PMS.conf options, any documentation?

[oli]

Firstly I have to say I'm amazed at this software. I reckon I spent a week trying different UPnP software and other stuff trying to get a bunch of different video formats (especially 720p stuff) playing on my PS3 without any luck at all. I tried this software and it was working in minutes.

I tried it on my MacBook Pro first just to test it, then tried to set it up on my Linux server. The first immediate problem was that it automatically bound to the wrong network interface, but there's a thread on the page here mentioning the "PMS.conf" file so I was able to fix that.

Now when not running this with a GUI obviously there are a ton of options available. Is there a list of variables/options I can enter in the PMS.conf file to give me the same level of control over the software as what GUI users have? I have searched the site and see references to the PMS.conf file but no real information about what I can put in it... I appreciate that most people would be running this from an OS with a GUI but I want to make use of my Linux box sitting under the desk.

Cheers!

[NikNac]

This is what I have found so far. If someone wants to run with this and host it please do so. I've found most of these setting by comparing my Windows conf file to my headless FreeBSD conf file.

folders = (path of folders PMS should deliver to PS3)
hostname = (IP address of server - some people have reported setting this address manually has allowed PMS to appear on the PS3)
port = (port number - defaults to 5001 but can be changed by entering a value here)
language = (specify language to use - unsure how this works)
thumbnails = (true/false - display thumbnails)
thumbnail_seek_pos = (1 - nnn - specify how far into track thumbnail to display is (I think))
nbcores = (unsure of purpose but appears to relate to the number of cores your servers CPU has)
turbomode = (true/false - unsure of purpose but appears to relate to a turbo mode)
minimized = (true/false - start minimised or not - N/A for headless systems)
hidevideosettings = (true/false - hide the video settings option from being displayed on the PS3)
usecache = (true/false - display media libray - the best setting to enable)
charsetencoding = (character set to use - 850 is default)
engines = (transcoding engine to use - mencoder, AviSynth/FFmpeg, AviSynth/MEncoder, TsMuxer)
autoloadsrt = (true/false - unsure of purpose)
network_interface = (set the interface name - if you have more than one)
hide_extensions = (true/false - hide file extension)
hide_enginenames = (true/false - hide the names of the transcoding engines - I've never seen the engine names displayed except when hidevideosettings is set to true)
enable_archive_browsing = (true/false - browse archive files (zip, rar, etc)

The rest of the conf file is not familiar to me - I don't know if some of hte settings are specific to the transcoding engine being used or if they're generic. For example the audio channels setting below is 2 when using MEncoder but on my FreeBSd server using TsMuxer the setting is 6.

avisynth_convertfps = true
avisynth_script = #AviSynth script is now fully customisable !\u0001#You must use the following variables (\"clip\" being the avisynth variable of the movie):\u0001#<movie>: insert the complete DirectShowSource instruction [ clip=DirectShowSource(movie, convertfps) ]\u0001#<sub>: insert the complete TextSub\/VobSub instruction if there's any detected srt\/sub\/idx\/ass subtitle file\u0001#<moviefilename>: variable of the movie filename, if you want to do all this by yourself\u0001#Be careful, the custom script MUST return the clip object\u0001<movie>\u0001<sub>\u0001return clip
transcode_block_multiple_connections = false
tsmuxer_forcefps = true
tsmuxer_preremux_pcm = false
tsmuxer_preremux_ac3 = false
audiochannels = 2
audiobitrate = 384
maximumbitrate = 0 (I think 0 = unlimited)
skiploopfilter = false
mencoder_fontconfig = false
mencoder_font =
mencoder_forcefps = false
mencoder_usepcm = false
mencoder_intelligent_sync = true
mencoder_decode =
mencoder_encode = keyint=1:vqscale=1:vqmin=2
mencoder_nooutofsync = true
mencoder_audiolangs = fre,jpn,ger,eng
mencoder_sublangs = fre,eng
mencoder_audiosublangs =
mencoder_subfribidi = false
mencoder_ass_scale = 1.0
mencoder_ass_margin = 10
mencoder_ass_outline = 1
mencoder_ass_shadow = 1
mencoder_noass_scale = 3
mencoder_noass_subpos = 2
mencoder_noass_blur = 1
mencoder_noass_outline = 1
mencoder_subcp = cp1252
mencoder_ass = true
mencoder_disablesubs = false
mencoder_yadif = false
mencoder_scaler = false
mencoder_scalex = 0
mencoder_scaley = 0
ffmpeg = -g 1 -qscale 1 -qmin 2

[oggie]

This is a good start. But I do agree that we need documentation on all these config values. There seems to be more of us running this on linux headless.

I would ask that Shagrath or someone who knows the code document these config values for us. If I knew exactly what each one was for it might help to optimize pms and mencoder on my single core machine.

[oli]

Thanks NikNac, very helpful start.

This is a good start. But I do agree that we need documentation on all these config values. There seems to be more of us running this on linux headless.

I would ask that Shagrath or someone who knows the code document these config values for us. If I knew exactly what each one was for it might help to optimize pms and mencoder on my single core machine.

Yes I agree. The folders thing is what I wanted most for starters since I don't want anyone seeing the whole servers directory structure... The hostname option didn't work at all, but that's not important.

[The1stOne]

Just a message to bump this little post.
I myself is running PMS from commandline i Linux and desperately need help with the config.
I do have a dual core and the possibility to run it with GUI, but want it to run more like a daemon in the background.

For instance, how do I make it use TsMuxer as default when playing back x264 in mkv-files?
It seems it's always trying to use MEncoder and I have to go into the #-TRANSCODE-#-folder to pick TsMuxer "manually".

/The1stOne

[flammenwurfer]

Hi guys. I would also like to get some documentation on the PMS.conf file. At the very least if we could get a complete PMS.conf that's set up with all the defaults so we could at least get it working from the command line.

Does anybody have a PMS.conf that works running PMS from the command line? Even if they don't understand it?

[Jagged]

Hi guys. I would also like to get some documentation on the PMS.conf file. At the very least if we could get a complete PMS.conf that's set up with all the defaults so we could at least get it working from the command line.

Does anybody have a PMS.conf that works running PMS from the command line? Even if they don't understand it?

Here's my config.. I can probably put some comments in it if you cant figure it out. Also, I still suggest people try using xforwarding w/ ssh (putty supports it, as do most ssh clients). You can then use the gui (it'll display on your local desktop). If you want to display it on your Windows desktop, you'll need to install an Xserver (Xming is a decent one).

Code: Select all

thumbnails = true
mencoder_ass = true
folders = \/data\/Shared,\/data\/Music
mencoder_audiosublangs = en,off;eng,off
autoloadsrt = false
mencoder_disablesubs = true
notranscode = avi,mp3,m2ts,ts
thumbnail_seek_pos = 15
mencoder_usepcm = false
mencoder_remux_ac3 = true
tsmuxer_forcefps = false
network_interface =
engines = mencoder,tsmuxer,mplayeraudio,ffmpegaudio,tsmuxeraudio,mencoderwebvideo,mplayerwebaudio,rawthumbs
mencoder_nooutofsync = false
mencoder_mux_compatible = true
use_mplayer_for_video_thumbs = true
mencoder_encode = keyint=1:vqscale=1:vqmin=2
embed_dts_in_pcm = true
forcetranscode =
hidevideosettings = false
hide_enginenames = true
chapter_support = false


[hasherati]

Just setup another dedicated PMS box that's going in the garage and had the same issue everyone else is having on this thread... no documentation on what options one can set in PMS.conf.

There is a java class file in PMS.jar called PmsConfiguration.class that contains all these definitions. The one I was looking for was how to define the path to alternate thumbs folder, and it's all there, just be sure to put them in lower case in your PMS.conf file and leave off the key_ Full list of things I ~think~ you can set (for linux 1.10.5) is below. This is just based on a 'strings PmsConfiguration.class | grep KEY' so it may not be fully accurate... but, it got me my alternate_thumb_folder location set If someone has some time, they could run javap and disassemble the class to see exactly how these can be set... PMS rocks, just wish it were better documented.

Cheers,
Tom

Code: Select all

KEY_TEMP_FOLDER_PATH
KEY_TSMUXER_FORCEFPS
KEY_AUDIO_BITRATE
KEY_TSMUXER_PREREMIX_AC3
KEY_SERVER_PORT
KEY_SERVER_HOSTNAME
KEY_PROXY_SERVER_PORT
KEY_LANGUAGE
KEY_MIN_MEMORY_BUFFER_SIZE
KEY_MAX_MEMORY_BUFFER_SIZE
KEY_MENCODER_ASS_MARGIN
KEY_MENCODER_ASS_OUTLINE
KEY_MENCODER_ASS_SCALE
KEY_MENCODER_ASS_SHADOW
KEY_MENCODER_NOASS_SCALE
KEY_MENCODER_NOASS_SUBPOS
KEY_MENCODER_NOASS_BLUR
KEY_MENCODER_NOASS_OUTLINE
KEY_THUMBNAIL_SEEK_POS
KEY_MENCODER_FONT
KEY_MENCODER_SUB_FRIBIDI
KEY_MENCODER_AUDIO_LANGS
KEY_MENCODER_SUB_LANGS
KEY_MENCODER_AUDIO_SUB_LANGS
KEY_MENCODER_SUB_CP
KEY_MENCODER_ASS
KEY_MENCODER_DISABLE_SUBS
KEY_MENCODER_USE_PCM
KEY_MENCODER_FONT_CONFIG
KEY_MENCODER_FORCE_FPS
KEY_MENCODER_DECODE
KEY_MENCODER_YADIF
KEY_MENCODER_SCALER
KEY_MENCODER_SCALEX
KEY_MENCODER_SCALEY
KEY_OPEN_ARCHIVES
KEY_AUDIO_CHANNEL_COUNT
KEY_MAX_BITRATE
KEY_THUMBNAILS_ENABLED
KEY_NUMBER_OF_CPU_CORES
KEY_TURBO_MODE_ENABLED
KEY_MINIMIZED
KEY_USE_SUBTITLES
KEY_HIDE_VIDEO_SETTINGS
KEY_USE_CACHE
KEY_AVISYNTH_CONVERT_FPS
KEY_AVISYNTH_SCRIPT
KEY_MAX_AUDIO_BUFFER
KEY_MIN_STREAM_BUFFER
KEY_BUFFER_TYPE
KEY_FFMPEG_SETTINGS
KEY_MENCODER_NO_OUT_OF_SYNC
)KEY_TRANSCODE_BLOCKS_MULTIPLE_CONNECTIONS
KEY_CHARSET_ENCODING
KEY_MENCODER_INTELLIGENT_SYNC
KEY_FFMPEG_ALTERNATIVE_PATH
KEY_SKIP_LOOP_FILTER_ENABLED
KEY_MENCODER_MAIN_SETTINGS
KEY_LOGGING_LEVEL
KEY_ENGINES
KEY_CODEC_SPEC_SCRIPT
KEY_NETWORK_INTERFACE
KEY_HIDE_EXTENSIONS
KEY_HIDE_ENGINENAMES
KEY_SHARES
KEY_NOTRANSCODE
KEY_FORCETRANSCODE
KEY_MENCODER_MT
KEY_MENCODER_REMUX_AC3
KEY_MENCODER_REMUX_MPEG2
KEY_OVERSCAN
KEY_DISABLE_FAKESIZE
KEY_MENCODER_ASS_DEFAULTSTYLE
KEY_SORT_METHOD
KEY_AUDIO_THUMBNAILS_METHOD
KEY_ALTERNATE_THUMB_FOLDER
KEY_EMBED_DTS_IN_PCM
KEY_MENCODER_MUX_COMPATIBLE
KEY_ALTERNATE_SUBS_FOLDER
KEY_MUX_ALLAUDIOTRACKS
KEY_USE_MPLAYER_FOR_THUMBS
KEY_IP_FILTER
KEY_FOLDERS


[Cantello]

I agree that a documented PMS.conf file is essential for any headless installation. I don't even know where to put the config file (put it in PMS main directory, /opt/pms in my case) or how to comment out certain options I found by using on another box with the GUI enabled.

edit: ok, just putting it in the main directory works...

[NoReflection]

I know this is a old post. But I am having some problems using the Media Server. I am still new to Unbuntu, I have been running PMS on windows for a while. Is there currently a .conf file? I have installed version 1.10.5 and the only files I have are CHANGELOG FAQ linux (with tsMuxeR and the license file) pms.jar PMS.sh README and WEB.conf

what am I missing? I had PMS connected to the Playstation at one time but then reinstalled Ubuntu. When I tried to run PMS it got to finding my nic card then stopped. Not sure why.

**edit** OK it doesn't stop, it just takes along time to fully connect to the ps3 for some reason.