Q: Lion Server Podcast / Videocast not playing back on iOS devices

Thanks a lot for your reply. I will try your solution on my machine. your post will be valuable for me. one more question, have you fixed the issue that ios devices can't play podcasts on podcast library of lion server made by podcast publisher(not made by podcast producer)?  

I am using Lion server on a mac mini.  I am using podcast publisher to screen capture short 3-5 minute videos.  I then click on share --> podcast library.  The library is on the local server at /Library/server/podcast/data

After clicking on share --> Library. it says its preparing and then sending.  When its done it says your episode has been published Announce or OK.  If I click on OK i dont know how to find it in itunes.  However if I click announce and send the email to myself I get an email with a link to subcribe.  Clicking the link takes me to itunes and it subcribes and downlaods th podcast.  I can then sync it to my iphone and PLAY the podcast.  YES, I can play the podcast on my iOS5 device, podcast made on Lion Server using podcast publisher.

My problems are:

1.  I only have 500GB HDD on the server, I have a Pegaus R6 12TB thunderbolt drive.  I would like to store the podcast on the $2000 thunderbolt drive.  But I dont see an easy way to change the storage location.  Newtron45 suggest creatting a folder on the thunderbolt and symlinking the local library to a library folder on the thunderbolt.  But isnt a symlink just a link back to where the files are really located on the local server and not the thunderbolt drive???

2.  I would like to use podcast composer and workflows.  When I click on "share" I have the option to share podcast library or remote workflow.  When I choose workflow and put in the same server info that works for "share with podcast library" it says failed to connect to remote workflow server.  Any ideas???

3.  If I dont choose "announce" and I click on "OK" after it sends the podcast to the library, I am unable to find it in itunes for subcription and download.  Any idea???

4.  What is Podcast Capture for?  When I use it everything works great, I can see it in the list of podcast on the wiki podcast page (server).  But it never ask me to announce or subscribed and so I have the same problem as # 3 at this point, I cant find it in itunes.

5.  I can see all my podcast on the wiki podcast page (Lion server), but when I click on play I get the "loading" and nothing EVER happens, it never plays.  I think this is what is happening to everyone???

I feel like I am so close and yet so far.  I have been tasked by the Director of IT for my school district to get a podcast system setup and working so we can record classroom lectures (screen shot and teacher voice) and allow students to download these podcast through itunes.  And I would like to dress these up with graphic and music intros through an automated workflow process.  SOMEONE PLEASE HELP

Is the symlink just a shortcut or link back to the local server location???

I only have 500GB on the local server I have 12TB on the thunderbolt I really need the podcast to be save to the thunderbold exclusiviely so I dont fill my local server drive and run out of storage space.

How does the symlink work???  Will it do what I need???

I cant believe Apple would not allow you to pick a large external storage location.

Hi, joshfromammon

    you may go to Finder and copy /library/server/PodcastLibrary to your external raid. then, go to this new PodcastLibrary located on your external raid and right-click on it and click "Make Alias". After move out the original /library/server/PodcastLibrary from its original place, then drag this "Alias" to /library/server and change Alias name to PodcastLibrary. I think this should be what you want to know.

hi,joshfromammon

I mean ios devices can not play back podcasts directly from podcast server, not play podcasts after sync to ios devices. have you tried this condition before?

I did just as you suggested and when I click on "share with podcast library" it says failed to connect to server.  It does not like me changing anything about the PodcastLibrary folder on the server.  I put everything back the way it was and it works again . . .  saving to the local server HDD.

I just cant believe Apple will only let you save your recorded podcast to the local 500GB HDD.  Since when do server OS and data reside on the same HDD????

First of all, you have to copy  /library/server/PodcastLibrary to your external raid with permissions by using command:

     sudo cp -p -R /Library/Server/PodcastLibrary    your_raid

second, make an symbolic link by using command:

sudo ln -s /your_raid/PodcastLibrary/   /Library/Server/PodcastLibrary

OK, dont hate me  . . .  yet.  But I cant get the copy to work.

I typed

sudo cp -p -R /Library/Server/PodcastLibrary /Promise Raid

and it get

usage:  cp [-R [-H | -L | -P]]  [-fi | -n]  [-apvx] source_file target_file

I tried copying you command text replacing the target and after several tried it did ask for a password, I enetred it and still got the same usage message.

What am I doing wrong now???

Where you typed /Promise Raid  should be the name your your Raid drive.  If indeed the name is "Promise Raid", it should look like "/Promise\ Raid" because of the space. 

ok now I typed

sudo cp -p -R /Library/Server/PodcastLibrary /Promise\ Raid

and I get

cp: /Library/Server/PodcastLibrary   : No such file or directory

which isnt true that is the default location for wiki podcast