# freedb (local)
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [June 12, 2007, 10:51am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001 "2007-06-12T10:51:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@zturk](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zturk)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2007, 10:51am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/1 "2007-06-12T10:51:00Z")
Attached is a pdf file describing the process of installing the freedb (local) version for Windows PCs.
see later posts for link to updated documentation
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/2 "2007-06-12T14:00:49Z")
Thanks for that!
How many items are included in the freedb-complete-20070601.tar.tar? After ca. 300'000 I stopped my WinRAR extracting the content...
Could you please add some words about the update-process?
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2007, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/3 "2007-06-12T16:57:10Z")
> [@LyricsLover](#):
>
> ... How many items are included in the freedb-complete-20070601.tar.tar? After ca. 300'000 I stopped my WinRAR extracting the content...
I want to mention, that the file freedb-complete-20070601.tar.bz2 contains the UNIX version of the FREEDB database. I spoke about the problems at another place here in the forum some time ago.
The UNIX version contains millions of single datafiles, one file per data entry.
A regular Windows system is not able to handle this enormous amount of files in a practically way.
In former times, pre MAGIX, the [FREEDB.ORG](http://FREEDB.ORG) had offered a UNIX related database and a Windows related version too. MAGIX delivers the UNIX version only.
I would say that someone should only use Mp3tag in conjunction with the Windows version of the FREEDB database on a Windows system.
DD.20070612.2055
---
### Author:  [@zturk](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zturk)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2007, 10:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/4 "2007-06-13T10:33:15Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> I want to mention, that the file freedb-complete-20070601.tar.bz2 contains the UNIX version of the FREEDB database. I spoke about the problems at another place here in the forum some time ago.
> The UNIX version contains millions of single datafiles, one file per data entry.
> A regular Windows system is not able to handle this enormous amount of files in a practically way.
>
> In former times, pre MAGIX, the [FREEDB.ORG](http://FREEDB.ORG) had offered a UNIX related database and a Windows related version too. MAGIX delivers the UNIX version only.
>
> I would say that someone should only use Mp3tag in conjunction with the Windows version of the FREEDB database on a Windows system.
>
> DD.20070612.2055
Thanks to both of you for the feedback... I'm going to update the documentation to cover
both topics... i'm actually going through the process now to insure i get all the details...
unfortunately, the Tuesday MS patch reboot my system last night while I had some of the
test cases working... so, as soon as I get the details I'll post an updated document...
bald turkey
---
### Author:  [@zturk](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zturk)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/5 "2007-06-14T13:41:27Z")
> [@Bald Turkey](#):
>
> Thanks to both of you for the feedback... I'm going to update the documentation to cover
> both topics... i'm actually going through the process now to insure i get all the details...
> unfortunately, the Tuesday MS patch reboot my system last night while I had some of the
> test cases working... so, as soon as I get the details I'll post an updated document...
>
> bald turkey
I have a created a more comprehensive set of documentation... It exceeds my upload
allowance so I will contact the adminstrators to see if it can be posted.
louis
---
### Author:  [@Sebastian\_Mares](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian_Mares)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 10:06am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/6 "2007-06-15T10:06:12Z")
How much space / bandwidth do you need?
By the way, if you want AU not to reboot your PC again, start regedit, create a DWORD value in HKEY\_LOCAL\_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU and name it NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers. Finally, double-click that new entry and set its value from 0 to 1.
---
### Author:  [@zturk](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zturk)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 10:11am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/7 "2007-06-15T10:11:49Z")
> [@Sebastian Mares](#):
>
> How much space / bandwidth do you need?
the pdf files is 540KB ... I understand this is large file for board... but the size
is created by the number of screen dumps of the process for clarification...
I can send you the file by email and you can decide if it is worthy of posting...
it is a tedious process to deal with the freedb (local) so i tried to cover all
the topics people have asked about...
Louis
---
### Author:  [@Sebastian\_Mares](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian_Mares)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 10:18am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/8 "2007-06-15T10:18:13Z")
You can send it to [mail@sebastian-mares.de](mailto:mail@sebastian-mares.de).
---
### Author:  [@Sebastian\_Mares](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian_Mares)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 11:46am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/9 "2007-06-15T11:46:25Z")
Here you go: [http://www.maresweb.de/miscellaneous/freedb-info-vers2.pdf](http://www.maresweb.de/miscellaneous/freedb-info-vers2.pdf)
---
### Author:  [@zturk](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zturk)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 11:51am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/10 "2007-06-15T11:51:05Z")
Thanks to Sebastian for making this available concerning the documentation for freedb (local)
Contents
I. Introduction
II. Obtaining a Windows version of the complete freedb database
III. Building a Windows version of the freedb database from Unix release files
IV. Updating the freedb database
V. Configuring mp3tag
Bald Turkey
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/11 "2007-06-15T13:28:24Z")
Thanks for this enhanced version and your work! With the listed tool, even I can extract the original Unix-DB! 😉
One additional hint: This mkfreedb-Tool can update an existing DB as well. According to the help-file:
> [@](#):
>
> freedb-update-XXXXXXXX-YYYYYYYY.tar.bz2
> An existing release date XXXXXXXX freedb database will be updated to release date YYYYYYYY from this tarball. If XXXXXXXX does not match the currently installed database version this update will fail with an error message.
JFYI: archive: freedb-complete-20070601.tar.bz2
```
deleted: 0 files, created: 11 directories, elapsed: 0:00:00
added: 2273124 disks, ignored: 6463 entries, tar errors: 0, elapsed: 0:36:12
total elapsed: 0:36:12I got the same 6463 ignored entries and I think, I have to buy a faster machine now! 
:smiley:
```
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/12 "2007-06-15T16:27:29Z")
QUOTE (LyricsLover @ Jun 15 2007, 17:28) \<{POST\_SNAPBACK}\>
Thanks for this enhanced version and your work! With the listed tool, even I can extract the original Unix-DB! :wink:
One additional hint: This mkfreedb-Tool can update an existing DB as well. According to the help-file:JFYI: archive: freedb-complete-20070601.tar.bz2
```
deleted: 0 files, created: 11 directories, elapsed: 0:00:00
added: 2273124 disks, ignored: 6463 entries, tar errors: 0, elapsed: 0:36:12
total elapsed: 0:36:12I got the same 6463 ignored entries and I think, I have to buy a faster machine now! :smiley:
```
Bald Turkey wrote in his compendium: "I do not know what “ignored entries” means!"
Well, I do not know too.
But I have a possible explanation for it. I think that the mkfreedb tool works not perfect in the current release version. I assume that the software is not able to solve and follow the unix linkfile entries in the unix version of freedb database. Maybe the amount of missed or ignored entries is a measure of quality for the conversion process by mkfreedb.
I would avoid to use mkfreedb at this beta state of development.
DD.20070615.2027
---
### Author:  [@zturk](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/zturk)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/13 "2007-06-15T16:57:37Z")
> [@DetlevD](#):
>
> Bald Turkey wrote in his compendium: "I do not know what “ignored entries” means!"
> Well, I do not know too.
> But I have a possible explanation for it. I think that the mkfreedb tool works not perfect in the current release version. I assume that the software is not able to solve and follow the unix linkfile entries in the unix version of freedb database. Maybe the amount of missed or ignored entries is a measure of quality for the conversion process by mkfreedb.
> I would avoid to use mkfreedb at this beta state of development.
>
> DD.20070615.2027
I speculated the same about the ignored entries but did not want to make a statement without knowing. I've used it for some time successfully and had very good results. Maybe a few entries get lost - but in the statistics of the database they are small. I have no idea how the "complete Windows databases" that can be found around the web are created - possibly using the same tool. My goal was to allow people the option to pursue this path if they made the choice - with the accepted irritations.
thanks for the insights and raising the issues so people can make better decisions on whether these tools are for them...
bald turkey
---
### Author:  [@LyricsLover](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/LyricsLover)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/14 "2007-06-15T17:02:44Z")
I wrote a mail to hippie2000. Maybe we get a answer from the coder itself. 🕶
The 6000 missing entries are 0.2843 % of the total number of disks. For me its better to have a recent converted DB with 99.7% of the unix-entries then a old windows-db. 
---
### Author:  [@dano](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/dano)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/15 "2007-06-15T17:42:25Z")
Thanks for your efforts for this tutorial.
But can you please remove the links from II d)
It seems there's no decent download available for the windows version. Even the pirate\*\*\* link which is directly form the freedb forum is very slow.
And most of these sites offer links to illegal downloads.
ftp://ftp.wu-wien.ac.at/pub/info/freedb/ is ok but I don't know if people want the outdated versions.
Or make a link to the freedb forum and say that there might a link.
---
### Author:  [@Sebastian\_Mares](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Sebastian_Mares)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/16 "2007-06-15T19:53:42Z")
BTW, whenever you change something in the PDF, please send a mail so I can update the version on the server. 😉
---
### Author:  [@DetlevD](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/DetlevD)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/freedb-local/5001/17 "2007-06-15T22:12:36Z")
This is the one and only legal link: [http://ftp.freedb.org/pub/freedb/](http://ftp.freedb.org/pub/freedb/)
DD.20070616.0212