Centralize build output and generate OS-specific startup.json

- All DLLs now output to lib\[Configuration]\[TargetFramework]\ at repo root (see Directory.Build.props) - .gitignore updated to exclude /lib/ - On first run, startup.json is auto-generated with OS-appropriate default paths (Windows, Linux, macOS, or portable) - Removes null/example config; generated config is immediately usable and clearly documented - Extensive new documentation: build output, startup.json logic, visual guides, and code proofs - Publish profile now deletes existing files for clean deploys - No breaking changes: existing startup.json files are preserved - Improves first-run UX, deployment, and cross-platform consistency
2026-02-26 14:21:26 -05:00
parent 5bdb7d53c3
commit 8f860a8ec3
35 changed files with 2218 additions and 46 deletions
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+# Comparison: Before vs After
+
+## Before (Old Behavior)
+
+### Generated startup.json
+```json
+{
+  "_comment": "Jellyfin Startup Configuration",
+  "Paths": {
+    "DataDir": null,
+    "ConfigDir": null,
+    "CacheDir": null,
+    "LogDir": null,
+    "TempDir": null,
+    "WebDir": null
+  },
+  "Examples": {
+    "Linux": { "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin", ... },
+    "Windows": { "DataDir": "C:\\ProgramData\\Jellyfin", ... }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Problems:**
+- ❌ All values are `null`
+- ❌ Users must manually edit
+- ❌ Examples section clutters the config
+- ❌ Not immediately usable
+
+---
+
+## After (New Behavior)
+
+### On Windows
+```json
+{
+  "_comment": "Jellyfin Startup Configuration - Windows defaults - using C:/ProgramData/jellyfin",
+  "_note": "These paths will be used unless overridden by environment variables or command-line arguments",
+  "_priority": "Command-line args > Environment variables > This file > Built-in defaults",
+  "Paths": {
+    "DataDir": "C:/ProgramData/jellyfin",
+    "ConfigDir": "C:/ProgramData/jellyfin",
+    "CacheDir": "C:/ProgramData/jellyfin/cache",
+    "LogDir": "C:/ProgramData/jellyfin/log",
+    "TempDir": "C:/Users/AppData/Local/Temp/jellyfin",
+    "WebDir": "C:/ProgramData/jellyfin/web"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+### On Linux
+```json
+{
+  "_comment": "Jellyfin Startup Configuration - Linux defaults - following Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS)",
+  "_note": "These paths will be used unless overridden by environment variables or command-line arguments",
+  "_priority": "Command-line args > Environment variables > This file > Built-in defaults",
+  "Paths": {
+    "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin",
+    "ConfigDir": "/etc/jellyfin",
+    "CacheDir": "/var/cache/jellyfin",
+    "LogDir": "/var/log/jellyfin",
+    "TempDir": "/var/tmp/jellyfin",
+    "WebDir": "/usr/share/jellyfin/web"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**Benefits:**
+- ✅ Immediately usable values
+- ✅ OS-appropriate paths
+- ✅ Clear, focused configuration
+- ✅ Helpful comments explaining behavior
+
+---
+
+## Console Output Comparison
+
+### Before
+```
+Created default startup configuration at: ./startup.json
+You can customize this file to set default paths for Jellyfin.
+```
+
+### After (Windows)
+```
+Created default startup configuration at: E:\Jellyfin\startup.json
+Using Windows defaults - using C:/ProgramData/jellyfin
+You can customize this file to set different paths for Jellyfin.
+```
+
+### After (Linux)
+```
+Created default startup configuration at: /opt/jellyfin/startup.json
+Using Linux defaults - following Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS)
+You can customize this file to set different paths for Jellyfin.
+```
+
+---
+
+## User Experience
+
+### Before
+1. User starts Jellyfin
+2. Gets `startup.json` with null values
+3. Confused - what should I put here?
+4. Searches documentation
+5. Manually edits file
+6. Restarts Jellyfin
+
+### After
+1. User starts Jellyfin
+2. Gets OS-appropriate `startup.json` automatically
+3. ✅ Works immediately with sensible defaults
+4. Optional: Can customize if needed
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+| Aspect | Before | After |
+|--------|--------|-------|
+| Default values | `null` | OS-specific paths |
+| Ready to use | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
+| User confusion | High | Low |
+| Manual editing | Required | Optional |
+| Platform awareness | None | Full |
+| Documentation needed | External | Built-in comments |
+
+**Improvement:** Users can now run Jellyfin immediately without editing configuration files! 🎉