“keep up to” DVR feature in “series settings” not respected

[vdrover 42]

I have a few series set to record and save only the 3 latest episodes. 
 

This setting is not being respected and all recorded episodes of each series are being saved. 

Edited December 31, 2021 by vdrover

[Luke 37095]

Hi there, can you please go over a specific example? Thanks.

[vdrover 42]

Here are the series settings for Seinfeld:

https://drops.treefla.me/04uL0n2v

Only 3 episodes should be saved.

But you can see here that currently there are 7 episodes.

https://drops.treefla.me/rRuNvAjd

 

[vdrover 42]

@LukeNeed any more details here?

[Luke 37095]

On 1/4/2022 at 9:40 AM, vdrover said:

@LukeNeed any more details here?

Did you go into it to check that you even have seven episodes? Next time a Seinfeld episode records, please attach the emby server log as that is when the deletion occurs. Thanks.

[vdrover 42]

Yes, I did confirm that all the episodes were saved and counted properly. I deleted the episodes above. I currently have 3 saved from new recordings. I expect the 4th to record and save tonight. That will be one more than the "save 3" setting, and I will post the log details. 

[Luke 37095]

5 hours ago, vdrover said:

Yes, I did confirm that all the episodes were saved and counted properly. I deleted the episodes above. I currently have 3 saved from new recordings. I expect the 4th to record and save tonight. That will be one more than the "save 3" setting, and I will post the log details. 

Great, thanks.

[vdrover 42]

OK. I am PMing the server log for 1/7/22. The 4th episode of Seinfeld is called "The Implant". It's recording window was 11:05PM local for 30 minutes as you can see in the logs. 

This images show the series settings, and what I expected to happen based on those settings. 

[Luke 37095]

Hi, looks like you have some file or folder permissions problems to sort out:

2022-01-07 23:08:02.368 Error LiveTV: Error deleting recording
	*** Error Report ***
	Version: 4.6.7.0
	Command line: /opt/emby-server/system/EmbyServer.dll -programdata /var/lib/emby -ffdetect /opt/emby-server/bin/ffdetect -ffmpeg /opt/emby-server/bin/ffmpeg -ffprobe /opt/emby-server/bin/ffprobe -restartexitcode 3 -updatepackage emby-server-deb_{version}_amd64.deb
	Operating system: Linux version 5.4.0-91-generic (buildd@lcy01-amd64-017) (gcc version 9.3.0 (Ubuntu 9.3.0-17ubuntu1~20.04)) #102-Ubuntu SMP Fri Nov 5 16:31:28 UTC 2021
	Framework: .NET Core 3.1.21
	OS/Process: x64/x64
	Runtime: opt/emby-server/system/System.Private.CoreLib.dll
	Processor count: 12
	Data path: /var/lib/emby
	Application path: /opt/emby-server/system
	System.UnauthorizedAccessException: System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '/mnt/Media/Emby/TV Shows/Seinfeld (1981)/Season 4/Seinfeld S04E17 The Outing.ts' is denied.
	 ---> System.IO.IOException: Permission denied
	   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
	   at System.IO.FileSystem.DeleteFile(String fullPath)
	   at Emby.Server.Implementations.Library.LibraryManager.DeleteItem(BaseItem item, DeleteOptions options, BaseItem parent, Boolean notifyParentItem)
	   at Emby.LiveTV.EmbyTV.DeleteLibraryItemForTimer(TimerInfo timer)
	   at Emby.LiveTV.EmbyTV.DeleteLibraryItemsForTimers(List`1 timers)
	Source: System.IO.FileSystem
	TargetSite: Void DeleteFile(System.String)
	InnerException: System.IO.IOException: Permission denied
	Source: 
	TargetSite: 

 

[vdrover 42]

That’s helpful. I have been struggling with permissions as I migrate away from Plex.

Any thoughts on lightning into my Emby as the “Emby” user? 

[Luke 37095]

Have you taken a look at this?

 

[vdrover 42]

 

Yes, I have been through that many times. However, based on the permissions issue you noted in the logs, I have found what is happening. I just don't WHT it is happening. Lwet me explain. 

So, I am transitioning from Plex and all my media is stored on an external drive (`mnt/Emby`) attached to my ubuntu box. I noticed some permissions problems earlier so I set up the following cron to run every 5 min: `/bin/chown -R emby:emby /mnt/Emby`

In other words, all the files and folders are owned by `emby` and are in the `emby` group. This keeps the permissions as needed and allows me to delete content from the normal Emby interface. 

What I have JUST noticed is that AS SOON AS a new recording begins in EMBY, the permission on the entire external drive shift from emby:emby to `victor:plex`.  Note that plex is not running any longer. Importantly, the episode cleanup issue I described above also takes place AS SOON AS the "4th" recording starts (since I am trying to save only 3 episodes), and the permissions are not correct. Once the cron kicks in to fix permissions, the episode cleanup process has already moved on and episodes remain. 

Also, I did a test using the `touch command`. I can replicate the changing of the file permissions independent of Emby by creating a new file on my external drive as follows: `sudo touch '/mnt/Emby/readme.txt'. 

So, I am hoping someone can suggest WHY, when I start recording to my external drive or copy a file to the external drive, the permissions on the entire external drive switch to victor:plex.

Note: I am logged into Ubuntu as `victor`.

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by vdrover

[vdrover 42]

OK, I think I solved this. 

First, I suspect the external drive will always reset permissions to `victor:plex` when a file modification is made. I don't understand why, but I did see some posts about how the drive was installed originally and such. So I decided to take that as a given and work on permissions instead. In this approach, the problem to solve is allowing the `emby` user (i.e. the Emby app) to delete old episodes.

1. First, I removed the crontab that was resetting permissions on `/mnt/Emby` to `emby:emby` . Now my permissions on the external drive would stay victor:plex.
2. Second, I determined the userid of the emby user with this command: `less /etc/passwd`. Let's say the ID is `1001`.
3. Finally, I set the following default ACL rule recursively on my external drive: `sudo setfacl -R --default --modify u:1001:rwx '/mnt/Emby'. This allowed the `emby` user to delete content on `mnt/Emby`.

With this rule in place, old episodes were successfully purged according to that specified in the series settings.

Edited January 12, 2022 by vdrover

[Luke 37095]

Thanks for the feedback.