Add-on manager: Difference between revisions

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== Repositories ==
== Repositories ==


Repositories are storage locations from where add-ons can be retrieved from. Kodi comes with one official add-on repositories installed by default, ''Kodi.tv add-on repository''. However others can be added.
Repositories are storage locations from where add-ons can be retrieved from. They allow the user to browse for more add-ons of all types, as well as allowing Kodi to check them for updates to add-ons, so they don't have to be manually installed. Kodi comes with one official add-on repositories installed by default, ''Kodi.tv add-on repository''. However others can be added.





Revision as of 00:38, 30 July 2015

Home icon grey.png   ▶ Settings
▶ Add-ons
▶ Add-on manager

The Add-on manager's purpose is to manage the various add-ons to the Kodi application. It can be browsed like any other section and the various installed/uninstalled, enabled/disabled add-ons. In the Add-on manager you can also change the settings for auto update, notifications and foreign filter by bringing up the slide in submenu (press left to show/hide). The Add-on manager is not where you go to run add-ons, but only to install and configure them.

How to access the Add-on manager

From the home screen for the default Confluence skin, go to System and then Add-ons.

Add-on manager options

My add-ons
All installed add-ons, disabled or not, can be found in "My add-ons". This includes both a per-category listing as well as a single unified list of all installed add-ons.
Available updates
When an update to an add-on is available it will show up here. By default, add-ons are set to update automatically, so this should normally be empty unless you have changed your preferences to prevent automatic update installs.
Install from repository
allows you to install new add-ons from the installed repositories. Kodi.tv add-on repository is the official add-on repository that is already included in Kodi, but other add-on repository sources can also be installed. (see How to install additional add-on repositories for more info)
Install from ZIP file
allows the installation of an add-on or repository from a ZIP file, either from the hard drive or LAN.
Search
allows you to search add-ons in the installed repositories and your installed add-ons.
System
Allows users to see which add-ons are running or used by another add-on. It contains the following sub-categories:
  • Dependancies - Various module/lib add-ons that are required for other add-ons to run. Previously, many of these add-ons were not listed in the GUI at all, which prevented the ability to use rollback or see change logs.
  • Orphaned dependancies - Module/lib add-ons that are safe to uninstall as they are no longer needed. For example, some module add-ons might be installed to support a new skin add-on, but are no longer needed if that skin add-on is later uninstalled.
  • Running - What add-ons are currently running all the time (such as services), which helps find add-ons that might be causing slow-downs. Please note that some add-ons are designed to run all the time, and most shouldn't cause any issue.


Lefthand sidebar menu

Add-on manager sidebar menu.png

View options
View
The view mode that items are displayed as. Similar to other areas of the interface, such as the video and audio libraries. Common view modes include lists, icons, and variations on those.
Sort by
This is normally used in other areas of Kodi for video and audio listings to sort things in different orders based on date and such. For the add-on manager the only option is to list by "Name".
Sort
Changes the alphabetical name sort order between "A to Z" and "Z to A".

Misc options
Auto updates
Choose how updates are handled. Options are as follows:
  • On - At least once a day, add-ons that are listed in a repo will automatically be updated if an update is available. If the "Notifications" option is also enabled, then the user will receive an on-screen notification about the available update and install.
  • Notify - The same as above, but the update itself will not automatically install. The user will get a notification of available updates, and an "Available updates" folder will appear in the add-on manager list, allowing the user to manually apply updates either for all add-ons or per-add-on.
  • Never - Kodi will not check for updates nor will it install any known pending updates. The user will also not get any notifications, because Kodi won't know about any pending updates.
Notifications
If "On" or "Notify" are selected for "Auto updates", then selecting this will also show a notification in the Kodi GUI if add-on updates are found.
Hide foreign
This can be used to filter out all add-ons that are not listed (by their creators) as providing content in the language selected under Settings -> Appearance -> International -> Language . This option will only be available when viewing a list of add-ons to install from a repository.
Hide incompatible
This filters out any add-on marked as broken or unable to install (incompatible, missing a dependent add-on or that add-on is broken, etc). This option will only be available when viewing a list of add-ons to install from a repository.
Check for updates
Kodi automatically checks for add-on updates by looking up add-on repositories online at least once a day. If you want to check for updates more often or have manually disabled automatic update checks, you can use this option to check for updates at that very moment.
Last updated
Shows when Kodi last connected to the internet to check add-on repositories for updates.


How to install add-ons from a repository

For this example a skin is being installed, the same method is used for other add-ons.

Select Install from repository -> Select the repository (if only one repository is installed, then you will automatically go into that repo) -> Select the add-on category -> Select the add-on -> Select Install

When the add-on has finished downloading Kodi will enable it and depending on the add-on ask if you want to start using it. Add-ons will then appear in their appropriate section (e.g. skins in the appearance section of settings, movie scrapers in the options of scrapers when adding a new movie source)


How to install from a ZIP file

In this example the hybrid repository is being installed, but the method is the same for add-ons. First download the ZIP file, then:

Settings → Add-ons → Install from zip file -> Navigate to the ZIP file


Repositories

Repositories are storage locations from where add-ons can be retrieved from. They allow the user to browse for more add-ons of all types, as well as allowing Kodi to check them for updates to add-ons, so they don't have to be manually installed. Kodi comes with one official add-on repositories installed by default, Kodi.tv add-on repository. However others can be added.


To install a new repository you must first find the ZIP file to install the repository, a list of 3rd party add-on repositories is semi-maintained on the wiki - other repositories may exist. Then follow the instructions at How to install from a ZIP file.

Updating

Slide in submenu, with Add-on manager settings. Editor note: needs updated screenshot
A notification that an add-on has been installed and enabled.Editor note: needs updated screenshot

To manually update add-ons or change update settings, from the home screen go to the add-on manager and bring up the lefthand sidebar menu.

By default Auto update is enabled and all installed add-ons will be automatically updated when new versions are available from the repositories.

If you want to enable/disable auto-updates, while in the add-on manager bring up the slide in submenu (press right to show/hide) and enable/disable Auto update. You can still select to be notified of updates being available, allowing you to choose to apply the updates or not on a per-add-on basis, or not check for updates at all.

If auto update is turned off you should see a folder in the add-on manager that says Available updates, where you can go in and one-by-one and update add-ons.

Installing an add-on from a ZIP file can lead to it not having a repository associated with it. Automatic or manual (using Available Updates folder) update will then not be available. You can of course manually update the add-on by downloading a ZIP file with the new version. If you later install the associated repository the add-on will be able to get automatically or manually updated.

Update/install notifications, which can be toggled on/off in the submenu, will show up in the right bottom corner and will notify you that:

  • a new version of an add-on is available, if you have Auto update disabled.
  • an add-on has been updated, if you have Auto update enabled.
  • an add-on has been enabled (only when installing a new add-on or when doing rollbacks).
  • an installation has failed.

Note: Notification windows only show up for a few seconds and then disappear.

Rollback

Rollback is a function to reinstall a previous version of an add-on. The reason to do this can be that you don't like the new version (e.g changed features) or that the new version introduced a bug.

Rollback is only available if you've had a previous version installed before getting the add-on manually or automatically updated. I.e. if you install a new add-on only the latest version will be installed, thus you can't rollback to any other version.

If you rollback from version B to A and version C is added to its repository the add-on will automatically get updated (if you have Auto update enabled) to version C and you'll have to rollback again to version A. To stop this from happening disable Auto update or uninstall the associated repository. The latter is not always practical or even possible, e.g. the official repositories.

To do a rollback, from the home screen go to the Add-on manager

System -> Add-ons

then

Select Enabled Add-ons -> Select the category -> Select the add-on -> Select Rollback -> Select a previous version to reinstall

See also

Development: