Hello! I am not sure whether this question comes under rasberry pi, linux, network or VLC.
I have a wired network with a mix of Linux, Windows XP, and stand alone media players (iRadio, TV mutimedia player, etc.). I was running a box with Linux Mint and an external USB HDD with music files all in different folders for each album. I was able to access them from a XP laptop using VLC by selecting the folder and dragging and dropping into VLC.
I decided to set up a similar arrangement with a raspberry pi running rasbian with a new external HDD having the same files, and shared over samba.
When I try to open a these music folders on the laptop (or the Mint box) using VLC, I get the message "VLC is unable to open the MRL..." Also, the imbedded album art does not show.
Interestingly, if I select the List View in Nemo and look at the shared folders on the raspberry pi, the size is blank, whereas on the USB HDD attached to the Mint box, the is an entry "15 items", etc.

Why is accessing the same folders on the pi any different from on the box running Mint?
All I want to do is to play the files on the laptop while displaying the album art.
Puzzled - any ideas welcome.

VLC failing to play smb shares :
msg: "VLC is unable to open the MRL smb://raspberrypi/PI/.... Check the log for details." ?


try:
open VLC
Tools > Preferences
"Show Settings"
All (button)
Select: Input / Codecs > Access Modules > SMB

.check the information specified in the fields displayed:
..leave "SMB domain" field blank
..make sure the PIs Samba user name and password are correct (clear and re-enter if necessary)

.try to open the file again

Any luck ?

C.

Hello cgtueno,

Thank you for the ideas. I found the fields blank in the SMB entries. The XP now seems to be o.k. Yet to try the Mint box.

Once again thanks for your help.

Bob