Running Spotifyd headless on RaspberryPi

[johnalanwoods]

Description
When running the latest release of Spotifyd headless (without desktop env) on RpiB, I get this error on launch: D-Bus error: Unable to autolaunch a dbus-daemon without a $DISPLAY for X11

To Reproduce
Run latest release on RpiB

Expected behavior
Launch without issue

Logs
Config:

[global]
username = xxx
password = yyy
backend = alsa
device = alsa_audio_device
mixer = PCM
volume-control = softvol
#onevent = command_run_on_playback_event
device_name = SpotiPi
bitrate = 320
cache_path = /home/pi/.spotifycache
volume-normalisation = true

[johnalanwoods]

@sirwindfield - does Spotifyd work without a desktop environment on the raspberry pi? (sorry to bother you)

[mainrs]

It should work yes, but MPRIS will not work without a user dbus session. Someone posted a workaround here though: #244 (comment)

[johnalanwoods]

@sirwindfield thanks for the help!

I got further, i.e. the app now starts! :)

However seeing this error and no sound is coming out of the Pi (running Rasbian)...

ALSA lib control.c:1375:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Using alsa sink
Invalid CTL alsa_audio_device
Couldn't read volume from alsa device with name "alsa_audio_device".
ALSA lib control.c:1375:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL alsa_audio_device
Couldn't set volume: Error("snd_mixer_attach", Sys(ENOENT))

ALSA lib pcm.c:2565:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM alsa_audio_device
Alsa error PCM open ALSA function 'snd_pcm_open' failed with error 'ENOENT: No such file or directory'
Could not start audio: Alsa error: PCM open failed

Any ideas?

FWIW I can play test mp3s, and I see ALSA on the pi:

pi@blueberrypi:~/spotifyd $ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 0: bcm2835 ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA]
  Subdevices: 7/7
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
  Subdevice #4: subdevice #4
  Subdevice #5: subdevice #5
  Subdevice #6: subdevice #6
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 1: bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI [bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: ALSA [bcm2835 ALSA], device 2: bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI1 [bcm2835 IEC958/HDMI1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

I see a mixer too:

pi@blueberrypi:~/spotifyd $ amixer
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback -10239 - 400
  Mono: Playback -2000 [77%] [-20.00dB] [on]

[johnalanwoods]

Cracked it!

@sirwindfield - working perfectly now!

just needed to set the device = default, which is the ALSA device name on the Pi.

This is too cool.