Migrating from Windows

[maxiu 4]

Hello!

 

I'll be migrating from Windows to Linux this weekend and I'll be moving my Emby installation as well. So far attempts to migrate data on local do not look promising, I've followed the guide at: https://support.emby.media/support/solutions/articles/44001159936-backup but I'm not sure these apply when moving between OS.

I'm stuck after the following step:

 

Now take all of the files you backed up from the old server and copy them into the equivalent locations on the new server.

 

After copying the data over from Windows the container keeps restarting with the following log:

 

 

 

[s6-init] making user provided files available at /var/run/s6/etc...exited 0.
[s6-init] ensuring user provided files have correct perms...exited 0.
[fix-attrs.d] applying ownership & permissions fixes...
[fix-attrs.d] done.
[cont-init.d] executing container initialization scripts...
[cont-init.d] done.
[services.d] starting services
[services.d] done.
Info Main: Application path: /system/EmbyServer.dll
Info Main: Shutdown complete
[cont-finish.d] executing container finish scripts...
[cont-finish.d] done.
[s6-finish] waiting for services.
[s6-finish] sending all processes the TERM signal.
[s6-finish] sending all processes the KILL signal and exiting.

 

Emby logs don't show anything else:

 

 

❯ cat embyserver-63722151059.txt
2020-04-10 21:30:59.311 Info Main: Application path: /system/EmbyServer.dll
2020-04-10 21:30:59.480 Info Main: Shutdown complete

 

When trying to launch without copying the data everything works fine.

 

A side question:

Does Emby work just as well in Ubuntu? I'm mostly interested in any codec/transcoding or performance problems. I would love to know in advance because of the size of my library this migration will probably take better part of the week (I've been making backups since Monday), migrating back to Windows would be very.. sad.

 

Thanks!

[Luke 42078]

Hi, what exactly did you copy? We probably need to improve that guide, but transferring certain things such as database files across operating systems may not work.

[maxiu 4]

Hi,

I copied according to the guide

 

 

• /ProgramData/config
• /ProgramData/plugins
• /ProgramData/data/collections
• /ProgramData/data/playlists
• /ProgramData/data/displaypreferences.db
• /ProgramData/data/users.db

[mastrmind11 722]

no way is this going to work.

 

what are you trying to preserve when migrating?  watched state can be backed up using the Trakt plugin, users will move over using the Backup plugin.  So I'd think the easiest way to migrate to a different OS is to run those 2 plugins (keep track of the backup plugin file so you can move it over later), then just run a rescan of your library, then a restore, then a trakt sync.  disclaimer:  I've never done it before but in general moving folders between OS's is just not going to work without a lot of headache and hacking.  Not to mention the windows file structure and the linux file structure couldn't be more different.  Start clean, then restore what you can imo.

[maxiu 4]

I think the general server configuration will be easy enough to restore, biggest issue is user's watched state therefore the user database as well and plugin configuration. I'm aware that moving anything with paths like collections etc. will be impossible but I'm not too concerned with that. 

I'm not familiar with the trakt plugin, I'll give it a go thanks.

[Happy2Play 9780]

Assume you are a Premiere user, the Server Configuration Backup plugin will allow you to backup and restore users and userdata on any system.

 

Only items that will lose watched state will be items that do not have a external providerid.

[maxiu 4]

I've been taking care of the metadata so everything should be correct however I'm not sure where metadata is kept because I'm going to have to recreate the library and specify a new directory on the Linux machine so I doubt it's all going to connect automatically? Should I save the metadata in my library folders with the Metadata saves: nfo option in library settings?

[maxiu 4]

After installing the backup plugin I get this:

 

 

 

2020-04-11 15:32:28.414 Error Server Configuration Backup: Emby Backup trial has expired. Please purchase Emby Premiere at https://emby.media.
2020-04-11 15:32:28.417 Error TaskManager: Error
    *** Error Report ***
    Version: 4.4.2.0
    Command line: C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\system\EmbyServer.dll -noautorunwebapp
    Operating system: Microsoft Windows NT 6.2.9200.0
    64-Bit OS: True
    64-Bit Process: True
    User Interactive: True
    Runtime: file:///C:/Users/Administrator/AppData/Roaming/Emby-Server/system/System.Private.CoreLib.dll
    System.Environment.Version: 3.1.3
    Processor count: 4
    Program data path: C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\programdata
    Application directory: C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Roaming\Emby-Server\system
    System.Exception: System.Exception: Emby Backup trial has expired. Please purchase Emby Premiere at https://emby.media.
     at MBBackup.ServerEntryPoint.ExecuteBackup(BackupProfile settings, CancellationToken cancellationToken, IProgress`1 progress, Boolean isAuto)
     at MBBackup.Entities.ScheduledBackupTask.Execute(CancellationToken cancellationToken, IProgress`1 progress)
     at Emby.Server.Implementations.ScheduledTasks.ScheduledTaskWorker.ExecuteInternal(TaskOptions options)
    Source: MBBackup
    TargetSite: Void MoveNext()
    

 

I never used it before so how come my trial already expired? I guess I'll just have to abandon my user db/watched state because i no longer have time to spare for this. Shame.

[Luke 42078]

We need to improve our trial facilities. Apologies for the disruption.

[maxiu 4]

Well migrating sonarr and radarr was easy and everything works, emby on the other hand even after successfully importing users.db the library.db was somewhat less successful because on rescan emby decided to purge the entire database even though paths were correct (Info App: Deleting path /config/metadata/library/88/885d5bdc6e54c4361a27b425850d70f8 etc.)

 

I'm going to keep the backup if anyone has any ideas I can try they're welcome thanks.

Edited April 12, 2020 by maxiu

[Luke 42078]

 Should I save the metadata in my library folders with the Metadata saves: nfo option in library settings?

From this standpoint of this topic, this will make things easier for you, yes.

[hawk223 9]

Did you get this working? I managed to migrate and hope I have worked out all the little issues.

[maxiu 4]

No, in the end it was faster to go over the library and manually mark the shows I've already seen.

[hawk223 9]

Fortunately this is much easier now restoring from backup.