Archive:Kodi v16 (Jarvis) FAQ

NOTICE: Kodi v15 (Isengard) final was just recently released, so please keep in mind that a v16 (Jarvis) release is still far away into the future. As such, this is only a placeholder of that will be a Kodi Wiki copy of the Frequestly Asked Questions (FAQ) for the future Jarvis release which does not even have an estimated release date as of yet. This is all very much a work in progress, as such this only reflect some of the new features and functions commited to the master branch after Isengard branching, and many many many things are subject to change.

FAQs Releases

Kodi v16 (Jarvis) FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for upgrading to Kodi v16 (codename Jarvis) from a previous version. Includes how to enable some of the new features, where some controls got moved to, etc.

See also: Kodi v16 (Jarvis) changelog, Jarvis API changes, and Releases

INCOMPLETE: This page or section is incomplete. Please add information or correct uncertain data which is marked with a ?

General FAQ

See also: All platforms FAQ for an FAQ that applies to all versions of Kodi.

What is Kodi? What is Jarvis?

Main pages: Kodi name change FAQ and History of Kodi

Kodi is the new name for XBMC media center. "Jarvis" is the codename for version 16, just as "Jarvis" was the codename for Kodi v15 and "Helix was the codename for Kodi v14". You will often see "v16" and "Jarvis" used interchangeably in the community.

Why has this version been released so soon?

Team Kodi is attempting to release more often in order to help with stability of the program and to adapt more quickly to changes in media. In recent years bug fix releases have become more common so that users can get those bug fixes without breaking compatibility with skins, add-ons, or having to adapt to some other change. While bug fix releases are still planned in the future, Kodi has become modular enough that full releases can be introduced that also don't break compatibility with most things. While there are major changes, great effort was taken to minimize breakage of skins, add-ons, smartphone/tablet remotes, and other such elements, for v16.

v16 contains changes that will likely require skin and add-on updates. The release after that, v17, will be a "semi-major" release and will attempt to preserve compatibility with v16 skins and add-ons. The idea is to keep repeating this pattern in hopes it provides a more rapid release schedule without sacrificing compatibility.

Note: Add-ons are mentioned above as sometimes needing changes between versions. Some add-ons, such as most video, audio, and picture add-ons, are compatible with multiple versions. Kodi v16 will continue to work with many add-ons from as far back as v13. However, if you do have an issue with any add-on not working, please report it to the author of that add-on.

Changelog

Main page: Kodi v16 (Jarvis) changelog

See: Kodi v16 (Jarvis) changelog. Add-on developers should also see Jarvis API changes, and skinners should also read the sticky posts in the Skin Development Forum for full changelog on changes to the skinning engine).

=== What are some of the noticeable new features?

Main pages: New features and Kodi v16 (Jarvis) changelog

In addition to many "under the hood" improvements, some of the visible additions to v16 include:

Troubleshooting

Main page: Troubleshooting

What are some of the known issues in Jarvis?

See also: Common issues

Where can I get more help?

The general and platform specific FAQs, the Kodi support forums: http://forum.kodi.tv, and/or the #kodi IRC chat channel on irc.freenode.org.