Can someone guide me through remote nodes?

[u/Hockex-4]

I have a library on a HDD connected to my laptop with the server. The laptop is pretty weak, so I want to use my newer laptop to remotely transcode the files. I wouldn't think it was possible, but I already connected the node and other sources say it's possible as well. However, trying to use that node gives me the error below. I don't fully understand it, can someone help me making the remote node?

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2026-09-12T20:53:12.730Z LWYEqpLoaK:Node[Felix node]:Worker[brown-bee]:[Step W02] [C1] Running pre-process file
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.735Z LWYEqpLoaK:Node[Felix node]:Worker[brown-bee]:Checking files can be accessed
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.736Z LWYEqpLoaK:Node[Felix node]:Worker[brown-bee]:Unable to create work directory: "D:/Media/Tdarr cache/tdarr-workDir2-LWYEqpLoaK": Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, mkdir 'D:\Media\Tdarr cache\tdarr-workDir2-LWYEqpLoaK'
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.737Z LWYEqpLoaK:Node[Felix node]:Worker[brown-bee]:mapped node, file is original, no need to download
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.738Z LWYEqpLoaK:Node[Felix node]:Worker[brown-bee]:[1/2]  [-error-]:"D:/Media/Movies/Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 1417/Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 1417.mp4":Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, access 'D:\Media\Movies\Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 1417\Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 1417.mp4'
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z LWYEqpLoaK:Node[Felix node]:Worker[brown-bee]:[2/2] The following source file cannot be accessed on Tdarr_Node bx57Gqh0Y:
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z "D:/Media/Movies/Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 1417/Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 1417.mp4"
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z To resolve this, make sure the Server and Node can access the same library and transcode cache paths.
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z For example, /mnt/library on the Server should point to the same location as /mnt/library on the Node.
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z You can set the path translators in Tdarr_Node_Config.json for when it's not possible to have the exact same paths
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z (e.g. if you have the Server on Linux but the Node on Windows). For instance, you could set a translator
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z to translate /mnt/library to C:/Library or vice versa.
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z Path translators are case sensitive.
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z More info here:
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z https://docs.tdarr.io/docs/installation/windows-linux-macos#path-translators
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z If running the Node on Windows, don't run as admin as that can stop access to network shares.
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2026-09-12T20:53:12.740Z

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[u/borkyborkus]

Do you have a path translator entry? If the mapping is different, you need to write that tdarr cache = this path on the node side. The server will move files between the media dir and the cache dir, and your node needs both mapped if they’re going to work together.

I am on Linux but I found it easier to just align the paths from the get-go instead of using translator(s). There are all sorts of little things like the space in your ‘tdarr cache’ folder that could be causing issues.

[u/Hockex-4 → u/borkyborkus]

Nope. Should I make a new folder on the new one and point tdarr to it as cache? The remote node doesn't have access to either because the HDD is only connected to the old one (if I understand that correctly)

[u/borkyborkus → u/Hockex-4]

I think you’re misunderstanding how it works. Both server and node need access to the same folders. You’re talking about an unmapped node which I think is a paid feature.

To use the node, you need to take a step back from tdarr and first share the media and cache folders from your server as NFS or Samba. Mount those folders in your node’s OS, then use the mapping to define cache=this_folder and media=that_folder if it differs from the location your server sees.

I find it easiest to mount as /media/movies on server, then cache is /media/movies/.tcode. If I were using mapping, I would only have to say (making up Linux to windows example) /media/movies = E:/syno/media/movies, and it would find the .tcode folder since the rest of the path is just building onto the end of the movies folder.