Strange UPnP issue

[Leeshep]

Hi,

Hoping someone can help with my Moode issue. 

I’ve just upgraded from version 4 to the latest 6.5.2 and I can no longer skip tracks when playing Quboz tracks via mconnect on my iPhone or from the Qobuz app on the Mac to my Raspberry Pi 2  connected to my hifi 

I can start an album playing and that works fine. But if I press next track it appears to have changed on the iPhone but it doesn’t play. Sometimes if I wait a while it will play fine. And if I just let the whole album play through without skipping tracks this works too usually. 

Any ideas? 

Thanks in advance. 

Lee

[Zigzag]

Hi,

Hoping someone can help with my Moode issue. 

I’ve just upgraded from version 4 to the latest 6.5.2 and I can no longer skip tracks when playing Quboz tracks via mconnect on my iPhone or from the Qobuz app on the Mac to my Raspberry Pi 2  connected to my hifi 

I can start an album playing and that works fine. But if I press next track it appears to have changed on the iPhone but it doesn’t play. Sometimes if I wait a while it will play fine. And if I just let the whole album play through without skipping tracks this works too usually. 

Any ideas? 

Thanks in advance. 

Lee

Moode currently uses Upmpdcli version 1.2.16 to provide its UPNP capabailities including the Quboz service, which came out c. two years ago and has since had a series of updates.  Indeed, Upmpdcli version 1.4.9 has recently come out, and I have successfully updated Moode (6.5.1) to this without any issues.   I don't subscribe to Quboz, Tidal, or Google Music, so my testing can't relate to these streaming services , but it may well be the case that Quboz works as it should with the latest version of Upmpdcli.  So, I can't promise anything, but if you're up trying this, this  is what you will need to do:-

1. From an SSH session enter:

Code:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/upmpdcli.list

.. then press return and enter the text as below into the file that’s just opened, save it (Control + X) and exit

Code:

deb http://www.lesbonscomptes.com/upmpdcli/downloads/raspbian/ buster main
deb-src http://www.lesbonscomptes.com/upmpdcli/downloads/raspbian/ buster main

2. Now import the repository key.  The first stage of the method I use for this process comprises:

Code:

sudo apt install dirmngr

Next, fetching the relevant repository key from the keyservers:

Code:

gpg --keyserver pool.sks-keyservers.net --recv-key F8E3347256922A8AE767605B7808CE96D38B9201

Then, adding that key to the 'apt' keyring:

Code:

gpg --export '7808CE96D38B9201' | sudo apt-key add -

3. Having done this run:

Code:

sudo apt-get update

then:

Code:

sudo apt-get install upmpdcli

4. Now, update Upmpdcli's streaming services:

Code:

sudo apt-get install upmpdcli-qobuz
sudo apt-get install upmpdcli-gmusic
sudo apt-get install upmpdcli-tidal

5. Finally, restart upmpdcli

Code:

sudo service upmpdcli restart

6.  Exit the SSH session

Notes:
1) These instructions are based on info written by Jean-Francois Dockes, the developer of upmpdcli, who potentially could refine this process at a later date.  All credit must go to him for upmpdcli  (See: https://www.lesbonscomptes.com/upmpdcli/ and https://framagit.org/medoc92/upmpdcli)
2) I also must acknowledge @serverbaboon, as what I've done here effectively is nothing more than an update of what he previously provided on diyaudio.com
3) I skipped the process of checking file intergity, but you may wish to include this: https://www.lesbonscomptes.com/pages/signatures.html

[TheOldPresbyope]

I've already pushed a PR to Tim's repo with a revised build-from-sources recipe for upmpdcli 1.4.7.

Don't hold your breath that this will be the answer to a maiden's prayer. It does include lots of bug fixes, refactoring, and even a few new features, for example a Spotify plugin (which I haven't explored yet). 

The Tidal plugin is working fine.

The Qobuz plugin however is effectively dead, not because of any versioning issue of upmpdcli but because of Qobuz's actions. Right from the home page of JFD's upmpdcli website is this news from last fall:

2019-10-06

Qobuz access was revoked: If you were using Qobuz and it's not working any more, don't pull your hair, the Qobuz plugin stopped working (either through the Media Server or with OHCredentials). Qobuz revoked the app_id, and also deleted the API documentation on Github. If you are a hardware integrator/manufacturer using upmpdcli to support Qobuz access (I know there are some), I made a modification to the Qobuz plugin so that the app_id/secret can be stored externally instead of being embedded in the source. This means that, if you can convince Qobuz to supply you with the appropriate pair, you can easily restore function, without having to support a modified module. Of course, this supposes that the API itself does not change.

I won't repeat all the other words Francois has to say about the situation, you can read his docs for yourself.

It isn't clear to me what will happen to the Google Music plugin with time either, especially with Google consistently saying it will retire Google Music in favor of YouTube Music.

Regards,
Kent

[Tim Curtis]

IIRC the track skip issue is due to bugs in mconnect app. Maybe try Google search.

[Zigzag]

I've already pushed a PR to Tim's repo with a revised build-from-sources recipe for upmpdcli 1.4.7.

Don't hold your breath that this will be the answer to a maiden's prayer. It does include lots of bug fixes, refactoring, and even a few new features, for example a Spotify plugin (which I haven't explored yet). 

The Tidal plugin is working fine.

The Qobuz plugin however is effectively dead, not because of any versioning issue of upmpdcli but because of Qobuz's actions. Right from the home page of JFD's upmpdcli website is this news from last fall:

2019-10-06

Qobuz access was revoked: If you were using Qobuz and it's not working any more, don't pull your hair, the Qobuz plugin stopped working (either through the Media Server or with OHCredentials). Qobuz revoked the app_id, and also deleted the API documentation on Github. If you are a hardware integrator/manufacturer using upmpdcli to support Qobuz access (I know there are some), I made a modification to the Qobuz plugin so that the app_id/secret can be stored externally instead of being embedded in the source. This means that, if you can convince Qobuz to supply you with the appropriate pair, you can easily restore function, without having to support a modified module. Of course, this supposes that the API itself does not change.

I won't repeat all the other words Francois has to say about the situation, you can read his docs for yourself.

It isn't clear to me what will happen to the Google Music plugin with time either, especially with Google consistently saying it will retire Google Music in favor of YouTube Music.

Regards,
Kent

Many thanks @TheOldPresbyope for pushing for a revised build of upmpdcli to feature in Moode.  

As regards to Qobuz, I know there’s been a whole raft of posts connected to the forced demise of its open source plugin, but what I’m unsure about is whether upmpdcli can still provide a connection to Qobuz via Kazoo given that Linn has integrated Qobuz and indeed Tidal into this control point app.  Incidentally, from what I gather both these streaming services are also integrated into Lumin but last I heard these aren’t accessible if using this control point app with even recent versions of upmpdcli

[TheOldPresbyope]

@Zigzag

It's easy to get wrapped around the axle when dealing with streaming services and UPnP. It all depends on who's the source.

The cool feature of upmpdcli's streaming services plugins is that they use the upmpdcli media server as a local proxy for the remote streaming-service's server. The control point app need know nothing about the streaming service, it simply reads the information on the local media server. When directed to by the control point, moOde (via upmpdcli) renders the stream from the remote streaming-service's server.

For example, I use only a Tidal account in testing moOde's UPnP services. I've entered my Tidal credentials into moOde's UPnP Config panel. In my control point apps, I see a Tidal folder among when I set my moOde player as the media server (e.g., "Library").

I don't know what Linn has folded into Kazoo (for testing purposes, I have this app along with a slew of others but I test it only against what upmpdcli offers). If they have done what BubbleUPnP has done, which is make their app the proxy media server for remote streaming services, then upmpdcli need not have any special features. It's simply a UPnP renderer.

I was able to use BubbleUPnP for this purpose at least a year ago by giving it (not moOde) my Tidal credentials. Whatever version of upmpdcli we were using in moOde then was good enough.

Regards,
Kent

[TheOldPresbyope]

I should add that I know nothing about the inner workings of OpenHome nor am I in a position to create realistic tests of the upmpdcli implementation of OpenHome protocols. It's quite possible that an OpenHome user will find upmpdcli 1.4.7 a must.

Regards,
Kent

[SoundAdikt]

but what I’m unsure about is whether upmpdcli can still provide a connection to Qobuz via Kazoo given that Linn has integrated Qobuz and indeed Tidal into this control point app. 

Unfortunately not because Kazoo relies on the Qobuz capabilities provided by Davaar - the firmware stack that runs on Linn DS players. The closest you would get is running the full open home stack available at openhome.org - much of Linn's firmware is based on this. Alas, this is not integrated with Moode.  If it was, then things like in-sync multiroom playing should be possible.

[Zigzag]

I should add that I know nothing about the inner workings of OpenHome nor am I in a position to create realistic tests of the upmpdcli implementation of OpenHome protocols. It's quite possible that an OpenHome user will find upmpdcli 1.4.7 a must.

Regards,
Kent

The possibility of Moode featuring an updated version of upmpdci will certainly be well received.

Incidentally, in case you weren’t aware, the OpenHome protocol was developed by Linn, as its proprietary interpretation of UPnP AV.  And, unlike I think all other audio manufactures who developed different closed-source approaches to UPnP AV, Linn opted to make OpenHome available to the opensource community – its depositaries are on GitHub.   Personally, I doubt there being an alternative being as good or robust as OpenHome – in this environment it’s the renderer that owns a playlist, which can continue to be played to the absolute end, even if a control point is switched off; and gapless playback is always supported.

[Zigzag]

Unfortunately not because Kazoo relies on the Qobuz capabilities provided by Davaar - the firmware stack that runs on Linn DS players. The closest you would get is running the full open home stack available at openhome.org - much of Linn's firmware is based on this. Alas, this is not integrated with Moode.  If it was, then things like in-sync multiroom playing should be possible.

Actually, I think you’ll find that Upmpdci incorporates Songcast, allowing synchronized multi-room play to be implemented.  I’ve previously asked (on the DIYaudio website) for this to be included in Moode, but it was discovered that it had a number of issues so this wasn’t taken forwarded.  And some of these issues also feature in the Linn eco-system, with Linn stating on its website for instance that due to security changes Songcast may no longer work on PCs and Macs.  

Having said that, since I made that request there has been a succession of updates to Upmpdci and the likes of Kazoo, so perhaps some of these issues have been overcome.  Maybe someone out there would be brave enough to evaluate whether the Songcast capabilities of the latest version of Upmpdci is now a viable proposition.