The VideoLAN Forums

Hi

I am new to VLC, but have just started to write a device driver so that I can control it with the CharmedQuark home automation software. This has a set of fuctions that allow you to send and receive text strings to remote or local sockets. Currently, I have written IR and RS232 drivers for my Amplifer, Projector, Lighting control etc. I had planned to use the HTTP interface for VLC, but have just seen in the relase notes for version 0.8.0 that :

The remote control interface can now listen for commands on sockets.

A direct socket interface would be much simpler as I would not have to handle all of the web page stuff.

Is there any documentation yet for this interface and the command syntax?

Are the commands the same as those described in the documentation, Chapter 4 "The Command Line Interface"?

Is the rc socket interface a 2-way interface with the possibility of querying VLC to read the current status of various paramters and the playlist track and position?

PJG

Yes, the rc-interface is a 2-way interface to control the core functions and to read some current states.
The "Command line interface" you read about is something different (just command-line-options to control the options when launching VLC).
The rc-interface is not well documented currently, but we are working on it through an entire re-write of the VLC-documentation.

At present, the easiest way to play with the rc-interface and to check out its functions is its "help"-message. Just enter "help" when running the interface to show it. If Gettext is installed and your language is supported, the rc-interface will interact with your in your language by using the english-commands.
You can run the interface with the "--intf=rc"-command-line option. To enable the socket-mode, add the "--rc-host localhost:port"-option. You can access the socket-mode through "telnet localhost port".

Actually this will be reworked even further in the future.

The future
rc being a commandline control interface only
rtci a socket based 2way communication semi-API
telnet becoming a telnet version of the rc intf (instead of being solely vlm controller)
vlm interface as a special rc interface type to control the vlm core.

rtci will be used for all the external control by 'other' applications.

Hi DJ

I assume by the future, you mean beyond rev 0.8.0. At the moment, if I start with building a socket driver for the "rc" interface, then I can change to the "rcti" interface once this becomes available.

PJG

Yes, absolutely.

hi,

i´d like to use vlc with girder/netremote. http://www.promixis.com

therefore i´d like to know if vlc is able to send information like playing title, elapsed time etc. i.e. via its rc-interface.

i am surprised that this question never came up here - does no one use a 2way-remote with vlc?

plz help.

tia
chris