I use Rhythmbox to play music on my hi-fi system.  There is a command line element for Rhythmbox called rhythmbox-client.  This element can be used to initiate a series of commands in Rhythmbox.  The problem is that these commands end up being a bit longish if you are attached to that machine via ssh.  Here is an example:

DISPLAY=:0.0 rhythmbox-client –play-pause

That’s a lot of typing especially when you are attached via ssh from your Android phone.  It was just too tedious to type all that out on that on-screen keyboard.  So I wrote a script that would manage the arguments I felt were most important.

##
#!/bin/bash
# by JamesIsIn from JamesIsIn.com
# Do something nice today.


   if [ "$1" = "n" ]; then
      argument="--next --print-playing"
      printf "\nI am skipping to the next track:\n\n"
   elif [ "$1" = "p" ]; then
      argument="--play-pause"
      printf "\nI am toggling between play and pause.\n\n"
   elif [ "$1" = "s" ]; then
      argument="--print-playing"
      printf "\nThis is what is currently playing:\n\n"
#   if [ "$1" = "q" ]; then
#      $argument="--enqueue"
   else [ argument = "" ]; 
      printf "\nI'm sorry.  I only understand the following commands:\n\n"
      printf "p (play/pause)\n\n"
      printf "s (show what's playing)\n\n"
      printf "n (skip to next track)\n\n"
      printf "Please try again.\n\n"
      exit
      # I could add --enqueue but I have to figure out to make it work
   fi


# assuming DISPLAY does not matter for local runs (though this is for a single monitor configuration)

DISPLAY=:0.0 rhythmbox-client $argument
echo


exit

##

The use of DISPLAY is required so that rhythmbox-client knows on which monitor Rhythmbox is present.  The configuration above is for a single monitor arrangement.  You’re on your own to figure out what you need in there if you have a different monitor configuration.

So, using my script, if you wanted to issue the same command I mentioned above you would merely type:

Rb p

(Now I just need to streamline the ssh command and this whole procedure will be much easier and thereby more impressive.)

I placed this script in /usr/local/bin on the hi-fi machine. I called it merely Rb. That way the script is available to all users on that machine. Be sure to make the file executable:

sudo chmod a+x /usr/local/bin/Rb

(Since I use my server as a proper server now I moved my script to the share: /media/[share]/Rb so that it would be available across the network.)

Have fun with that.