A bash script to control spotify for linux via dbus

[azzid]

I wrote a script some time ago to be able to control the mediaplayer spotify from a script. I've found it really useful, for example when I wanted to map my keyboard media keys to work with spotify.

I thought someone else would appreciate the script aswell, so here it is:

#!/bin/bash

# Collect DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS from running process
function set_dbus_adress
{
	USER=$1
	PROCESS=$2
	PID=`pgrep -o -u $USER $PROCESS`
	ENVIRON=/proc/$PID/environ

	if [ -e $ENVIRON ]
	 then
	export `grep -z DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS $ENVIRON`
	 else
	echo "Unable to set DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS."
	exit 1
	fi
}

function spotify_cmd
{
	dbus-send --print-reply --dest=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player.$1 1> /dev/null
}

function spotify_query
{
	qdbus org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.spotify /org/mpris/MediaPlayer2 org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Get org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.Player PlaybackStatus
}

function quit_message
{
	echo "Usage: `basename $0` {play|pause|playpause|next|previous|stop|playstatus|<spotify URI>}"
	exit 1
}

# Count arguments, must be 1
if [ "$#" -ne "1" ]
then
        echo -e "You must supply exactly one argument!\n"
	quit_message
fi

# Check if DBUS_SESSION is set
if [ -z $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS ] 
	 then
	#echo "DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS not set. Guessing."
	set_dbus_adress `whoami` spotify
fi

case "$1" in
        play)
		spotify_cmd Play
                ;;
        pause)
		spotify_cmd Pause
                ;;
        playpause)
		spotify_cmd PlayPause
                ;;
        next)
		spotify_cmd Next
                ;;
        previous)
		spotify_cmd Previous
                ;;
        stop)
		spotify_cmd Stop
                ;;
        spotify:user:*)
		spotify_cmd "OpenUri string:$1"
		spotify_cmd Play
                ;;
        spotify:*:*)
		spotify_cmd "OpenUri string:$1"
                ;;
	playstatus)
		spotify_query
		;;
        *)
                echo -e "Bad argument.\n"
                quit_message
                ;;
esac

exit 0

Enjoy! And if you do like it, please drop a line here so that I'll know about it.

Edit/FYI: They (spotify developers) changed something with the latest release breaking the 'playstatus' command, but hopefully they fix it with the next release.

[jachy]

I like it... a lot

Now I can easily change songs from my Thinkpad's with Fn and arrow keys. Thanks!

[penguininja]

Just what I was looking for; works perfectly. Thanks!!

[repunante]

Sorry to bother but I don't have much experience in this.
Do I just execute the script?
Do I have to edit the script according to the multimedia keys of my keyboard? In which part?

Thanks.

[azzid]

Sorry to bother but I don't have much experience in this.
Do I just execute the script?
Do I have to edit the script according to the multimedia keys of my keyboard? In which part?

Thanks.

You can try the script in a bash terminal, you'll have to supply an argument to describe if you want the script to press 'play', 'pause' etc.

When you understand how to use the script you can use the keyboard shortcut setting GUI in the menu of ubuntu to map different keys to different executions of the script.

You should not have to alter the script, just supply it with different arguments.

[repunante]

You can try the script in a bash terminal, you'll have to supply an argument to describe if you want the script to press 'play', 'pause' etc.

When you understand how to use the script you can use the keyboard shortcut setting GUI in the menu of ubuntu to map different keys to different executions of the script.

You should not have to alter the script, just supply it with different arguments.

I don't have a clue about writing/editing scripts, I will make some research on my own and I will try to make it work.
Thanks for the help.

[nuclear_eclipse]

https://github.com/jreese/spotify-gnome

[repunante]

https://github.com/jreese/spotify-gnome

Thanks!

[domolicious]

Thanks alot!!

I like it... a lot

Now I can easily change songs from my Thinkpad's with Fn and arrow keys. Thanks!

Amen!!

[dioxip]

Wow! Thanks alot, just what I've been searching for!