Can I create symbolic links to certain files?

[jraymond_tx]

Server Version#:1.23.3
Player Version#:1.33.0.2444

I’m wanting to create a library for Kids on the server, but don’t want to copy/duplicate files to have them show up in that library. It seems it “should” work…but how?

Can this be done, and how?

I tried creating a shortcut for a single file, then cut/pasted it into the Library folder and it didn’t work…so some guidance on how this can be accomplished would be great.

[jraymond_tx]

I think I found it…did a Google search and found this:

Same movie in different libraries?

Hi, I have a movie in two languages (English and Spanish). Then I have separate libraries for movies in Spanish and Movies in English: “Movies English”: reads media from C:/Movies “Movies Spanish”: reads media from C:/MoviesSpanish So, I need my dual movie (in 2 languages) to be in both libraries, but avoiding duplicating the file. Is there any way to accomplish this? Playlists don’t seem to do the job. Thanks

[jraymond_tx]

That does it…

Maybe we need to put this somewhere in the Setup Guide to Plex?

The only PITA thing is you need to re-link both libraries when you do this, if the engine doesn’t already associate the file with a certain film…but a slick way to include a common file into two (or more) libraries!

[jraymond_tx]

This is definitely the way to do it…

I was getting frustrated, because if I set up a “Kids” account, then it wouldn’t show ANY of the Looney Toons cartoons in the “kids” folder.

If I did it as “older kid” it only showed 3 of them, and the same for “teen”…

FFS, I was watching these cartoons when I was 6…this cancel-culture is getting to be over the top.

[ChuckPa]

It may seem a PITA… but it works.

1. Create a shared folder for each CLASS of media … e.g. “cartoons”, etc
2. Use FileStation to select the block of movies and move them. (the move is instantaneous on the same storage volume)
3. With each as a shared folder – Now you can ADD specific shared folders to libraries – e.g. /share/cartoons

No symlinks required.
More hair on your head when done.

I have: Movies, UHD, TV, Music, Cartoons.
I can add others if I want to break it down finer or add specials for friends.

[HappyMinded]

I have a similar use case, handling up to three languages (English, German and French). Some movies on Arte France (Hotbird) are broadcasted with three languages e.g.

Solution:
folder X:/Movies EN-DE-FR → add to library movies EN, movies DE and movies FR
folder X:/Movies EN-DE → add to library movies EN and movies DE
folder X:/Movies EN-FR → add to library movies EN and movies FR
folder X:/Movies DE-FR → add to library movies DE and movies FR
folder X:/Movies EN → add to library movies EN only
folder X:/Movies DE → add to library movies DE only
folder X:/Movies FR → add to library movies FR only

The library “movies EN” collects media from

• folder X:/Movies EN-DE-FR
• folder X:/Movies EN-DE
• folder X:/Movies EN-FR
• folder X:/Movies EN

The library “movies DE” collects media from

• folder X:/Movies EN-DE-FR
• folder X:/Movies EN-DE
• folder X:/Movies DE-FR
• folder X:/Movies DE

The library “movies FR” collects media from

• folder X:/Movies EN-DE-FR
• folder X:/Movies EN-FR
• folder X:/Movies DE-FR
• folder X:/Movies FR

This structure allows to save one file version only. This also works well, if I have two seperate recordings of the same movie (e.g. one version in German language and a different version in English).

More advanced tasks are to display meta data in the respective languages and to use poster pictures for different release countries of a movie, that look alike. Or to create a “best of” library, that combines files of the same movie in different languages. PLEX is only differentiating movie versions by resolution and Mbps, not language versions. There is no easy way to branch between language versions within a master library.