Adding an admin interface

Hi,

Here's a suggestion according to the way I use Mezzmo.

I have on PC which acts as a server, which means that It does not have any monitor or keybord on it. I use VNC to remotely connect on it to perform installs an admin tasks.

This server has some Tb of hard drives, and stores media files (music, pictures). I've installed on it Mezzmo in order to browse pictures using WD TV Live and listen Music through Philips NP3500.

And all of this work perfectly, thanks to Mezzmo ;-)

My request would be, instead of using VNC to remotely connect to my server to access Mezzmo admin GUI, having a "client" interface installed on my laptop that let me arrange playlist, edit metedata of new media files copied onto the server local hard drives.

That way, sharing server drive and using a Mezzmo "remote client admin interface", I could get rid of using VNC to manage my Mezzmo database, which is not a very convenient way.

Hope this would help improve Mezzmo ;-)

Thank you for the suggestion - we'll consider adding this in.

You can actually have Mezzmo GUI running as a "client" on one PC, while accessing the database (in a shared folder) on another. It requires a bit of manual tweaking, but it's possible.

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Originally Posted by Dennis

It requires a bit of manual tweaking, but it's possible.

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Sounds useful. Would you please outlines the steps involved, Dennis?

I suggest this is only for advanced users, and to make a backup before making changes so you do not lose your Mezzmo library.

Here's a quick guide:

Stop your Mezzmo media server and exit Mezzmo.

You will need to find a file called "MezzmoMediaServer.ini" on your computer. Typically, it is located:

Win 7: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Conceiva\Mezzmo

Win Vista: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Conceiva\Mezzmo

Win XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Conceiva\Mezzmo

Edit this file in a text editor like Notepad. You will find an entry like:

Filename=C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Conceiva\Mezz mo\Mezzmo.db

This entry defines the location of the Mezzmo database and you can change it to another location.

Hi,

Thanks for this quick guide.

But it remains a problem, I do have to buy a new Mezzmo licence for the PC I used to remotly connect on my screenless server.

Well, that's a problem for me, not for Mezzmo team ;-)

Keep up the good job guys, Mezzmo is really the best DLNA server I've found on the market.

Best regards,

I use Mezzmo in a similar way to xnicolovici and need a simple (web based) client interface which would allow users (wife & kids) to create playlists. Is there any other way to do this?

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Originally Posted by daveb1910

I use Mezzmo in a similar way to xnicolovici and need a simple (web based) client interface which would allow users (wife & kids) to create playlists. Is there any other way to do this?

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If you have Mezzmo installed on a computer running WHS, then currently the only way is to use Remote Desktop to run Mezzmo to add files to your Mezzmo library, create playlists, etc. We may create a WHS add-on for Mezzmo in a future version.

Add me to the list of people who would like a remote administration interface. Administering a media server on a headless, dedicated media server is a real PITA without it. Lack of remote administration for media servers has been a pet peeve for some time. A few provide simple controls like the ability to create playlists or the ability to control a remote player but that's about it. To be honest, I didn't consider this when purchasing Mezzmo but I am still surprised that it's missing. I also realize that adding it would not be a trivial undertaking. A remote interface that enables library updating and the creation of playlists would really set Mezzmo apart.

p.s. Thanks for the tip about adding the remote database to the .ini file.

Edit: Note that I am not so much interested in editing file properties as updating the server database itself. I use another application for editing the actual music files from the main system.

Thanks for your suggestions, exDilbert.

With regards updating your server database (your Mezzmo library), if you add folders into your Mezzmo library, then Mezzmo server will dynamically read the contents of these folders whenever you access them on your DLNA devices so your Mezzmo library should be kept up-to-date without doing anything with the Mezzmo application. So if you add or delete files to your folder(s) on your computer or NAS, then those changes will be detected when you try to access these folders on your DLNA device via Mezzmo server. The reason to run the Mezzmo application from time-to-time would be to create new playlists, add new folders, pre-transcode files or manage your devices. If you need assistance with this, let us know and we'll help out.