HOWTO: Deskbar rhythmbox plugin

[zigford]

Credit goes to Ryan Rousseau for creating this plugin

Deskbar can be extended very easily with plugins (known as handlers) written in python.
Ryan Rousseau has written a nice one that reads the rhythmbox xml file and can play and control Rhythmbox directly from deskbar.

To install the rhythmbox plugin for the current user. Download the attached file and copy it to:

~/.gnome2/deskbar-applet/handlers

To intall the rhythmbox plugin system wide. Download the attached file and copy it to:

/usr/lib/deskbar-applet/handlers

Then enable the plugin. Right click deskbar and click properties scroll down and tick the two checkboxes for rhythmbox.

Now deskbar already knows where your rhythmbox xml database is and you can already search and play your songs. *Note, at this point I think you can only search on song name.

If someone else knows python, they could modify this script to enable searching via other database tags.

Ryan has given permission for others to modify this deskbar handler.

[everdred]

This is seriously good. Thanks, Ryan!

[vnkatesh]

Great Plugin!

[Kobalt]

One more interesting function of the Deskbar. Neat !

[rmjb]

I just tried this. My music is on a gnome-vfs ssh share and when I typed the name of a song I got a crash.
I think it's related to the fact I'm on a ssh share because I get this coming up:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/deskbar/DeskbarApplet.py", line 177, in on_start_query_real
    matches = modctx.module.query(qstring)
  File "/home/richard/.gnome2/deskbar-applet/handlers/rhythmbox.py", line 180, in query
    path = gnomevfs.get_local_path_from_uri(path)
RuntimeError: unknown error

Something to take a look at I guess.

- rmjb

[bamboo.7]

Thats pretty neat thank you!

[vnkatesh]

i too had a similar problem, maybe because i load it in the 'Failsafe GNOME' mode, the error pops up

[dkbg]

The song search worked but controlling Rhythmbox didn't. I fixed this by changing "rhythmbox" to "rhythmbox-client" on line 44 of the script:

argv = ['rhythmbox', self.rb_arg]

to

argv = ['rhythmbox-client', self.rb_arg]

[mabrowning]

I really liked this applet, but I upgraded to Gutsy Gibbon, and it broke, because they switched to a new Deskbar-applet API, so I updated this plugin and gave the ability to search Song Title, Artist, and Album.

Place this in

~/.gnome2/deskbar-applet/modules-2.20-compatible

for just your user, or

/usr/lib/deskbar-applet/modules-2.20-compatible/

for a system wide installation.

Massive props to Ryan Rousseau for writing the original.

[everdred]

Originally Posted by mabrowning I really liked this applet, but I upgraded to Gutsy Gibbon, and it broke, because they switched to a new Deskbar-applet API, so I updated this plugin and gave the ability to search Song Title, Artist, and Album.

Just noticed your comment... thank you for updating this!