Newbie having problem with mounting network source

[fuddyduddy]

This MiniDLNA: ...?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MiniDLNA

Is that even compatible with Samba or NFS clients? I used it for a while on my Linux box at home as a DLNA/UPnP server for my smart TV and my old XBMC box. Not sure u can use that w. Rune Audio. (Kodi, yes)

The Sourceforge ReadyMedia page isn't very informative but it does say this:-
"ReadyMedia (formerly MiniDLNA) is server software with the aim of being fully compliant with DLNA/UPnP-AV clients. It is developed by a NETGEAR employee for the ReadyNAS product line..."

I'm very far from being an expert (the opposite in fact) but I can't see any obvious reason why it shouldn't be compatible with RuneAudio. Can you?

With reference to this, the ArchLinux wiki on ReadyMedia says:-
" MiniDLNA might not support choosing audio tracks, subtitles, disk chapters, list sorting, and other advanced playback features for your player model".

Was this perhaps the kind of limitation you had in mind? If so, what might its bearing on RuneAudio be, do you know (personally I haven't a clue about that)?

[PeteB]

Was this perhaps the kind of limitation you had in mind? If so, what might its bearing on RuneAudio be, do you know (personally I haven't a clue about that)?

No, something more basic.

Have you tried just adding a new share to your NAS, purely as a test, and then using that new share as a source in Rune Audio?

As an example, create a new shared directory called "testshare", throw some music files into it, then go to Rune Audio and add it as a new source (not change the old entry).
In Network Mounts, give it a new name not used before, let's say Testing, for Fileshare potocol select NFS, enter the IP address of your NAS server, and its remote directory name, full path.

My NFS music source looks like this:

Source name:
Home Music Folder

Fileshare Protocol:
NFS

IP address:
192.168.43.131

Remote directory:
home/peter/Music

[fuddyduddy]

PeteB

It seems your doubts about MiniDNLA's compatibility with RuneAudio may be well-founded!

I conducted the experiment you suggested, twice. The first time I copied-across, unaltered, the directory <Instrumental> (complete with its sub-directories) into the new share "testshare" . It failed - with the error-message "mount.nfs: access denied by server while mounting 192.168.11.5:/testshare/Instrumental/Bach keyboard".

To be doubly sure I then tried putting the actual music file (NB: in .flac file-format) I was trying to play directly into "testshare" without any sub-directory/ies - just in case it was those that Rune was objecting to. This only resulted in the same error-message, but minus "/Instrumental/Bach keyboard"

Unless it is the file-format which is the problem, therefore, it appears that MiniDNLA may be a no-no for Rune - alas!

Unfortunately none of the other media servers my NAS's firmware provides meet my needs, for various reasons, whereas MiniDNLA seemed the ideal choice. Ah well....

Any alternative ideas would be welcome. Meanwhile many thanks for your interest and help.

[fuddyduddy]

@ hondacx35

Frank

I wonder, have you any comments about the (apparent) incompatibility of MinDLNA media server with RuneAudio? If the incompatibility exists (as appears may be the case), might there be any prospect of compatibility being achieved in a future version of Rune, or if I want to continue using Rune am I forced to give up any idea of using MiniDLNA, indefinitely?

[hondagx35]

Hi fuddyduddy,

i think you totally mixing up things here.

DLNA and a network share are two different things, please read this.

RuneAudio can act as a DLNA renderer, but then you need a DLNA server (your miniDLNA) and a DLNA controller.
Your DLNA controller will recognize your RuneAudio device and use it as the renderer.
To use DLNA you only have to enable UPnP / DLNA on the settings page.

On the sources page (MENU->Sources) you can setup network shares.
RuneAudio treats the files on the network attached share (NAS) like local files and play them.
To use a network share you have to make a folder on your NAS public available on your network and setup this as a source on RuneAudio.

Frank

[PeteB]

I think that Frank and I are going along parallel but different paths here. I have been running my Rune Audio player with all three network options, NFS, Samba, and UPnP/DLNA, to see which one will work for me best. Frank is correct, you need a DLNA controller. I use an Android app called BubbleUPnP for this, but it is easier to set it up as a plain NFS client, at least at first.

If you were trying to connect to MiniDLNA from the Rune from the Rune network sources screen, it will not work, regardless of whether MiniDLNA and Rune have compatibility issues.

If you set up NFS first (my suggestion above) and make sure your player works and plays files from your server, it will make setting up DLNA easier as a second step. If you have NFS or Samba, you only need the Rune Audio user interface to play files on the server.

Rune player does not work like a DLNA-capable smart TV, or a Blueray player. It DOES seem to work well as a DLNA renderer, as far as I can tell so far, and I am happy to have that feature.

DLNA server: A PC or NAS (with MiniDLNA or similar), or in my case, another Raspberry Pi running XBMC/Kodi.

DLNA player: Smart TV, Blueray players, etc... can locate media on the network, "pull" and play media from DLNA servers. This requires only two devices, the server and the player.

DLNA renderer: Rune for example... can play media from a DLNA server "pushed" to it by a DLNA controller. This requires three devices, the server, a player, and something like a PC/laptop/tablet/smartphone with a software app used as a control point. A home network can have multiple players, servers, and renderers.

.
.
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@Frank: If you think I am confusing things here, please say so, and I will shut up now...

[hondagx35]

Hi PeteB,

If you think I am confusing things here

Absolutely no, you are welcome to help me in supporting others.

Frank

[fuddyduddy]

Hi Frank

i think you totally mixing up things here.

You are more than likely right.

I began by taking for granted that it must be my own ignorance which was causing me either to do things wrong or leave things out. However, PeteB's comments and the results of the experiment I carried out to test his hypothesis (reported above) led me to suppose instead that the problem lay in some incompatibility between MiniDLNA and RuneAudio.

I interpret your last post as meaning that you think that conclusion is wrong. If so, it takes me back to where I began: trying to pinpoint just what I have done wrong or failed to do.

RuneAudio can act as a DLNA renderer, but then you need a DLNA server (your miniDLNA) and a DLNA controller.
Your DLNA controller will recognize your RuneAudio device and use it as the renderer.
To use DLNA you only have to enable UPnP / DLNA on the settings page.

This is the bit I can't get my head around. I have had the UPnP/DLNA switch set to 'ON' from the start, and my Windows machine has been seeing RuneAudio, and identifies it in its <Properties> as a "digital media renderer". But I don't know how to discover whether my NAS - which, according to the article you linked-to, is both my "digital media server" and my digital media controller - recognises RuneAudio or not, and RuneAudio is plainly for some reason refusing to be linked-up with it. I know of no way in which to "push" a stream from the NAS, it can only be "pulled" by the renderer so far as I can see (using MPD I presume) - and that requires that the renderer shake hands with it first. This Rune has so far refused to do, instead giving an error-message every time.

To use a network share you have to make a folder on your NAS public available on your network

That is what I did, and gave it the name "minidlna". It contains some audio files.

I've attached a screenshot of <Windows Control Panel, Devices and Printers> showing the five Multimedia devices it recognises. All but RuneAudio are greyed-out (including MiniDNLA) and when the mouse-cursor is hovered over any of those the message "Status: not connected" appears. My NAS is, of course, connected (by wire) to my LAN - we have only the one, with one router to which all computers and devices in the house are connected

I don't really know what to make of this, but perhaps it will mean more to you than to me.

Regards

[fuddyduddy]

Unfortunately my post crossed with PeteB's, which makes some of what I wrote a bit tangential.

Apparently I was wrong to believe that my NAS is capable of performing the role of controller in addition to that of server. I do not currently have, and wasn't proposing to set up, any wireless device to stand between the NAS and Rune.

As matters now stand it seems that I cannot use MiniDLNA on my NAS as server unless I also utilise a separate controller in the shape of a smartphone, tablet or something similar running the necessary dedicated app.

Have I got that right, because if I have it means I'll have to completely re-think whether Rune is for me or not?

It had previously been my intention to use my desktop PC running Windows 10 as my media server (it's where my music library currently resides - not on my NAS - apart from any other considerations). However I hadn't found any means for doing this and that's when I turned to my second option of using MinDLNA on the NAS as server. Now I seem to be back to square one.

[PeteB]

This can work with just the devices you now have, the PC (Windows 7 or later), the NAS, and the Rune player (just not the way you tried at first).

You can keep your music library either on your PC or on the NAS. I would try this first, before you try adding MiniDLNA into the mix. I started with the simplest options, until I got my head around the whole streaming player thing.

After you get a basic setup going, you can always add DLNA.

I don't think your NAS (network-attached-storage) can be anything but a server (not a controller, usually). You can "push" a media stream from your PC (or an Android tablet/phone) but not from the NAS, BUT, you CAN use MiniDLNA on the NAS, IF you also use your Windows 10 PC as the controller (the device used to select and play an audio file.

So, first pick a place where you want to keep your music library, on the PC or on the NAS. Once you do that, either Frank, or I, or any one of a dozen other people can help you get up and running.

In either case, Windows or NAS, you have to make or select a shared directory with your music files, and make sure the share permissions are set so that other devices on the network can access the contents. Usually this is under share properties.