Rasplex + Logitech Media Server / Squeezeplug / Squeezelite

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1

Thanks for all the work that has gone into this project!

 

I'm quite new to this, but pretty excited. My apologies if this is off-topic...I'm not sure where else to ask this question.

 

I'd love to be able to use my Raspberry PI as a client for both the Logitech Media Server and the Plex Server at the same time (especially since all audio goes through my stereo via a USB DAC anyway).

 

Has anyone attempted this? I can't find any info on the forums or on the Google. Links, hints and any other insights would be appreciated.

 

Cheers:)

2

I'm very interested in automatically running squeezelite alongside RasPlex. Unfortunately, squeezelite is missing some libraries that I can't manage to load.

Has anyone succeeded in running squeezelite and RasPlex/Openelec on the same Raspi 2?

3

RasPlex is simply an implementation of "Plex Home Theater" for the Raspberry Pi (the models with 512 MB RAM or more).

Thus it only supports the same type of media streams as PHT does on a PC.

Using non-Plex servers is normally accomplished by 'Channel' plugins to the PMS server, which then can serve such media to RasPlex in the same way as to PHT running on a PC.

If you want to use media streams from servers unrelated to Plex and without using Plex channels, then you need some other program than "Plex Home Theater"/RasPlex.

One way of running such other programs on the same RPi2 as RasPlex without having to swap SD cards is to use the BerryBoot system.

This allows you to make multiple OS installs on the same SD card, rebooting to switch between them in a customizable boot menu.

That method has been discussed in several other threads, and may allow you to run unrelated media players/clients either as separate OS installs specific to each of them (eg: OpenELEC-Kodi), or by launching some Linux OS such as 'Raspbian', allowing such players/clients to be installed under that Linux. Either way you can then switch between such players/clients and RasPlex simply by rebooting the RPi1/RPi2 and choosing what you want to run in the BerryBoot menu.

Running non-plex client software in parallel to RasPlex, under the same OpenELEC OS instance and without unwanted side effects, that is something extremely difficult to achieve, and will require a deep understanding of all the components involved.

Best regards: dlanor

4

I had the same question and since OpenELEC is basically "closed", I asked in a different way here: https://forums.plex.tv/topic/147890-plex-ht-for-rasberry-pi-2/?p=887718  While I would LOVE if we could simply add this one, single app called squeezelite to Rasplex/OpenELEC, I am not holding my breath.  It's a shame I have to waste a whole Cubox just for that, which I do now.

Although, as I've said many times before, it would be even better if Rasplex would be ported to the Cubox since it has integrated S/PDIF. :)   The Pi has always been the lowest cost option, never the best.

5

RasPlex is simply an implementation of "Plex Home Theater" for the Raspberry Pi (the models with 512 MB RAM or more).

Thus it only supports the same type of media streams as PHT does on a PC.

Using non-Plex servers is normally accomplished by 'Channel' plugins to the PMS server, which then can serve such media to RasPlex in the same way as to PHT running on a PC.

If you want to use media streams from servers unrelated to Plex and without using Plex channels, then you need some other program than "Plex Home Theater"/RasPlex.

One way of running such other programs on the same RPi2 as RasPlex without having to swap SD cards is to use the BerryBoot system.

This allows you to make multiple OS installs on the same SD card, rebooting to switch between them in a customizable boot menu.

That method has been discussed in several other threads, and may allow you to run unrelated media players/clients either as separate OS installs specific to each of them (eg: OpenELEC-Kodi), or by launching some Linux OS such as 'Raspbian', allowing such players/clients to be installed under that Linux. Either way you can then switch between such players/clients and RasPlex simply by rebooting the RPi1/RPi2 and choosing what you want to run in the BerryBoot menu.

Running non-plex client software in parallel to RasPlex, under the same OpenELEC OS instance and without unwanted side effects, that is something extremely difficult to achieve, and will require a deep understanding of all the components involved.

Best regards: dlanor

Thanks for this, dlanor, even if it's not what I wanted to hear :-). BerryBoot is no option for me as the final solution needs to be wife-proof. To have both Rasplex and the Squeezelite client running at the same time seems like an extremely reasonable request.

Using autostart.sh did not work for me, http://openelec.tv/forum/124-raspberry-pi/74692-squeezelite-on-rpi-unable-to-play-mp3-files#131047

An XBMC Hack to load one's own libraries doesn't work for Plex and seems to go a bit too far (replacing existing libraries instead of adding them), http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=162307&pid=1481392#pid1481392

6

I'm in the same boat.  I'm waiting to see if the OpenELEC 5.0 build of Rasplex makes this easier.  Unless Rasplex 0.6.0 is absolutely fantastic and the greatest thing since sliced bread, I may be going to an Intel NUC or Chromebox instead so I can run both apps on Windows.

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Thanks for this, dlanor, even if it's not what I wanted to hear :-). BerryBoot is no option for me as the final solution needs to be wife-proof. To have both Rasplex and the Squeezelite client running at the same time seems like an extremely reasonable request.

That depends on how you define 'reasonable'.
OpenELEC is an operating system optimized for running a single main application, plus whatever background services it needs.
It's not designed for running multitasked applications, or even for switching between any applications.
(It's designed to autostart its single application whenever that is terminated, except for shutdown cases.)

So running other applications in parallel to RasPlex under OpenELEC is not reasonable seen from how that OS is intended to be used.
A more reasonable approach would be to link the new client behavior into RasPlex somehow, as done for XBMC in the thread you linked to.
 

Using autostart.sh did not work for me, http://openelec.tv/forum/124-raspberry-pi/74692-squeezelite-on-rpi-unable-to-play-mp3-files#131047
An XBMC Hack to load one's own libraries doesn't work for Plex and seems to go a bit too far (replacing existing libraries instead of adding them), http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=162307&pid=1481392#pid1481392

PHT shares some ancestry with XBMC, but they have both evolved further in different directions since that project branching, so there are many ways in which they are no longer compatible.

The method described in that linked forum thread assumes that the XBMC style library system is intact, and for PHT those parts have been rewritten to deal with the PMS library system instead.
It's possible (even likely) that some squeezelite method may be developed with PHT compatibility, but I don't think it can be done by simply using the binaries made for XBMC.

Also, I think this kind of extension of PHT abilities is something that should be proposed for and implemented in the official PHT project, whereafter it would also be ported to unofficial implementations of PHT like RasPlex.

Best regards: dlanor
8

Great discussion! I'm chiming back in after a year and a half to report back on my own experience in case it is useful.

I think the short answer to the question we asked is that you can't really stack multiple applications with a Rasplex image, for the reasons that dlanor pointed out. So I moved on to other options. Actually, I ended up abandoning a LMS-based framework because I couldn't get any of the various RPi squeeze builds to work for me without stuttering, regardless of anything to do with Rasplex.

Instead, I went the route of DLNA/UPnP, which has served me very well! Here are some options:

1. Enable UPnP control in the preferences of Rasplex. This will let you send music to Rasplex from a bunch of sources. I use MusicBee on my server and BubbleUPnP on my Android phone. BubbleUPnP is great because you can pick from multiple sources. For example, I can tap into either the music on my phone's storage or my server's MusicBee library via my phone, and tell it to play to Rasplex. That's great

2. Volumio: I use this RPi-based client on my non-rasplex pis for simple streaming to stereos in my house. Functions like option #1, but no rasplex and supposedly higher-quality auto stream.

Ultimately, I'll likely never use Plex for music because that's not what it's good at.

9

I don't think UPnP nor Plex (natively) support FLAC + CUE files, which is what I need for LMS.  So if I require a separate box for it, so be it, but it would be nice if I didn't have to.  I've also read that the Pi was a poor music player in that regard, especially since any SPDIF interface has to be on the USB.  The Pi is actually the worst micro computer out there, and the only reason I use it is for Rasplex.

Plex is bad for music,  The Raspberry Pi hardware is bad for music and Rasplex is shackled because of both of those. :(

10

Just tested a FLAC and it was a-ok, so I think you're good on that front. (I'm a FLAC fan myself, most of my library is SD or HD lossless files.)

I agree that there are some serious hurdles with RPi's! But none of them are insurmountable. My USB DAC (ODAC) performs well. Also, I believe that you can bypass the USB bus if you want. See this post: https://volumio.org/raspberry-pi-i2s-dac-sounds-so-good/and this product: https://www.hifiberry.com/dacplus/. I haven't done this myself, but I probably will in the future.

Ultimately, I don't have a horse in this race. But I feel like after a bunch of research and trial and error I finally have a great server/client/controller setup for movies and music using RPis throughout my house and I can't really complain.

Edit to add: IMHO, you may need/want to leave the LMS-based setup eventually anyway. Seems like there are other, better options at this point.

Second edit to add: Looks like there are a lot of options to use LMS to steam to UPnP-compatable devices. https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=lms%20upnp&oq=lms%20upnp

11

We're moving beyond Rasplex,... but unless I can integrate the two, there is no reason to consider a Raspberry Pi.  I have squeezelite happily running on a Cubox which is better in every way, so if you are solely looking for a client to run squeezelite, I recommend it.

12

Great discussion! I'm chiming back in after a year and a half to report back on my own experience in case it is useful.

I think the short answer to the question we asked is that you can't really stack multiple applications with a Rasplex image, for the reasons that dlanor pointed out. So I moved on to other options. Actually, I ended up abandoning a LMS-based framework because I couldn't get any of the various RPi squeeze builds to work for me without stuttering, regardless of anything to do with Rasplex.

Instead, I went the route of DLNA/UPnP, which has served me very well! Here are some options:

1. Enable UPnP control in the preferences of Rasplex. This will let you send music to Rasplex from a bunch of sources. I use MusicBee on my server and BubbleUPnP on my Android phone. BubbleUPnP is great because you can pick from multiple sources. For example, I can tap into either the music on my phone's storage or my server's MusicBee library via my phone, and tell it to play to Rasplex. That's great

2. Volumio: I use this RPi-based client on my non-rasplex pis for simple streaming to stereos in my house. Functions like option #1, but no rasplex and supposedly higher-quality auto stream.

Ultimately, I'll likely never use Plex for music because that's not what it's good at.

Just tested a FLAC and it was a-ok, so I think you're good on that front. (I'm a FLAC fan myself, most of my library is SD or HD lossless files.)

I agree that there are some serious hurdles with RPi's! But none of them are insurmountable. My USB DAC (ODAC) performs well. Also, I believe that you can bypass the USB bus if you want. See this post: https://volumio.org/raspberry-pi-i2s-dac-sounds-so-good/and this product: https://www.hifiberry.com/dacplus/. I haven't done this myself, but I probably will in the future.

Ultimately, I don't have a horse in this race. But I feel like after a bunch of research and trial and error I finally have a great server/client/controller setup for movies and music using RPis throughout my house and I can't really complain.

Edit to add: IMHO, you may need/want to leave the LMS-based setup eventually anyway. Seems like there are other, better options at this point.

Second edit to add: Looks like there are a lot of options to use LMS to steam to UPnP-compatable devices. https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=lms%20upnp&oq=lms%20upnp

Welcome back :-). And thanks for your feedback!

I have already set-up a Raspi 2 with Raspbian and squeezelite in the bedroom, using USB WIFI. Works like a charm with Logitech Media Server running somewhere else -  no hickups, extremly stable WIFI (as compared to a Sonos Play 5 placed in the exact same spot previously!). I use the digital audio out with Hifiberry, https://www.hifiberry.com/digiplus/and active boxes, so the Pi's DAC challenges are no issue at all.

Ultimately, I am looking for a music server-client setup (e.g. "shared" server-side playlists, alarms, general configuration) similar to Plex, Sonos, LMS with nice, state-of-the-art controller apps for Android and iOS. LMS seems like the single choice if you also want multi room audio playback in perfect sync.

Did you manage to have several clients play in sync with volumino?

13

Ultimately, I am looking for a music server-client setup (e.g. "shared" server-side playlists, alarms, general configuration) similar to Plex, Sonos, LMS with nice, state-of-the-art controller apps for Android and iOS. LMS seems like the single choice if you also want multi room audio playback in perfect sync.

Did you manage to have several clients play in sync with volumino?

No, unfortunately not! Multi-room syncing was one of my goals from the outset, and I why I began with an LMS-based system. However, LMS wasn't working well for me so I switched. I did some digging to try to figure out how to sync clients with volumio (and other rpi-based client software), but had no luck. If you find a solution, please do post it on this thread, because I'd love to hear it!

Honestly, I find it baffling that no-one (other than LMS) has developed a good solution for this. But at least we have the wonderful fruits of the Rasplex team's work for video:)

14

No, unfortunately not! Multi-room syncing was one of my goals from the outset, and I why I began with an LMS-based system. However, LMS wasn't working well for me so I switched. I did some digging to try to figure out how to sync clients with volumio (and other rpi-based client software), but had no luck. If you find a solution, please do post it on this thread, because I'd love to hear it!

Honestly, I find it baffling that no-one (other than LMS) has developed a good solution for this. But at least we have the wonderful fruits of the Rasplex team's work for video:)

I find it baffling, too, that there are no other solutions providing these features! I will definately post my solution here if I find one - big if ;-).

15

Heureka! It worked using the new Rasplex version 0.6. Opened a new thread here:

https://forums.plex.tv/topic/159560-howto-running-logitech-media-servers-squeezelite-client-on-rasplexopenelec/

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