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I am trying to figure out if Kodi will do what I want and despite searching, not getting some of the answers...
I want to in
Running Ubuntu 16.04 server (can install and be configured and run via the CLI - no gui support)
I want to run Kodi (or something similar) as primary a music player/server and have the following functionality:
1. have both a web app and a native client app on iphone/ipad as well as any machine running web browser that will let me control music playing, arrange playlists, etc.
2. can play music on either the audio output port or speakers on the PC. (e.g. to hear on my stereo sound system)
3. stream to a network appliance (e.g. another PC, tablet, etc.)
4. access a music store that is a) on the local server, b) on a pc that is on the local network Network is a home LAN (e.g. 192.168.x.x)
I may expand it later as a video server but that is a distant project
Thanks for help/suggestions.
J
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1 & 2 - Would need a monitor and keyboard for initial setup to enable the web interface and do other minor configuration. That would give you the web interface in a browser. There is an app for Android called Kore. That would give you a remote but it is very much designed around using the GUI. You can do minor maintenance stuff with a few scripts, such as updating the database and such.
3 - Easy enough. DLNA, or export an NFS / Samba share and have a central MariaDB / MySQL database. If doing the NFS / Samba route configure each remote Kodi box to use an appropriate advancedsettings.xml to connect to the database.
4 - NFS / Samba sharing is easy enough.
I do all of the above on my home lan, save for the fact that I have my main server / htpc loading Kodi on the big screen in my living room for media center use. I would find Kodi without the Gui cumbersome at best. It is built for a 10 foot interface.
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tommyp
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If you do not need/want a monitor, another option is install (1) a media server (I use gerbera), (2) mpd and (3) a nice program called upmpdcli. You can control things with a tablet / smartphone using a upnp/dlna controller. Not sure if apple supports dlna/upnp though. I've been using gerbera (nee mediatomb) for the past few years and it's great. With some tinkering you can set up the audio tree exactly the way you like. A bonus is that you can run kodi on the same box and use the gerbera "tree" on your menuing.
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I use mpd to do just this... Kodi runs its audio over HDMI whereas mpd uses the RCA-jack. There are mpd clients for both iOS and Android.
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For 1&2 I would use Putty and launch a number of terminal windows and do everything from the CLI. I assume one can do what is necessary to run/configure Kodie via the CLI?
For 3, I generally understand the concepts of DLNA but not the details. From your answer, it seems to indicate that if my devices have a DLNA compliant interface, I should be able to accomplish the streaming with out a lot of trouble.
OTOH, my servers do run a LAMP stack so I could go the data base route but this seems to be more work.
For 4, I was hoping to hear that Kodie supports file sharing via Samba. All my servers run/have Samba shares.
Thanks for your reply, sound like Kodi will work for me!
J
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I do not know about gerbera, or upmpdcli. thanks for the pointer!
What is the advantage of this approach over using a terminal sessions via Putty?
J
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Klojum
Lost connection
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3) Using UPnP in Kodi for sharing requires Kodi first to scrape the movies/tvshows/musicvideos/music via a 'normal' file protocol, such as SMB or NFS, or local drives if UPnP will be your only sharing protocol between Kodi clients.
4) Kodi itself is not a file server. What you install in Ubuntu Server, Kodi can piggy-back on that as a file client.
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> Kodi runs its audio over HDMI whereas mpd uses the RCA-jack.
Oh, really? That is good to know. Unfortunately my audio gear does not have a HDMI port but I could get a HDMI-RCA adapter.
I did run across mpd in my searching and am considering that option as well. Kodie looks like it would support my planned expansion into a video media server as well. (although that is quite a bit down the road...)
Gee, I wish there was (somewhere) a rather concise description of capabilities for Kodi. A laundry list of features would be ideal....
J
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> Kodi itself is not a file server.
Right, I mis-spoke. Kodie is able to interface to file sharing mechanism such a SMB.
J
