New to linux user

[TheBigTeam 1]

Hello-

I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction. I am Running Ubuntu, and downloaded the emby Server from the Ubuntu Software center. Live TV works great and truthfully streams better than it did on Windows. One major issue though is, when I try to add my media files, emby doesn't show them at all. Even when I copy the path to the file to emby it says it doesn't exist. I have all permissions turned on, on each folder too. I feel like I am losing it because I truthfully have tried everything. I do not want to delete the server and reinstall because I cant back up the live tv. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

[Luke 42077]

Hi there, can you please provide a specific example? Thanks !

[sargenthp 35]

What permissions are you setting on the files and folders for the media you are adding? 

[TheBigTeam 1]

Specific example: When I try to set the DVR to a file to save all recordings it finds my pc name but does not find the folders I have set for the DVR. Same for Movies, when I search for the path to the specific folder it doesn't show up. I have copied the specific path and it says it doesn't exist. I have changed all permissions to read and write. 

[Luke 42077]

4 hours ago, TheBigTeam said:

Specific example: When I try to set the DVR to a file to save all recordings it finds my pc name but does not find the folders I have set for the DVR. Same for Movies, when I search for the path to the specific folder it doesn't show up. I have copied the specific path and it says it doesn't exist. I have changed all permissions to read and write. 

Have you taken a look at this?

 

[TheBigTeam 1]

Thank you. I will dive into this and see what happens!

[Luke 42077]

Let us know how you get on. Thanks.

[TheBigTeam 1]

Yeah- not so great.Maybe it's me,  but searching emby for a file path doesn't make sense to me. Since Emby can't see my folders anyway. There has to be a way to make my files and folders viable to Emby easier than this. Nothing the feed you shared is working. I get so far but cannot figure out how to grant access.

 

[TheBigTeam 1]

Just now, TheBigTeam said:

Yeah- not so great.Maybe it's me,  but searching emby for a file path doesn't make sense to me. Since Emby can't see my folders anyway. There has to be a way to make my files and folders viable to Emby easier than this. Nothing the feed you shared is working. I get so far but cannot figure out how to grant access.

 

I have gone to the specific files and folders and updated permissions so doing this in terminal doesn't make a ton of sense.

 

[TheBigTeam 1]

9 minutes ago, TheBigTeam said:

I have gone to the specific files and folders and updated permissions so doing this in terminal doesn't make a ton of sense.

 

In Emby when I go to create, say the Movies folder, I find home/username/ and thats it. My folders are non existent. Neither is my portable hard drive. 

[sargenthp 35]

OK....  Let's start at the basics...  Do you have this mounting as a permanent drive?  Can I have to do a "ls -l path"  on the location of your files?

[TheBigTeam 1]

What command is that? I am not sure. I do have a movies folder in a permanent drive. I am unsure if the portable drive is mounted as permanent.

 

[TheBigTeam 1]

That command comes back with "no such file or directory"

 

[TheBigTeam 1]

If it helps- the portable hard drive is a FAT 32 bit mounted at /media/username/EFI

[sargenthp 35]

The biggest thing has to be done is allowing the service user "emby" access into the location that contains the media.  Not knowing which Linux distribution you are using, but I like using the extended file access controls to allow the emby user to get to my files.

This should allow the user emby into the beginning folder structure...

sudo setfacl -m u:emby:rx /media

sudo setfacl -m u:emby:rx /media/username

 

Sounds like you want Emby to write to this location as well so emby will need write access as well.  So we will recursively allow read, write, and execute, plus set it as default for any new files or folders...

sudo setfacl -Rm u:emby:rwx,d:u:emby:rwx /media/username/EFI

 

[TheBigTeam 1]

5 hours ago, sargenthp said:

The biggest thing has to be done is allowing the service user "emby" access into the location that contains the media.  Not knowing which Linux distribution you are using, but I like using the extended file access controls to allow the emby user to get to my files.

This should allow the user emby into the beginning folder structure...

sudo setfacl -m u:emby:rx /media

sudo setfacl -m u:emby:rx /media/username

 

Sounds like you want Emby to write to this location as well so emby will need write access as well.  So we will recursively allow read, write, and execute, plus set it as default for any new files or folders...

sudo setfacl -Rm u:emby:rwx,d:u:emby:rwx /media/username/EFI

 

I am running the latest Ubuntu

[TheBigTeam 1]

When I go to file permissions, I don't see "Emby" on the list of users.

[sargenthp 35]

Well...  If you are using a FAT32 filesystem... There isn't much for security at that location.  But emby must be able to get to it.  It is probably the permissions of the folders up to the chain.  More than likely the /media/username level.

Sounds like you are trying to use the GUI and it is pretty limited (unless there is an advanced option).  Get to the console and type grep emby /etc/passed you should see a line spit out like the attached.  This will show that you do indeed have the user "emby".

 

Emby will never see your files if it doesn't have the permissions to get there.  Just because your user can see it, does not meen the user emby, who the Emby Server runs under, can see it.  Linux/UNIX is much more secure over Windows, and users need explicit rights to have access.

[TheBigTeam 1]

1 hour ago, sargenthp said:

Well...  If you are using a FAT32 filesystem... There isn't much for security at that location.  But emby must be able to get to it.  It is probably the permissions of the folders up to the chain.  More than likely the /media/username level.

Sounds like you are trying to use the GUI and it is pretty limited (unless there is an advanced option).  Get to the console and type grep emby /etc/passed you should see a line spit out like the attached.  This will show that you do indeed have the user "emby".

 

Emby will never see your files if it doesn't have the permissions to get there.  Just because your user can see it, does not meen the user emby, who the Emby Server runs under, can see it.  Linux/UNIX is much more secure over Windows, and users need explicit rights to have access.

I am using FAT32. I will try now!

[TheBigTeam 1]

I do not get a line split out. Random question would I be better off on Mint or Pop OS instead of Ubuntu?

[TheBigTeam 1]

Just seems there has to be way easier way than this. Windows theres no thinking involved. I do not want to return to windows. 

[Q-Droid 989]

Most Linux distros follow the same basic conventions and the ones that don't are more difficult to use, not easier. Stick with what you have for now.

If you want to stay with Linux and not go back to Windows then abandon the idea of "easier way to do this". The easier way is knowing what needs to be done and how to do it.

"This is the way..." - some guy on some show

Find one of many online Linux tutorials and go thru the sections on shell access, navigation, files, directories, ownership and permissions.

Linux is a multi-user system from the ground up. What you do from your account (create, move, copy, mount, run, etc.) is not by default visible to other accounts. What you do from GUI tools are done from your account unless explicitly done as admin (root) for the system - may be different tools.

The external drive has to be mounted using method/options that make it visible to others on the system, in this case emby. Mounting or automounting from your desktop session restricts the access to your account. There are resources online that show you how to mount the drives so they are usable by others - usually done as root and/or from the fstab. Even after the drive is mounted you might have to adjust access of the path to the media for emby to see it. 

 

[TheBigTeam 1]

2 hours ago, Q-Droid said:

Most Linux distros follow the same basic conventions and the ones that don't are more difficult to use, not easier. Stick with what you have for now.

If you want to stay with Linux and not go back to Windows then abandon the idea of "easier way to do this". The easier way is knowing what needs to be done and how to do it.

"This is the way..." - some guy on some show

Find one of many online Linux tutorials and go thru the sections on shell access, navigation, files, directories, ownership and permissions.

Linux is a multi-user system from the ground up. What you do from your account (create, move, copy, mount, run, etc.) is not by default visible to other accounts. What you do from GUI tools are done from your account unless explicitly done as admin (root) for the system - may be different tools.

The external drive has to be mounted using method/options that make it visible to others on the system, in this case emby. Mounting or automounting from your desktop session restricts the access to your account. There are resources online that show you how to mount the drives so they are usable by others - usually done as root and/or from the fstab. Even after the drive is mounted you might have to adjust access of the path to the media for emby to see it. 

 

Thank you. I actually think I am going to unmount the external hard drive and try this method of remounting before doing anything else!