[PLUGIN] Squeezelite MC

Plugins
1

Hi everyone,

So I have been playing around with Logitech Media Server recently and sort of taking my time off Volumio. Still, I have written a plugin that is similar to @Saiyato’s Squeezelite plugin, in that it installs the Squeezelite player on Volumio and enables Volumio to act as an LMS endpoint. I call this plugin “Squeezelite MC” because it additionally provides (M)onitoring and (C)ontrol:

  • Monitoring enables Volumio to display playback status of the Squeezelite player (song title, artist, album, etc.)
  • Control allows pause / resume / next / previous / random / repeat / volume adjustments to be done from Volumio

Password-protected servers are also supported. You just have to enter the credentials in the plugin settings.

I hope to keep configuration minimal. So, unlike Saiyato’s plugin, the Squeezelite MC plugin doesn’t provide settings like ‘ALSA parameters’ or ‘Extra parameters’. Instead, it uses Volumio’s settings to start Squeezelite. Currently, the following “Playback Options” are taken into account:

  1. Output device
  2. Mixer type / Mixer control name
  3. DSD playback mode (you can still override this in the plugin settings)

However, because of the range of setups out there, I cannot say if the end result will be good in every case. This plugin is definitely experiemental at this stage and it might turn out that manual input of some Squeezelite parameters is required after all…

The plugin has been submitted to Volumio plugin store and pending acceptance. Until then, you can try the plugin by manually installing it. To do so, first make sure you have enabled SSH access on your Volumio device. Then, SSH into Volumio:

// Make sure there are no other Squeezelite plugins or binaries installed

$ ssh volumio@<your_Volumio_address>

// You can copy and paste each line after the $ sign

volumio:~$ mkdir squeezelite-mc-plugin
volumio:~$ cd squeezelite-mc-plugin
volumio:~/squeezelite-mc-plugin$ git clone https://github.com/patrickkfkan/volumio-squeezelite-mc
volumio:~/squeezelite-mc-plugin$ cd volumio-squeezelite-mc
volumio:~/squeezelite-mc-plugin/volumio-squeezelite-mc$ volumio plugin install

...
Progress: 100
Status :Squeezelite MC Successfully Installed, Do you want to enable the plugin now?
...

// If the process appears to hang at this point, just press Ctrl-C to return to the terminal.

Source / readme: https://github.com/patrickkfkan/volumio-squeezelite-mc

Feel free to raise issues or suggestions here (but please, check the readme first).

Have fun!

-Patrick

3 Likes
2

Hi,

Thanks for your contribution.
So it will only add the endpoint, you need the LMS server on other machine?

3

Yes, you still need LMS server on another machine (or same device as Volumio - it’s possible).

1 Like
4

I’m using it and I’m liking it.

5

I’m seeing a situation with the plugin that sometimes it looks like the information of what is being played to volumio.
I can only see the information on LMS, on volumio its like nothing is being played back

1 Like
6

What source are you playing from on LMS (e.g. something from My Apps or just regular stuff under My Music)? Also, is this easily reproducible or just occurs at random? And when this happens, does it stay like that forever, or resumes normal when LMS moves to the next song or you manually select another song?

7

I’m playing Qobuz songs using my music.
It happens quite constantly, and normally it won’t come back.
Sometimes it will come back after changing the Squeezelite name, but it’s not always.
Restart the plugin won’t make it work.

8

Is this specific to Qobuz songs? I do not have a Qobuz account so I could not test, but does the issue occur when you play from other sources, like local songs and radio?

Also do you have logs that you can provide from the moment it’s working to the moment it’s not?

And, when it’s not working, what do you see under Player State in http://<volumio address>/dev?

9

Today it didn’t happen the whole day.
What I noted is that when it fails, on the plugin definition, it only says squeezelite is running and when it works well it says squeezelite is running and connected to (servername).

On the other hand, even when it works well, I can’t play/pause/skip on volumio screen, is this normal?

10

When it says Squeezelite is running but not “connected to <server>”, but is in fact connected, then something is likely wrong with the plugin’s detection or communication with the server.

The play / pause / skip buttons should work. If they don’t, then it could again be a problem with sending the commands to the server.

I suspect this to be related to network, where the plugin is unable to detect or communicate with LMS.

  1. Are you using the server installed by the LMS - Docker Edition plugin? If not, what version are you running?
  2. What device are you running the server on (rpi, x86…)?
  3. Do you have other LMS running on the network?
  4. Do you have both wireless and wired network enabled?
  5. In plugin settings, do you see your server listed under “Server Credentials”?
  6. PM me some logs if possible.
11

  1. Are you using the server installed by the LMS - Docker Edition plugin? If not, what version are you running?
    Yes, Docker edition

  2. What device are you running the server on (rpi, x86…)?
    x86

  3. Do you have other LMS running on the network?
    I have another Volumio server with LMS Docker, but normally they are not started at the same time

  4. Do you have both wireless and wired network enabled?
    Only wireless

  5. In plugin settings, do you see your server listed under “Server Credentials”?
    Yes

  6. PM me some logs if possible.
    I’ll get them and PM you

12

Updated to v0.1.2. Mainly fixes the following:

  1. Compatibility with UPnP Bridge plugin (and similar plugins) in LMS - thanks to @Soporte_Nice for helping me test this.
  2. Status updates when Squeezelite is synced with other players.
13

Hi Patrick! Would it be possible to integrate squeezeplayer so that you could use it within Volumio as well as use it as endpoint. Something like the new Spotify plugin…
That would be nice.
Best Regards/C

14

What do you mean using it within Volumio? You mean browsing LMS and stuff?

15

Yes, exactly. Just like you can do with Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify, local music, NAS etc.
Regards/ C

16

LMS and Squeezelite works different then Volumio. Volumio only acts as an endpoint. You control the endpoint from the LMS server.

17

I know that. My question was if it´s possible to integrate a player (browser) for LMS media like you can browse and control Tidal, Spotify etc directly in Volumio UI

18

No not that I am aware of.

19

You might as well browse with LMS web interface (Material Skin recommended) and make full use of the features it provides, rather than through a Volumio plugin that cannot offer the same level of browsing experience due to constraints of the Volumio UI. Not saying LMS web interface is better than Volumio’s, just that it is designed differently. Queue management will also be messy and confusing if Squeezelite’s queue is to be integrated into Volumio’s.

20

I´m aware of that. I just think it would be mor practical to have it “inside” Volumio.
If it´s not doable I understand…
Thanks anyway for all nice plugins you develop!
Regards/C