O2 Joggler Forum

-------------------------------------------
LATEST VERSION - Version 1.09 - 23rd January 2013
-------------------------------------------


SqueezePlay OS, as I’ve been inventively calling it, is a small Ubuntu installation built using debootstrap and designed to run SqueezePlay for Joggler. You can download it, flash it to a USB stick, plug it into your Joggler and be up and running in no time. It’s also designed to look neat, with no console output on boot (although verbose output is easy to turn back on) dropping you straight into the SqueezePlay user interface.

After the first version was released it was clear that people wanted to install it onto the internal flash memory of their Jogglers, completely replacing the OpenPeak system. It’s taken a bit of work, but there’s now a specialised copy of SqueezePlay OS that can be written to the Joggler’s internal storage using the latest Reflashing Tool.


Highlights:

• Small Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid) system dedicated to SqueezePlay.
• Can be installed to the Joggler's 1GB internal storage using the Reflashing Tool.
• Automated installation of Logitech Media Server.
• Full hardware accelerated video playback through mplayer.
• Easy network configuration from a SqueezePlay applet.
• Auto-mounting of USB storage devices.
• NFS preinstalled.
• Quiet startup (verbose boot optional).
• Proper system startup and shutdown controls.
• Full apt-get package management system underneath!
• All of the features of SqueezePlay for Joggler, including the Update applet.
• Settings applet for backlight level and display standby.
• Settings applet for internal or external (USB) audio interface.
• Fully compatible with remote control apps, eg. Squeezebox Remote.

Installation

Full details are on my SqueezePlay OS for Joggler page.


This should be a fun system for running all sorts of background applications, in a much easier to use environment than the native operating system (without the risk of unwanted updates!), so please post and let me know what you make of it!

Nice! congrats dude.

Thank you for sharing with us your excellent, well thought out, well documented software creations, Roobarb!.

On your website you state "Or you can run it from a larger device and use the remaining space for music.", does this mean that Squeezeserver (or one of it's 52 other names!) is included in the build?

cbredfred wrote:Thank you for sharing with us your excellent, well thought out, well documented software creations, Roobarb!.

Thanks!

cbredfred wrote:On your website you state "Or you can run it from a larger device and use the remaining space for music.", does this mean that Squeezeserver (or one of it's 52 other names!) is included in the build?

It isn't, but I do plan to make another installer under Settings > Advanced > Additional Software to add it. Can't promise when, but it shouldn't be a huge task.

I'll just need to keep an eye on free space. I'm considering making it a 2GB requirement using ext2 on the stick, then using compressed btrfs on the internal flash. This uses kernel 3.2.16, so hopefully btrfs should be stabilising nicely by now.

Excellent.
Booted up with no problems and seems to be running perfectly.
Now I can face the coming software update with equanimity.
Many thanks.

mikeywilliams wrote:Excellent.
Booted up with no problems and seems to be running perfectly.
Now I can face the coming software update with equanimity.
Many thanks.

First success report! Hooray!

It's always nice when somebody else says that it works.

This looks superb. My second Joggler, the one hooked up to my hi-fi, is only ever used for Squeezeplay and my kitchen Joggler also runs Logitech Media Server. Synchronising both players when guests are round is a neat touch; I still think it's pretty cool having the same music playing in the kitchen and in the lounge and being able to control them both from one machine.

I always presumed that occasional glitches were due to stock OS jiggery-pokery running in the background. I'm hopeful that this will be much more stable.

Looking forward to finding a moment to give this a go - the Joggler by my bed is a Squeezeplay only setup so this could be ideal!

Tested sqpOS and it works flawlessly, wifi applet works well, and the ssh installed in about 5 minutes for me!

Cheers for another fine release there rhoobarb!

Fantastic idea - looking forward to the option to install to internal flash memory.

Maybe adding an option for changing timezone on first Squeezeplay startup would be great too
I've had to change it through SSH access (dpkg-reconfigure tzdata)

Regards.

Awesome! I will have a play over the weekend. Out of interest, how far can sqpOS be pushed? Are we ever likely to see a YouTube sqpApp or Google Maps sqpApp? Or are all apps limited to the usual UI?

fraserm wrote:Awesome! I will have a play over the weekend. Out of interest, how far can sqpOS be pushed? Are we ever likely to see a YouTube sqpApp or Google Maps sqpApp? Or are all apps limited to the usual UI?

It's Linux - anything's possible!

I'd like to create an applet to play video from the Elgato Netstream using the VA-API enabled mplayer, but I find coding in Lua (at least for SqueezePlay) quite a frustrating experience. I'll not be working on such things as YouTube support, but that sort of thing shouldn't be impossible. The idea is that SqueezePlay is the only UI on sqpOS, so yes, that's the interface.

Google Maps... I can't really see it myself. That's leaving behind the AV specialty of SqueezePlay, and I'm a big believer in 'the right tool for the right job'.

There's nothing to say you couldn't run Google Chrome as a front-end and use some sort of web UI. The back end is all there. In fact, I was toying with the idea of an interactive display using it. If only Google did a pop-up keyboard for Chrome. I've seen their very-beta tablet version, which would be awesome, but I'd not relish the thought of compiling that.

Just as a quick status update, I hammered out the first 'install to internal flash' script while having a sarnie today. Went well - until I messed up the initrd stuff for btrfs and didn't set fstab up correctly.

The result - a Joggler that does nothing but kernel panic and die, and needs to told what to boot from manually. I'll fix it next week, but just a word of warning - it's easy to mess up! Luckily, being able to mash ESC at startup makes recovery fairly straightforward.

Time for a Joggler-free weekend, I think.

Wow roobarb just noticed this thread, as I use xbmc exclusively for my music at the minute I tend to skip squeeze stuff, but this really interests me so will have to try it out.
I stream from openelec on my revo at the mo ,do you think your new os might see my files or would I have to install squeeze server at the revo end? It has w7 on it at the minute and I have a feeling that might slow stuff down.
What set up do you peeps use for squeeze ?

This looks great. I exclusively use Squeezeplay and this will make things much easier. Will give it a go later.

hawsey wrote:I stream from openelec on my revo at the mo ,do you think your new os might see my files or would I have to install squeeze server at the revo end? It has w7 on it at the minute and I have a feeling that might slow stuff down.
What set up do you peeps use for squeeze ?

You do need LMS (Logitech Media Server) installed for SqueezePlay to work, unless you use the mysqueezebox.com service. You don't get local music files using that, though - only online stuff through their own applets. Watch out, though - Spotify won't work this way because the source code for that isn't open. However, LMS is pretty lightweight (it runs on NAS boxes very well), so I wouldn't worry about it slowing your system down too much. It also has a DLNA server built-in, so content can be sent to any DLNA compatible device.

roobarb! wrote:... LMS is pretty lightweight (it runs on NAS boxes very well) ...

Do your homework before buying a NAS.
LMS can't be installed on my Iomega Home Media Network drive.

Take a look at the Synology brand...

Installed this on 2 Jogglers this evening and I have to say it is fantastic. Great work!