NextTool in Kodi (LibreELEC)

[ceejayemm]

Martin

I have set up NextPVR using the plugin within Kodi21/LibreElec 12 (Beta2) which seems to be working well.  I now want to import some of my recordings into this system and turned to the NextTool utilty.  On the Wiki (yes I do read it) for Linux installations it says to extract the contents of NextTool.zip to /opt/nextpvr/system however this does not exist in this scenario.  Where should the zip file be extracted to please ?

Thanks

Chris

[mvallevand]

Right the wiki instructions are for the deb installer not all Linux. For LE/CE, I don't have one setup right now but the program folder should be /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/

From there you need to unzip and set the symbolic link as shown on the wiki. You also need to edit the two json files and change /opt/nextpvr/system/ to /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/

Then you would need to run it from there with an environment variable.

Code:

NEXTPVR_DATADIR_USERDATA=/storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/service.nextpvr/config/ dotnet NextTool.dll

Let me know how it goes, I will be getting changes ready to the addon soon so would be in a better position to look into it.

Martin

[ceejayemm]

Hi Martin

Thanks for the quick reply. Your comments were, as always, very helpful. One slight item to note is that you asked me edit the two .json files and change /opt/nextpvr/system/ to /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/  This was OK in NextTool.runtimeconfig.json but in NextTool.deps.json the change needed to be:

/storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin   <-- without the trailing '/'

Having made all the changes I then tried to use the --import option to import a video file using (logged in as root):

CMTV1:~/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin # NEXTPVR_DATADIR_USERDATA=/storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/service.nextpvr/config/ dotnet NextTool.dll --import /storage/recordings/Grace/Dead_Tomorrow/Grace_20220522_2002.ts

but this failed with:

NEXTPVR_INSTALLDIR /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/
NEXTPVR_DATADIR /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/data/
NEXTPVR_DATADIR_USERDATA /storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/service.nextpvr/config/
Folder not found /storage/recordings/Grace/Dead_Tomorrow/Grace_20220522_2002.ts

The file does seem to be in the location noted as not found:
CMTV1:~/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin # ls -lrt /storage/recordings/Grace/Dead_Tomorrow/Grace_20
220522_2002.ts
-rw-r--r--    1 root    root    2069336064 Apr 28 09:42 /storage/recordings/Grace/Dead_Tomorrow/Grace_20220522_2002.ts

I have also tried surrounding the import folder location in single  and double quotes (separately) with the same error.

What am I missing please ?

Thanks

Chris

[mvallevand]

Ok thanks for letting me know, the whole netcore packaging think I never really figured it out, I am just glad I can use the NextPVR files.

I guess you didn't missed reading the wiki fully since you have a syntax error --import is for folders and you passed a filename. Either just pass ../Grace or use the --file option for one file.

Martin

[ceejayemm]

OK, I need to check my spec's checked but I take your point.  

I have renamed the video file as Grace_220522.ts and created a Grace_220522.xml file both in /storage/recordings/import,I have attached the xml  file for you to see.

When I run the NextTool import process I get:

CMTV1:~/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin # NEXTPVR_DATADIR_USERDATA=/storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/service.nextpvr/config/ d
otnet NextTool.dll --import /storage/recordings/import
NEXTPVR_INSTALLDIR /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/
NEXTPVR_DATADIR /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/data/
NEXTPVR_DATADIR_USERDATA /storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/service.nextpvr/config/
Folder: import
System.InvalidOperationException: There is an error in XML document (2, 2).
---> System.InvalidOperationException: <recordings xmlns=''> was not expected.
  at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderRecording.Read6_recording()
  --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
  at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader, String encodingStyle, XmlDeserializationEvents events)
  at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(TextReader textReader)
  at NextTool.MetaXML..ctor(String filename, Nullable`1 filesize)

I thought I had used this style of XML file before but I may have a mistake or two.

If I use that NextTool --file option with just the .ts file the process seems to work but no video is file is actually uploaded to NextPVR.  There are no obvious errors in either the NextTool or NPVR log files.

Not sure what I am doing wrong now.

Chris

[ceejayemm]

Posted the wrong log files zip file.  This is the correct one I meant to post.

Chris

[mvallevand]

Your XML file is not valid so it is being skipped.

It is also being skipped as an attachment send they need to be zipped.

Martin

[ceejayemm]

Martin 

Sorry for the delay getting back to you, I have been away from home for a few days.

I have corrected the XML file and the corrected version is attached.  Using this version I am doing a little better but still have an error:

CMTV1:~/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin # NEXTPVR_DATADIR_USERDATA=/storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/servic
e.nextpvr/config/ dotnet NextTool.dll --import /storage/recordings/Grace/'Season 2'/'Dead Tomorrow'/
NEXTPVR_INSTALLDIR /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/
NEXTPVR_DATADIR /storage/.kodi/addons/service.nextpvr/nextpvr-bin/data/
NEXTPVR_DATADIR_USERDATA /storage/.kodi/userdata/addon_data/service.nextpvr/config/
Folder: Dead Tomorrow
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
  at NUtility.EPGEvent.ToString()
  at NextTool.MetaXML..ctor(String filename, Nullable`1 filesize)

This seems to relate to the 'size' tag. I have tried without the tag at all, with it set to zero (as it is at present) and a value 'borrowed' from another 2 hour long recording.  All of which produce varying errors. I don't know what the 'size' tag should be set to for these imports, is there a way to calculate it ? Or better still not enter it and let NextPVR work out what it should be based on its internal processes for this tag ?

Thanks

Chris

[mvallevand]

Ok since that his not either of XML formats that are created by NextPVR (recording-backup or the automatic per file xml format) I am not surprised it doesn't work You have seem to have created a hybrid markup. That error is because of a bad implementation of recording-backup format, I will make a change to not exit but I won't try and read your format.

Here is the template for a single file as created by NextPVR, the recording-backup template will be in /var/opt/nextpvr.

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<recording>
  <filename>/media/recordings/Star Trek Discovery/Season 04/Star Trek Discovery.S04E01.Kobayashi Maru  <channel>Space: The Imagination Station HD</channel>
  <status>READY</status>
  <startTime>2021-11-18 20:59:00</startTime>
  <endTime>2021-11-18 22:17:00</endTime>
  <size>4156477900</size>
  <channel_OID>9741</channel_OID>
  <title>Star Trek: Discovery</title>
  <subtitle>Kobayashi Maru</subtitle>
  <description>Captain Burnham and the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery face a threat unlike any they&apos;ve ever encountered; feeling the impact, they must confront the unknown and work together to ensure a hopeful future for all.</description>
  <firstrun>true</firstrun>
  <original_air_date>2021-11-18T05:00:00.0000000</original_air_date>
  <season>4</season>
  <episode>1</episode>
  <audio>stereo</audio>
  <quality>HDTV</quality>
  <genres>
    <genre>Science fiction</genre>
    <genre>Drama</genre>
  </genres>
</recording>

In your xml I don't like seeing the quotes in the filename, not sure how NextPVR will handle that. Certainly size zero looks like a bad idea if it is not found NextTool will calculate it. NextPVR doesn't recalculate it the last I looked.

Martin

[ceejayemm]

Martin

Thanks for your help, I have now got a correctly formatted XML file and have been able to successfully (?) upload a video file to NextPVR.  Well almost ....  I do have the file imported to NextPVR using NextTool and an XML file and I can see it and its information in NextPVR. The files I am trying to upload to NextPVR are sourced from my Humax FVP-5000T set top box and, it tuns out, Humax encrypt their files so I cannot see any video content through NextPVR.  

I can connect to the Humax builtin DMS server via VLC and can view the contents of the recording files but although various Google searches suggest that I should be able to stream / convert this input to a file (which I might then be able to import to NextPVR) I have not yet succeeded in doing this.

If anybody have successfully exported Humax files to NextPVR I would be interested to hear from you - but I am not holding my breath :-)

So I can say the original request is solved  - but one success leads to another issue.

Chris