The Windows Home Server Enthusiast Community

Today I'm releasing an Add-In to automate the install of FirePlay for the Home Server. I've developed this as I hate the idea that people have to keep jumping onto an RDP session to install software. That's OK for some people, but we have many members of the community that are not comfortable doing that and the Add-In mechanism is a great way to install software on the server.

Whilst I've done this with MediaSmart Server users in mind, it is suitable for all Windows Home Server platforms, non MSS users will need to install Firefly (included already on the MSS).

This and all other MediaSmartServer.net Add-Ins can be downloaded from here.

Title: FirePlay for Windows Home Server
Version: 0.90.03
Date: 13/04/2009
Author: Nigel Wilks (FirePlay written by Bo Mellberg)
http://www.mediasmartserver.net

Update 14/04/2009
Changes in 0.90.05:-
Switched from using HTM to ASP so I can skip the script code I was using in the installer, the install now won't fail when Remote Access is switched off. (This also gives the benefit of being able to use this internally for scenarios where access to your external domain name internally fails. So you can now type in http://hpserver/FirePlay internally, or http://my.hpserver.com/FirePlay (using your own server or domain names) and the ASP will configure as appropriate.)

Reading the Firefly port is now performed by the Service, and not the installer which should make it more dynamic.

The Service has also been updated so that it does not warn that Remote Access is disabled when the Upnp configuration fails.
-----------------

Update 05/07/2009
Changes in 0.90.06:-

Added a favicon.
Improved the FirePlay Service to resolve Remote Access detection issues.
Resolves bug where Remote Access status is switched after install caused upnp issue.
Now generates a health alert if it can't find FireFly.

WHAT IS FIREPLAY?
=================
FirePlay is a Flash based client for accessing the Firefly Media Server which
is pre-installed on the MediaSmart Server. It will allow you to play your music
through your browser, without needing any other media player. It will therefore
allow you to access your music remotely if you have remote access switched on.


WHAT DOES THE ADDIN DO?
=======================
Many people may have already installed FirePlay already, this simplifies the process
and will configure the Windows Firewall and also your Router if it supports UPNP.
We developed this add-in to try and simplify a common task that WHS users perform,
removing the need to go via a console.


CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
============================
Thanks to Bo Mellberg for developing the client, and agreeing for us to develop
this add-in.

And a very big thanks to Alex Kuretz for developing the FirePlay service and encouraging
me through the Add-In development.


INSTALLATION
============
Install FirePlay for Windows Home Server by copying the FirePlayWHS.msi file to the
Software\Add-Ins share of your Windows Home Server.

Start the Windows Home Server Console, select Settings, then Add-Ins. Select
FirePlay for Windows Home Server from the Available tab, and click "Install".

Once the install is complete, you are ready to use FirePlay. Just open your Browser and
point it to http://yourhomeserver.com/FirePlay


UPGRADING
==========
To upgrade from a previous version of FirePlay for Windows Home Server, please
uninstall the previous version via the Add-Ins settings tab of the WHS Console, then
follow the normal Installation instructions.


CONFIGURATION
=============
Simply install!



KNOWN ISSUES
============
* As a limitation of Flash, only MP3 files are currently supported. This may change
as Adobe develop Flash further.


FUTURE PLANS
============
This release is based on the FirePlay v0.90 client. As Bo develops FirePlay we will
update the Add-In to include the updated client.

It's installed and working great for me, awesome add-in!

Unfortunately it didn't install on my ex475. It told me there was a missing script and the final install failure was a code 1603.

I got exactly the same message...

Hmmm... What software or add-ins do you both have installed?

Hi I installed the add-in and i can go to the firepla url and see the flash page but the library is empty. I have been using the flashplay .89 and it worked great I actually installed this new one over the old one and i can go to both pages, the orignal one shows the library but the new does not. I did try uninstalling the old flash .89 but it did not help.

Can you PM me over the html files for the old and new ones?

First of all

This is brilliant!

secondly can i control this with password and login? I would prefer that only people i allow get access to all my music

and third i have 2 "normal" domains connected to my server too (with certificate error and all) . When i try to use those it ask for login and password which I cant figure out what is (tried all i can think of)

/Tass

Ops I only have 2 "normal" domains not 3 sorry still does not work though

Same error here 1603
In Event log (error 1720) it seems the Fireplay installation script is unable to open registry key "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Home Server\Website Manager\DomainName.
Makes perfectly sense since this key is not present on my system (running the system in a workgroup environnement).
Another error in Event log: Fireplay WHS has detected that Remote Access is disabled (not true).

Let me know if you need more info.
Eric

Hi Eric,

Can you please take a look at the Remote Access settings tab and make sure you have Remote Access turned on? If you've never enabled Remote Access I could see those registry keys missing, and the service does a pretty good check of Remote Access to make sure it's on. A screenshot of that menu would be helpful, if you don't mind. You can PM it to either Cougar or me if you're not comfortable showing it to everyone here.

BTW, "Domain" in this case means the DDNS URL configured for Remote Access (like, yourserver.hpmediasmart.com or yourserver.homeserver.com ).

If you http://HPSERVER:9999/config.html (replace your HPSERVER with your server name as required), logon (Admin and default password is firefly) you can then set a password for your music under Music Password.

I've updated the Add-In to 0.90.05 to work around some of the issues you have mentioned.

Changes in 0.90.05:-

Switched from using HTM to ASP so I can skip the script code I was using in the installer, the install now won't fail when Remote Access is switched off. (This also gives the benefit of being able to use this internally for scenarios where access to your external domain name internally fails. So you can now type in http://hpserver/FirePlay internally, or http://my.hpserver.com/FirePlay (using your own server or domain names) and the ASP will configure as appropriate.)

Reading the Firefly port is now performed by the Service, and not the installer which should make it more dynamic.

The Service has also been updated so that it does not warn that Remote Access is disabled when the Upnp configuration fails.

Please keep the feedback coming..

I can get it to work internally by using http://hpserver/FirePlay but when I use http://mydomain.homeserver.com/FirePlay it loads the page but not the library.

I've forwarded port 9999 to my WHS, but still no luck. Any hints?

Thank you once again

Can you explain to me why my other domains does not work with this?

The admin firefly thing works there but playlist etc not loading...the music password does not seem to work

2 thumbs up Cougar... got it working with no problems, I'll have to test it at tomorrow.