v6: Retire Server, Move Client License To New Server?

[PeteCress]

I've Googled, but am still boggled.

The WSH box that I was using as my SageTV server has been retired.

SageTV 6 is now running on an XP box.

Got Client on my little netbook, and want the netbook's Client tb able to hook up with SageTV on the new XP box.

Tried feeding the Client registration key to the "Unregister" spot on the server's SageTV tab, but it looks like it only accepts Placeshifter licenses.

I see references to a "Frey Software" folder and an Unregister.exe - but they're all from back in 2003.

Can anybody tell me where to start?

[GKusnick]

The Client license installs on the client, not on the server. If this is an existing licensed installation of SageTV Client, just tell it to connect to your new server and you're done. If it's a new installation of Client, it should prompt you for the license key on startup.

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

The Client license installs on the client, not on the server. If this is an existing licensed installation of SageTV Client, just tell it to connect to your new server and you're done.

Actually, it seems to have done that on it's own - which is good bc I couldn't figure out how to tell it....

But now I need to define the RecordedTV and Media Import directories.

It is letting me navigate to the network shares, and then I click "Select Current" - after seeing "Current: smb://NAS/B/DVDs_NetFlix/" - which is the desired directory.

When I click "Select Current" it even pops the "Set Video Recording Directory Space Rule" dialog... whence I click "Accept This Rule".

But then, after the dialog closes, the Video Directories list is empty..

[GKusnick]

Are you sure you're not getting your directories confused? "DVDs_NetFlix" sounds like it's meant to be an import directory. But if it's asking you for a disk space rule, you've added it as a recording directory, and therefore won't see it in the list of import directories.

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Are you sure you're not getting your directories confused? "DVDs_NetFlix" sounds like it's meant to be an import directory. But if it's asking you for a disk space rule, you've added it as a recording directory, and therefore won't see it in the list of import directories.

Poor choice of file name on my part.... also I was thoughtlessly stepping through the Setup choices, not thinking that "Recording" was moot for Client.

But an analogous situation happens with the media import directory setting - except that it pops the "Select the media types to import from: smb://NAS/B/DVDs_NetFlix/... Select Done when finished...."

But when I click "Done - Add the path", it's same-old-same-old: ") Library Import Directories".

Tried an end run by copying/pasting the "seeker/archive_directory..." parm from the XP box into the client props file, but it did not help - or even seem tb reflected in the media import setup.

I suspect I'm doing something bone-headed at some more fundamental level.

Will report back when I finally figure it out.

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by PeteCress

I suspect I'm doing something bone-headed at some more fundamental level.

Yes, you are. Recording and import directories are something you set up once on the server. You don't need to set them up again on each client, which gets all its media listings from the server, where the central media database lives. You can use any client UI (SageTV Client, Placeshifter, or extender) to set up import and recording directories, but by doing so you're setting them on the server, where they affect all clients. SageTV Client has no separate import settings of its own.

If you have directories on the client that you want to use as import directories, share them out and add them as UNC paths. They will then appear in the server-side media database shared by all clients. (But the client where they live had better remain online so other clients can access those directories.)

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by PeteCress

...suspect I'm doing something bone-headed at some more fundamental level.

Ah-Ha!.... Beforehand, I was navigating to the desired directory, choosing it, and proceeding.

Just tried "Specify" and typing in the path by hand. That caused Client to throw a "The directory \\NAS\B\DVDs_NetFlix does not exist. Would you like to create it?"

Tried changing backslashes to forwardslashes, but no improvement.

Tried clicking "Yes" for "... Would you like to create..." just to see what happens, and Client appears to hang or, at least, not do anything. Probably not really hung bc I can click "No" and get out of the dialog.

Tried typing just "XXX" and then "C:\XXX" and clicking "Yes" but same deal: it just sat there until I clicked "No" instead of "Yes".

"XXX" and "C:\XXX" notwithstanding, I wonder if there is some issue with resolving UNCs to the NAS box? I can get to the directories I am trying to specify via Windows Explorer on that PC, no problem. Even able to create a little .txt document and then delete it.... so permissions are there, at least at the XP/Explorer level.

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by GKusnick

Yes, you are. Recording and import directories are something you set up once on the server. You don't need to set them up again on each client, which gets all its media listings from the server, where the central media database lives. You can use any client UI (SageTV Client, Placeshifter, or extender) to set up import and recording directories, but by doing so you're setting them on the server, where they affect all clients. SageTV Client has no separate import settings of its own.

If you have directories on the client that you want to use as import directories, share them out and add them as UNC paths. They will then appear in the server-side media database shared by all clients. (But the client where they live had better remain online so other clients can access those directories.)

Except for not understanding what "Share them out" means, I think I have all that in place. The desired directories are already specified via PlaceShifter and are being used by the HD200s, SageTV on the XP box, and by PlaceShifter on the same netbook I am trying to get Client working on.

Setup | Media Center Import Directories and Setup | Video Recording Directories reflect those choices on all three machines/devices... but not in Client.

And there is only one box on my LAN running SageTV... so I'm at least *guessing* that Client is hooked into that box's SageTV bc it shows it's regular menu system (Sage TV Recordings, Watch Live TV, and so-forth).

Seems like we're back to the agreed-upon "boneheaded at some more basic level"... but maybe with a different twist.

Could Client be showing me that Main Menu yet not be connected to my server? That *would* explain it all....

If that's true, I'm back to "how to tell it what to connect to..."

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by PeteCress

Could Client be showing me that Main Menu yet not be connected to my server? That *would* explain it all....

If that's true, I'm back to "how to tell it what to connect to..."

In support of the above, I note that in Detailed Setup | Server, the right side of the screen is totally blank... i.e. there is no server?

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by PeteCress

In support of the above, I note that in Detailed Setup | Server, the right side of the screen is totally blank... i.e. there is no server?

BINGO: Detailed Setup | General | Automatically Connect to Server.... specifies the old server's IP.

Heaven forbid, they should put that parm under Detailed Setup | Server.... -)

But I guess the IP is hiding somewhere else too... bc that button just toggles between "No" and the IP.... but where to change the IP?

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by PeteCress

but where to change the IP?

Got it: basically nowhere.

Instead, click the button so it says "No", close Client, restart it, and it prompts for the IP.

Whew!....

[Fuzzy]

Yeah, the 'Server' section of the Detailed Setup isn't where you set up the how the client connects to the server, it's where the server settings are (you can configure the server settings from any client).

That said, the IP address is stored in the sageclient.properties file, just no way to specify it from the UI. You connect, then go to that setting, click it, and it will store the currently connected server as the auto-connect one.

It is all in the manual... Chapter 2. Installation and Setup : Starting the SageTV Client : Configure SageTV Client to Connect to the Server (page 18).

[PeteCress]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

It is all in the manual... Chapter 2. Installation and Setup : Starting the SageTV Client : Configure SageTV Client to Connect to the Server (page 18).

When it finally dawned on me that there was no client manual per-se and the client stuff was in the SageTV manual I tried opening my PDF and got some Adobe error.... and promptly forgot about it.

Stumbled on to another copy, and now I can "RTFM!".... -)

Thanks for humoring me.

[behaviodoc]

I'm in a similar situation. I just moved from a Windows 7 Sage server to a Linux Sage server. Now my PC client won't connect. It gives me a message about not being able to use the client with two servers and directs me to buy another license (seriously?), though it doesn't actually provide a way to enter another license if I did buy one. Any ideas?

[GKusnick]

Originally Posted by behaviodoc

It gives me a message about not being able to use the client with two servers and directs me to buy another license...

That's not a message I've ever seen; could you post the exact message text so we can be sure we're interpreting it correctly?

If you're talking about SageTV Client, the license is per installation, and there's no restriction (that I'm aware of) that prevents you from using it with different servers. In fact it prompts you to choose a server on startup if you don't have it set to autoconnect.

If you're talking about Placeshifter, that license lives on the server, and yes, it would be a violation of your EULA to install the same Placeshifter license on more than one active server. Moving your installation to a new server and retiring the old server should be OK though.

Placeshifter licenses are installed via the license installation applet in your SageTV Start menu folder. Make sure you stop Sage before registering a new Placeshifter license.

[behaviodoc]

Well, having gotten over this particular bout of stupidity, I've solved my problem. FWIW, the full error message was: Unable to connect to the SageTV Server. You may NOT re-use the same SageTVClient license one more than one machine! Please visit the http://sage.tv/buy.html to purchase an additional license key for this client. I initially mistook this message as being related to having switched servers, but that was just a coincidence. I had just recently entered license key on that PC and inadvertently entered the same key I use on my laptop. I just followed the instructions in the manual for entering a new key and all is well.