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Command Line And Headless Usage

CineRename includes command-line tools for NAS, Docker, server scripts, and cautious automation.

Installation

CineRename has two command-line surfaces:

  • Desktop CLI: included with the desktop app binary. It supports the core workflows: preview, rename, organize, auto, and schedule.
  • Headless/NAS CLI: included in NAS/headless archives. It supports the core workflows plus server tools such as audit, nfo, subtitles, download-client, pre-arr, web, and tui.

If a command below is marked headless, use the NAS/headless archive rather than the desktop app binary.

NAS release formats:

ArchitectureArtifact
Intel / AMD 64-bitLinux x64 NAS archive
ARM 64-bitLinux arm64 NAS archive

Extract the archive, then run commands from the extracted folder.

Help

bash
cinerename --help
cinerename preview --help
cinerename auto --help

Main Commands

CommandAvailable inAction
cinerename preview <path>Desktop + headlessShows the before/after preview without changing files
cinerename rename <path>Desktop + headlessRenames files in place
cinerename organize <path> --to <library>Desktop + headlessRenames and moves files into a library
cinerename auto <path> --to <library> [--subs en]Desktop + headlessRuns the careful pipeline: rename, organize, optional subtitles
cinerename schedule <path> --every 15m --to <library>Desktop + headlessRepeats a workflow on an interval
cinerename history listHeadlessLists recent rename batches
cinerename history undo-lastHeadlessUndoes the newest restorable batch
cinerename history undo <batch-id>HeadlessUndoes a specific batch
cinerename audit <path> --profile plexHeadlessAudits a Plex/Jellyfin/Kodi-style library
cinerename nfo <path> --profile kodi --writeHeadlessGenerates NFO metadata explicitly
cinerename subtitles convert <file> --to srtHeadlessConverts subtitle formats
cinerename subtitles shift <file> --ms 750HeadlessApplies a fixed subtitle offset
cinerename subtitles drift <file> --first-ms 0 --last-ms 1250HeadlessApplies a simple linear drift fix
cinerename download-client test qbittorrent --url <url>HeadlessTests a download-client endpoint
cinerename pre-arr preview <path> --profile sonarrHeadlessPrepares a safe Sonarr/Radarr staging preview
cinerename benchmark large-import --files 2000HeadlessRuns a controlled fake-import benchmark
cinerename web --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8787HeadlessStarts the local WebUI
cinerename tui <path>HeadlessStarts the terminal UI

Desktop And Headless Examples

bash
# Preview without touching files
cinerename preview /path/to/video.mkv

# Export a dry-run report
cinerename preview /path/to/folder --export dry-run.csv

# Rename in place
cinerename rename /path/to/folder

# Rename and organize into a media library
cinerename organize /path/to/downloads --to /media/Library

# Rename, organize, and search French subtitles
cinerename auto /path/to/downloads --to /media/Library --subs fr

# Run every 15 minutes on a NAS
cinerename schedule /path/to/downloads --every 15m --to /media/Library --subs fr

Headless Examples

These commands require the NAS/headless build.

bash
# Undo the latest restorable rename batch
cinerename history undo-last

# Audit a library
cinerename audit /media/Library --profile plex --export audit.md --format markdown

Headless: Pre-Arr For Sonarr / Radarr

Pre-Arr is a conservative staging mode. It only stages files that CineRename considers safe and ready.

bash
cinerename pre-arr preview /path/to/downloads --profile sonarr --json
cinerename pre-arr apply /path/to/downloads --profile radarr --to /path/to/staging

Use the preview first. Apply only when the plan looks correct.

Headless: Subtitle Tools

bash
cinerename subtitles convert episode.ass --to srt --output episode.srt
cinerename subtitles shift movie.fr.srt --ms 750 --output movie.fr.shifted.srt
cinerename subtitles drift movie.fr.srt --first-ms 0 --last-ms 1250 --output movie.fr.fixed.srt

These commands adjust subtitle files locally. They do not guarantee perfect audio synchronization without previewing the result.

Headless: WebUI Token

The WebUI API is token-protected. If no token is provided, CineRename prints a temporary URL containing #token=....

For NAS or Docker, use your own long token:

bash
cinerename web --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8787 --token "replace-with-a-long-random-token"

Keep this token private.

NAS Scheduler Example

txt
*/15 * * * * /volume1/@appstore/cinerename/cinerename auto /volume1/video/Inbox --to /volume1/video/Library --subs fr --json >> /var/log/cinerename.log 2>&1

For a long-running Docker container, use schedule or web instead of cron.

Troubleshooting

  • Use preview before any large automated run.
  • If a provider is unavailable, rerun the preview later or select a match manually in the desktop app.
  • If a path fails on NAS, check file ownership and mount permissions.
  • For support, copy logs from the desktop Support screen or attach the CLI output to your email.

CineRename Documentation