Minidlna plugin is broken and won't start

[foxtrotniner]

Installed a fresh 9.3 iso and loaded my 9.2.1.8 config. Minidlna plugin won't start

The following is an fgrep of the minidlna messages in /var/log/messages:

Code:

[root@freenas] /mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1# fgrep minidlna /var/log/messages
Nov 12 01:12:28 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:12:38 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:12:51 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:12:53 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:14:01 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:14:22 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:17:41 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:17:55 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:18:50 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:31:23 freenas warden: zfs clone Primary/jails/.warden-template-pluginjail@clean Primary/jails/minidlna_1
Nov 12 01:31:23 freenas warden: Jail created at /mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1
Nov 12 01:31:44 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:48:16 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:48:34 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:48:35 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:48:41 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:48:42 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:48:49 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:48:49 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:48:54 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:48:55 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:49:04 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:49:04 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:49:14 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:544] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu: timed out
Nov 12 01:49:34 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:49:35 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:49:36 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:49:44 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:51:44 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:51:53 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 01:52:31 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:52:39 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:52:39 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:53:13 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:53:14 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 01:53:41 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 01:53:44 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 09:16:49 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 09:19:52 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 09:19:54 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 09:22:03 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 09:30:11 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 09:30:22 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 09:30:42 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 09:33:31 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 09:33:39 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 09:33:40 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 10:17:39 freenas manage.py: [freeadmin.navtree:540] Empty data returned from http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/treemenu
Nov 12 10:18:03 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 10:21:09 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 10:21:10 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 10:21:15 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 10:21:15 freenas manage.py: [common.pipesubr:58] Popen()ing: /sbin/zfs get -H origin '/mnt/Primary/jails/minidlna_1'
Nov 12 10:22:17 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded
Nov 12 10:22:39 freenas manage.py: [plugins.utils:92] Couldn't retrieve http://192.168.1.20/plugins/minidlna/2/_s/status: No JSON object could be decoded

It won't start via the gui, plugin tab either. Any ideas?

 

[george993]

I am having the same exact problem. Starting with a clean 9.3, I added three other plugins that work properly (except the jails do not auto-mount the storage on restarts, I believe this has already been reported.). Plex, transmissions, and now mediabrowser all work but minidlna never starts. I get the same exact log messages.

The part that really caught my eye is that we both have the same ip address for the server. The only difference is that the minidlna plugin is my 4th plugin/jail. I really don't think that the ip address would have anything to do with it but it is a strange coincidence.

 

[solarisguy]

Anybody with a working minidlna in 9.3-BETA ?

 

[foxtrotniner]

Anybody with a working minidlna in 9.3-BETA ?

Nope according to the official bug post, minidlna will need a complete rewrite.

https://bugs.freenas.org/issues/6642

Unsure when it will work again, according to this minidlna might not even appear in 9.3 release.

 

[solarisguy]

:( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(
I am missing the crying emoticon!

@foxtrotniner, thank you for digging up the bug report!

 

[george993]

I'm just going to enable DLNA in Plex. I guess no need for two plugins to provide the same or similar service.

 

[solarisguy]

Is it possible to have Plex only doing DLNA and not doing anything else?

 

[george993]

Not sure, I use it Plex for pretty much everything I have except for one tv that does not have a Plex client.

 

[cyberjock]

Is it possible to have Plex only doing DLNA and not doing anything else?

That would be a question for the Plex forums. :)

I'd bet there's some hacky way to do it. :P

 

[BigJ]

Hi

Just thought I'd jump in and mention that minidlna will work (at least for me), you just can't manage it from the GUI. This isn't a long term viable solution but it'll do until I get Plex or MediaServer3 working properly via DLNA. Out of the box my Samsung TV will only play MP4 files from these two where as minidlna just works with all my videos. I suspect I need to fiddle with profiles and mime types. What joy :(

To get it configured, start a shell from the Jail and edit the config file at /usr/pbi/minidlna-amd64/etc/minidlna.conf

I only changed two options:
media_dir - point this to your attached Jail storage
friendly_name - something meaningful to yourself

I've not set it up to auto start yet so I used the following to control it
service minidlna onestart
service minidlna onestop
service minidlna onestatus

To scan you media directory
service minidlna onerescan

Hope that helps

Edit: corrected commands

 

[RoboKaren]

Interesting that I'm having problems with Plex media server starting up as well (see other thread).

 

[BigJ]

Hi RoboKaren

I did see you're other post but having been playing with FreeNAS off and on for only a few months coupled with my limited unix fault finding ability I don't know what to suggest.

 

[jkh]

Again, as noted in another thread, the work-around to make Plex work (for now) is to use HTTP only in the GUI. We'll have a fix for that shortly. We'd welcome a volunteer to fix the minidlna plugin, but as others have said, it's more likely that it will simply die in 9.3 until/unless someone can dive into the appropriate part of the freenas-plugins project (see github) and fix it. For FreeNAS 10, it will reappear as one of the shiny new plugins based on the PC-BSD plugin architecture.