Jellyfin in offline mode

[xyncro]

Hi!

I'm new to Jellyfin and have only used it for a couple of months now.
It serves my purpose fine, however i haven't found a way to how i can display my covers in offline mode.

I have a couple of drives i've mounted through my computer and locally into my Jellyfin.
The drives have been scanned successfully and given me most of the covers for the movies automatically, but some i need to search myself.
I've not created any access from internet, i'm only using Jellyfin locally or through my Android Jellyfin app (dlna to my LG tv) for now.

Now to my hickup..
When i close my computer, so will even the drives which means there is no access to the physical movie file, i'm ok with that.

But, if i access Jellyfin through computer or my Android phone without having the drives connected to my computer, i would have wanted that the covers where available to view through some cache, but they are not, it looks as Jellyfin was new installed each time.

What i would like is that i could (only) view my Jellyfin catalog either on computer or on my Android phone through the app, with the drives disconnected.

Is that a setting somewhere that i might have missed..?

Thx!

[Efficient_Good_5784]

That is not how Jellyfin works and there's no setting for what you want to do. Jellyfin expects to always have access to your media files.

If I'm understanding this correctly, you want to be able to have title images be cached so that they appear when the drives containing the media are removed? If so, even if that was how it worked, you can't open them since Jellyfin will give you an error.

Also, I think you're misunderstanding what "offline" is. You want your server to have some functionality while "offline", but generally, this support for "offline" access is placed on the client instead of the server.

As an example, if you're browsing your Jellyfin server from your phone, your phone would be the one responsible for gathering all necessary data needed to be in an "offline" mode.
Just because you don't need internet to run a Jellyfin server doesn't mean that the server itself can be offline too and still work. A server needs to fully work to "serve" content to a client, even if the client is on the same machine as the server.

Is there a reason why you need to disconnect the drives from your computer? Is your server running on a laptop that you need to move around? Why not build/buy a NAS for your server that you can leave running 24/7?

[xyncro]

Efficient_Good_5784

Thx for your answer..

Yes i understand i cant have the server running locally serving the client on my stationary computer while it's shut down.. it makes sence..

The question was more if when i had all running, server locally with the client, if the cover pictures are stored/cached.

I have tried the setting to let covers be saved locally, but what is that for if the cover images cant be viewed when computer, server and client is running BUT with the drives disconnected..

Sometimes when im out on a shopping spree with my wife i check up deals on movies.. but i cant buy if im not sure i have the movie already.. thats why it would be handy to just open the app in my phone and search titles in my collection.. thats the main reason to my question..

Sure i could make a search and only have the title text showed to give me what i want.. but then, to have the covers visible too in that search "enhances" the use of Jellyfin the same way as all you guys have covers shown to whatever collections you have.. i mean, the covers are there for a reason..

This issue is not a big deal, i only wanted to know if i've missed a setting..

And as you say, why not a NAS..
Now i have a couple of WD My Passports running (disconnected while i sleep or not at home) but planning to invest in 2 WD red and a docking station since i start to hear noise and error messages in my computer from one of the My Passports i have.. + i think those WD Passports are not suited to be online 24/7 like a WD red..

/B

[Efficient_Good_5784]

I'm assuming you're referring to the library option where artwork is saved along with the media files.
With that option enabled, your artwork will be saved in the same location your media files are at.
The point of this option is to give you easier access to the artwork so that you can edit them more conveniently.

You can try turning that off and rescanning your library to save the artwork outside of the drives.

All I know is that when my Jellyfin server can't find the media, my covers get blurry until I re-add the media back to the server, but I have the artwork saved along with the media files.
Maybe turning that option off will help you here.

[xyncro]

Thx..

I tried scanning the libraries with the drives disconnected, no success there..
Then i tried adding the covers manually, and that seems to work, covers were visible both on my computer and in the app..
But its to early to say if thats a solution since i only tried some titles..
It would also be a very tidious work to add covers one by one..

It raises a question tho..
Why do the covers stay if i add them manually, versus not being added when im scanning the libraries with the drives disconnected..

But its still uncertain if the covers there tomorrow when i log in..

/B

[enesha]

Heya
So side but somewhat related thought. You keep mentioning adding the covers manually. If JF isn't identifying and adding the art automatically, is it possible there is a problem with your naming convention? Whenever I have to go looking for art, the first thing I check is the naming of the file and directory itself, and changing the name usually fixes that problem. Sometimes as easy as adding or removing a year in the name. I have encountered VERY few things that get id'd but don't get their own metadata / artwork. If anything sometimes I search for / edit covers and such if I want to use a box cover other than the first choice.
As far as scanning the libraries with the drives disconnected....Wouldn't that just cause JF to decide the media is gone and remove it from the interface? The same as deleting a folder from a library...it scans, doesn't see it there and pulls it from the list. I think that's the expected behavior...You wouldn't want there to be a bunch of entries for movies you no longer have.

[xyncro]

Enesha

Thx for your answer..

"is it possible there is a problem with your naming convention?"

Yes i admit its in my early fase in using Jellyfin.. some titles take the covers.. and some not..
To try new software is always an "adventure".. So now i try find "correlations" with the cover implemantation..
And as you say, the naming might be an issue here.. so what im now doing is i rename folders and "double" that with adding metadata too..

"scanning the libraries with drives disconnected"

Naa, i tried and that made no difference for me.. everything are still here and titles are not removed as if the server would take it as the titles were deleted..

From my try, and your asumption, i guess it's not enough only do a scan libraries with drives disconnected and in that way remove tiles..
Deleting media you not longer possess must be done manually..

But one questione raises which i havnt found an answer to is..
If i manually delete a title in the Jellyfin software or in my app.. does that remove the files on my drives aswell..?
There is a huge warning tho.. but if i were to delete a title i could in next second add it again and Jellyfin would automatically add all information..

/B