Upgrading to SqueezeCenter

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simon
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#16

Post by simon »

After pulling most of my hair out with this I've had a break from it for a while. Now I'm back from holiday I thought I'd have another go so emailed Ripcaster this morning to ask:
1 Can they upgrade it for me
2 If not what options are there for, say, Windows Home Server

I got a response in less than quarter of an hour (on a Bank Holiday Monday!) with a couple of links to pages on their website to first uninstall SlimServer, and then install SqueezeCenter. To uninstall I followed this:
https://www.ripcaster.co.uk/node/333

This required me to download Putty to connect to the QNAP, and then learn a couple of simple Linux commands from a websearch when things didn't go as planned (what little Unix experience I have is a long way behind me).

Once I'd sussed that I was trying to change directory to one that didn't exist on the box I googled for alternative pages on Ripcaster's website and found this:
https://www.ripcaster.co.uk/node/311
Which worked fine :D.

Then I followed this page to install SqueezeCenter:
https://www.ripcaster.co.uk/node/334
As I'd previously updated the QNAP firmware, installed QPKG and SSOTS it was really quite quick to install. And this time it worked :D:D.

I now have music coming out of the Duet and I have a nice new shiny toy to play with :D:D:D.

Although I bought my QNAP and original SB3 from Ripcaster 18 months ago there was nothing in it for them to help me apart from good customer service and a glowing recommendation from me :D:D:D:D. Or they could have recommended a nice new shiny server instead...

Top banana. Let's hope it doesn't crash on me now!
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The Stratmangler
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#17

Post by The Stratmangler »

Good result Simon.

Top banana indeed.

Chris :D
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simon
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#18

Post by simon »

Aye. I'm still smiling :D.

I was showing the missus the nice shiny handset earlier - she was decidedly unimpressed. Make of that what you will, but I guess my money is on "boy's toys".
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The Stratmangler
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#19

Post by The Stratmangler »

simon wrote:I was showing the missus the nice shiny handset earlier - she was decidedly unimpressed. Make of that what you will, but I guess my money is on "boy's toys".
That's wimmin for ya !

I take it that "better half" hasn't touched/used the SB3 either ?

Mine occasionally has the need for a boogie, and, 'cos all the shiny beer mats are packed away in boxes, she has to use the SB3 in order to access danceable music. The TT is totally off limits, and if you'd seen the state of her records you'd understand why.

Have you bothered adding artwork to your HDD music collection yet ?

Chris :)
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simon
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#20

Post by simon »

The Stratmangler wrote:I take it that "better half" hasn't touched/used the SB3 either ?
Naturally!
The Stratmangler wrote:Have you bothered adding artwork to your HDD music collection yet ?
Not yet - SqueezeCenter is a whole new world. I'm hoping that album art might make it a bit more accessible... Are there any other interesting features of SC over SS?
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The Stratmangler
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#21

Post by The Stratmangler »

There is an extension downloader for some of the plugins - this can be found under settings/advanced/extension downloader ,and it saves having to drop plugins into specific folders in the program itself.

Adding the artwork can be a bit long winded, and tbh, a bit of a pain.

Chris :)
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Cressy Snr
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#22

Post by Cressy Snr »

Hi Simon

Re adding artwork,

All I do is download the artwork from Amazon or wherever. Rename it cover.jpg. Place the jpeg in the appropriate album folder along with the track files. Rescan the library and the artwork will show up.

Steve
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simon
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#23

Post by simon »

Cool, thanks chaps. That sounds easy enough Steve. I already have a few coversfrom albums on my ipod :). Wikipedia works for images too :wink:
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The Stratmangler
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#24

Post by The Stratmangler »

SteveTheShadow wrote:Hi Simon

Re adding artwork,

All I do is download the artwork from Amazon or wherever. Rename it cover.jpg. Place the jpeg in the appropriate album folder along with the track files. Rescan the library and the artwork will show up.

Steve
Hi Steve

I've tried doing as you've described, and it no work for me.
Do you have a folder for each artist/album as a standalone entry, or are your files organised as mine are, that is artist folder, then subfolders for each album ?

I can get around my issues implanting the image using MP3Tag, but it's a time consuming process.

Or are there some settings in squeezecenter that I've overlooked ?

The only other obvious difference is that you use Mac, I have PC running XP Pro.

Chris :?
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Cressy Snr
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#25

Post by Cressy Snr »

Hi Chris

Here is my file structure for the Squeezecenter, which is pointed at the squeezebox_music folder.
It is easier to show the directory structure than to explain it in words.

Image

And here is the artwork showing up in the web browser

Image

Hope that helps.
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The Stratmangler
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#26

Post by The Stratmangler »

Thanks for that Steve.

Your file structure looks pretty similar to mine.

I also get a similar(ish) type of representation when looking at music files on the machine running Squeezecenter - remember that I am using Windoze XP - although the layout is nowhere near as straightforward to view from the UI as the Mac layout seems to be.

My comments and questions stem from accessing Squeezecenter from my Laptop - the SC is running on a static machine upstairs - using my internet browser (Firefox) accessing the SC program via the internal LAN IP address.

When I open the UI for SC off the laptop and go to Home/Artists/Jimi Hendrix Experience, as an example, the artwork does not show up, yet all of the albums in that file subset contain a jpeg with the album artwork.

If I use MP3Tag to embed the artwork into the tracks then the album art appears fine on the laptop.

I am making an assumption that the Squeezebox Controller gets its' access information via the SC UI and not from the OS UI, in which case there may be the same issues that I have experienced.

Not having a Controller to play with I'm a bit stuck to discover further.

Confused ?

I certainly am !

Chris :D
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The Stratmangler
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#27

Post by The Stratmangler »

Thinking about it I have the same issues when accessing the SC UI on the serving machine too.

Chris :)
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The Stratmangler
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#28

Post by The Stratmangler »

Just been perusing the user manual, and although it doesn't state that the artwork needs embedding so that SC sees the artwork, it is certainly implied in as much as the Controller directly accesses the player, which is controlled by SC.

Perhaps I am looking at things on too deep a level.

NO comments about spinny black plastic stuff please DTB :lol:

Chris :)
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pre65
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#29

Post by pre65 »

Well, I'm just an old duffer who can't understand all this hi-tec stuff !

CDs and records are what I understand, and I'm not the only one. :wink: :lol:
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The Stratmangler
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#30

Post by The Stratmangler »

pre65 wrote:Well, I'm just an old duffer who can't understand all this hi-tec stuff !

CDs and records are what I understand, and I'm not the only one. :wink: :lol:
I think young Mr. DTB is with you on this one.

Chris :lol:
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