On Windows, running mediaserver.exe directly from the console (for example, with mediaserver.exe -e) does not display standard output (stdout) or standard error (stderr) in the terminal. This is a design characteristic of the Windows platform.

This guide explains how to enable the OutputRedirector mechanism to capture this output in log files, and how to configure logging for your custom plugins.

Step 1: Locate or create the nx_ini directory

The redirection files must reside in a specific directory named nx_ini. Because the system does not create this directory automatically, you must create it manually.

The directory path depends on how you run the Media Server:

• Running as a Service (Default): C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\nx_ini\

• Running from the Console or User Session: C:\Users\<Your_User>\AppData\Local\nx_ini\

Step 2: Enable server output redirection

To redirect the Media Server outputs to log files:

1. Navigate to the nx_ini directory you identified in Step 1.

2. Create two empty text files in that directory with these exact names:

   • mediaserver_stdout.log

   • mediaserver_stderr.log

3. Restart the Media Server.

What the logs contain

• mediaserver_stdout.log: Typically remains around 1 KB. It contains a single initialization string that confirms the redirection works.

• mediaserver_stderr.log: Contains the actual runtime logs, server output, and plugin logs. The system writes to stderr because it is unbuffered, which prevents log collision.

Step 3: Enable output for your plugin

If you develop a plugin using nx_kit and want to view its log statements:

1. In your nx_ini directory, create an empty configuration file named after your plugin. Use the format <plugin_name>.ini (for example, stub_analytics_plugin.ini).

2. Restart the Media Server. The server automatically populates this .ini file with configuration fields.

3. Open the .ini file and set the following value:

   enableOutput=true

4. Restart the Media Server again to apply the configuration.

Developer guide: Log with nx_kit

The nx_kit framework provides macros inside <nx/kit/debug.h> to manage console logging. These macros automatically append newlines and prefix the output with the origin filename.

1. Log levels

• NX_PRINT: Prints unconditionally to stderr. Use this as your standard log level.

• NX_OUTPUT: Prints to stderr only if you enable verbose output. You can enable this by setting enableOutput=true in your .ini file, or by defining NX_DEBUG_ENABLE_OUTPUT before you include the header.

2. Implementation example

Define your configuration in your header file:

// my_module_ini.h
#include <nx/kit/ini_config.h>

struct Ini: nx::kit::IniConfig
{
    Ini(): IniConfig("my_module.ini") { reload(); }
    NX_INI_FLAG(0, enableOutput, "Whether to produce verbose log on stderr.");
};

inline Ini& ini()
{
    static Ini ini;
    return ini;
}

Use the macros in your source file:

// my_module.cpp
#include "my_module_ini.h"
#include <nx/kit/debug.h>

void func()
{
    // Prints unconditionally
    NX_PRINT << "Printed unconditionally.";

    // Prints only if my_module.ini contains "enableOutput=1"
    NX_OUTPUT << "Printed only if verbose output is enabled.";
}

This code generates the following output in mediaserver_stderr.log:

[my_module.cpp] Printed unconditionally.
[my_module.cpp] Printed only if verbose output is enabled.

Best practices and troubleshooting

Search logs quickly

Because plugin initialization occurs early in the startup procedure, log files can grow quickly. To find your logs easily, prefix your debug lines with a unique keyword, such as ZZZZ:

NX_PRINT << "ZZZZ [Debug] My variable value: " << myVar;

You can then filter the log file in the Windows Command Prompt using the find command:

find /i "ZZZZ" C:\path\to\nx_ini\mediaserver_stderr.log

Verify that the plugin loaded

If you do not see any output, confirm that the server actually loaded your plugin. Search mediaserver_stderr.log for PluginManager messages to verify a successful initialization.