Serviio

Synology released DSM 7.0. Installation heer failed with error message "package isn't possible to install because runs with root permission. Ask developer".
I want to let you know, maybe you can (want) update package to correct way. I think Synology changed something.

Yes, I reported this earlier this week, I don't know if the Synology version is being supported now.

The Serviio developer is not responsible for the NAS versions. He only creates the Windows, Linux and Mac OS versions. Other users have maintained the NAS versions in the past. Lately I don't think that user has been online much. I can't say when/if he'll be providing further updates.

If this is the case, can someone else take over the maintenance of the Serviio Synology source code?

Exactly what I was concerned with and asked about in a couple of threads........the response is the same......crickets (except for AT who has at least responded the best he/she could).

While 2.0 is available, as things change, the updates for the new permissions and whatever else Synology does to support their product can break apps if the devs don't fix it.

2.1 has been out for a while.... and there is no way to update unless you SSH in and overwrite all the files in the main package which is not for the faint at heart.

Also, if you ever have to actually install from a new DSM image, there is no "installer" except for the dev's site.....and if that dies.....then there is really no way to install the serviio package on the device to even begin with......which means we (NAS users) are working on margin.

While I can't expect Serviio to support NAS, there should be at least a primer of how to do this so that other's can champion the effort to have and maintain the latest and greatest.

While I can do php, html, C, C++ and other languages....Linux is the one I have never boned up on......and probably should.......but at the expense of screwing up my NAS doing it.

I am with you, not very happy about any of it and wish there was a path forward........and worse........no one really gives a damn about it.

I am actively working on this now.

I have 2.1 installed using DSM 6.2.3. Update 2 and most likely will be just fine on DSM Update 3 (not really needed but I will eventually update).

DSM 7 creates a whole new issue as they've removed the ability for packages to run as root since it can then perform root operations which can lead to security issues from 3rd party......even though that is not rampant as it is on Windows platforms.....but still represents a risk.

I'll update if I can get it operating on version 7 and then we will have to figure out how to be able to test this to ensure nothing was missed or affects operation of the systems.

The trick here will be to sort out which issues arise.....the NAS installers......or Serviio logic errors etc.....

This was something I was concerned with a while back.....I've tried to contact patters here, on his site and he is just no where to be found or uninterested in resolving it.....so I have taken it on....

Hopefully have some solutions soon.

kittmaster: if/when you have a working install, create a new thread and let me know, and I'll make it a Sticky to keep it on top.

Will do

This shouldn't be too hard to work around. The Synology Serviio package in fact used a dedicated 'serviio' user account until package version 0027. I reverted to using root for 3 reasons:

• having to change the permissions on your media folders to grant Serviio access is not obvious and was tripping people up, and creating a lot of support enquiries
• the Intel forked ffmpeg with hardware transcoding support for Evansport SoCs requires root for its access to the hardware driver
• all the other Synology-hosted third party packages at that time seemed to use root, so it made sense to copy that design pattern

What this does bring up though, is the woeful way in which Synology breaks compatibility, without informing developers, nor even publishing what they're changing. Typically they update the developer guide about a year late. I mean they could deprecate features (e.g. allow them to work with warnings for one release, to remove them later). It's one of the big factors that has put me off updating my work. For instance, they wouldn't publish the GPL sources used for DSM 6.0 for years, nor would they publish the GPL sources for the software bundled with the hardware media encoders in some products launched since the Evansport ones. But they are obligated to do this by using Open Source software. It's fundamentally dishonest behaviour. A huge number of NAS owners are hobbyists, and if the packages aren't available, they'll go to QNAP or whatever. A NAS brand needs its package ecosystem, and apparently Synology couldn't care less about its developers. There's not even a mailing list. Yet they know we exist, because every time I create a package it is signed by their signing server using my private key. They wouldn't even loan me a NAS once when I asked, even though my Java packages and the CrashPlan online backup packages had demonstrably helped thousands of people. Back then even getting Java running with the correct time, UTF-8, and the correct locale support was a major challenge.

Another example - for one of the recent DSM releases they simply ripped out package logs from Package Centre - a completely absurd decision, which makes supporting a package like this one almost impossible given that many users will not be comfortable with SSH connections to a Linux OS.

Ok. Now I see from https://global.download.synology.com/do ... 0_Beta.pdf that they've decided to drive a wrecking ball through the entire package specification.

Certainly on-brand.

Patters, good to see you again!

Welcome back patters, you've been missed

Thanks guys.

More lols from Synology. This from the DSM 7.0 Beta release notes:


People who use Synology products for home automation now have non working USB Z-wave devices. Such progress.

Yeah, I don't understand why they do some of the dumb stuff they are doing in the "name of security".

Breaking peoples environments "because they can" does not make sense to me either....especially when their is money spent in hardware for automation.

The whole point of a NAS is centralized storage and applications that are to be useful to the USER....why Synology thinks it's all about them is beyond me.

But then again, Linux is like that right.....everyone doing whatever they want, how they want, when they want.....and the rest are adapt or die.

This creates a huge problem keeping Serviio on a Synology NAS....having to wait nearly a year for updates isn't promising....to anyone.

You mentioned on your blog site that your back due to work/kids/etc......are you just here short time and gone again? Just curious.

From my own notes I've found about some other packages (like AirSane, and SANE Backends) I could see that they have to run as root because they involve drivers. Normally on Linux you can delegate driver access to non-privileged users using udev rules, but udev wasn't even in DSM. So in this example, what Synology could have done is add udev to the last version of DSM 6 and stick up a warning for packages running as root that they will need to migrate to udev rules and non-root user contexts for DSM 7.0. i.e. manage the transition to their new design. But instead they just smash everything up...

I built my package repo in such a way that it's easy to accommodate a change in repo specification without breaking the existing service, but it will be a pain having to maintain two versions of every package - one for 6.x and one for 7.

Will I be back for long? It's hard to say, but on balance I think so. Part of the reason I wasn't motivated, is that I don't really use Serviio these days, and also that the 2.1 changes were fairly minor. The rise of streaming services has diminished the requirement for it. And also being a parent now I rarely have time for watching movies! The other main motivational obstacle was that I had to sit down for a good stint to figure out what I had built in AWS 2 years ago. It was so long since I'd used my build environment and since I'd made any changes to the repo that I'd forgotten how. Now I've done that it's easy for me to make small fixes. I think getting this working on DSM 7.0 will be the next task, but I'm a little nervous about forging ahead and installing the beta, because I'll lose functioning SANE, AirSane, Transmission, Serviio hardware transcoding and probably a lot more.

As you can see that is why I forged ahead with the beta version for 2.1 which seems to be working correctly sans a few minor oddities like server side version check.

The dev I have been working with doesn't use Serviio either and we are both aware of the 7.0 implications and working to figure it out.

Clearly you the right guy to sort out 7.0 and hardware transcoding is important......to a lot of people and movie files as they come in all shapes and sizes.

I'm open to be a backup source to keep this moving along.....we use Serviio all the time even with every streaming service on the planet that we use....I like to have local copies of the TV series and movies....like all online streaming services....they can just close up shop and your done......my NAS is relatively small at 40TB but it serves our (wife and I) focused enjoyment of series etc.

So for us.....I really want the latest and greatest version of software for features......but the 7.0 debacle has left me to be happy just as we are.....and leave 7.0 for a down the road type of update.

I made the comment of what happens if you disappear & or your website vanishes....for whatever reason ....... in a narrow sense, all Synology NAS users would be forced to something else or remain stuck at the version they have. Please consider a backup plan or delegate to carry on in your absence ....just food for thought....many of us enjoy the work you've done and don't want to see it or you vanish...

Cheers.

Create an update for 7.0 already. I really want to update, but I can't because of a non-working program

Just wanted to let you know that I took the plunge some months back to go DSM7.0 and regretted every minute BUT my saviour was using Docker. I didn't have any trouble installing Serviio under a docker and it works fine along with things like Sonarr, Radarr and SABnzbd. These took a bit of figuring out but have been running without issue for months now while I wait for the developers to figure out the mess that Synology have created. Thanks Patters for this excellent bit of software, keep up the good work.

Now i am as well in same situation. DSM 7.0 ready for install but i want to use Serviio.