Multiuser mode

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Usage by several users and Limited User Accounts[edit]

The Multi-user usage (that is, using of DVBViewer by several users on the same PC) and usage by Limited User accounts in Windows is very simple if DVBViewer is started once with Administrator permissions at its first run.

Proceeding:

  • During installation of DVBViewer, the setup program would ask how to store configuration settings. The options given are "For all users" or "For each user separate". After installation, if you run DVBViewer as Adminstrator, it will create a basic configuration, that is appropriate for all users of the PC.
  • In the DVBViewer installation folder there is a file UserMode.ini that can be edited with a text editor (e.g. Notepad) to define the usermode. The file has the following defaults:
[Mode]
UserMode=2
Root=CMUV\DVBViewer

The number behind the entry UserMode define the behaviour of the DVBViewer Pro and the Plugins in Multi-user usage. The available values are:

UserMode=0 (not recommended)[edit]

All configuration files (files and settings that will be altered during the use of DVBViewer, such as favourites) will be stored in the DVBViewer program folder where DVBViewer.exe is located (usually in "Program Files" directory) and will be shared by all users of the PC.
This mode equates the behaviour of older DVBViewer versions. All users share the same configuration, so one user cannot customize the behaviour of DVBViewer for themselves only as it will affect all other users of the PC. Also, this mode is unsuitable for usage in Windows Vista and 7 because of lack of editing permissions for "Program Files" folder.

UserMode=1[edit]

This mode is suitable for Limited User Accounts. Each user has his "own" configuration, saved in the user profile folder of his account, which is:
Documents and Settings\[Username]\Application Data\CMUV\DVBViewer (in Windows XP)
Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\CMUV\DVBViewer (in Windows Vista and 7)
If DVBViewer Pro is started in UserMode 1, it would check whether the configuration files already exist in the user profile. If not, these files will be copied from the installation folder and use them there from now on. The original configuration in the installation folder remains intact. So, when user A changes his configuration (e.g. channel list), it wouldn't affect user B. You can't use this mode if you want to use the DVBViewer Recording Service


UserMode=2 (default)[edit]

This mode is also suitable for Limited User Accounts. All configuration files are being stored in the DVBViewer configuration in "public" folder and will be shared by all users of the PC. This mode is needed for the Recording Service.

The path to the public configuration folder is:

Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\CMUV\DVBViewer (in Windows XP)
ProgramData\CMUV\DVBViewer (in Windows Vista and 7)
If DVBViewer Pro is started in UserMode 2, it would check whether the configuration files already exist in the user profile. If not, these files will be copied from the installation folder and use them there from now on. The original configuration in the installation folder remains intact. Any changes made by one user affects all other users of the PC.


In the Menu, selecting "Help/Configuration folder" opens configuration folder which is currently in use, depending on the UserMode. The folder is opened in Windows explorer window.

Recapitulation[edit]

The Administrator only have to initiate the basic configuration and define the user mode in the file UserMode.ini. All other actions will be done by DVBViewer Pro automatically. In UserMode 1 and 2 the basic configuration in the installation folder serves as a backup. If configuration files will be deleted from the user profiles, DVBViewer Pro will restore them from this backup at the next start.
The correct working of UserMode 1 and 2 depends on that all plugins obey these settings too. Therefore, please only use up to date plugin versions that are adjusted to work in this way.

Making multiple installations[edit]

DVBViewer Pro can be "installed" several times in different folders. Only the may installation is possible via Setup. The others are produced by coping the program folder. This enables to start more than one instance of the program. However, instances must not access the same DVB hardware at the same time. If there aren't 2 DVB tuners available, the hardware should be controlled by one DVBViewer Media Server or Recording Service and all DVBViewer instances run only as client.


How to make muptiple installations[edit]

  1. Copy the content of the installation folder to a new folder, e.g. Program Files\DVBViewer 2.
  1. Edit the file UserMode.ini in the new folder. Change the Root entry e.g. to CMUV\DVBViewer 2 in order to let the second instance use a different configuration folder.
  1. Install the DVBViewer Media Server or Recording Service in the main DVBViewer installation.
  1. Launch the copied DVBViewer.exe and close it, so the new configuration folder gets created. Copy the content of the configuration folder of instance 1 to the one of instance 2, if you want it to inherit the settings, channel list etc. In that way you get a "master" and "slave" installations. If you need to update DVBViewer, only let the installer to update the master installation; updating the other ones has to be done manually, by copying files. And don't register DirectShow filters that are located in the slave installation.
  1. Then configure all installations separate to use the DVBViewer Media Server. If you have don that before copying the configuration folder, delete the hardware.xml/.bak and generate new RTSP devices. So that each device has its own ID.

To remove the "slave" installation, just delete it and its configuration folder. That's all.