Linux Format - UK (2020-03)

54 LXF260 March 2020 http://www.linuxformat.com

package management utility to install Musikcube, and it

will inform you of any missing dependencies. The

project’s wiki on GitHub has a list of distribution-specific

dependencies and instructions on installing Musikcube

from source.

Using the player

The hardest part of working with Musikcube is getting

its spelling right. Thankfully, the auto-complete feature

on Bash means you will never encounter this difficulty.

Besides, you can also create an alias to circumvent the

curious spelling.

When you launch Musikcube, it drops you into the

Settings view. The interface is split into three different

panes. The pane at the bottom lists a number of

configurable options that define the app’s behaviour.

For instance, you can configure Musikcube’s server

settings, change key bindings, change the output device,

etc. Take your time navigating through the different

configurable options. You can tie Musikcube with your

Last.fm account or change to a different colour theme.

If the Check For Updates On Startup option is enabled,

Musikcube will display a pop-up informing you of the

availability of a new release.

In the top left is the file browser. You can use it to

select your music directories. To add a directory to the

olidays are the time to get together with friends

and family and share stories over some good

food. It’s an undeniable fact that such get-

togethers are even better when complimented with

music – major brownie points if you’ve got a streaming

system in place. But if you want geek creds, you’ve got

to be able to do all that from the command line.

Musikcube is a cross-platform music player. The

native streaming ability sets Musikcube apart from

other popular command-line music players such as

Cmus. Although it isn’t available in the software

repositories of many popular desktop distributions, the

BSD-licensed project provides 64-bit binaries for the

more-recent releases of Fedora and Ubuntu.

Unlike most other command-line utilities, Musikcube

does have quite a few dependencies, but thankfully

most of these are offered in the software repositories of

most distributions. After downloading the pre-packaged

binaries for your distribution, you can use the native

Streaming from

the command line

Shashank Sharma won’t ever stop singing the praises of the command line,

and applications like Musikcube, are the reason why.

Shashank Sharma

is a trial lawyer in

Delhi. He’s pained at

having to abandon

the noble quest of

growing a yeard (a

hipster beard) after

10 months.

STREAMING WITH MUSIKDROID

Apart from the command-line music player, the project also produces

an Android app called Musikdroid. This can be used as a remote

control to manage the Musikcube player, or to stream music. First,

head over to the Settings view on Musikcube and select Server Setup.

The default ports should suffice for most users. Select the Audio

Streaming Enabled option using the arrow keys and then press

Spacebar. You should now see an [X] adjacent to this option. You can

optionally set up a password for remote access. This is all the

configuration that is needed to stream music to your Android devices.

Next, download the Musikdroid app from the project’s releases

page and install it on your Android phone. Once installed, you still

need to configure the app. Open its Settings and enter the IP address

of the host machine and password, if any.

The icon at the top right of the app’s interface is used to toggle

between streaming or remote control mode. In the latter mode, the

actual playback occurs on the host machine, but you can select the

track to play and otherwise control playback from your Android

phone. In streaming mode, you can access and listen to your library

on your phone.

OUR

EXPERT

TUTORIALS

You can use the Tab key to switch from one pane to the next. The user

guide refers to the different panes on the interface as windows.

H

MUSIKCUBE

54 LXF260March 2020 5554March 20won4’2w

packagemanagementutilitytoinstallMusikcube,andit

willinformyouofanymissingdependencies.The

project’swikionGitHubhasalistofdistribution-specific

dependenciesandinstructionsoninstallingMusikcube

fromsource.

Usingtheplayer

ThehardestpartofworkingwithMusikcubeisgetting

itsspellingright.Thankfully,theauto-completefeature

onBashmeansyouwillneverencounterthisdifficulty.

Besides,youcanalsocreateanaliastocircumventthe

curiousspelling.

WhenyoulaunchMusikcube,itdropsyouintothe

Settingsview.Theinterfaceissplitintothreedifferent

panes.Thepaneatthebottomlistsanumberof

configurableoptionsthatdefinetheapp’sbehaviour.

Forinstance,youcanconfigureMusikcube’sserver

settings,changekeybindings,changetheoutputdevice,

etc.Takeyourtimenavigatingthroughthedifferent

configurableoptions.YoucantieMusikcubewithyour

Last.fmaccountorchangetoadifferentcolourtheme.

IftheCheckForUpdatesOnStartupoptionisenabled,

Musikcubewilldisplayapop-upinformingyouofthe

availabilityofanewrelease.

Inthetopleftisthefilebrowser.Youcanuseitto

selectyourmusicdirectories.Toaddadirectorytothe

olidaysarethetimetogettogetherwithfriends

andfamilyandsharestoriesoversomegood

food.It’sanundeniablefactthatsuchget-

togethersareevenbetterwhencomplimentedwith

music–majorbrowniepointsifyou’vegotastreaming

systeminplace.Butifyouwantgeekcreds,you’vegot

tobeabletodoallthatfromthecommandline.

Musikcubeisacross-platformmusicplayer.The

nativestreamingabilitysetsMusikcubeapartfrom

otherpopularcommand-linemusicplayerssuchas

Cmus.Althoughitisn’tavailableinthesoftware

repositoriesofmanypopulardesktopdistributions,the

BSD-licensedprojectprovides64-bitbinariesforthe

more-recentreleasesofFedoraandUbuntu.

Unlikemostothercommand-lineutilities,Musikcube

doeshavequiteafewdependencies,butthankfully

mostoftheseareofferedinthesoftwarerepositoriesof

mostdistributions.Afterdownloadingthepre-packaged

binariesforyourdistribution,youcanusethenative

Streaming from

the command line

ShashankSharmawon’teverstopsingingthepraisesofthecommandline,

andapplicationslikeMusikcube,arethereasonwhy.

ShashankSharma

isatriallawyerin

Delhi.He’spainedat

havingtoabandon

thenoblequestof

growingayeard(a

hipsterbeard)after

10 months.

STREAMINGWITHMUSIKDROID

Apartfromthecommand-linemusicplayer,theprojectalsoproduces

anAndroidappcalledMusikdroid.Thiscanbeusedasaremote

controltomanagetheMusikcubeplayer,ortostreammusic.First,

headovertotheSettingsviewonMusikcubeandselectServerSetup.

Thedefaultportsshouldsufficeformostusers.SelecttheAudio

StreamingEnabledoptionusingthearrowkeysandthenpress

Spacebar.Youshouldnowseean[X]adjacenttothisoption.Youcan

optionallysetupapasswordforremoteaccess.Thisisallthe

configurationthatisneededtostreammusictoyourAndroiddevices.

Next,downloadtheMusikdroidappfromtheproject’sreleases

pageandinstallitonyourAndroidphone.Onceinstalled,youstill

needtoconfiguretheapp.OpenitsSettingsandentertheIPaddress

ofthehostmachineandpassword,ifany.

Theiconatthetoprightoftheapp’sinterfaceisusedtotoggle

betweenstreamingorremotecontrolmode.Inthelattermode,the

actualplaybackoccursonthehostmachine,butyoucanselectthe

tracktoplayandotherwisecontrolplaybackfromyourAndroid

phone.Instreamingmode,youcanaccessandlistentoyourlibrary

onyourphone.

OUR

EXPERT

TUTORIALS

You can use the Tab key to switch from one pane to the next. The user

guide refers to the different panes on the interface as windows.

H

MUSIKCUBE