Kodi: Setting up Kodi to Play MCH from a Configuration Backup

[HomerJAU]

Kodi Music Settings – Complete Setup using Kodi Restore or Pre-Configured files (Version 2.0) (updated June 17 2020)

New users to Kodi often find setting up Kodi quite intimidating as they’re not familiar with all the new menus and Settings required to get multichannel audio output, install add-ons like the Artist Slideshow, new skins or to customise Kodi music playback to view audio codec information (sample rates and original source type: DVDA, SACD, etc).

I have setup Kodi ready for users to add their own music Source (external USB hard drives or NAS etc). I’ve setup for HDMI multichannel output, customised menus, installed Aeon Nox Silvo skin, installed the ArtistSlideshow add-on and the QQ Codec Logo mod. I have created a Kodi Backup of all this including Settings.

All a new user need to do is install Kodi (Windows or one of its Linux based systems, LibreElec or CoreElec) and follow the procedure with a zip file provided and their system is all setup and configured (bar user specific settings and adding media Sources).

My PDF How To Guide with How To procedures is here:
https://reva.blob.core.windows.net/kodimods/Kodi Music Setup from a Backup.pdf
EDIT: Updated June 17 2020:
Document updated with a procedure to copy my Kodi Configuration backup to a Windows Kodi install. Additional changes: added how to setup Kodi's Artist Information Folder and same for the Artist SlideShow add-on. Added info on managing the Kodi Music Library and menu navigation tips.

• Original Backup File for CoreElec users
• A second new Backup file uploaded for non CoreElec Kodi Users

Here’s a thread on QQ about folder/file naming conventions and other additional media files used by Kodi:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...i-file-and-folder-organisation-storage.22380/

Here's an example of what your get with this Configuration procedure:

DVD Audio converted to FLAC:

DTS-CD converted to FLAC:

Here it is in action in a short video when I play a Penteo Upmix in Kodi with the Artists Slideshow running:


The Kodi Artist navigation screen with this Configuration:

The Artist Album screen:

 

[Ninecats]

Very handy!

 

[sbrom]

Wow, I need to try this out!

 

[HomerJAU]

I just did an update to the Backup file and How To PDF. Now version 1.1

I can confirm this backup file can work ok on a Windows Kodi install, however its going to be a manual unzip and copy of files. Not a Restore as described.

I will do that write up today. Also, to simplify the Windows instructions I will provide another Backup file for Windows users (basically same files but different folder structure).

 

[HomerJAU]

The How To PDF updated with a procedure for Windows Kodi users to easily use my Kodi configuration. A new Generic Backup file (zip) added for Windows users.

Windows users: Please use the Generic backup file NOT the CoreElec backup (both links in the PDF)

 

[salsdali]

I have Kodi (leia) installed on my Nvidia Shield. Can I use the CoreElec file?

 

[HomerJAU]

I have Kodi (leia) installed on my Nvidia Shield. Can I use the CoreElec file?

The nVidia Shield is Android OS so don't use the CoreElec backup version.

Get the Generic (Windows) backup, unzip and copy the two folders into the Android Kodi folder. I'm not sure where that is though...

I'll look it up and post here.

 

[HomerJAU]

I'm not sure just yet if this can to use on the Android... I'd need to see the folders in this folder:

Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi

It's probably a hidden folder and you'd need to access the device from a PC or MAC through the File Manager or Finder.

Sorry but I don't have a Shield to play with

 

[HomerJAU]

One further update to the PDF. More info added on using and managing Kodi's music library and menu navigation tips.

 

[MrSmithers]

Excellent guide Garry. I may do a fresh install as I don't have the latest Kodi version and it's been playing up reading some of the files recently. The Quad/Atmos view sounds interesting.

I thought of a couple of features that could be cool to add?

1. A way to group albums from a specific producer? So you could have all the albums from say Elliot Scheiner, Steven Wilson or Larry Keyes as a menu view. This would be dependent on the name being tagged in the media file. I've tagged the producer in the 'Keywords' section on my files - still got a few to do from the Surround Engineers list.

2. A shortcut to other albums from the same band whilst looking in album view. Not sure if this would need to be something to recommend for Kodi 19?

3. Moving album info along with the music in front of artist slideshow?! This is a bit fantasy really, just in case of burn in on OLED screens but probably not necessary at all.

Right off to grab a USB stick...

 

[HomerJAU]

What’s your current Kodi device Will?

The Quad and Atmos menu items rely on the path containing those keywords.

E.g An album folder with name: Kick (Atmos) or Wish You We’re Here (Quad) or Help (Quad Penteo UM) etc

EDIT: So a path F:\Stereo\Elton John\Greatest Hits would be shown if I used a Stereo path filter in a Stereo menu node etc. It’s just a very small xml (text) file, one per menu node, in the correct (music) menu folder.

EDIT: This is a little like how my skin mod works out which Source Format/Codec logo to show when playing. It looks for keywords in the folder path, like SACD, BDA, DVDA etc. It can be anywhere in the path. On my system I have 3 root folders: Surround, Penteo UM and Stereo.

Same with my movies: I have movie menu nodes for paths containing UHD and War Movies. Those movies are stored in folders with those keywords in their name.

I‘ll look into what the latest tags are that Kodi consumes. It’s possible in the next version v19 as there’s changes in that area I think.

 

[MrSmithers]

18.2 The current LibreELEC is Kodi 18.5, not sure if it's worth changing just yet as I've already put your Atmos MKA fix on and I think that was addressed in 18.7? A manual update is beyond my brain for a Monday!

One day I'm going to have a look around in the bios for the NUC to see if there's any way of modding the HDMI driver to allow DSD passthrough...

 

[mutant_matt]

I'm not sure just yet if this can to use on the Android... I'd need to see the folders in this folder:

Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi

It's probably a hidden folder and you'd need to access the device from a PC or MAC through the File Manager or Finder.

Sorry but I don't have a Shield to play with

Homer,

I used I used "remote ADB over TCP" to remote into my Shield to copy the config from one Shield to another that I subsequently bought. I installed Kodi on the new Shield, and then copied/replaced all the files from the first one to the second. I used this page for the networked ADB:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2604727/how-can-i-connect-to-android-with-adb-over-tcp

Once connected, run "abd shell" to get a shell on the Shield, then go to folder:

cd /storage/self/primary/Android/data/org.xbmc.kodi/files/.kodi/userdata/

The list of files/folders in there is:

drwxrwx--x 5 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:38 playlists
drwxrwx--x 2 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:38 library
drwxrwx--x 19 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:38 Thumbnails
drwxrwx--x 2 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:38 Savestates
-rw-rw---- 1 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 539 2019-11-15 17:38 RssFeeds.xml
drwxrwx--x 7 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:38 ..
drwxrwx--x 2 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:56 peripheral_data
-rw-rw---- 1 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 6391 2019-11-15 17:56 decoderfilter.xml
-rw-rw---- 1 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 198 2019-11-16 10:38 mediasources.xml
drwxrwx--x 2 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-02-03 17:32 keymaps
-rw-rw---- 1 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 581 2020-03-25 16:58 advancedsettings.xml
drwxrwx--x 10 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-03-25 17:00 .
drwxrwx--x 7 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-03-25 17:17 addon_data
-rw-rw---- 1 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4498 2020-03-25 19:36 sources.xml
-rw-rw---- 1 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 960 2020-06-14 19:45 profiles.xml
drwxrwx--x 3 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-06-14 21:22 Database
-rw-rw---- 1 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 35941 2020-06-14 21:22 guisettings.xml


Take a copy/backup of whichever Kodi files you want. I copied them all off the Shield onto my PC, and then copied them all from there via another ADB over TCP, to the other Shield, then restarted Kodi on the 2nd Shield. Worked a treat. I then went the extra step of setting up Kodi on both Shields to "share" the Kodi database that I had backed up and moved onto a MySQL server.

HTH!

Cheers,

Matt.

 

[HomerJAU]

Hey thanks Matt. Can you show me what’s in the folder above Userdata please?

 

[mutant_matt]

Yep Obviously, this is the .kodi folder:

drwxrwx--x 2 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:38 media
drwxrwx--x 22 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-24 15:22 addons
drwxrwx--x 10 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-03-25 17:00 userdata
drwxrwx--x 6 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-06-14 19:45 temp

 

[HomerJAU]

Matt. If you are up to test?

You could copy the Generic backup folder into the .kodi folder (after your make a backup copy so you can go back to your old settings). See if my backup config works (it should).

See the PDF link in OP to get the backup file link. Not the CoreElec backup file.

But don’t do that just yet let me check the Backup zip first. But it looks ok from memory... Its getting late for me now. I’ll do this tomorrow.

 

[HomerJAU]

The current LibreELEC is Kodi 18.5,

Current LibreElec has Kodi 18.7. You can update to latest LibreElec 9.2.3 without losing any settings or media etc. It only updates Kodi, Linux, add-ons and occasionally device firmware. User Libraries (databases), configuration, settings are unchanged.

Edit: You can update LibreEled from the Kodi menu, Settings, LibreElec option. There’s an Update section. Set it to Auto and then do a check for updates, it will download and install then reboot your device to the new version.

 

[HomerJAU]

Another update to the How To Guide PDF in opening post.

 

[HomerJAU]

Important: I'm changing the sequence of setup steps in the PDF doc and altering the non-CoreElec steps (e.g Windows, LibreElec and Android users). Please don't apply this just yet.

The two issues:

1. If an add-on has not yet been installed in Kodi it needs to be 'updated' in Kodi prior to applying the backup files (this won't affect CoreElec users) since its a full backup/restore

2. Setting a 'Music Source' folder needs to be done AFTER the Artist Information folder is set, since the library scan needs to put info in those folders. Current doc has that order reversed.

I'll document this in next version of the PDF later today.

 

[HomerJAU]

Yep Obviously, this is the .kodi folder:

drwxrwx--x 2 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-15 17:38 media
drwxrwx--x 22 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2019-11-24 15:22 addons
drwxrwx--x 10 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-03-25 17:00 userdata
drwxrwx--x 6 u0_a78 sdcard_rw 4096 2020-06-14 19:45 temp

Ok. So the Generic Backup will work on an Android device (in theory). I've updated the Generic zip today. I need to re-document the steps (see post above) then we can test?