SqueezePlug for Raspberry Pi ready for download

[redfox05]

The website at http://squeezeplug.de/ keeps coming up with a "Connection Reset" error.

[redfox05]

Update: The site seems to work now after trying again. Might be an intermittent problem.

[StephenR]

Hi Stephen,

It sounds like you may have found the source of your problem (underpowered PSU). Once you have a good PSU, try again and see how you go. Also, I'm not sure if you're aware, but most usb wifi adapters won't work properly when plugged directly into the Raspi's USB ports, they need to be connected to a powered hub. There are some that people have reported to work without a hub, but in my experience with the Asus USB-N10, it needs one.

I think you are right re the powered hub. Your code got the WiFi dongle to work but I get garbled sound. With ethernet cable, it is fine. Will try a powered hub next for WiFi.

cheers,

Stephen

[startrek.steve]

Update about the sound problems:

First of all: There was and is still a massive problem with sound output! This has nothing to do with SqueezePlug or SqueezeSlave! Every project dealing with sound output has the similar problems. Yesterday there was only noise from the analog output. I tried today and the result is different from yesterday! If you make an rpi-update you will get a new firmware as you can see. The new firmware carries the todays date. The kernel hat not changed since yesterday. So we can be sure that we have a firmware and not a kernel problem, so far so good.

Code: Select all

root@squeezeplugrpi:~# /opt/vc/bin/vcgencmd version
Jun 28 2012 18:11:29
Copyright (c) 2012 Broadcom
version 322659 (release)

Code: Select all

root@squeezeplugrpi:~# uname -a
Linux squeezeplugrpi 3.1.9+ #138 PREEMPT Tue Jun 26 16:27:52 BST 2012 armv6l GNU/Linux

The result now is: Analog sound output works again, but in a bad quality i think. Digital sound output works fine and stable. So we have to wait for a firmware fixing this issue

I've just installed the latest Squeezeplug, rpi-update and connected to the analog socket, sound can barely be heard when playing mp3. You say its the firmware, but if I install omxplayer and play the same mp3, sound blasts out at full volume? Surely this proves the formware/Hardware is functioning correctly? It seems to me its Squeezebox with the sound problem?

[andy100]

Hi Thomas

Thanks for v5 alpha. Great news from me so far: Installed and set up purely as squeezeslave (headless) client via HDMI - It's 100% perfect I've been a mixture of streaming radio and mp3 to it for over 6 hrs today and not a single blip,stutter etc...
Also, I killed the LMS server (up on 2k8r2 server) and restarted part way through a stream - squeezeslave automatically re-connected ready for a new stream which is good (as it should).

Previous builds of squeezeplug over HDMI always failed after about 30 mins - the sound would fail completely, so this is fantastic progress.

I have yet to try this process over 3.5mm output but will test over the weekend and report back.

So, so far, it looks to be a very good build. I'm going to get shairport installed on this build along side squeezeslave - not sure if the two can co-exist or if one will keep the sound card 'locked'?!

Thanks again
Andy

[castalla]

On another forum somebody has said that Triode's BBC iPlayer plugin doesn't work with squeezeplug RPi - is this true?

[florca]

On another forum somebody has said that Triode's BBC iPlayer plugin doesn't work with squeezeplug RPi - is this true?

Working fine for me (Listening to Friday's "World on 3" as I type this...). Latest Alpha 5.0 build as a standalone Squeezeslave (with an rpi-update) is sounding perfect over USB through a Topping TP30 USB DAC / amp.

When first installed there was a constant background clicking, but the following very simple /etc/asound.conf with a "rate 44100" statement seems to have cured the problem - not sure if this is specific to this USB DAC, but sound is now fine, with no clicks or pops at all.

Code: Select all

 
pcm.!default {
   type hw
   rate 44100
   card 0
  }

ctl.!default {
   type hw
   card 0
}

A very happy camper! Thanks Thomas for a great piece of work...

Phil

[castalla]

Something strange then - I enabled iPlayer using the original squeezeplug image. When I try any iPlayer live stream I get 'Problem - cannot open file'.
On demand just returns 403 Forbidden.

Any ideas?

[florca]

Something strange then - I enabled iPlayer using the original squeezeplug image. When I try any iPlayer live stream I get 'Problem - cannot open file'.
On demand just returns 403 Forbidden.

Any ideas?

Hmm - I never tried iPlayer on the original image as I couldn't get it to provide decent sound over analogue or USB - the latest Alpha 5.0 image seems to have solved this, at least for USB.

Are you using it as a standalone Squeezeslave or are you also running LMS on the same Pi? I'm running LMS (Actually Squeezebox Server 7.6.1...) on a separate Ubuntu system.

Is it a transcoding / AAC issue? I'm pretty certain Squeezeslave can't natively play AAC (or WMA) streams, so you will need LMS to transcode and have the iPlayer settings configured to allow transcoding - my iPlayer Plugin settings are:

Preferences (Live & On Demand): AAC -> FlashAAC -> FlashMP3 -> WMA
Allow Transcoding: Enabled

Are you in the UK? Are the iPlayer Streams working fine on other SqueezeDevices?

Phil

[castalla]

I seem to have encountered a really strange problem - no idea how this has happened.

I am getting 403 whenever I try any stream via the Tunein plugin on LMS. This has only started today.

Something seems to have gone seriously wrong with my image and the LMS setup!

I use the squeezeplu RPi as a server to feed my Touch.

I think I'm going to have to reimage and try again.

I'll stick with the original image for the moment - unless you can advise me that using the alpha is simply a case of letting it start and being able to ssh in to make adjustments. I assume it doesn't autostart LMS?

[florca]

....unless you can advise me that using the alpha is simply a case of letting it start and being able to ssh in to make adjustments. I assume it doesn't autostart LMS?

I just followed the instructions for the Alpha on the SqueezePlug downloads page (needed to add ".sh" to the script invocations..). SSH daemon starts fine - have never connected my Pi to a monitor! Neither Squeezeslave or LMS starts on 1st boot, but the shell scripts configure for subsequent starts.

Sorry for the misunderstanding here - I'm using my Pi as a (test...) Squeeze player rather than Server - all now rather important given the uncertain commitment to the whole setup from Logitech!

Phil

[castalla]

Thanks for the helpful info.

I'll have to leave it until tomorrow as it looks as if my router network is in a mess (I had a router failure yesterday) and I think I need to reboot the whole setup.

Will report back on progress.

[castalla]

Update:

Bizarre. I reconfigured my router to use a different dns. not the isp default.

Now I have complete access to Tunein, and also BBC iPlayer live and On Demand. No more 403 Forbidden messages.

So, whatever else is happening. it seems that iPlayer plugin DOES work with the original squeezeplug image.

Using the isp dns also caused every switch from radio to music to introduce a distinct 'noise' when switching streams - this has also disappeared with the new dns setting.

Baffled, but happy it's working again!

[andy100]

When first installed there was a constant background clicking, but the following very simple /etc/asound.conf with a "rate 44100" statement seems to have cured the problem - not sure if this is specific to this USB DAC, but sound is now fine, with no clicks or pops at all.

Code: Select all

 
pcm.!default {
   type hw
   rate 44100
   card 0
  }

ctl.!default {
   type hw
   card 0
}

A very happy camper! Thanks Thomas for a great piece of work...

Phil

I have to do the same - I use a Creative Labs Sound Blaster USB stick so I don't think it's your DAC.
The sound from USB is rather dull compared to HDMI (both going in to a Sony AV amp), but this is to be expected.

As an update, HDMI output is faultless - sound excellent without any issues (v4 used to drop after 30 mins or so). USB output is also good and with no faults.

I can't find a way to have squeezeslave and shairport running at the same time - both work, but whatever starts first has a hold on the output device - any help here would be gratefully received:)

[florca]

I can't find a way to have squeezeslave and shairport running at the same time - both work, but whatever starts first has a hold on the output device - any help here would be gratefully received:)

I think you need to configure and route sound through the ALSA "mixer" as a default device. Here is the original "/etc/asound.conf" from an O2 Joggler which allowed multiple sources to share the sound output - don't think it's a good idea to just use this as is, but probably a fair basis for some experimentation (aided by some more research into ALSA parameters)?

Code: Select all

pcm.my_card {
  type hw
  card 0
  # mmap_emulation true
}

pcm.dmixed {
  type dmix
  ipc_key 1024
  #  ipc_key_add_uid false   # let multiple users share
  #  ipc_perm 0666           # IPC permissions for multi user sharing (octal, default 0600)
  slave {
    pcm "my_card"
      rate 48000
      period_size 512
  }
}

pcm.dsnooped {
  type dsnoop
  ipc_key 2048
  slave {
    pcm "my_card"
    #   rate 48000
    #   period_size 128
  }
}

pcm.asymed {
  type asym
  playback.pcm "dmixed"
  #capture.pcm "dsnooped"
}

pcm.pasymed {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "asymed"
}

pcm.dsp0 {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "asymed"
}

pcm.!default {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "asymed"
}

[andy100]

[

I think you need to configure and route sound through the ALSA "mixer" as a default device. Here is the original "/etc/asound.conf" from an O2 Joggler which allowed multiple sources to share the sound output - don't think it's a good idea to just use this as is, but probably a fair basis for some experimentation (aided by some more research into ALSA parameters)?

Code: Select all

pcm.my_card {
  type hw
  card 0
  # mmap_emulation true
}

pcm.dmixed {
  type dmix
  ipc_key 1024
  #  ipc_key_add_uid false   # let multiple users share
  #  ipc_perm 0666           # IPC permissions for multi user sharing (octal, default 0600)
  slave {
    pcm "my_card"
      rate 48000
      period_size 512
  }
}

pcm.dsnooped {
  type dsnoop
  ipc_key 2048
  slave {
    pcm "my_card"
    #   rate 48000
    #   period_size 128
  }
}

pcm.asymed {
  type asym
  playback.pcm "dmixed"
  #capture.pcm "dsnooped"
}

pcm.pasymed {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "asymed"
}

pcm.dsp0 {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "asymed"
}

pcm.!default {
  type plug
  slave.pcm "asymed"
}

Cheers florca, I've been playing with this for a while now and seem to be going round in circles. I get the idea but my execution may be off. Set up a pcm.mixer output device and then force the two apps (squeezeslave and shairport) to use the mixer, but again I can only have one or the other. The code you posted is different to what I've had but still no better. Thanks for your input

[clovis]

Hi Truehl,

Just to let you know, the new version doesn't play wav files.

Regards.

[mba]

I just build and tested squeezeplay on squeezeplug to see if there was any difference from when I tried it on the standard debian armel distro. But unfortunately its the same. It plays a stream perfectly for the first couple of minutes but then the jive_alsa process starts using 100% cpu and audio starts to stutter. jive_alsa returns to more sane cpu levels but audio continues to stutter heavily.

It just would be soo nice if it could work, then it is possible to use the spotify plugin from triode, if anybody has an idea what could be wrong I would like to hear it. Or if somebody would like to test it themselves I could make the build avaiable somehow.

best regards
Martin

[Argon]

Anyone that uses the Youtube plugin? Here it doesn't work...

[Dephcon]

Are there any cables/adapters available that will do HDMI > 3.5mm or 2xRCA for analog audio? This would allow me to connect a pair of powered PC speakers without need for a USB soundcard/DAC.

[nekomatic]

They do exist - search the web for 'hdmi analogue audio' to see some at a wide range of price points! It would be useful to hear some recommendations for any that are decent quality at a reasonable price...

[Dephcon]

This is the closet to what I want that I can find:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0080CQEK0/ref ... B0080CQEK0

[castalla]

Similar here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDMI-Audio-Vide ... 39&sr=8-11

[clovis]

Similar here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/HDMI-Audio-Vide ... 39&sr=8-11

I've got that one. It works well.

[mba]

I am having problems with Squeezeslave, where after some time audio starts to drop out. I am outputting through HDMI and maybe the problem is the same as I experienced with Squeezeplay some posts back in this thread.
I have tried changing channels but the problem persists. Theres nothing in /var/log/squeezeslave.log and nothing useful in /var/log/squeezebox/server.log

Best regards
Martin