without problem. Then I reinstalled a client (expired version) and now I cannot connect anymore. I just spent one hour reading the thread and trying and retrying without success.

I get (on the client): "invalid media server information  myserver:80". After to do "ok" it try to connact anyway and I get finally "cannot establish connection to the server".

Both pc run MJ9.084.

[JimH]

Try deleting any remote libraries you have in MJ's Library Manager on the client machine.  Then try "search for local servers".

[michel]

I deleted already HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\JRiver\Media Jukebox\Properties\Libraries on the client without success.

But I just found the problem: trying many configurations to get media server working again I set mp01://myhost:80 on the server side... (I will not accept any mocking remark   ).

Now it runs fine. Anyway, I lost media server ability installing 084 on the client side, may be it is a bug.

[RemyJ]

The last few builds introduced a bug when searching for media servers.  You always get the "invalid information" message.  You can still connect by specifying the connect string directly though.

[NY40Male]

m01p://192.168.1.101:8123/

That Shortcut Is For Internal Use

Is It The Same For External Use Also?


For Example:

m01p://24.59.110.88:81/

[RemyJ]

m01p://192.168.1.101:8123/

That Shortcut Is For Internal Use

Is It The Same For External Use Also?


For Example:

m01p://24.59.110.88:81/

Sure, as long as your pc has that address or is behind a properly configured router/firewall that has that address and knows how to forward requests on port 81 to the pc running media server.

[Harry The Hipster]

There is a loose end right now in that you cannot get it to work if you have Media Server set to share your default library.  You can still share your default library, but you have to do it by using the option called "Use a specified library" and then setting the location to:

C:\Program Files\J River\Media Jukebox\Data\

Have installed 9.0.84, and am unable to find this option either in Library Manager or on the Media Server. When I click on Options in M/S and go to Library, all that appears in the right-hand field is 'Default Library'.

Zone Alarm uninstalled, etc.

Am I looking in the right place? Apologies for being dense - its late, and its been a long day.

Thanks....HTH

[JimH]

Try the latest version, 9.0.088, from the first thread here.  Make sure you have the same version on both sides.  Add the new library in Library Manager and then go to Media Server.

The interface isn't right yet.

[Charlemagne 8]

Try deleting any remote libraries you have in MJ's Library Manager on the client machine.  Then try "search for local servers".

I misunderstood and deleted the "search for local servers" library thingy. How do I get it back?

CVIII

[jakobluck]

i can't get my media server to work, using either the "search for local servers" or the direct ip. this is the error message i get on the server:

12/13/02 16:51:54 - Started auto response thread on port 5556.
12/13/02 17:10:26 - received a connection
12/13/02 17:10:26 - ready for another connection
12/13/02 17:10:26 - expected GET
12/13/02 17:10:26 - read_http_request failed: -1

on the client, it says "cannot connect to server."


the server is not sharing the default library and both computers see each other just fine over the network via file sharing. any help?

[jakobluck]

ok, well, i got it to work, partially. the client connects to the server using the external IP but if i use the internal location, the media server app crashes.

[pipsqueak]

okay im having some issues with media server. im trying to link up to my pc at home, but i think that because i have a cheap dynamic ip address i cant reach it.

basically i use time warner aol (dunno if my ip address is fixed) then connect with my flatmates via a router, which gives me a local(?) ip address. i know that wont work, but the question is can i track down the external ip address and use that or do i simply not have a chance...

help greatly received

thanks