HQPlayer Linux Desktop and HQplayer embedded

[elan120]

On 11/21/2018 at 6:23 AM, Johnseye said:

 

I tested the NAA with ramroot.  It loads extremely fast.  I pulled out the USB and everything functioned as expected.  SQ is great at first listen.  Thank you very much Jussi.  Are there complexities in adding a similar capability to Embedded in one way shape or form?

 

Just tried this new image, and I also like the ramroot feature very much.  Thanks to both @Johnseye and @Miska for making this available.

[Miska]

3 hours ago, Em2016 said:

Anyway I’ll buy USBStreamer and install the right firmware and plug it in and hope USBstreamer shows up on the Input Playlist. I’ll report back.

 

You can check that out any time, you don't need the device for that. All configured inputs are shown regardless if they physically exist.

 

In worst case it is matter of copy-pasting few lines of configuration to the configuration file. Reflashing the firmware is maybe a bit more effort.

 

[asdf1000]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

You can check that out any time, you don't need the device for that. All configured inputs are shown regardless if they physically exist.

 

Is this what you mean? I don't see USBStreamer.

 

I am running hqplayer-embedded-4.6.1.1-x64 image on the UpBoard

 

[Miska]

1 hour ago, Em2016 said:

Is this what you mean? I don't see USBStreamer.

 

I am running hqplayer-embedded-4.6.1.1-x64 image on the UpBoard

 

 

Ahh, yes, the image default config seems to be missing those. I'll add it for next release, no problem...

 

[asdf1000]

Hi @Miska or anyone that can help before he sees this.

 

I'm trying to install HQPe on Debian Stretch.

 

I'm up to this part of these instructions:

 

Once HQPlayer Embedded is installed, you need to create couple of directories under the “hqpe” users home drive to hold configuration files for HQPe and “rygel”.

mkdir /home/hqpe/.config
chmod 750 /home/hqpe/.config
mkdir /home/hqpe/.hqplayer
zcat /usr/share/doc/hqplayerd/rygel.conf.gz > /home/hqpe/.config/rygel.conf sudo mv /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml.orig

 

But I get stuck:

 

root@DietPi:~# sudo dpkg -i hqplayerd_4.6.1-21_amd64.deb

(Reading database ... 29557 files and directories currently installed.)

Preparing to unpack hqplayerd_4.6.1-21_amd64.deb ...

Unpacking hqplayerd (4.6.1-21) over (4.6.1-21) ...

Setting up hqplayerd (4.6.1-21) ...

Warning: The home dir /var/hqplayer/home you specified already exists.

The system user `hqplayer' already exists. Exiting.

usermod: no changes

 

root@DietPi:~# mkdir /home/hqpe/.config

mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/home/hqpe/.config’: No such file or directory

 

Help! ?

 

 

 

[asdf1000]

Edit, OK I'm in ! Phew!

 

Ok I entered the below:

 

root@DietPi:~# mkdir /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.config

root@DietPi:~# chmod 750 /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.config

root@DietPi:~# mkdir /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.hqplayer

root@DietPi:~# zcat /usr/share/doc/hqplayerd/rygel.conf.gz > /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.config/rygel.conf

root@DietPi:~# sudo mv /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml.orig

 

Then I did this:

root@DietPi:~# hqplayerd -s hqplayer password (temporary password until I change it)

root@DietPi:~# systemctl start hqplayerd

root@DietPi:~# systemctl enable hqplayerd

 

Then http://ip_address:8088/config I type hqplayer and password (for username and password)

 

Just in case that helps someone else

 

[Miska]

1 hour ago, Em2016 said:

Hi @Miska or anyone that can help before he sees this.

 

I'm trying to install HQPe on Debian Stretch.

 

I'm up to this part of these instructions:

 

Once HQPlayer Embedded is installed, you need to create couple of directories under the “hqpe” users home drive to hold configuration files for HQPe and “rygel”.

mkdir /home/hqpe/.config
chmod 750 /home/hqpe/.config
mkdir /home/hqpe/.hqplayer
zcat /usr/share/doc/hqplayerd/rygel.conf.gz > /home/hqpe/.config/rygel.conf sudo mv /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml.orig

 

But I get stuck:

 

root@DietPi:~# sudo dpkg -i hqplayerd_4.6.1-21_amd64.deb

(Reading database ... 29557 files and directories currently installed.)

Preparing to unpack hqplayerd_4.6.1-21_amd64.deb ...

Unpacking hqplayerd (4.6.1-21) over (4.6.1-21) ...

Setting up hqplayerd (4.6.1-21) ...

Warning: The home dir /var/hqplayer/home you specified already exists.

The system user `hqplayer' already exists. Exiting.

usermod: no changes

 

root@DietPi:~# mkdir /home/hqpe/.config

mkdir: cannot create directory ‘/home/hqpe/.config’: No such file or directory

 

Help! ?

 

 

 

 

Those instructions are outdated and thus wrong. You may get something running that way, but not the way it is intended...

 

Correct instructions:

1. Install the package with "sudo dpkg -i"
2. Set management password with "sudo hqplayerd -s username password"
3. Enable and start service "sudo systemctl enable hqplayerd; sudo systemctl restart hqplayerd"

 

...and you are done. It starts automatically as background service on every boot onwards.

 

[Miska]

53 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

root@DietPi:~# mkdir /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.config

root@DietPi:~# chmod 750 /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.config

root@DietPi:~# mkdir /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.hqplayer

root@DietPi:~# zcat /usr/share/doc/hqplayerd/rygel.conf.gz > /var/hqplayer/home/hqpe/.config/rygel.conf

root@DietPi:~# sudo mv /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml.orig

 

This is redundant and doesn't have any effect, except that you lost the default configuration as last step...

 

53 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

Then I did this:

root@DietPi:~# hqplayerd -s hqplayer password (temporary password until I change it)

root@DietPi:~# systemctl start hqplayerd

root@DietPi:~# systemctl enable hqplayerd

 

This is correct. Now hqplayerd is running as a service under non-login system userid "hqplayer".

 

[asdf1000]

5 minutes ago, Miska said:

This is redundant and doesn't have any effect, except that you lost the default configuration as last step...

 

Thanks Jussi! I'll save this in case I need to do a clean install in future. How can I undo this redundant last step? What does the default config include? Is it critical?

 

 

 

[Miska]

11 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

Thanks Jussi! I'll save this in case I need to do a clean install in future. How can I undo this redundant last step? What does the default config include? Is it critical?

 

You can swap the file names in that and it goes back, but depends on what order you ended up doing things. You can then trigger restart of the service with "sudo systemctl restart hqplayerd" to make it re-read the config. If you wanted for example the configs for miniDSP USBStreamer...

 

You can use that command from the original instructions before installing a new version if you want to get the default configuration updated. By default it doesn't get updated if the package manager detects that the config file has been modified from the original.

 

However better way to deal with this is different. When modified configuration is detected at package installation time, package manager stores the default one under file name hqplayerd.xml.dpkg-dist

So you can take the default config into use at any time then by doing:

sudo cp /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml.dpkg-dist /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml

sudo systemctl restart hqplayerd

 

[asdf1000]

1 hour ago, Miska said:

 

You can swap the file names in that and it goes back, but depends on what order you ended up doing things. You can then trigger restart of the service with "sudo systemctl restart hqplayerd" to make it re-read the config. If you wanted for example the configs for miniDSP USBStreamer...

 

You can use that command from the original instructions before installing a new version if you want to get the default configuration updated. By default it doesn't get updated if the package manager detects that the config file has been modified from the original.

 

However better way to deal with this is different. When modified configuration is detected at package installation time, package manager stores the default one under file name hqplayerd.xml.dpkg-dist

So you can take the default config into use at any time then by doing:

sudo cp /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml.dpkg-dist /etc/hqplayer/hqplayerd.xml

sudo systemctl restart hqplayerd

 

 

Thanks Jussi!

 

I did a clean install of DietPi following these proper steps now (didn't do all the redundant steps):

 

sudo apt-get -y install libglib2.0-0 libflac8 libasound2 libasound2-data libgomp1

sudo apt-get -y install rygel

wget https://www.sonarnerd.net/src/stretch/libgmpris_2.2.1-4_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i libgmpris_2.2.1-4_amd64.deb

wget https://www.signalyst.eu/bins/hqplayerd/stretch/hqplayerd_4.6.1-21_amd64.deb

sudo dpkg -i hqplayerd_4.6.1-21_amd64.deb

sudo hqplayerd -s hqplayer password

sudo systemctl enable hqplayerd;sudo systemctl restart hqplayerd

 

But when I go to the Input page, it goes straight to the Config page?

 

[Miska]

42 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

But when I go to the Input page, it goes straight to the Config page?

 

That is all good because you need to select DAC too. Whenever it cannot access DAC it will redirect you to the config page, trying to hint "check your config".

 

Quote

I did a clean install of DietPi

 

Never tried it on DietPi, but good that someone is testing out that option too!

 

[asdf1000]

20 minutes ago, Miska said:

Never tried it on DietPi, but good that someone is testing out that option too!

 

I found it much less daunting than other options. Plus the steps are quite small, as I posted above (with your help of course). So if I can do it, anyone can hehe

 

21 minutes ago, Miska said:

That is all good because you need to select DAC too. Whenever it cannot access DAC it will redirect you to the config page, trying to hint "check your config".

 

DAC is selected and music is playing to NAA. Do you mean INPUT only works with ALSA backend connection?

 

[acatala]

54 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

That is all good because you need to select DAC too. Whenever it cannot access DAC it will redirect you to the config page, trying to hint "check your config".

 

 

That's clever, @Miska!! Sometimes I wondered why HQPlayer Embedded remained in the config page again and again ?

 

Definitely, a user manual with all the information spread over this forum is needed. There are lots of information around that would worth it being together.

 

I installed your NAA image for Raspberry Pi on a RPi 3 B+ and used IPv6 for NAA discovery. It works fine, as you said. When I streamed in DSD128 format, pops can be heard, as you also said. I tested too, connecting the NUC (Roon Core + HQPlayer Embedded) directly to the DAC and it sounded perfect. I will keep testing in the weeks to come. By the way, I have purchased a license even I have not ended my tests. I find that the product is nice and you are easily available, so it is fine for me ?

 

I used for my test ASDM7 modulator and poly-sinc-xtr-mp-2s filter. It sounded fine, but the NUC7I7BNH processor worked close to 100% as seen from top command.

 

I will consider alternatives:

 

Connecting the NUC with Roon + HQPlayer Embedded to DAC with USB

Using another NAA different from RPi3

Using a future new more powerful NUC (or similar) and move HQPlayer Embedded there (I am aware that there is a change in the fingerprint, but this is not a short term alternative right now) and connecting to the DAC directly.

 

We'll see.

 

Thanks Jussi!!

[asdf1000]

56 minutes ago, Miska said:

That is all good because you need to select DAC too. Whenever it cannot access DAC it will redirect you to the config page, trying to hint "check your config".

 

As I replied to this, I realised that when I tried the Mac input with UpBoard USB3 OTG connector that I was getting issues when playing to NAA (still had sound coming though initially). I now realised I didn't even try a direct ALSA connection to the USB DAC. Silly me!

 

So I'm trying that now. And now I see USBStream options on the input page... but I don't see my Mac input options like I had yesterday? The UpBoard BIOS settings for the USB3 OTG port are correct as "DeviceMode"...

 

Is it possible DietPi can't access this USB3 OTG port? How would I check?

 

Or something else?

 

[Miska]

4 hours ago, Em2016 said:

DAC is selected and music is playing to NAA. Do you mean INPUT only works with ALSA backend connection?

 

And it still redirects to config page? Input side is not related to output side, both are independent. There are two rules that throw you to config page:

1. Configuration file loading has failed
2. Output cannot talk to DAC

 

[Miska]

3 hours ago, Em2016 said:

Is it possible DietPi can't access this USB3 OTG port? How would I check?

 

USB input support is only set up for the bootable image, because it depends on closely dealing with dynamic Linux kernel configuration.

 

If you want to use that feature, you need to use my bootable image.

 

[Miska]

4 hours ago, acatala said:

That's clever, @Miska!! Sometimes I wondered why HQPlayer Embedded remained in the config page again and again ?

 

I'll try to add a notice on the page about the reason why there was redirect. This is similar behavior as HQPlayer Desktop has, but it has always shown notification dialog first.

 

4 hours ago, acatala said:

Definitely, a user manual with all the information spread over this forum is needed. There are lots of information around that would worth it being together.

 

In the latest versions there is now some amount of manual as help pages. And in addition more technical / low level information in the readme.txt file included in all packages.

 

Quote

Using a future new more powerful NUC (or similar) and move HQPlayer Embedded there (I am aware that there is a change in the fingerprint, but this is not a short term alternative right now) and connecting to the DAC directly.

 

This is closer to what I have now myself. I have Roon running on macOS in Mac Mini. And number of HQPlayer Embedded devices connected directly to DAC. Then I use NAA's for HQPlayer Desktop instances.

[asdf1000]

34 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

USB input support is only set up for the bootable image, because it depends on closely dealing with dynamic Linux kernel configuration.

 

If you want to use that feature, you need to use my bootable image.

 

 

Ah yes, that makes sense.

 

[shadowlight]

@Em2016, sorry the HQP Embedded guide needs to be updated for the latest version of package.  Some of the steps are no longer needed.  I need to set aside some time to update.

[shadowlight]

Updated the document.  If anyone finds any errors please let me know.

HQPlayer Embedded Install Guide v.0.6.pdf

[asdf1000]

3 hours ago, shadowlight said:

@Em2016, sorry the HQP Embedded guide needs to be updated for the latest version of package.  Some of the steps are no longer needed.  I need to set aside some time to update.

 

I wouldn’t have gotten to this point and you wouldn’t have had Jussi’s new comments if it weren’t for that document, so no need for apologies. It was very useful. And will be for others going forward!

 

Thanks again!

 

PS: one question. What's the cleanest and simplest way to update HQPe version when Jussi releases the next version. Can you include that in the document too?

[Miska]

2 hours ago, shadowlight said:

Updated the document.  If anyone finds any errors please let me know.

HQPlayer Embedded Install Guide v.0.6.pdf

 

Looks very nice indeed!

 

Small note, not very important, but if you are ready to do manual partitioning, don't create swap partition and just tell installer to continue regardless. This is how I have my systems.

 

Section 6, for kernels you have optional choice of my kernel build if you need some extra driver support, etc.

 

Section 8, there are separate packages for Stretch and Bionic. Although Stretch package may work on Bionic, it is recommended to install Bionic package on Bionic.

 

Section 9, the username and password for the web interface is set by "hqplayerd -s username password" and is not related to any system username. So this should be set upfront.

 

For most part, I've removed the System/User scope thing, apart from license key installation etc. The scope is detected based on where the configuration ends up being loaded from. If config was loaded from user's home directory -> user scope, if the config was loaded from system location -> system scope.

 

[asdf1000]

22 minutes ago, Miska said:

Section 6, for kernels you have optional choice of my kernel build if you need some extra driver support, etc.

 

@shadowlight I know you mention: "or install the custom kernel and headers that Jussi Laako @ Signalyst has published"

 

But for the slow people like me, can you add those steps too (if it's not too many)?

 

[shadowlight]

@Miska and @Em2016, your feedback has been incorporated.  Please review and let me know if I missed anything.

 

I would like to include the CUDA configuration under Ubuntu but I have not tested the configuration to see if I have all the steps correct.  The guide will be updated once I have completedly tested the configuration by following the steps :).

 

Miska, the libgmpris package versions for Bionic and Stretch are different version.  I am not sure if that makes a difference in the grand scheme but something to report.

 

HQPlayer Embedded Install Guide v.0.7.pdf