EMC – trash, NAS and automation

Configure trash deliberately

EMC has separate trash settings under EMC → MENU → EMC Setup → Trashcan. The usual /media/hdd/movie/trashcan differs from native MovieSelection’s .Trash. Check the actual path in your installation; trash is not a backup.

Automatic cleanup and daily actions were temporarily disabled for capture, then restored. Further time/age fields depend on the enabled parent option. Open original image ↗

1. Check Trashcan enable and an appropriate path on the intended storage device.
2. Show trashcan directory makes removed entries easier to locate; count/size are additional display options.
3. Keep Delete validation enabled if you want protection against accidental button presses.
4. Deliberately choose daily cleanup, its time and retention days. An enabled automatic cleanup can remove trash contents without asking about each file again.

Normal Delete can move files into enabled trash. Delete permanently and Empty trashcan remove files permanently. To recover an item still present, select it in trash and use Move to return it to the recording folder. Account for any active cleanup first.

A central trash folder on another filesystem may require a data transfer rather than a quick rename. NAS permissions, connection availability and free space also determine whether it succeeds. Trash contents still occupy storage.

Automatically remove finished movies

Move finished movies in trashcan is an additional Expert option. It processes movies classified as finished in Movie home and its subdirectories once the configured age is reached; links are not simply followed as additional subdirectories. Later trash cleanup can remove them permanently.

Age of finished movies differs from days in trash. The finished watching percentage is another criterion, distinct from age. Status colours alone do not require automatic removal. Manually marking a movie watched may also change whether it qualifies.

Cleanup is not limited to times when the EMC list is open. The checked startup code schedules it when Enigma2 starts and can initiate cleanup shortly afterwards. Disable EMC therefore does not reliably remove every background effect. Review and, if appropriate, disable automation separately when permanently switching to MovieSelection.

NAS, cache and scan rules

The file emc-noscan.cfg contains excluded scan paths; emc-hide.cfg controls hidden entries. The switches below also determine which rules apply.

Option group	Benefits and limits
File/directory cache	Reduces repeated reads. Changes made by another receiver may need a reload to appear.
Minimum cache limit	A count threshold: directories with more subdirectories or files are cached. Zero includes small non-empty lists; it is not a RAM limit in MB.
Always reload on opening	Fresher data with additional access; opening a slow NAS can take longer.
Directory sizes, file counts, latest recordings	Convenience requires extra reads. Compare these individually when investigating delays.
Suppress structure scans in selected folders	Uses /etc/enigma2/emc-noscan.cfg; distinct from hiding entries with emc-hide.cfg.
Scan DVD/Blu-ray/ISO/movie structures and linked folders	Recognizes media structures but can read many directories. Detection does not guarantee playback of every format.
Experimental options	Additional scan limits, rescanning affected folders, sleeping-device handling and dead-link checks. Change deliberately rather than enabling everything.
Remote recordings	Detects recordings in progress on another receiver using shared storage under suitable conditions. It does not create a network mount or remote timer.

An EMC cache cannot repair an unreachable server. Even with autofs, accessing an unavailable NAS can wait and show a spinner. Check mounts, connectivity and permissions first, then decide which preview/metadata/scan features are needed. Starting in a subfolder can reduce the first query for a very large library.

Daily auto-start, timer cleanup and diagnostics

Here daily auto-start schedules Standby, DeepStandby, Reboot or E2 Restart. It does not simply mean opening EMC every morning. Start/end of the window and standby after restarting are related settings. It does not replace a recording or wake-up timer; avoid scheduling the same shutdown independently in both EMC and Enigma2 task scheduling.

Automatic timers list cleaning concerns completed timer entries, not deletion of recorded video. Choose accordingly if timer history matters for troubleshooting.

Under Debug, enable EMC output and choose its directory and filename. The path must be writable with sufficient space; turn logging back down after targeted troubleshooting. See logs and diagnostics for general Enigma2 logs.

Sources: EMC startup and cleanup scheduling, deletion/cleanup logic, scheduled actions. Automatic deletion and power actions were not executed for this guide.