Topic: Problems with music stored on Synology NAS Box (Read 11546 times)

snoots · « **on:** May 24, 2013, 01:27:59 pm »

This is likely not MC18 but i thought i would see what all you MAC experts might be able to share. I am running the latest Alpha but the issue has existed since the early builds. If I start up MC and try to play any music MC complains that it can't find the file to playback. In order to get MC to start playing music I have to go to the finder and browse through the Snynology File Share all the way to the "music" folder i.e. XRAID/Media/Music. MC shows the files as /Volumes/Media/Music .... Once browsed i have no problems with playback until the next reboot/reload. I have looked around on Synology's forum and tried enabling AFP as originally i just used SMB. This did not help so I am turning it back off. It probably is an OSX problem. Anybody have an ideas?

JohnT · « **Reply #1 on:** May 24, 2013, 02:45:08 pm »

I copied this tip from somewhere on the web:

So, here's how you can get OS X to reconnect to a Samba share at login:
1. Connect to the server (Cmd+K in the Finder, continue through the steps until you have it mounted on the Desktop)
2. Open System Preferences and go to Login Items.
3. Drag the shared folder from the desktop to an empty spot in the list of login items.

After this procedure, your shared folder /Volumes/Media/Music should show up automatically at login time.

snoots · « **Reply #2 on:** May 24, 2013, 03:26:42 pm »

Thanks I'll give that a shot. I also found some info on adding it to the xtab file using auto mount from the terminal.

Fred1 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2013, 12:18:53 am »

Quote from: snoots on May 24, 2013, 03:26:42 pm

Thanks I'll give that a shot. I also found some info on adding it to the xtab file using auto mount from the terminal.

Would you share this xtab-method here?

The other method opens a finder window on the desktop that you have to close manually for every restart of the machine.

bplexico · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2013, 12:36:42 am »

Hello. I too have a Synology NAS on which all my music files are stored. I use the method that JohnT noted to ensure that every time my Mac Mini boots it maps out correctly my Music Folder on the Synology NAS. I use AFP BTW...

Barr

Peter_RN · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2013, 08:05:07 am »

Oh dear, I thought this was a problem specific to my set up, not a Mac user normally but considering a Mac Mini as music server.

I have a Buffalo Linkstation NAS with a Macbook Pro running just MC - the Pro is set to connect to the NAS at start up. 80% of the time I get a message that OSX failed to connect to NAS. Finder-Go-Connect to server brings up a box showing the path to the NAS, clicking through immediately connects but as Fred say's it brings up the Finder Window; this is useless as M/Mini would have to run headless.

I too would be grateful for any hints/tips to get this working reliably.

Thanks
Peter

bplexico · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2013, 12:20:02 pm »

So to add a little further clarity - I have a Mac Mini - I have a Synology NAS on which all my music files are stored. I have setup the Mac Mini so that when it boots up it will login/map to the Music Volume on the Synology, and the startup Media Center. I have attached a snapshot of how that is setup in System Preferences -> Users & Groups -> Login Items.

Also there are lots of examples on the web in regards to how to set this up on a Mac ( I am assuming regardless of which brand of NAS you use)

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3700264?start=0&tstart=0

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1553798

Here's another one for the Buffalo Tech NAS:

http://forums.buffalotech.com/t5/Storage/How-to-get-NAS-to-appear-automatically-on-Mac/td-p/102208

Barr

Peter_RN · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2013, 01:19:36 pm »

Hi Barr

I have checked again the info you posted and all is as it should be on my system, it just does not work reliably - at least not for me or it would appear for the posters on your links. We also have the problem of the Finder window, which would be no good at all on a headless system.

For years I have read that 'Mac's just work', well in this respect at least perhaps they just don't!

Peter

bplexico · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2013, 09:06:12 pm »

I dont quite understand the issue with the Finder window, mine opens a Finder window of the music volume on my NAS, but it in no way impacts either the Mac Mini booting up headless, nor it invoking Media Center. Further using Splashtop Streamer, I can just choose Shutdown from the Apple menu when I am done for the day.

I guess I don't quite understand the issue you or Fred are having, perhaps if you contact Buffalo Tech Support they can assist? It was very straight forward for me with the Synology, which I understand does nothing to resolve your issue.

Barr

Fred1 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:23:02 am »

Quote from: bplexico on May 25, 2013, 09:06:12 pm

I guess I don't quite understand the issue you or Fred are having …

It's not a real issue.
You only have to close the finder window manually that is opening every time you are restarting the machine. On a headless MacMini that is left alone, you won't even notice it.

On my work-iMac however, various finder windows are opening magically every morning because this iMac connects to several folders on other machines. That can be annoying.

Peter_RN · « **Reply #10 on:** May 26, 2013, 03:35:10 am »

Hello Barr

OK, I see what you mean. You say just ignore the Finder window when running headless, it won't matter - fine. I am as I said not a Mac user and only wish to (possibly) use a Mini just to run MC - nothing else; Windows works well for me.

It's really the failure to connect to the NAS which is the main obstacle, I do have another NAS which I will try and see if it is a NAS or Mac issue. I have never had a Windows machine fail to connect to any of my NAS at start up in many years of use.

It is claimed by some that a Mac is better/easier to use as a music server, hence my interest in the Mac, although sonically I believe both versions of MC sound the same.

Thanks for your information.
Peter

snoots · « **Reply #11 on:** May 26, 2013, 08:16:30 am »

The first option did not work for me. I will check some of the links. I do think it is a MAC networking issue as my MC18 on Win8 is mapped to the same NAS and it just works no muss no fuss. An if I browse from finder first it works on the first try. If I don't browse first it cannot locate the files.

snoots · « **Reply #12 on:** May 26, 2013, 08:33:56 am »

The IP address solution mapping via login and the connect to server dialog worked in my case. Just for grins here is the xtab entry that was created. I x' d out my personal stuff. No windows pop up when mac desktop appears.

sh-3.2# mount
/dev/disk1s2 on / (hfs, local, journaled)
devfs on /dev (devfs, local, nobrowse)
/dev/disk2s1 on /Volumes/Mac Data Disk (hfs, local, journaled)
map -hosts on /net (autofs, nosuid, automounted, nobrowse)
map auto_home on /home (autofs, automounted, nobrowse)
/dev/disk0s1 on /Volumes/Windows 8 (ufsd_NTFS, local)
//admin@192.168.1.13/Media on /Volumes/Media (afpfs, nodev, nosuid, mounted by xxxxxxxxxx) *** THIS IS SYNOLOGY ****
sh-3.2#

Peter_RN · « **Reply #13 on:** May 26, 2013, 09:17:46 am »

Blimey snoots, I've seen some gobbaldy gook in my time but really!

I'll have to get my son-in-law to decipher that little lot, I understand Windows better.

Very glad it worked for you, with luck it will for the rest of us. There has to be an effective way for us all to do this I would think.

Thanks for posting your solution.

Peter

snoots · « **Reply #14 on:** May 26, 2013, 09:49:48 am »

Some clarification; I used

Re: Problems with music stored on Synology NAS Box
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2013, 02:45:08 pm »
Quote
I copied this tip from somewhere on the web:

So, here's how you can get OS X to reconnect to a Samba share at login: I used the IP address of the synology
1. Connect to the server (Cmd+K in the Finder, continue through the steps until you have it mounted ** NOT *** on the Desktop but in the finder window....)
2. Open System Preferences and go to Login Items.
3. Drag the shared folder from the finder window .. to an empty spot in the list of login items.

After this procedure, your shared folder /Volumes/Media/Music should show up automatically at login time.

reboot and then use "GO" menu select My Computer and you will now see the share for "Media" listed as a local drive

After doing this the mount table entry showed the addition of the 192.168.1.13. Basically the GUI is taking care of adding the synology server share to the mount table and mounting it automatically when unix ( OSx ) starts back up.

bplexico · « **Reply #15 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:01:22 pm »

Peter - What protocol are you using on the NAS, is it NFS, SMB or AFP or perhaps a combination of the three? I see that the Buffalo NAS does appear to have some "quirks" from doing some reading on the web (to be clear I don't own the Buffalo NAS and my intent is not to cast it in a negative light).

Perhaps posting the query on their forum might yield a quicker solution?

http://forums.buffalotech.com/t5/Storage/bd-p/0101

Here is one possible solution from their forum:

http://forums.buffalotech.com/t5/Storage/How-to-get-NAS-to-appear-automatically-on-Mac/m-p/102208/highlight/true#M49402

Best of luck, I have only had my Synology for a few weeks and use it exclusively with my Mac, so I am by far from an expert on these matters.

Barr

Peter_RN · « **Reply #16 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:10:43 pm »

Fantastic!

Took a bit of trial and error as the share was already in the start folder in system preferences - it rarely connected though. Having followed your simplified explanation

and restarted 3 times it has connected every time, so I think we can call that a success.

This has saved me the slight embarrassment of having to get my son-in-law to fix this for me (joking), we have spent more than a decade disagreeing over the relative merits of Mac verses Windows. He actually gave me the Macbook Pro in an attempt to persuade me of its virtues - I can hold my head up a little longer - thanks.

Peter

Peter_RN · « **Reply #17 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:34:24 pm »

Hi Barr

You posted while I was replying to snoots, thanks for your efforts which I will take a look at for future reference. I have used NAS for many years, it is OSX that I have little knowledge of. Mind I have a little more now thanks to you chaps for which I am grateful.

Thanks again,
Peter

snoots · « **Reply #18 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:49:24 pm »

Thanks to all of you who posted fixes and ideas... I know just enough to get me in trouble with linux/unix/windows.. Mac OSx on my Hackintosh machines is a fun learning experience.

bplexico · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2013, 04:14:29 pm »

Well glad to hear all of us working, auto mounting solutions now! It is the "little" things that drive us all crazy.

Fred1 - I now understand your point about the multiple open Finder windows, that would be annoying with multiple mounts, and it appears that there is no simple manner to change this behavior.

I did find a solution to this, haven't tried it myself, however it requires using either AppleScript or Automator.

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/18522/mounting-shares-with-login-items-at-login-finder-windows-popup

snoots · « **Reply #20 on:** May 27, 2013, 09:29:20 am »

I spoke to soon

Now Finder is opening a window showing the "mapped" folder each time the machine boots and the networking starts up. I will try the applescript solution and report back.

snoots · « **Reply #21 on:** May 27, 2013, 09:51:49 am »

The AppleScript solution worked for me. I used:

tell application "Finder"
mount volume "afp://192.168.1.13/Media" as user name "admin"
end tell

Saved as program; dragged to login items in users and groups

It did not prompt me for password but that might be since the password was already in keychain.

Peter_RN · « **Reply #22 on:** May 27, 2013, 11:04:12 am »

Applescript? - Sounds complicated to me snoots.

All I wanted to do is run MC. ?

In my case as the Mac is only used for MC I guess it does not not particularly matter that Finder says open, as MC is now set to also open at boot up and opens after Finder.

However, now I know that this can be changed I'm sure to feel compelled to find out how to use Applescript, too much time on my hands these days obviously.

Thanks again
Peter

snoots · « **Reply #23 on:** May 27, 2013, 11:26:27 am »

AppleScript is an application in the "utilities" folder under applications. It is a simple high level language like windows batch files or scripts in UNIX. If you open it you can literally cut and paste from my entry above, change the ip address to your NAS and folder name and the user name accessing the NAS. I saved it in my document folder as a program, dragged it into the login items and that is all it takes. I have never used it but the principle was clear from the link posted. Don't be afraid to try it, if it does not work it just won't map your folder, it won't break anything.

I like having my machine come up with a blank desktop and nothing running. I actually listen more to my Stereo system which runs a bunch of Sony CD Changers. I only use J River for PC music playback and to keep my MP3s synced with all of my CD collection. I use the MP3s in my cars one on an IPOD classic and one on a thumb drive. It is nice having my entire music collection portable though at a lower fidelity.

Peter_RN · « **Reply #24 on:** May 27, 2013, 11:51:27 am »

snoots - kind of you to go to such lengths, I will definitely be giving this a go.

Streaming is our main source now with the system running up to 12hrs a day supplying data to our Naim system, so MC does a lot of work each day here. I just have to decide whether to use Windows or Mac OSX on a new headless server. As there is no significant difference between the two versions of MC and I am learning more about the Mac thanks mainly to you chaps here on the forum, the choice is in fact becoming harder to make. I had expected the choice of a Windows server to have been easy.

Peter

snoots · « **Reply #25 on:** May 27, 2013, 12:47:34 pm »

For me the Windows version is a full robust trouble free system. I run a Dual Boot system Windows 8 on one SSD and Mac OSx on another SSD. The only reason I am playing with the MAC version is due to "LOGIC PRO 9" on the MAC for recording music with a friend who lives out of town. The more I have played with my Hackintosh OSx the more I like it. OSx still has some things I can't do on it as easily and I will likely always be a "PC" guy. It is fun to play with it and learn the interesting ways it differs from Windows.

If you want the most trouble free experience at least until MC for MAC matures I would stick to the windows version.

Peter_RN · « **Reply #26 on:** May 28, 2013, 06:10:17 am »

Certainly cannot argue with your logic snoots, all my instincts are to stick with Windows, had I not been given the Mac there would have been no question of using one.

Now, what to do with a Mac? its rather large to use as a door stop.

ATB, Peter

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Author Topic: Problems with music stored on Synology NAS Box (Read 11546 times)

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