Best Way to Interface with the MPD Server in Python

CheeseEBoi · 06-14-2020, 10:06 AM

Hello, so I would like to incorporate MPD into the media player plugin for the liferea feed aggregator. The plugin is written in Python and it seems like a pretty simple task, but I can't find and MPD server (not client) modules for it online. I found a module called python-mpd-server but it's still in beta. Is there a native module for this or another way I can add this functionality?

ondoho · 06-15-2020, 03:37 PM

What exactly are you trying to achieve?

Looking at the AUR, there's a few results for "mpd python". check out the corresponding web pages (usually github repos).

pwalden · 06-15-2020, 10:19 PM

I use https://github.com/Mic92/python-mpd2

dugan · 06-15-2020, 11:56 PM

I'd use this:
https://www.musicpd.org/libs/python-musicpd/

CheeseEBoi · 06-16-2020, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

I'd use this:
https://www.musicpd.org/libs/python-musicpd/

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalden

I use https://github.com/Mic92/python-mpd2

Both of these are for MPD clients. I need to integrate MPD into an application so that an MPD client can be used with it.

dugan · 06-16-2020, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CheeseEBoi

I need to integrate MPD into an application so that an MPD client can be used with it.

Oh, in that case?

Just write BASH scripts that call mpc.

CheeseEBoi · 06-16-2020, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

Oh, in that case?

Just write BASH scripts that call mpc.

The problem is that this is actual source code for a plugin. Using a bash script would be pretty unprofessional and inefficient. I'd need it to be like how Rhythmbox or GNOME MPV integrates with MPD.

dugan · 06-16-2020, 01:57 PM

You're talking about this, right?

https://github.com/lwindolf/liferea/...edia-player.py

I'm sorry, but I think we need to take a step back here. What exactly do you want to use the "server libraries" for? "Incorporate MPD" and "I need to integrate MPD into an application so that an MPD client can be used with it." (which is as specific as you got) isn't giving any of us an adequate picture, as I'm sure you've noticed by now.

As MPD is a server, there is normally no reason for "server libraries".

I mean, do you want the server library to:

start and stop MPD? (sorry, you'll have to do that yourself)
provide an API for clients to use to send commands to MPD? (that's what client libraries are for, and that includes what you linked in the top post)

CheeseEBoi · 06-16-2020, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

You're talking about this, right?

https://github.com/lwindolf/liferea/...edia-player.py

I'm sorry, but I think we need to take a step back here. What exactly do you want to use the "server libraries" for? "Incorporate MPD" and "I need to integrate MPD into an application so that an MPD client can be used with it." (which is as specific as you got) isn't giving any of us an adequate picture, as I'm sure you've noticed by now.

As MPD is a server, there is normally no reason for "server libraries".

I mean, do you want the server library to:

start and stop MPD? (sorry, you'll have to do that yourself)
provide an API for clients to use to send commands to MPD? (that's what client libraries are for, and that includes what you linked in the top post)

Sorry for being vague. I am trying to add play/pause/next/previous key functionality to the plugin. From what I know that's an MPD thing.
I guess I'll need to do more research on the subject.

dugan · 06-16-2020, 03:35 PM

Then you use any of the three client libraries that have already been linked: the one you linked to in the top post, or the two that were linked later.

dugan · 06-16-2020, 03:54 PM

Here's a demo of using python-musicpd to play a add a song from the MPD library to the playlist, play it, stop playing, and remove it from the playlist:

Code:

>>> from musicpd import MPDClient
>>> from pprint import pprint
>>> client = MPDClient()
>>> client.connect('localhost', 6600)
>>> song = client.listallinfo()[-1]
>>> pprint(song)
{'album': 'Unearthed',
 'artist': 'Johnny Cash',
 'duration': '219.306',
 'file': 'unearthed/79 - Hurt.flac',
 'format': '44100:16:2',
 'label': 'American Recordings',
 'last-modified': '2018-05-24T14:57:25Z',
 'musicbrainz_albumid': '4321855e-8e8e-4786-8506-28e6d69633b9',
 'musicbrainz_artistid': 'd43d12a1-2dc9-4257-a2fd-0a3bb1081b86',
 'time': '219',
 'title': 'Hurt',
 'track': '79'}
>>> songid = client.addid(song['file'])
>>> songid
'2'
>>> client.playid(songid)
>>> # I can hear the song playing now
>>> client.stop()
>>> # The music stops
>>> client.deleteid(songid)
>>> client.disconnect()

In MPD, playing a song is done in two steps: adding it to the playlist, and playing it from the playlist.

Also, you need to understand how MPD works and what the D means. It runs as a server, and it makes itself available either at a port that you can connect a socket to, or as a UNIX socket. Clients then connect to that by opening the appropriate type of socket, sending it commands through the socket, and receiving the results through the socket. If you have MPD running at port 6600, then you can actually telnet to port 6600 and just issue it commands from the keyboard.

If you're familiar with databases: that's how a lot of them work too.

And if I'm coming across as condescending by explaining something this "obvious": I'm currently writing my second MPD client, and let me tell you, this wasn't obvious to me for a long time.

CheeseEBoi · 06-16-2020, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

Here's a demo of using python-musicpd to play a add a song from the MPD library to the playlist, play it, stop playing, and remove it from the playlist:

Code:

>>> from musicpd import MPDClient
>>> from pprint import pprint
>>> client = MPDClient()
>>> client.connect('localhost', 6600)
>>> song = client.listallinfo()[-1]
>>> pprint(song)
{'album': 'Unearthed',
 'artist': 'Johnny Cash',
 'duration': '219.306',
 'file': 'unearthed/79 - Hurt.flac',
 'format': '44100:16:2',
 'label': 'American Recordings',
 'last-modified': '2018-05-24T14:57:25Z',
 'musicbrainz_albumid': '4321855e-8e8e-4786-8506-28e6d69633b9',
 'musicbrainz_artistid': 'd43d12a1-2dc9-4257-a2fd-0a3bb1081b86',
 'time': '219',
 'title': 'Hurt',
 'track': '79'}
>>> songid = client.addid(song['file'])
>>> songid
'2'
>>> client.playid(songid)
>>> # I can hear the song playing now
>>> client.stop()
>>> # The music stops
>>> client.deleteid(songid)
>>> client.disconnect()

In MPD, playing a song is done in two steps: adding it to the playlist, and playing it from the playlist.

Also, you need to understand how MPD works and what the D means. It runs as a server, and it makes itself available either at a port that you can connect a socket to, or as a UNIX socket. Clients then connect to that by opening the appropriate type of socket, sending it commands through the socket, and receiving the results through the socket. If you have MPD running at port 6600, then you can actually telnet to port 6600 and just issue it commands from the keyboard.

If you're familiar with databases: that's how a lot of them work too.

Thank you so much for the help. I was pretty confused about this, clearly, but now I think I understand. I'll see if I can implement this!