How to Configure a Headless Linux (RPi) EmbyTheatre Client (not server)

[Whyglobaleyes 0]

Hello,

Hope all is well and happy in Emby-world for you all. I'd really appreciate some help please.

1. I've got (a) an Emby Server (Dietpi on RPI4 in case that's important) with (2) several Emby clients eg web, android apps including (3) an RPi 3B+ that boots EmbyTheatre. That's all working beautifully and a complete delight for the whole family, we're re-discovering our music collections and our pre-schooler loves that we can put content on a tablet for her. 
2. I'm trying to add a headless pi-zero as an "emby client" - the pi-zero has a soundcard-hat & it's connected to an old school amp with the best speakers in the house, it'd be brilliant to use the pizero/ hifi set up for music on my emby server.
3. I've got emby theatre installed on the pizero but I'm not sure completed. (a) when I enter "emby-theater" it doesn't launch but responds "Illegal instruction" and (b) there isn't a /var/lib/emby folder on the pizero. Even if emby-theater is correctly installed I can't figure out how to use the the command line (via ssh) to launch it or how to configure it to connect to my emby server.

Can anyone help/ point me in the right direction please ... yooohoo, luuuuke, you there?

BW

whyglo

 

 

 

 

Refs: (in case anyone else stumbles across this post one day, the links might be helpful)

 

 

[Luke 37199]

Hi, how did you install Emby Theater?

[Whyglobaleyes 0]

Morning Luke,

Thanks or your reply, do you ever sleep?

I used the instructions in the 2016 question (below). That post is what I used setting up the RPi3 & it worked perfectly.

However looking at it now, it seems I downloaded an electron app which (I don't know much about but) I presume needs a display server. Do I need to install something else for a headless, text only, minimal install pizero (2020-08-20-raspios-buster-armhf-lite.img)? Am I obliged to install a display server (LXDE)? I do get the feeling I'm asking very basic, stupid questions so please accept my apologies in advance.

bw

whyglo

 

> wget https://github.com/MediaBrowser/emby-theater-electron/releases/download/3.0.12/emby-theater_3.0.12_armhf.deb
> sudo apt install -f ./emby-theater_3.0.12_armhf.deb
> sudo rpi-update
> reboot  

> emby-theater

 

 

 

 

[hatharry 85]

If you are after a light weight pi OS with emby theater, try the emby theater pi image https://github.com/MediaBrowser/emby-theater-electron/releases/download/3.0.12/emby-theater-rpi_3.0.12.zip

At the very least you will need a desktop environment (LXDE) .

[yaksplat 58]

I really think a headless client is needed that's not theater, specifically for music.  I'd guess without the UI component, the PI would run a whole loot cooler.

[chacawaca 106]

something like this https://github.com/tryffel/jellycli

just that remote control dont work with a emby server

@chef could probably fork this and give us something fonctionnal

[yaksplat 58]

Can't do whole house audio without remote control.  I'm in the process of training the family on how to play music through the app. 

[Luke 37199]

How has it gone?

[Luke 37199]

@yaksplat ?

[yaksplat 58]

I've found some interesting things. I have 4 Pi's all running in theater and I leave them on 24/7.  After a period of time they will not do playback.  I can get sessions back from all of them, issue play commands, and it shows in the dashboard that they are playing, but i get an odd pulsing hum and nothing more, on all 4.  I haven't been able to narrow down when it occurs, but it's definitely greater than a day.  I can send a reboot command to all of them and they come back up just fine.  I may just do a 3am reboot on a daily basis.  I just have to figure out how to avoid the "POP" from the speakers, which may involve cutting the power to the amp, prior to reboot.

It's a work in progress.  I did attempt to sync up play commands to multiple devices.  That was an echoey disaster.  There's got to be a way to keep their clocks in sync and then issue a play command that is more of a "play x at <time>"

 

[Luke 37199]

Is this with 3.0.14?

[Davey's 12]

On 12/14/2020 at 12:57 AM, hatharry said:

If you are after a light weight pi OS with emby theater, try the emby theater pi image https://github.com/MediaBrowser/emby-theater-electron/releases/download/3.0.12/emby-theater-rpi_3.0.12.zip

At the very least you will need a desktop environment (LXDE) .

I've downloaded this version  (after reading this article:  

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/88387-options-to-install-on-rpi4/) 

Can someone please point me how to configure the network settings the best way? Now it does play but I've need to drop the quality to nearly 480p to run it smooth on both LAN as Wifi) 

I'm using RPI-4 B 8Gb

 

[Luke 37199]

Hi, going forward, I would suggest trying this: 

 

[Davey's 12]

Great!