Centralized Database - Skin Cache Clears on Exit (1 Viewer)

[pirivan]

I am not sure if this is specifically a skin issue but it seems likely based on the symptoms. So, here is my issue. I followed the guide to create a centralized database:

UserGuides/CentralisedDatabases - MediaPortal Manual Documentation

It seems to work perfectly, however, when you launch MediaPortal it hangs for a LONG time "Initializing Texture Manager". If you look at:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Cache\Black & White 1080

You can see that the folder is empty and it is VERY slowly re-caching the skin files (the skin files had already been cached prior to creating the centralized database). So, I waited for this to finish (took over an hour) and then it loaded MP no problem. However, as soon as I excited MP, it cleared the cache and thus when it was opened it tried to re-cache the entire skin again.

I'm using MP 1.0.1 and the latest versions of Black and White 1080, Moving Pictures and TV Series (not SVN versions of anything, simply the latest released).

The shared database configuration is exactly as noted above, a folder for config, database and thumbs with files copied from my local installation to these network locations:

\\server-whs\MediaPortal\Config
\\server-whs\MediaPortal\Database
\\server-whs\MediaPortal\Thumbs

I attached my configuration.log that I believe was from when I had been trying to use the centralized database. If it's necessary for troubleshooting I will start up mediaportal again with the Centralized Database edited MediaPortalDirs.xml and collect logs (I set it back to the local databases as I couldn't get it to work right).

 

[aj1405]

Same problem with Blue3?

Could you try to map up your network shares as letters. I believe I’ve read somewhere that MediaPortal doesn’t like network shares.

Could you also check the content of the cache folder. Maybe MediaPortal caches your thumbs folder since it’s located on the network?

You might get better responses if you post you problem in the MediaPortal threads, since this sounds like a MediaPortal issue and not a skin issue.

 

[pirivan]

Same problem with Blue3?

Could you try to map up your network shares as letters. I believe I’ve read somewhere that MediaPortal doesn’t like network shares.

Could you also check the content of the cache folder. Maybe MediaPortal caches your thumbs folder since it’s located on the network?

You might get better responses if you post you problem in the MediaPortal threads, since this sounds like a MediaPortal issue and not a skin issue.

Hi Aj1405,

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

At this point the only two things I can think to try are to either:

A) See if this same issue happens with the BlueTwo skin selected as you suggested (I expect that it does) or
B) Simply not put the Database and Thumbs directory on my server and instead share them out from the HTPC (either by sharing out C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Database and C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\Thumbs OR by creating folders on the HTPC drive else where to share out that contain these files)

I am not really sure if either of the above will resolve the issue or not. Either way, I posted a thread in perhaps a more appropriate area in the MediaPortal threads; that may get better responses. Thanks again!

 

[pirivan]

To update the thread, I was able to confirm the exact same behavior with the BlueTwo skin. When MediaPortalDirs.xml is edited to point to a network share, it re-caches the skin when MP loads (taking an extreme amount of time) and when MP exits it clears the skin cache.

I also tried placing the shared files (Database and Thumbs) on another drive on another PC and then mapping that to a drive letter on the HTPC, in this case Z:\. So then in the MediaPortalDirs.xml file I entered Z:\MediaPortal\Database and Z:\MediaPortal\Thumbs. Same exact symptoms; re-caches the skin when MP loads and then clearing the skin texture cache when it exits. I am running out of ideas as to why it might be behaving this way. I mean when it comes down to it, all I am really doing is telling media portal that the databases and thumbs folders are in a different location than the default (ie the local machine). I am not sure why this would cause the skin to re-cache NOR why it would cause the skin to clear that texture cache on exit.

So, I believe I may have pinned down what the actual issue is. In MediaPortal Configuration under 'General' if I uncheck 'Start MediaPortal in Fullscreen Mode' it loads without any issues and does not clear the skin cache. If I check this box (when the mediaportal directories are pointed to a shared location), it loads slowly and clears the skin cache on exit. I am not sure why it is doing this but this appears to be how it works; bizarre.

EDIT - The above paragraph no longer seems true, it appears to be working even starting in fullscreen mode for some reason. Trying to confirm what was changed (I didn't make any other changes...)