Synology and LMS

TheHighFlyingBirds

Distinguished Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
3,057
Reaction score
3,235
Points
1,062
Location
England
So after Synology ending support for Logitech Media Server (LMS) as per this link, it now looks like that LMS is likely to stop working once DSM 7 rolls out, as LMS does not work on the DSM 7 beta program. However, it could be that the beta just prevents third party apps from running; fingers crossed it still works otherwise I will resist upgrading or I will have to buy another Pi to run LMS (unless i can put it on my Pi3B running alongside piHole).
 
So after Synology ending support for Logitech Media Server (LMS) as per this link, it now looks like that LMS is likely to stop working once DSM 7 rolls out, as LMS does not work on the DSM 7 beta program. However, it could be that the beta just prevents third party apps from running; fingers crossed it still works otherwise I will resist upgrading or I will have to buy another Pi to run LMS (unless i can put it on my Pi3B running alongside piHole).

You can install PinkDot's LMS 8 package (LMSUpdate) by adding the PinkDot repo as a package source in Package Centre. It will then auto-update itself with a newer versions as they come along. Has been working fine for me and worth making the jump to 8.0.1 now anyway as it's perfectly stable.

  • [prerequisite] The Perl package need to be installed and is available in Package Center under "All Packages -> Third-party--> Perl".
  • In Package Center: go to ->settings -> General -> set trust level to 'any publisher'.
  • In Package Center go to -> settings -> Package Sources -> Add
    • Name: Logitech Media Server
    • Location: https://pinkdot.myds.me/sspks/
  • Logitech Media Server will appear in the community section of DSM Package Centre.
  • Install the package like any other package in DSM Package Centre.
  • Package Centre will notify you on updates.
----

Or if some screenshots help...

Screenshot 2020-12-15 at 14.41.09.png


Screenshot 2020-12-15 at 14.41.30.png


Next go into the community section of DSM Package Centre and install and run the LMSUpdate package like you would any other package.
 
Last edited:
You can install PinkDot's LMS 8 package (LMSUpdate) as a community package with Synology and it will also auto-update itself with newer versions as they come along. Works great and worth making the jump to 8.0.1 now anyway as it's perfectly stable.

  • In Package Center: go to ->settings -> General -> set trust level to 'any publisher'.
  • In Package Center go to -> settings -> Package Sources -> Add
    • Name: Logitech Media Server
    • Location: https://pinkdot.myds.me/sspks/
  • Logitech Media Server will appear in the community section of DSM Package Center.
  • Install the package like any other package in DSM Package Center.
  • Package Center will notify you on updates.
I think I was on a slightly older version of the repack, which I had installed manually (I have now added the repository though and updating :thumbsup: thanks).

The potential issue going forward is that those on the DSM7 beta are saying they cannot install LMS at all, manually or through a repository. If it is just the beta program preventing third party / community apps then it should't be too bad, however others are thinking it might be something to do with Perl (well beyond my knowledge), which could render LMS unusable.
 
I think I was on a slightly older version of the repack, which I had installed manually (I have now added the repository though and updating :thumbsup: thanks).

The potential issue going forward is that those on the DSM7 beta are saying they cannot install LMS at all, manually or through a repository. If it is just the beta program preventing third party / community apps then it should't be too bad, however others are thinking it might be something to do with Perl (well beyond my knowledge), which could render LMS unusable.

You want to use the LMSUpdate package, rather than the LMSRepack package. If you have the later you'd be better off making a backup and uninstalling it first, that way you'll get updates installed automatically in future.

The PinkDot version sits outside of the official Synology packages (as a Community package) and so-far has updated to the latest LMS 8 version for me almost as soon as it's become available. So as long as PinkDot keeps his builds/repo up-to-date you should be fine.
 
Pinkdot himself is pessimistic about LMS on DSM7 but who knows he may be able to get something working.
 
I managed to get LMS installed as a Docker container using Synology's built in Docker manager (*)

Some pointers if migrating:
  • Make sure to uninstall (not just stop) your previous LMS package or the new LMS Docker container will complain that your LMS ports are already in use.
  • Make sure to update port 9000 to 9002 in the 'Network Settings' and set HTTP_PORT to 9002 in the 'Environment Settings' (as port 9000 is often reserved for other uses on Synology).
  • Make sure to set the Environment variable 'TZ' to 'Europe/London' in Environment settings (or map /etc/localtime to /etc/TZ)
  • You can copy over your old preference files into your new /config /prefs directory but you'll need to manually map any old paths in the server.prefs file to their new locations and remove any reference to DB files (or also move them to the new location). TBH it's probably quicker to start afresh with a new preference file, which will also give you the opportunity to spring clean your previous settings/plugins.
  • Don't do this while you have music playing from another source to one of your Squeezelite clients as LMS may set a higher volume on that device when initially booting up, causing you to jump.
(*) I think the Docker package is only available on some Synology models
 
Last edited:
Pinkdot himself is pessimistic about LMS on DSM7 but who knows he may be able to get something working.
Just seen he's thrown the towel in & closed the repository. Docker not an option on my DS218j. :(
 
Last edited:
Buying a RasberryPi for £58 and installing PiCorePlayer (option 2) on it and then pointing it to the Synology SMB share/directory holding your music files is probably the simplest route.

£15 extra gets you a nice aluminium case that doubles as a heatsink.

Will also free up some memory on the NAS for other tasks :)
Really don't want another device on the network if I can help it, but may end up with little choice. Is there a minimum spec Pi required for PCP, would an older version do the job?

Might make more sense long-term to look at upgrading the NAS to a Plus model that will run Docker. Amazon have had a couple of lightning deals recently. Will have to see how DSM 7 pans out, whether it's a forced update & if so, what impact it has on the lowly resources of the DS218j.
 
Really don't want another device on the network if I can help it, but may end up with little choice. Is there a minimum spec Pi required for PCP, would an older version do the job?

A Raspberry Pi 3 should work fine, but unless you have one lying around, or can find a used one cheap, there isn't much difference in cost vs a RPi 4.

Unless you're short on ports I wouldn't worry to much about adding another device to your network, modern switches are more than capable of handling 100s of devices at once. You might even be able to power the Pi from a spare USB 3 port on your Synology to save you needing an extra USB power adaptor. Raspberry Pis are tiny, so you can easily just place it out of the way / on top of your NAS.
 
Last edited:
Really don't want another device on the network if I can help it, but may end up with little choice.

If you also enable the piCorePlayer's Squeezelite & use that as your main streamer, you'll at least eliminate the double bandwidth hit of the audio files on the network for that playback.
 
If you also enable the piCorePlayer's Squeezelite & use that as your main streamer, you'll at least eliminate the double bandwidth hit of the audio files on the network for that playback.
Then into the realms of adding a DAC to make it a usable replacement for the Touch & still no screen. Bandwidth isn't an issue, it's yet another device to accommodate & troubleshoot when it goes tits up.

I've always regretted buying a j series so upgrading to a Plus at the right price seems sensible, especially as £58 of that would go on the basic Pi kit anyway. The extra grunt & Docker is quite compelling. Will be interesting to see if DSM 7 does anything to improve the appalling USB performance.
 
Then into the realms of adding a DAC to make it a usable replacement for the Touch & still no screen. Bandwidth isn't an issue, it's yet another device to accommodate & troubleshoot when it goes tits up.

I've always regretted buying a j series so upgrading to a Plus at the right price seems sensible, especially as £58 of that would go on the basic Pi kit anyway. The extra grunt & Docker is quite compelling. Will be interesting to see if DSM 7 does anything to improve the appalling USB performance.
I'm the same with my NAS (DS118), really fancy the DS220+ but cant justify the cost of the bay plus an additional HDD when mine is working and does primarily what I need it to, plus I have already bought and set up a pi4 as my new Logitech media server which stores the music on a spare M2 NVME SSD I had (plus it also runs pihole as one of my other Pi's died).

For powering a pi LMS, you could use USB as suggested by @jamieu or you could get a POE hat if you have a switch that is capable; I am using a Pi4 with POE hat as a torrent seed box.
 
cant justify the cost of the bay
Amazon have had lightning deals below £240 which makes it more palatable, more so if I also deduct the cost of a Pi kit.

I'm a bit in no man's land at the moment. There are limitations to LMS on Synology anyway due to Perl being an old version, so HTTPS support for radio streams doesn't work. When they update Perl with DSM 7 then LMS will break anyway, so Docker would be a solution both for LMS & PiHole.

If I do end up with another box it will probably be Windows based for maximum compatibility with plugins. Bit of a backwards step as that's how I used to run SlimServer way back when. But at least it will sleep & wake with WOL when needed.
 
I had been running Docker and an LMS container in DMS 6.2 for many months and finally took the leap to DMS 7 beta yesterday. It warns you that native LMS will cease to work (due to Perl update) and the only options are then to uninstal the Synology and pinkdot versions when viewing the apps in DMS 7.0.

The good news for those that can run Docker on their Synology NAS is that LMS continues to work perfectly running from within a Docker container in DMS 7.0.:clap:

HB
 
those that can run Docker on their Synology NAS
Unfortunately AFAIK that's only the x86 + models.

I'm in the process of repurposing an old HP thin client in anticipation of losing LMS on my DS218j. Just need to find a cheap 64GB M2 SSD as the installed 32GB is a bit tight for W10 & updates. I suppose I could go Linux but I have no appetite for that whatsoever.
 
Unfortunately AFAIK that's only the x86 + models.

I'm in the process of repurposing an old HP thin client in anticipation of losing LMS on my DS218j. Just need to find a cheap 64GB M2 SSD as the installed 32GB is a bit tight for W10 & updates. I suppose I could go Linux but I have no appetite for that whatsoever.
Are you using the HP client just for LMS? If so you can easily install LMS as a standalone programme on the Pi as another cheap, low power option.
 
Unfortunately AFAIK that's only the x86 + models.
Here's the list of all models that support Docker from the Synology website:
  • FS series:FS6400, FS3600, FS3400, FS3017, FS2017, FS1018
  • SA series:SA3600, SA3400, SA3200D
  • 21 series:RS4021xs+, RS3621xs+, RS3621RPxs, RS1221RP+, RS1221+, DS1821+, DS1621xs+, DS1621+, DVA3221
  • 20 series:RS820RP+, RS820+, DS1520+, DS920+, DS720+, DS620slim, DS420+, DS220+
  • 19 series:RS1619xs+, RS1219+, DS2419+, DS1819+, DS1019+, DVA3219
  • 18 series:RS3618xs, RS2818RP+, RS2418RP+, RS2418+, RS818RP+, RS818+, DS3018xs, DS1618+, DS918+, DS718+, DS218+
  • 17 series:RS18017xs+, RS4017xs+, RS3617xs+, RS3617RPxs, RS3617xs, DS3617xs, DS1817+, DS1517+
  • 16 series:RS18016xs+, RS2416RP+, RS2416+, DS916+, DS716+II, DS716+, DS216+II, DS216+
  • 15 series:RS815RP+, RS815+, RC18015xs+, DS3615xs, DS2415+, DS1815+, DS1515+, DS415+
  • 14 series:RS3614xs+, RS3614RPxs, RS3614xs, RS2414RP+, RS2414+, RS814RP+, RS814+
  • 13 series:RS10613xs+, RS3413xs+, DS2413+, DS1813+, DS1513+, DS713+
  • 12 series:RS3412RPxs, RS3412xs, RS2212RP+, RS2212+, RS812RP+, RS812+, DS3612xs, DS1812+, DS1512+, DS712+, DS412+
  • 11 series:RS3411RPxs, RS3411xs, RS2211RP+, RS2211+, DS3611xs, DS2411+, DS1511+, DS411+II, DS411+
  • *10 series:RS810RP+, RS810+, DS1010+, DS710+
  1. *The models of this series are not compatible with the latest version of DSM. For details, please refer to the Product Support Status page.
HB
 
Here's the list of all models that support Docker from the Synology website:
  • FS series:FS6400, FS3600, FS3400, FS3017, FS2017, FS1018
  • SA series:SA3600, SA3400, SA3200D
  • 21 series:RS4021xs+, RS3621xs+, RS3621RPxs, RS1221RP+, RS1221+, DS1821+, DS1621xs+, DS1621+, DVA3221
  • 20 series:RS820RP+, RS820+, DS1520+, DS920+, DS720+, DS620slim, DS420+, DS220+
  • 19 series:RS1619xs+, RS1219+, DS2419+, DS1819+, DS1019+, DVA3219
  • 18 series:RS3618xs, RS2818RP+, RS2418RP+, RS2418+, RS818RP+, RS818+, DS3018xs, DS1618+, DS918+, DS718+, DS218+
  • 17 series:RS18017xs+, RS4017xs+, RS3617xs+, RS3617RPxs, RS3617xs, DS3617xs, DS1817+, DS1517+
  • 16 series:RS18016xs+, RS2416RP+, RS2416+, DS916+, DS716+II, DS716+, DS216+II, DS216+
  • 15 series:RS815RP+, RS815+, RC18015xs+, DS3615xs, DS2415+, DS1815+, DS1515+, DS415+
  • 14 series:RS3614xs+, RS3614RPxs, RS3614xs, RS2414RP+, RS2414+, RS814RP+, RS814+
  • 13 series:RS10613xs+, RS3413xs+, DS2413+, DS1813+, DS1513+, DS713+
  • 12 series:RS3412RPxs, RS3412xs, RS2212RP+, RS2212+, RS812RP+, RS812+, DS3612xs, DS1812+, DS1512+, DS712+, DS412+
  • 11 series:RS3411RPxs, RS3411xs, RS2211RP+, RS2211+, DS3611xs, DS2411+, DS1511+, DS411+II, DS411+
  • *10 series:RS810RP+, RS810+, DS1010+, DS710+
  1. *The models of this series are not compatible with the latest version of DSM. For details, please refer to the Product Support Status page.
HB
I've been considering upgrading my DS118 to a DS220+, to increase storage and have additional horsepower. Docker would be useful, but then I think my NAS does what it needs to do for me and for that part where it will falls down (or will fall down), i.e. as my LMS server, I have taken corrective action and bought a pi to be a dedicated music server. When I do upgrade, I will be paying more attention to limitations of the NAS and going for a better model in the range.
 
Are you using the HP client just for LMS? If so you can easily install LMS as a standalone programme on the Pi as another cheap, low power option.
Yes, I managed a W10 Home install with around 9GB free so that will do for now. Only issue was being Home, there was no RDP to allow it to run headless, but I found Google Remote Desktop as a replacement. Set to sleep after 15 mins of inactivity & wakes with the WOL Magic Packet the Touch sends when it comes out of standby. It's a PITA having to run another box but it is what it is. If I hadn't had the HP laying around then Pi it probably would have been.

Bloody annoying though when LMS was a large part of deciding to buy the Synology in the first place. :facepalm:
 
Interesting dvelopment. Apparently Synology have recently upgraded Perl on DSM 6.2, which has the same effect of breaking LMS as DSM 7. But some have got round it by deleting Perl & re-installing the previous version from an archive. No idea if that would also work with DSM 7 but may help anyone suffering in the short-term.

 
Yeah saw that, luckily
Interesting dvelopment. Apparently Synology have recently upgraded Perl on DSM 6.2, which has the same effect of breaking LMS as DSM 7. But some have got round it by deleting Perl & re-installing the previous version from an archive. No idea if that would also work with DSM 7 but may help anyone suffering in the short-term.

Can see perl being force updated with dsm 7. Glad I got my LMS moved across to a pi, so dont have to worry. I did get my synology for LMS and plex, now I don't use it for either. Maybe a qnap is in order if I upgrade my NAS.
 
So after Synology ending support for Logitech Media Server (LMS) as per this link, it now looks like that LMS is likely to stop working once DSM 7 rolls out..
I was unaware of that notice but I got trapped by accepting the recent Perl update. I was reflexively accepting it and then noticing the warning that LMS would be disabled if I installed it.

I managed to find the 8.1.x package for Synology. It installs and runs. But the next surprise is that I couldn't find my important third party plug-ins from Erland Isakson. He said in another forum that the plug-ins will run under 8.1 but that his repository includes metadata capping downloads at 7.x. He assured that one can still download and install the packages manually.

And here is where I need some enlightenment:

  • where is the /plugins folder in Synology?
  • How do I gain access to upload the files to the apps area of the Synology?

I have a DS418play. I can gain SSH access and see all the binaries, etc. But I don't find the appstore or plugin hierarchy. And when I try to use sftp, I only see the user shares.

Once I discover where the plugins go, do I use Unix commands to mv the plugin files from a user share into the /plugins folder?

I hope someone here can help!

 
I was unaware of that notice but I got trapped by accepting the recent Perl update. I was reflexively accepting it and then noticing the warning that LMS would be disabled if I installed it.

I managed to find the 8.1.x package for Synology. It installs and runs. But the next surprise is that I couldn't find my important third party plug-ins from Erland Isakson. He said in another forum that the plug-ins will run under 8.1 but that his repository includes metadata capping downloads at 7.x. He assured that one can still download and install the packages manually.

And here is where I need some enlightenment:

  • where is the /plugins folder in Synology?
  • How do I gain access to upload the files to the apps area of the Synology?

I have a DS418play. I can gain SSH access and see all the binaries, etc. But I don't find the appstore or plugin hierarchy. And when I try to use sftp, I only see the user shares.

Once I discover where the plugins go, do I use Unix commands to mv the plugin files from a user share into the /plugins folder?

I hope someone here can help!

Not done it myself, but have a read here. I did look a while ago as I wanted to install the multiple library plugin, but had trouble finding correct folder to install to. Might have another go later now lms is not on my nas.
 
Not done it myself, but have a read here. I did look a while ago as I wanted to install the multiple library plugin, but had trouble finding correct folder to install to. Might have another go later now lms is not on my nas.
Thank you so much! And now I feel kinda oblivious: all I had to do is look in the Information tab where it shows the two folders for plugins. (One is transient and the other is permanent.)

I have to go back and read that post again because the knowledgeable person kept beating around the bush.

I primarily got this NAS to run LMS. So lack of access is driving me nuts-- music is very important to me-- especially during the pandemic.

Because you have not installed LMS, I'd suggest downloading anything you might need while the files are still available. Another thing I'm taking note of: no one is certain whether LMS will even run under the next Synology major OS release 7. So I will probably freeze the OS until I can be sure LMS will run under that version. And also freezing the Perl version too.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom