Squeeze Control for Android (support thread)

[Quiggsty]

I have been using Squeeze Control for several years on three android devices. Since the latest update there have been problems with two tablets connecting to my server. Both of the tablets operate on Android 7.1.1. I have an Android phone that operates on Android 8.1.0. On that device Squeeze Control in connecting okay; albeit a little slowly. I have checked with other applications and there are no problems with them connecting to my server. Has something changed or do I need to change some setting for the new update.

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

I have been using Squeeze Control for several years on three android devices. Since the latest update there have been problems with two tablets connecting to my server. Both of the tablets operate on Android 7.1.1. I have an Android phone that operates on Android 8.1.0. On that device Squeeze Control in connecting okay; albeit a little slowly. I have checked with other applications and there are no problems with them connecting to my server. Has something changed or do I need to change some setting for the new update.

Open the app menu when it's trying to connect and press cancel connect. Then try connecting again.

 

[Quiggsty]

Thanks Wayne - tried that and it works but the same behaviour happens after the application has been closed. As suggested in your email I have restarted the LMS server and checked that for any changes of settings etc. Nothing there. Everything else connected seamlessly to the LMS.

The settings on my two older devices and identical to those on the newer device (which is a phone and not used generally for this purpose). It still works fine after the latest update. I will attempt to identify any different settings in the devices which may impact upon the connection - something specific to the older Android OS.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced a similar issue.

Thanks again for your time.

 

[Quiggsty]

Hello again Wayne,

Sorry to tell you this but the device running on Android 8.1 has just updated the Squeeze Control application. It is now displaying the same behaviour as the other two - i.e. not connecting automatically until the connection is stopped and re-started. Strange that it only happened after this update.

I will leave things as they are and try to find anything different with my LMS.

Thanks again.

 

[massageishealthy]

You have a description link for step by step instructions, android is too hard to use - Massageishealthy

 

[Quiggsty]

Hi Wayne

The latest update solved the problem. Everything is back to normal.

Many thanks for your time.

Regards.

 

[Paul Guijt]

Hi Wayne,

I want to determine with Automagic the remote player SqueezeCtrl starts with when it opens, e.g. with a send Intent, when SqueezeCtrl is not running.

Not with
- com.angrygoat.android.squeezectrl.REMOTE_CONNECT
as it opens SqueezeCtrl or
- com.angrygoat.android.squeezectrl.REMOTE_PLAYER_SELECT playerId
as it is only effective when SquezzeCtrl is running

Is there a way?

Regards,
Paul

 

[Paul Guijt]

Hi Wayne,

Another thing. Can I add to the wishlist SqueezeCtrl opening (as) a service?
See https://developer.android.com/guide/components/services what I mean.

Whenever I close all open apps, SqueezeCtrl is closed too. But I want it to stay open all the time I'm connected to my WiFi at home, primarily controlling it through the notification area.

Keepass2Android is an example of an app that stays open as a service.

Regards again,
Paul

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Hi Wayne,

I want to determine with Automagic the remote player SqueezeCtrl starts with when it opens, e.g. with a send Intent, when SqueezeCtrl is not running.

Not with
- com.angrygoat.android.squeezectrl.REMOTE_CONNECT
as it opens SqueezeCtrl or
- com.angrygoat.android.squeezectrl.REMOTE_PLAYER_SELECT playerId
as it is only effective when SquezzeCtrl is running

Is there a way?

Regards,
Paul

No, there's no intent to retrieve the player ID Squeeze Ctrl will connect to when it starts.

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Hi Wayne,

Another thing. Can I add to the wishlist SqueezeCtrl opening (as) a service?
See https://developer.android.com/guide/components/services what I mean.

Whenever I close all open apps, SqueezeCtrl is closed too. But I want it to stay open all the time I'm connected to my WiFi at home, primarily controlling it through the notification area.

Keepass2Android is an example of an app that stays open as a service.

Regards again,
Paul

Squeeze Ctrl is already a service. Notification controls without a foreground app would not be possible if it wasn't a service.

What you are asking for is an un-closable service and that is technically not possible in Android. The system can always close an app if it needs to. Just think of all the problems it would cause if any developer can make an app that can't be killed.

The task switcher in Android is like the Task Manager in Windows. Part of it's purpose is to let users kill any apps that might still be running in the background. What you are asking for goes against it's purpose.

 

[macpac]

Hi Wayne,

First of all: A really great app, one of my top 5 used apps @home!

The only problem I have with it, is that it creates double scrobbles at last.fm. As it is recognized as a music player by Android, scrobbling by e.g. Simple Last.fm Scrobbler is done while the app is active. Additionally, there is constant scrobbling from the squeezebox server. So, there are often multiple scrobbles in my last.fm account. Can you change this by just not let your app being detected as a music player (because I would like to have scrobbling for other music apps on my smartphone)?

Best regards,
macpac

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Hi Wayne,

First of all: A really great app, one of my top 5 used apps @home!

The only problem I have with it, is that it creates double scrobbles at last.fm. As it is recognized as a music player by Android, scrobbling by e.g. Simple Last.fm Scrobbler is done while the app is active. Additionally, there is constant scrobbling from the squeezebox server. So, there are often multiple scrobbles in my last.fm account. Can you change this by just not let your app being detected as a music player (because I would like to have scrobbling for other music apps on my smartphone)?

Best regards,
macpac

Unfortunately I can't do that. Certain options, like working with Bluetooth controls and others, require that it present itself to the system as a music player.

 

[nestico]

Hi Wayne,
Thanks for developing this wonderful app! Using it at home for a couple of years and I'm really happy. I would have a question for you, concerns Tidal integration:
Tidal has a "start track radio" feature. Which will automatically stream songs related to the track you were last playing. Do you think this is something that could be done from the app itself ?
Thanks!! --nestor

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

Hi Wayne,
Thanks for developing this wonderful app! Using it at home for a couple of years and I'm really happy. I would have a question for you, concerns Tidal integration:
Tidal has a "start track radio" feature. Which will automatically stream songs related to the track you were last playing. Do you think this is something that could be done from the app itself ?
Thanks!! --nestor

Something like that would need to be implemented by the plug-in developer.

 

[B. Diddy]

I'd like to take a minute and thank @wayne@angrygoat for maintaining this support thread for a whopping 7 years!!! Attentive and responsive developers like this are very few and far in-between.

 

[mustang7757]

I'd like to take a minute and thank @wayne@angrygoat for maintaining this support thread for a whopping 7 years!!! Attentive and responsive developers like this are very few and far in-between.

I agree , my hat off to you

 

[Sinapsa]

Nice app

 

[jlt1947]

topic: Squeeze Ctrl doesn't display booklet.pdf files on Android tablet
__________________________________________

Hello
I've recenty switched from Orange Squeeze to Squeeze Ctrl and have NO regret whatsoever. Beautiful app, thank you for your design, powerful functions, and dedicated support !

One thing I haven't been able to work out though, is displaying "booklet.pdf" files in albums, a small nicety which DOES work seamlessly with Orange Squeeze, yet doesn't seem to work at all in the Android version of Squeeze Ctrl on both my tablets (I use Android 9 on a Huawei Mediapad, and Android 6 on a Samsung Tab S as well). Both tablets are equipped with at least 3 PDF readers (one from the manufacturer, WPS office package, and Acrobat Reader) . My albums are stored on a Synology DS214PLAY NAS running LMS 7.9.2 using the "Music & Artist Information" plug-in by Michael Herger.

Here's the procedure for my test: In the Squeeze Ctrl (2.1.5) tablet view, going to the Album window, I pick out an album containing FLAC files as well as a .TXT file and a .PDF file. Long press on the + sign at right of the album name opens a pop-up with a rather long list of information items including "Local Documents (PDF and others)" Incidentally, this list is in French (although my LMS set up is in English, my Android is in French). This item can also be accessed from the right-most section of the GUI (next to the large album cover art) by scrolling the information pane down. Tapping this item replaces the album list in the left-side window by a list of douments. Tapping the .TXT document opens the document inside that same window, this document can be scrolled up and down, everything's perfect. Now if I tap the .PDF file (most often the album booklet), I get an error message in French in that main window saying something like" Sorry, this type of file cannot be processed on this device" . Quite unexpected !

As I said, on the same tablets, Orange Squeeze does display the pdf as a full scrollable screen (except for the top menu with a back arrow).

Did I do something wrong in my setup ? Can you help ?

Again, thank you for your interest and advice.

Regards
JLT

 

[wayne@angrygoat]

topic: Squeeze Ctrl doesn't display booklet.pdf files on Android tablet
__________________________________________

Hello
I've recenty switched from Orange Squeeze to Squeeze Ctrl and have NO regret whatsoever. Beautiful app, thank you for your design, powerful functions, and dedicated support !

One thing I haven't been able to work out though, is displaying "booklet.pdf" files in albums, a small nicety which DOES work seamlessly with Orange Squeeze, yet doesn't seem to work at all in the Android version of Squeeze Ctrl on both my tablets (I use Android 9 on a Huawei Mediapad, and Android 6 on a Samsung Tab S as well). Both tablets are equipped with at least 3 PDF readers (one from the manufacturer, WPS office package, and Acrobat Reader) . My albums are stored on a Synology DS214PLAY NAS running LMS 7.9.2 using the "Music & Artist Information" plug-in by Michael Herger.

Here's the procedure for my test: In the Squeeze Ctrl (2.1.5) tablet view, going to the Album window, I pick out an album containing FLAC files as well as a .TXT file and a .PDF file. Long press on the + sign at right of the album name opens a pop-up with a rather long list of information items including "Local Documents (PDF and others)" Incidentally, this list is in French (although my LMS set up is in English, my Android is in French). This item can also be accessed from the right-most section of the GUI (next to the large album cover art) by scrolling the information pane down. Tapping this item replaces the album list in the left-side window by a list of douments. Tapping the .TXT document opens the document inside that same window, this document can be scrolled up and down, everything's perfect. Now if I tap the .PDF file (most often the album booklet), I get an error message in French in that main window saying something like" Sorry, this type of file cannot be processed on this device" . Quite unexpected !

As I said, on the same tablets, Orange Squeeze does display the pdf as a full scrollable screen (except for the top menu with a back arrow).

Did I do something wrong in my setup ? Can you help ?

Again, thank you for your interest and advice.

Regards
JLT

Squeeze Ctrl does not support opening PDF and other files because it's not a basic feature of the Squeezebox system itself. It's a feature added by the plug-in you mentioned and until recently I didn't even know that it existed.

I'll add support for it in the next update, but you'll have to wait for Michael to update his plugin too since it is programmed to only send the needed info for opening those files to the specific apps and Squeeze Ctrl was not one of them.

I've exchanged messages with him and he should be adding support for Squeeze Ctrl in the next update of his plugin.

 

[jlt1947]

Hello Wayne,

thank you for your reactivityv ! I too discovered Michael's data files plug-in recently, thanks to one of the guys at Audiophonics, a major French retailer in the Hifi area. I suspected something like what you describe was at work with PDFs' handling, but didn't think the plug-in itself was to be incriminated. Good enough that you and Michael will consider including a small mod into your next update. This PDF display feature is not fundamental to a control point such as Squeeze Ctrl, however, it contributes to making Roon superfluous in the LMS ecosystyem despite Roon's impressive musical database integration.

The one thing I'm still puzzled at is that TXT files do display alright within the Squeeze Ctrl UI, and I've observed (at least on my new Huawei tablet) that when I tap a TXT filename from w<ithin Squeeze Ctrl, a request is initiated to run a 3rd-party text display app (an Android pop-up opens and I get a choice of HTML Viewer, WPS Text, or Chrome), and of course the file itself is downloaded by LMS from the server in the background. This made me think that the PDF issue was an Android integration issue for Squeeze Ctrl, rather than a handshaking issue with Michael's plug-in in LMS..... The invocation process seems strictly identical for both TXT and PDF files, yet only the TXT files can be displayed....

Anyway, thank you again for having responded so quickly, keep up the good work !

Best regards
JLT