How to update Emby?

[Carlo 4560]

The good news is that Package Manager on Synology should be quite accurate now and be able to tell you when updates in the catalog are available.  You should also get a notification right on your Emby Dashboard as well.

New releases will almost always be available on our website before the package center due to logistic but it will not matter where you install from. One release could be downloaded and manually installed while the next is done through Package Manager. You can flip back and forth at will.

[jch 2]

What source is Emby available in Package Manager?

[FrostByte 5392]

PC has the most current stable version released of Emby right now which is 4.6.7.0.  It's the same one as you will get if downloading from GitHub and install manually.

Beta releases are not available in PC as of now.

[jch 2]

What source are you using for package center (PC)?  I don’t see Emby at https://packages.synocommunity.com

[FrostByte 5392]

3 minutes ago, jch said:

What source are you using for package center (PC)?  I don’t see Emby at https://packages.synocommunity.com

Which version of DSM are you on?  I don't think it's available for DSM 6 yet in the store.'

If you search for 'emby' in the store it should be there, at least on DSM 7 it is.

 

 

 

[jch 2]

DSM 6.  That explains it.  I have Emby on my Docker (4.6.7.0).  Works fine and I just installed Watchtower which will hopefully keep me up to date.

[FrostByte 5392]

Okay, ya you will need to use the spk if you want to update now.  I haven't seen anything about when it might be available in the store for DSM 6.

[Carlo 4560]

Are they even allowing new updates to the package center for DSM 6?  I'd think they probably froze that to push people to move to DSM 7 and soon 7.1

[Luke 42077]

They are but we are not in package center yet for dsm6 so you'll need to do manual installs from our website.

[justwondering 14]

Is this still accurate? Emby server is telling me the current version is 4.7.6.0, but the Synology package center says 4.6.7.0 is the newest online version.

 

[Luke 42077]

36 minutes ago, justwondering said:

Is this still accurate? Emby server is telling me the current version is 4.7.6.0, but the Synology package center says 4.6.7.0 is the newest online version.

 

 

[justwondering 14]

Sorry, didn't see that one. I'll wait for it to show up in the Synology store. Thanks Luke!

[Luke 42077]

FYI: 

 

[DanielFrank 11]

On 12/06/2021 at 18:33, Luke said:

Hi, I think you may have missed the 4.5 announcement of how to update Synology:

At least until we're in the official Synology store, it's a manual update process of downloading the spk from our website:

https://emby.media/download

Emby is now in the official Package Center within Synology, and yet it still has to be updated manually. Is this correct?

[Luke 42077]

2 hours ago, DanielFrank said:

Emby is now in the official Package Center within Synology, and yet it still has to be updated manually. Is this correct?

Hi, no you can update in package center if you prefer.

[Ellle 0]

On 3/12/2024 at 9:55 PM, Luke said:

Hi, no you can update in package center if you prefer.

Hello!
Please tell me when will synology have available versions of emby > 4.8.8?
There is a serious problem now when 18+ posters appear in children's content....

[Luke 42077]

5 hours ago, Ellle said:

Hello!
Please tell me when will synology have available versions of emby > 4.8.8?
There is a serious problem now when 18+ posters appear in children's content....

Hi, it will take time to get through the Synology review process. If you want to upgrade immediately you can always download the spk from our website. Thanks.

[kthanid 5]

Just curious if there's any update on the availability of any Emby 4.8 versions being available via Package Center in Synology. Package Center stills ays that the "newest online version" is 4.7.14.0-704071400. For reference, I have a model DS918+ running DSM 7.1.1-42962 Update 6 (which is also being reported as the latest DSM version).

Wondering if something's wrong on my end or if it's expected that no newer versions of Emby are available in Package Center. Thanks!

[kthanid 5]

With a little more looking, it seems that the issue is the DSM version being stuck at 7.1. In case anyone else hits a similar issue where their DSM version appears to be up to date (but isn't), this appears to be by design: https://www.synology.com/en-us/releaseNote/DSM?model=DS918%2B#7_2

Appropriate path forward seems to be a manual update of the DSM version.

[Luke 42077]

On 11/9/2024 at 5:35 PM, kthanid said:

With a little more looking, it seems that the issue is the DSM version being stuck at 7.1. In case anyone else hits a similar issue where their DSM version appears to be up to date (but isn't), this appears to be by design: https://www.synology.com/en-us/releaseNote/DSM?model=DS918%2B#7_2

Appropriate path forward seems to be a manual update of the DSM version.

Hi, that's correct. We have only been submitting for DSM 7.2. If you need packages for DSM 7.0/7.1, they can be downloaded from our website. Thanks.

[Carlo 4560]

Synology's package manager operates quite differently compared to other stores like Windows, Android, and iOS. For instance, on Windows, a developer can submit a single 64-bit release for approval that works on various configurations from Windows 7 to Windows 11, encompassing numerous hardware variables such as storage type, CPU brand, motherboard, PCIe lanes, memory type, presence of iGPU or dGPU, and networking specifications.

On Android (both Google and Amazon), you can target specific sets for an app, such as phones, TVs, and tablets. Developers can target particular OS versions, manufacturers, or even specific devices or accessories. For example, an app might only be available for Samsung devices, only devices with a stylus, or those with screens 5" or larger. Additionally, targeting specific Android versions allows an app to be released for both Android 10 and 11, facilitating a smooth update process during OS upgrades. This mature update mechanism conceals the technical complexities from users.

Synology's store, known as the Package Center, is akin to an immature version of a Google app store but for Synology's various product lines, particularly their NAS lineup. These NAS devices have vastly different architectures but run the same GUI with mostly the same functionality, ensuring performance is aligned with specific hardware. This uniformity means a 2-bay NAS functions similarly to a 16-bay or powerful rack-mount version.

With the introduction of new rack servers and firewall/routers, Synology needed significant OS changes for enhanced security, catalyzing the release of DSM 7. Though some changes might seem superficial or inconvenient, like setting permissions for internal users, version 7 introduced fundamental security improvements. DSM 7.1 included minor updates and fixes, while DSM 7.2 was another major release requiring apps specifically built for it.

Currently, as mentioned by Luke, Synology is only updating the package store for DSM 7.2+ versions, with older versions available directly on their website. Emby continues to send new versions for DSM 7.2+, which eventually appear in the Package Center.

To illustrate the complexity, Emby can build one version of the Server for Windows that runs on almost any hardware or OS version. In contrast, for Synology, they have 16 different versions, always available on their website:

• DSM 7.2+ 64-bit NAS

• DSM 7.2+ ARMv8 (x18 Series)

• DSM 7.2+ ARMv7 - Supported models:

• DSM 7.2+ ARMv7 (all other ARMv7 models)

• DSM 7 64-bit NAS

• DSM 7 32-bit (X86)

• DSM 7 ARMv8 (x18 Series)

• DSM 7 ARMv7 - Supported models:

• DSM 7 ARMv7 (all other ARMv7 models)

• DSM 6 64-bit NAS

• DSM 6 32-bit (X86)

• DSM 6 ARMv8 (x18 Series)

• DSM 6 ARMv7 - Supported models:

• DSM 6 ARMv7 (all other ARMv7 models)

• DSM 6 ARMv5

• DSM 6 PPC

They typically offer both Release and Beta versions for each server, resulting in 2 versions for Windows and 32 versions for Synology.

Different stores have varied approval processes. Some use automated systems, running apps in sandbox environments to check for issues like viruses, bad system calls, and improper resource usage. Others rely more on human involvement, with upfront vetting and custom testing routines based on user feedback and complaints. While automated testing provides a list of issues to fix before resubmission, human involvement can be subjective, sometimes leading to an iterative approval process.

Synology seems to be adopting a method closer to human vetting, focusing on select software that fills gaps and provides value for their NAS products. This approach has positioned Synology as a reliable product in the business world. Their NAS products can serve as user management platforms, DHCP, DNS, Email servers, file storage, and more, supporting both onsite and offsite backups. They can run public-facing websites, internal sites, and web tools, offering web access with two-factor authentication or VPNs. Synology Office and Synology Drive provide functionalities similar to MS Office or Google Apps, while some models support Docker and Kubernetes.

Given Synology's approach, along with two major OS updates and numerous builds, the timeline for store updates becomes more understandable. They need to vet and approve apps efficiently but aren't looking to add numerous apps, as many run better via Docker.

Emby and a few competitors have been chosen as partners by Synology, offering better customer service than the retired Media Station.

[kthanid 5]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the additional information!

The manual update to DSM 7.2 did the trick and Emby updates showed up immediately through Package Center thereafter as expected. Hopefully my confusion can help others who hit this issue with similar Synology devices because I can say as a user of the device it was in no way obvious via the internal DSM update utility on the NAS that there was a newer version available that could only be installed manually (it just "helpfully" continued to report that no updates were available).

Thanks everyone!

[ravenofdoom 2]

Do you have a sense of the turn around times we’re seeing for package center release vs release on Emby’s public page using 4.8.8 as an example?  
 

I’m on DSM 7.2+ and still stuck on Emby 4.8.8 (which looks like it went public on May 30, 2024); since then, there’s been public release 4.8.9.0 (Sep 24, 2024), and 4.8.10 (Sep 30, 2024).  I’m reluctant to manually install.

[Carlo 4560]

It's super easy to manually install. Just download it from our site, upload it in package manager on Synology.
You still install it the same way through the Synology Package manager.  The only difference is you got the file directly from us vs an older version in their archive.

It's low-risk and not like an android side load or anything needing special or admin permissions.

[kthanid 5]

@CarloI assume it's fine to just grab the latest version from this page and follow your instructions of loading it into package manager, or do we need to get individual versions between where we're at and the current version to update iteratively? I just don't want to mess up my whole library in any way by wiping out the existing installation. Thanks!