2 Configure Import 

The import settings define various options on how to aggregate the content.

Overall structure of import section (collapsible)

<import>
  <filesystem-charset/>
  <metadata-charset/>
  <scripting>
    <script-folder>
      <common/>
      <custom/>
    </script-folder>
    <import-function/>
    <virtual-layout>
      <import-script/>
      <script-options>
        <script-option/>
      </script-options>
      <genre-map>
        </genre>
      </genre-map>
      <strctured-layout/>
      <boxlayout>
        <box/>
        <chain>
          <link/>
        </chain>
      </boxlayout>
    </virtual-layout>
  </scripting>
  <magic-file/>
  <autoscan>
    <directory/>
  </autoscan>
  <system-directories>
    <add-path/>
  </system-directories>
  <visible-directories>
    <add-path/>
  </visible-directories>
  <layout>
    <path/>
  </layout>
  <resources>
    <order/>
    <fanart/>
    <subtitle/>
    <metafile/>
    <resource/>
    <container/>
  </resources>
  <mappings>
    <ignore-extensions/>
    <extension-mimetype/>
    <mimetype-contenttype/>
    <mimetype-upnpclass/>
    <mimetype-dlnatransfermode/>
    <contenttype-dlnaprofile/>
  </mappings>
  <virtual-directories>
    <key/>
  </virtual-directories>
  <library-options>
    <libexif>
      <auxdata>
        <add-data/>
      </auxdata>
      <libcontent>
        <add-libcontent/>
      </libcontent>
      <metadata>
        <add-data/>
      </metadata>
    </libexif>
    <id3>
      <auxdata>
        <add-data/>
      </auxdata>
      <libcontent>
        <add-libcontent/>
      </libcontent>
      <metadata>
        <add-data/>
      </metadata>
    </id3>
    <ffmpeg>
      <auxdata>
        <add-data/>
      </auxdata>
      <libcontent>
        <add-libcontent/>
      </libcontent>
      <metadata>
        <add-data/>
      </metadata>
    </ffmpeg>
    <exiv2>
      <auxdata>
        <add-data/>
      </auxdata>
      <libcontent>
        <add-libcontent/>
      </libcontent>
      <metadata>
        <add-data/>
      </metadata>
    </exiv2>
    <mkv>
      <auxdata>
        <add-data/>
      </auxdata>
      <libcontent>
        <add-libcontent/>
      </libcontent>
      <metadata>
        <add-data/>
      </metadata>
    </mkv>
    <wavpack/>
      <auxdata>
        <add-data/>
      </auxdata>
      <libcontent>
        <add-libcontent/>
      </libcontent>
      <metadata>
        <add-data/>
      </metadata>
    </wavpack>
  </library-options>
  <online-content>
    ... see respective page
  </online-content>
</import>

2.1 Import 

Note

Whenever config entries in this section are changed, it is recommended to clear the database and restart a full import again. Otherwise the virtual layout can be broken or in some mixed state.

import

Type: Section

Required: True

<import hidden-files="no" follow-symlinks="no">

This tag defines the import section.

2.1.1 Import Attributes 

import hidden-files

Type: Boolean
Required: False
Default: no

hidden-files="yes"

This attribute defines if files starting with a dot will be imported into the database (yes). Autoscan can override this attribute on a per directory basis. Hidden directories can also be marked with the nomedia-file.

import follow-symlinks

Type: Boolean
Required: False
Default: yes

follow-symlinks="no"

This attribute defines if symbolic links should be treated as regular items and imported into the database (yes). This can cause duplicate entries if the link target is also scanned.

default-date

Type: Boolean
Required: False
Default: yes

default-date="no"

This attribute defines that each imported item will get a default media date set based on the modification time in order to ensure that sorting by “dc:date” works on upnp requests.

nomedia-file

Type: String
Required: False
Default: .nomedia

nomedia-file=".skip"

This attribute defines that a directory containing a file with this name is not imported into gerbera database. Only supported in “grb” import mode.

readable-names

Type: Boolean
Required: False
Default: yes

readable-names="no"

This attribute defines that filenames are made readable on import, i.e. underscores are replaced by space and extensions are removed. This changes the title of the entry if no metadata is available

case-sensitive-tags

Type: Boolean
Required: False
Default: yes

case-sensitive-tags="no"

This attribute defines that virtual paths are case sensitive, e.g. artist names like Ace Of Grace and Ace of Grace are treated as different (yes) or identical (no). This changes the location property of created virtual entries.

import-mode

Type: Enum grb|mt
Required: False
Default: mt

import-mode="grb"

This attribute sets the import process:

mt: traditional mode, that handles each file completely
grb: modern mode, that first imports all files and then processes the layout of the files

2.1.2 Import Items 

2.1.2.1 Filesystem Charset 

filesystem-charset

Type: String
Required: False
Default: if nl_langinfo() function is present, this setting will be auto detected based on your system locale, else set to UTF-8.

<filesystem-charset>UTF-8</filesystem-charset>

Defines the charset of the filesystem. For example, if you have file names in Cyrillic KOI8-R encoding, then you should specify that here. The server uses UTF-8 internally, this import parameter will help you to correctly import your data.

2.1.2.2 Metadata Charset 

metadata-charset

Type: String
Required: False
Default: if nl_langinfo() function is present, this setting will be auto detected based on your system locale, else set to UTF-8.

<metadata-charset>UTF-8</metadata-charset>

Same as above, but defines the charset of the metadata (i.e. id3 tags, Exif information, etc.). This can be overwritten by the character set selection of the metadata library.

2.1.2.3 Magic File 

magic-file

Type: String
Required: False
Default: System default

<magic-file>/path/to/my/magic-file</magic-file>

Specifies an alternative file for filemagic, containing mime type information.

2.2 Scripting 

scripting

Type: Section

Required: False

<scripting script-charset="UTF-8" scan-mode="inotify">

Defines the scripting section.

2.2.1 Scripting Attributes 

2.2.1.1 Character Set 

script-charset

Type: String
Required: False
Default: UTF-8

script-charset="Latin1"

Change character set for scripts.

2.2.1.2 Scan Mode for Script Folders 

scripting scan-mode

Type: Enum (manual|inotify|timed)
Required: False
Default: manual

Added in version 2.6.1.

scan-mode="inotify"

Set mode to rescan script-folders.

Mode	Meaning
manual	folders are only rescanned on startup
inotify	changes are detected automatically and scripts are reloaded if gerbera is compiled with inotify support
timed	folder is rescanned after `scripting scan-interval`

2.2.1.3 Timed Scan Interval 

scripting scan-interval

Type: Time
Required: False
Default: 48:00

scan-interval="24:00"

Set interval in minutes to rescan script-folders if scripting scan-mode is set to timed.

2.2.2 Scripting Items 

Below are the available scripting options:

2.2.2.1 Script Folders 

script-folder: Type: Section

Required: True

Added in version 2.0.

<script-folder>
    <common>/usr/local/share/gerbera/js</common>
    <custom>/home/dev/Source/gerbera/scripts/js</custom>
</script-folder>

Defines the locations of the script folders. If set, first all Javascript files from common are loaded and then all Javascript files from custom. If a function is defined in a common and a custom file the custom defintion overwrites the common defintion. No function should be duplicate in the same folder as loading order is not defined.

Setting script-folder is the replacement for setting the various script files with the former option common-script and import-script.

script-folder common

Type: Path
Required: True
Default: ${prefix}/share/gerbera/js, where ${prefix} is your installation prefix directory.

<common>/usr/local/share/gerbera/js</common>

Define the path to preinstalled script files. The files are part of the gerbera installation and should not be changed, because they may be overwritten by an update.

script-folder custom

Type: Path

Required: False

<custom>/etc/gerbera/js</custom>

Path for custom layout import scripts. Functions defined in js files in this folder are added to the script library.

2.2.2.2 Layout Functions 

import-function: Type: Section

Required: True

Added in version 2.0.

<import-function>
    <audio-file>importAudioInitial</audio-file>
    <video-file>importVideo</video-file>
    <image-file>importImage</image-file>
    <playlist create-link="yes">importPlaylist</playlist>
    <meta-file>importMetadata</meta-file>
</import-function>

Set the entry points for the virtual layout functions and file parsing functions. Selecting the entry point is the replacement for setting the layout type in audio-layout. The entry points are directly called for Gerbera code and must have a defined synopsis. For further details see Scripting.

audio-file: Type: String

Required: False

Default: importAudio

Name of the javascript function called to create the virtual layout for an audio file. In addition to importAudio also importAudioStructured and importAudioInitial are part of gerbera installation.

video-file: Type: String

Required: False

Default: importVideo

Name of the javascript function called to create the virtual layout for a video file.

image-file: Type: String

Required: False

Default: importImage

Name of the javascript function called to create the virtual layout for an image file.

playlist: Type: String

Required: False

Default: importPlaylist

Name of the javascript function called to parse a playlist file.

playlist create-link

Type: Boolean

Required: False

Default: yes
create-link="no"
Links the playlist to the virtual container which contains the expanded playlist items. This means, that if the actual playlist file is removed from the database, the virtual container corresponding to the playlist will also be removed.

meta-file: Type: String

Required: False

Default: importMetadata

Name of the javascript function invoked during the first import phase to gather metadata from additional files. Currently support for nfo files is implemented (https://kodi.wiki/view/NFO_files/Templates).

The search pattern to identify metadata files is set in resources section.

2.2.2.3 Virtual Layout 

virtual-layout

Type: Section

Required: True

<virtual-layout type="builtin" audio-layout="Default">

Defines options for the virtual container layout; the so called ”virtual container layout” is the way how the server organizes the media according to the extracted metadata. For example, it allows sorting audio files by Album, Artist, Year and so on.

virtual-layout type

Type: Enum (builtin|js|disabled)
Required: False
Default: js if gerbera was compiled with javascript support, builtin otherwise.

type="js"

Specifies what will be used to create the virtual layout, possible values are:

builtin: a default layout will be created by the server
js: a user customizable javascript will be used (Gerbera must be compiled with js support)
disabled: only PC-Directory structure will be created, i.e. no virtual layout

Specifies the virtual layout to be created:

audio-layout: Type: String

Required: False

Default: Default