V9 server as service can't see my networked drive letters?

[Slack]

So when running V9 as a service - all imported videos fail on not found on disk.

If I run the server normally...i.e. with GUI (my server box is headless so I didn't typically do this under V7). And configure Z:\Video as a media import directory...my clients, HD200s for the time being, can stream the content just fine.

If I close down the server SageTV gui. And start the service. HD200 Clients can connect to the server, play recorded video, tune live TV. But I get an error on imported media.

When I try and check the import directories via the HD200s...as an exapmple I delete the import directory, and when adding it back the only drive letters seen are local to the server C: D: E: etc.....Z: Y: (NAS Boxes) are not seen.

I tried adding the share as \\192.168.1.99\share\Videos (kinda like Kodi - SMB:\\192.168.1.99\share\Video) in the server GUI. But that failed.

I even just tried smb://192.168.1.103/share/Video also failed.

What gives?

[wayner]

What user is running the SageTV service - that might be an issue. Change the service to run from your normal login ID.

Either way you should use the UNC shares - which you did said you tried towards the end. But you don't need SMB as a prefix, just "\\192.168.1.99\share\Videos" - at least for Windows. Also make sure case is correct.

[Fuzzy]

Services are not run within a user session, and as such, drive letter mapping is not supported. UNC access should work just fine, but only if the service's user has access to network resources (meaning it can't be LocalSystem).

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Services are not run within a user session, and as such, drive letter mapping is not supported. UNC access should work just fine, but only if the service's user has access to network resources (meaning it can't be LocalSystem).

Everything including services are run in some context that is actually a user session. If the account the service is using has network access and one were to execute net use to map a drive from within that service, there's no reason why you couldn't get a mapped drive accessible to the service. There are also other ways to make that happen, but all of this is a bad idea. If a service must use SMB, UNC is the only way I would go. Mapped drives in my mind are kind of a legacy thing.

[Slack]

OK I'll check the user the service is using.
I'll also try UNC path again.

Question: is there anyway to tell SageTV to stop being so clever with the path entry dialog - i.e. I am not using a remote so I do not need to scroll through all the character options for the number 2.

[Slack]

Changed service to use the same user. only user on the box. that the GUI flavor was using mapped Windoze drives with....Didn't change the fact that server as a service could not deliver the goods.

Changed media locations to UNC. Fixed. Server as a service delivers the goods.

[EnterNoEscape]

Originally Posted by Slack

Changed service to use the same user. only user on the box. that the GUI flavor was using mapped Windoze drives with....Didn't change the fact that server as a service could not deliver the goods.

Changed media locations to UNC. Fixed. Server as a service delivers the goods.

There are two different contexts even for the same user. If you open an elevated command prompt and type net use, you'll see that the drive isn't mapped in that context. It's only mapped in the unelevated context. If the drive had been mapped in the elevated context, the user account in conjunction with the service would have seen the mapped drive. That's one of the reasons why I said you shouldn't use mapped drives.

[NetworkGuy]

Originally Posted by EnterNoEscape

There are two different contexts even for the same user. If you open an elevated command prompt and type net use, you'll see that the drive isn't mapped in that context. It's only mapped in the unelevated context. If the drive had been mapped in the elevated context, the user account in conjunction with the service would have seen the mapped drive. That's one of the reasons why I said you shouldn't use mapped drives.

I never knew that. Good to know. Thanks.