View source for Automatic retrieval and encoding

[[KiSS cookbook|Back]]

==The works==
This is about how to automatically get you recording encoded/compressed (from 6 to 10 times depending on quality)
To do that, the server must:
* Get the recorded file from the KiSS, at a time where it doesn't clash with your watching it.
* Setting up a encoder queue, which is a folder where all files in it gets processed and put out in another folder.<br><br>

==Mencoder==
To make the queue work, you need to install mencoder (often a part of mplayer installation)

'''FreeBSD:'''
 pkg_add -r mencoder
mencoder is NOT a part of mplayer in FreeBSD ver 7.0 and a package installation dosen't work. So you have to make the installation from the ports system:
 cd /usr/ports/multimedia/mencoder
 make install

==KiSS CE==
The KiSS CE package is a script that runs the encoder queue and retrieve the files from the KiSS player.

First you have to make the folders:  
* Input, where files downloaded from the KiSS are stored and where you can put other files you want to get encoded
* Error; is where files that fails encoding are moved to. It must be on the same filesystem as Input.
* Output; are where the newly encoded files end up.

If you put it all on the same filesystem it could look like this:
 cd /home/mike
 mkdir kiss_ce
 cd kiss_ce
 mkdir input
 mkdir error
 mkdir output

Be sure you are not root, when you do it.

If you use a windows desktop, you might make the kiss_ce folder a samba share:
 <font color="#007700">''as root''</font>
 edit /usr/local/etc/smb.conf
 
 <font color="#007700">''add and adapt this:''</font>
 # Encoder queue.
 [kiss_ce]
    path = /home/mike/kiss_ce
    valid users = mike @staff
    public = no
    writable = yes
    printable = no
 
 <font color="#007700">''Restart samba''</font>
 /usr/local/etc/rc.d/samba restart
 
 <font color="#007700">''Exit root''</font>

You can get KiSS CE from the MPC Club download site: [http://www.mpcclub.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=getit&lid=325#dl]<br>
Place the file the equivalent of the above /home/mike/kiss_ce folder. Unpack with this command:  
 gzcat kiss_ce-1.0.tar.gz | tar xvf - 

===Confrigure===
As a minimum you must configure the encoding queue folders.<br>
Following the above example and assuming the kiss has the IP address 10.0.0.90 you must change the following in kiss_ce.conf:

 path_input='/home/mike/kiss_ce/input'
 path_output='/home/mike/kiss_ce/output'
 path_error='/home/mike/kiss_ce/error' 
 ...
 remote='ENABLED'
 remote_address='10.0.0.90'
you might want to change other settings in kiss_ce.conf. But this is the essential.

Test that it work by running the script:
 ./kiss_ce


===Cron===
To make the script run regularly, you must add it to the cron job list. <br>
KiSS CE will output a message if an error occur. You can tell cron to mail it to your regular mail address by adding the MAILTO directive:
 crontab -e

 <font color="#007700">''Add this:''</font>
 MAILTO="mike@some.domain.tld"
 1-59/10 * * * * /home/mike/kiss_ce/kiss_ce
 
This will make it run every 10 minutes.

Now you just need to test that it's working. (leave it alone for a day and you will know)