NCMPCPP Backend For Windows (or how to setup MPD on Windows)?

Question

I run Kubuntu(x64)+tmux at work and a Windows 7 x64 machine at home. I would really like to run ncmpcpp at work in a tmux window that connects to my Windows machine at home. I can port forward and I have a DynDNS account that is also set up on my router. My only problem is getting MPD (or something analogous) running in a server role on my Windows 7 machine at home. So my question(s) are as follows:

• Is there an ncmpcpp backend that was designed for, or runs well on, Windows (7)?
• If not, is there a good, recent guide for getting mpd running on Windows 7?
  • I have looked at their site. They don't even attempt to properly document the windows release. Understandable, but just not any help. I have also found a rather complicated guide utilizing Cygwin but I'd rather not go through all that if I don't have to.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Answer 1

You may be past this already, but I'll document what I did in getting MPD set up on Windows 7. This will probably be overkill if you've ever used mpd before, but since I hadn't, this is what I would have found helpful:

1. Download / unzip the windows binaries (I'm using mpd-0.16.6-4-win32 and mpc-0.21-win32)

2. Edit mpd.conf - here's a sample (with the comments removed):

   music_directory     "d:/music"
   playlist_directory      "d:/music/mpd/playlists"
   db_file         "d:/music/mpd/database"
   log_file            "d:/music/mpd/log"
   port                "6600"
   auto_update "yes"
   input {
           plugin "curl"
   }
   
   audio_output {
     type "winmm"
     name "Default"
   }
   

   Note that d:\music and d:\music\mpd and d:\music\mpd\playlists must exist.

3. Start the mpd server by running from the command line: mpd mpd.conf. Note that you apprently have to specify the configuration file, or it won't work. It will probably complain about the database not being found, but will go ahead and create a new one.

4. Use mpc to check if it's working:

   • mpc listall to get a list of all the files scanned by MPD
   • mpc add <file> to add a file to the current playlist (use the same path output by mpc listall)
   • mpc play to start playing
   • Use ctrl-c on the mpd console to stop it.

5. If that all works, you can get mpc to start on computer startup using scheduled tasks, so you don't need to log in for it to run:

   • Start task scheduler (just type it in the Windows start search bar)
   • Create a task
   • Set Run whether the user is logged on or not
   • Add a trigger. Begin the task at startup. Add a delay if you want.
   • Add an action. Program/script = "mpd", add arguments: "mpd.conf", start in "c:\program files..." (wherever you extracted mpd.exe to).
   • Close and save the task, and supply credentials for it to run under.
   • You can run the action now and mpd will load up in the background, and again every time you boot up your computer.

   You won't see it in Task Manager, unless you click "Show processes from all users" even if it's running under your username.

6. Install IIS (or some other webserver), using Turn windows features on or off, make sure to include CGI under IIS > WWW Services > App Development Features.

7. Install PHP.

8. Download phpMpReloaded, and point IIS at it.

9. Open up port 80 on your windows firewall.

Obviously different clients / webservers can be used, but this is roughly what I have running. Combined with a set of wireless speakers, this lets me run music through the whole house, controllable by any device with access to my WIFI network.