PS3 Media Server Configuration via Command Line

[endlessracingz]

Before people post giving me a list of all my options for an DLNA, upnp, and media servers I've gone through ushare, then wanted transcoding for my mkv files so i went to fuppes. Fuppes failed me and I could not find help for my specific problem not even on these forums. So now I'm on to PS3 Media Server. I have thought about using mediatomb but after installing PS3 Media Server on my Ubuntu 9.1 Server everything worked instantly. My mkv files played instantly an well.

However, there is a lack of documentation and what there is out there as far as documentation is concerned all involves having a GUI... well I am usuing ubuntu server and therefore have no gui. I haven't been able to find a way to configure it through the command line as of yet.

So any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

[pcit]

I'd like to bump this post as I have exactly the same question.

Hopefully there is a way around it after 8 months

[PlaidRadish]

Bump!

I am running Ubuntu Server, as well...strange that more people have not requested help on this?

-jeff

[xelasha]

For a few basic configurations

~/.config/PMS/PMS.conf

For rendering configurations, they are located in the PS3 Media Server directory under the folder "renderers".

Unfortunately the PMS.conf is fairly limited with only five lines of options.

thumbnails = true
mecoder-*** = true
folders = [preferable directory here]
uuid = [generated]
image_thumbnails = true

Hope this helps!

[BDStudio]

I have configured Server 10.04 with PS3 media server 1.40.0 via command line and It is working. I used the guide form irrationale as groundwork to get it working but it took alot of research since I did not want to use gui. Here is the link for the guide I used: http://irrationale.com/2010/06/30/ps...-ubuntu-10-04/
As far as the PMS.conf only having 5 configurable parameters that is what I have found with alot of guides I found but in all honestly it has more. I found this out by installing PS3 media server on Desktop 10.04 and configuring all the parameters I wanted. Then I opened the PMS.conf file to find the code I needed to use for my server. Alot of what I did was trial and error but I have a basic PS3 media server up and running without running a gui of any sort. If you want me to post a guide on how I did it let me know. I don't have a digital copy of the guide yet but I have it down on paper.

[BDStudio]

Installing PS3 Media Server on Ubuntu Server 10.04 LTS via command line

I have seen a lot of people looking for a command line guide to install PS3 Media Server on Ubuntu. I was also looking for a guide myself and found a few that I used for the groundwork. All of the guides I found used a GUI for some portion of the configuration but I wanted strictly command line since I do not have any GUI on my server. After alot of searching and trial and error I finally got it up and running. The main sources I used were Socrateos, Irrationale, and Ubuntu Community Documentation. Here is how I configured my server. I have tested this on both 32 bit and 64 bit systems.
Step 1: Install the pre-requisites.

Code:
sudo apt-get install mencoder ffmpeg mplayer vlc openjdk-6-jre

I had to install MediaInfo since my server gave a libmediainfo not found error when I started PS3 Media Server.
Install MediaInfo

Add Python-Software Properties

Code:
sudo apt-get install python-software-properties
Add the repository and install MediaInfo

Code:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:shiki/mediainfo
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install mediainfo

Step 2: Download and unpack PS3 Media Server


Download PS3 Media Server into your home directory.

Code:
sudo wget http://ps3mediaserver.googlecode.com...nix-1.40.0.tgz

Unpack PS3 Media Server

Code:
sudo tar xzf pms-generic-linux-unix-1.40.0.tgz
Step 3: Move PS3 Media Server to the opt folder and give it rights to run.


Move PS3 Media Server

Code:
sudo mv ~/pms-linux-1.40.0 /opt/pms
Give PS3 Media Server rights to run.

Code:
cd /opt/pms
sudo chmod +x PMS.sh
sudo chmod +x linux/tsMuxeR
Step 4: Modify the config file.

On both systems I tested this on there was no config file until I started PS3 Media Server. The only thing it generated was the uuid. If you want to start it and then modify the config file use this code:
sudo ./PMS.sh
Once it comes up it will look like it has locked up and your unable to type anything. Just hit Ctrl +x to shut it back down and then modify the config file.
Open the config file.

Code:
sudo nano PMS.conf

This is how I set up my config file. I am not exactly sure what all the code does but I will try to explain what I can.
In the config file:
thumbnails = true enables thumbnails
image_thumbnails = true enables image thumbnails
uuid = [generated] uuid computer generates
network_interface = eth0 ties PMS to an interface
hidevideosettings = true hides video settings
hide_transcode_folder = true hides #transcode# folder
hide_extensions = true hides file extensions
hide_enginenames = true not really sure???
folders = /path/to/directory, /path/to/directory2 paths to your media to stream
Save and close the config file.
Step 5: Test PS3 Media Server


Start PS3 Media Server and check for errors

Code:
sudo ./PMS.sh
Stop PS3 Media Server

Ctrl + X
Step 6: Make PS3 Media Server start at boot

Create a script

Code:
cd /etc/init.d
sudo nano startpms

Add the following to the script:
#!/bin/bash
cd /opt/pms
nohup ./PMS.sh &
exit
Save and exit the file and make it executable.

Code:
sudo chmod +x startpms
Insert the file into startup config

Code:
sudo update-rc.d startpms defaults

All I did after this point was restart my server and make sure the script worked. My videos showed up and played on my PS3, Xbox 360 and to my surprise my LG Blu-Ray player. I hope this guide helps. I am not guaranteeing this will work on every build but it worked when I tried it on Ubuntu Server 10.04 LTS 32 bit and 64 bit. I did not use a gui and the only things I had running was a Samba server and ssh on a headless server. I am still working on polishing my configuration files for PS3 Media Server since my LG player does not play all my movies and my Xbox 360 sometimes has issues seeing new videos I place in the directory and does not recognize new folders unless I restart the server. If anyone has anything to add or knows how to restart the HTTP part of PS3 Media Server I would be interested in reading your comments.

[just_cruising]

awesome guide, i just tried it and worked without any issues what so ever.

[foug]

i get a "missing libzen" error, any ideas?

[melophat]

i get a "missing libzen" error, any ideas?

go to this page:
http://www.ubuntuupdates.org/package...se/base/libzen

and you will see that libzen is a group and you can manually install the group member packages.. This worked for me when i got the libzen error. The