General


Yes it Does!

Using Docker you can run Shoko Server natively on Linux. We’ve created a Linux Install Guide that we highly recommend all Linux users follow to properly install Shoko Server. If needed, additional support can be found by visiting our Discord Server.

Please keep in mind that Shoko Server on Linux is still in beta so issues are to be expected.

There are no plans to add Linux or MacOS support to Shoko Desktop as it is being phased out.

Several community members have had success running the Windows client under Wine on Linux and on MacOS using the same wineprefix dependencies via Portingkit.

The banned message you’re seeing is simply telling you that you’ve been temporarily banned for excessive connection attempts. AniDB will sometimes temporarily ban a user if their system thinks you are attempting to leech data by making excessive connection attempts within seconds. In reality, you’ve done nothing wrong and just need to wait out the ban which can last anywhere from 15 minutes to 24 hours depending on the severity. Also keep in mind that browsing AniDB while Shoko is scraping and downloading data can also increase the chance of getting a temporary ban as your creating more connection attempts.

There are two different ban types, HTTP or UDP that a user can get that’s based on AniDB’s API. If a user is temporarily banned from one, Shoko will automatically stop sending data associated with that API but will continue to use the other API when possible. This does not mean all your commands will go through as each API sends and receives different data, so you may notice your queue idling even though there are commands waiting to be processed.

Reducing & Avoiding AniDB Bans

Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee that you won’t get any bans. AniDB uses an old anti-leech system with no plans to update or replace with something more modern. There are ways that you can get banned less often, though.

Only use Shoko to download data. Shoko can manage everything you could need. HAMA, AniDB plugins for media players, etc all will conflict with Shoko and cause a temporary ban.

Pull less data. The AniDB section in the Settings tab in Shoko Desktop has settings to download only certain info. You can limit it to only download data you care about. If you only grab things that are finished airing, then you can also increase the time between updates to once a week, for example.

XML Cache:

XML Cache Locations:

OSLocation
WindowsC:\ProgramData\ShokoServer\Anime_HTTP
Linux~/.shoko/Shoko.CLI/Anime_HTTP

During initial import or when importing many series at once, it helps if you don’t need to download everything. You can get a cache of XML files that hold series info from this link. These go in the XML cache directory, and Shoko will use them to keep moving forward in case of ban, and if they are recent enough, then it won’t even bother calling AniDB for updated info (unless you tell it to).

  1. Download Anime_HTTP.zip from this link
  2. Copy it to your Shoko Server directory
    • Windows: C:\ProgramData\ShokoServer
    • Linux: ~/.shoko/Shoko.CLI
  3. Unzip Anime_HTTP.zip, if asked if you wish to replace files, do not as the files you have are likely newer
    • Linux: unzip -n Anime_HTTP.zip to unzip without replacing files

We’re always making improvements to our rate limiter to avoid users getting a temporary ban. If you find yourself getting banned for more than a day, join our Discord Server, so we can help diagnose the problem and make the experience smoother for you.

No, Shoko does not support streaming directly from websites such as Crunchy Roll.

Yes it does!

Users can stream their anime collection to any Shoko supported program. While the majority of the work is done for you, there are a few things you’ll need to do in order to start streaming. First make sure port 8111 is forwarded to allow outside access to Shoko. If using Shoko Desktop on another computer, make sure you’re using one of the supported video players listed in Settings And Video Players.

While we currently do not offer a solution to backup your database whenever you’d like, we do automatically backup your database before updating Shoko to the latest version. If you need to restore an older version you’ll find your backups in the following locations.

OSLocation
WindowsC:\ProgramData\ShokoServer\DatabaseBackup
Linux~/.shoko/Shoko.CLI/DatabaseBackup

Server


There are a number of possible reasons why you’re files are not being imported. First, double-check your import folder settings and make sure you’ve selected the correct options that reflects your setup. If everything looks correct and running the Run Import action still fails to properly import your files then what’s likely happening is one of two things. The files have been imported but the crc32 value does not match any files on AniDB or there were errors during the hashing process and Shoko server was unable to get the hash and compare it.

Using Shoko Desktop, navigate to Utilities > Unrecognized Files and if your files are showing up there, you can manually link them to the correct episode. if Shoko server was unable to get the hash, make sure no other program is accessing the files in question and try again by clicking Run Import.

Yes, you are able to change your Drop Destination as many times as you want to fit your current setup. However please note that files located in your previous Drop Destination are not automatically moved into your new Drop Destination so its possible a series may be split and located in multiple folders.
Previously, Shoko did support both MySQL and SQL Server as possible database options due to multiple issues such as database access times and overall speed that were present when using an SQLite database with a large collection. Starting with Version 3.6, we’ve been steadily making improvements to address these issues that the benefits once provided by MySQL and SQL Server are now negligible. To that end and to reduce unrelated issues that could arise when using MySQL or SQL Server, support for MySQL and SQL Server as a database option has been deprecated and the option to select either of them has been removed.

Navigate to C:\ProgramData\ShokoServer and open the file labeled settings.json. You’ll need to update the DB specific properties depending on what DB you use.

MySQL Settings

PropertyProperty Value
DatabaseTypeMySQL
MySQL_HostnameDefault is localhost. If your MySQL DB is on another computer, use that IP.
MySQL_SchemaNameThe name you gave to the Database.
MySQL_UsernameEither the MySQL root account or the account you created.
MySQL_PasswordThe password you selected.

SQL Server Settings

PropertyProperty Value
DatabaseTypeSQL Server
SQLServer_HostnameDefault is localhost. If your SQL Server DB is on another computer, use that IP.
SQL_SchemaNameThe name you gave to the Database.
SQL_UsernameEither the SQL root account or the account you created.
SQL_PasswordThe password you selected.

MariaDB

Currently confirmed working MariaDB versions are 10.5.x - 10.11.x. Using a version 11.x or higher MariaDB, Shoko will not be able to connect.

We recommend staying on the LTS release for your convenience and security. The current LTS release is 10.11.x.

Please note that MariaDB is a legacy database for Shoko and we highly advise you to use the current SQLite database for new installations.

MySQL

Since MySqlConnector is used, all current releases should work. If you are running into issues with a specific version, please let us know!

Please note that MySQL is a legacy database for Shoko and we highly advise you to use the current SQLite database for new installations.

Shoko Metadata


This can happen when a problem occurs while scanning files and downloading the respective metadata.

To fix this, please follow these steps:

  1. Unmatch the Series/Movie in question (you can find that in the Context menu for the entry, usually accessible by clicking the 3 Dots)
  2. Create a file called .plexignore in the folder of the Series/Movie, which only contains “*”
  3. Rescan your library, the Series/Movie should get removed
  4. Run package clean up (found under Settings -> Trouble Shooting of the Plex Media Server) as well as database optimization
  5. Remove the .plexignore file
  6. Rescan your library
  7. All media files and information should now be available and properly displayed.

If you still have problems after following those steps, feel free to hop on our discord.