[How-To] How and why to configure a shell replacement?

[jrobbins50]

Phil — I am using my server to run Roonserver for Roon and also JRiver MC25 for remote access outside of home to my music library through JRemote. I note that in my AO 3.00 install, Roon as a shell is available, but not Roonserver separately. Now, I selected Roon as my shell and the result is a black screen with only the AO menu in the center. This looks like the Roonserver shell (which is fine) and not the Roon shell (which I presume would show the Roon GUI that I don’t need on the server anyway?). Wondering, however, if selecting JRiver as the shell would still allow access to the AO menu and produce better sound than with Roon/Roonserver as shell. 

 

Separate question on WS2019 Standard GUI mode, which is what I have installed. If I disable network related services in AO — which you describe as important to good sound — you are saying that my Synology NAS (where my music is located) will no longer function?  No workaround for that?  I’m also finding that even with network related services running still, my NAS connection is not persistent. That is, it requires manual re-entry of the NAS password, despite selecting to save password, upon any server reboot.  I used “/persistent:yes” in my setup. Thoughts?  JCR