My new 3 watt dead-silent USB Linux music server.

[nyc_paramedic]

I just wanted to share my experience with getting my new music server (running Music Player Daemon) on my newly acquired PC Engines ALIX 3c2 single board computer. Maybe someone would be interested in the same...

So, I originally had MPD (MPD: Music Player Daemon) up and running on a Dell GX110 (P3 733Mhz ,128MB RAM) computer I had found in the trash. MPD is based on the server client model, with the server daemon actually playing the files (via sound card, USB, or even streaming across the globe), and the client controlling the playback functions, i.e., play lists, random shuffle, tracking and storing album art. There are many different clients written for MPD, and the developer's specs are freely available to anyone wanting to write a client. Want to control MPD from your Nokia 7770 or n800 hand held? No problem, go grab mmpc. (Maemo Music Player Client) Or maybe you want to control MPD from your iPod touch via WiFi. Sure, go grab phpmp or phpmp+ and run it under the iPod's web browser. One can also run the MPD server and client on the same machine if you wish.

The old PC sat in the corner of my listening room serving up FLAC via USB to a USB DAC.

There were several reasons for wanting to replace this unit:

It was a very ugly beige.
It drew almost 49 watts from the outlet, according to my Kill-A-Watt meter. (Electricity is very expensive in NYC these days)
Most importantly, with two fans, it was loud. The machine had a very audible high pitched whine that I could easily hear when listening to classical music.

I wanted something silent, small, very energy efficient, and relatively inexpensive.


I have been happily using a PC Engines WRAP SBC (single board computer) that is running Monowall firewall software for the last couple of years, and was happily surprised to see that their new ALIX offerings based on AMD's Geode low power CPUs were sporting USB ports.

The Alix SBC (PC Engines alix3c2 product file) has a 500 MHz AMD Geode LX800 CPU, 2 mini-PCI, 1 serial, 1 ethernet, 256MB RAM, and two USB ports. The whole unit, in it's case, is approx. 8x5x2 and runs on a small 12 volt, 12 watt adapter. The board was $125 USD from Netgate.

After a little bit of research I found out that there is a distribution called Voyage Linux. Basically a stripped down Debian for embedded machines that keeps Debian's apt package manager. It can be installed on a compact flash as small as 128MB, though they recommend a larger CF for installing applications. This unique combination makes it very easy to install software on embedded hardware; "apt-get install mpd alsa" was all that was needed to get the software up an running. After a quick note to the developers they were more than happy to send me a kernel compiled with sound, USB, and ALSA modules --their standard kernels compiled with firewall and wireless networking in mind. (Once I had everything up a and running smoothly and notified the Voyage developers they agreed to enable USB sound and ALSA in their next release.)

After I set up Voyage Linux on a 512MB partition on a spare CF card, installed the kernel and ALSA debs, apt-getted the MPD and ALSA packages, and set up my bedroom desktop to export my music files via NFS, I was up and running.

MPD works beautifully with no clicks, skips, or pauses. Files are buffered 100% to RAM before play. I control it over WiFi with a Thinkpad on the couch via GMPC. Top shows no more than 8% load. The unit draws no more than 3 watts from the outlet. Even though it fetches FLAC files via NFS, changing songs is almost instantaneous. Audio is via USB to a Trends Audio UD-10 feeding a Meridian 518 (digital volume control and jitter correction), which then connects to my trusty Adcom GDA-700. I hope to eventually settle on a high end dedicated USB DAC.


Eventually I'll control it from the couch with either the aforementioned Nokia or Apple hand helds.


Disclaimer: No affiliation to PC Engines. Just a happy customer.

[royalcrown]

I hope saying "very energy inefficient" was a typo

This actually sounds like a damn good idea. Congratulations on your purchase, and I might consider something like this (small, fanless computer with a small monitor I have laying around setup just to run off external hard drives, which I'll load with music from my main rig from time to time, since my main computer is kind of loud).

[nyc_paramedic]

Originally Posted by royalcrown

I hope saying "very energy inefficient" was a typo

This actually sounds like a damn good idea. Congratulations on your purchase, and I might consider something like this (small, fanless computer with a small monitor I have laying around setup just to run off external hard drives, which I'll load with music from my main rig from time to time, since my main computer is kind of loud).

Thanks for pointing that out, it was a typo.

If there is enough interest I would not mind keeping the thread alive to help out people with the install. Yes, it's Linux, but the Voyage Linux people have done a damn fine good job of making the install a relatively straightforward process.

If you want a monitor you might consider the ALIX 3c3 (PC Engines alix3c3 product file) which has a VGA port.

My desktop bedroom computer is usually on so I decided to install a 750GB Western Digital drive in that machine and export all my FLAC's via NFS. I ran a CAT 5 cable from the bedroom (where the network switch resides) to the dedicated listening (former living room) room.

After the ALIX arrived I have everything up and running in one afternoon.

Cheers,

Nick

[royalcrown]

OK, I've felt peculiar about this for awhile, not just on your install but on any remote streaming from one room to another - how on Earth do you browse through your music? I'm sure there's some silly thing I'm missing here, but it seems odd to have to setup the playlist in one room, then walk to another room to listen to it, and walk back if you want to change something, etc.

[nyc_paramedic]

Originally Posted by royalcrown

OK, I've felt peculiar about this for awhile, not just on your install but on any remote streaming from one room to another - how on Earth do you browse through your music? I'm sure there's some silly thing I'm missing here, but it seems odd to have to setup the playlist in one room, then walk to another room to listen to it, and walk back if you want to change something, etc.

Let me try to clarify. The bedroom computer is only acting as an NFS (network file system) server. The ALIX SBC sees the FLAC files on the bedroom computer as if they were locally available on the ALIX.

Right at this moment I am on the couch with the Thinkpad laptop running an MPD client called GMPC. GMPC is connected to my network via WiFi and connects to the ALIX (where the MPD server is running).

I don't have to goto the bedroom to change anything. All is controlled from the Thinkpad. But I can run an MPD client from the bedroom machine *if* I wish as well. Hell, I can have 2 MPD clients running at the same time if I want.

I do have all my play lists, preferences, and log files saved on my bedroom desktop via NFS only because you can't keep writing to the ALIX's compact flash card before it fails.

I hope that clears things up...

[warrior05]

I find this very interesting indeed. I know zero about Linux - never played with it but the thought of creating something so small and efficient is intriguing. Did you get the complete kit from Netgate (board, case, cf card and psu)? Price is certainly right! The only downside I see is having to use a separate controller - though I do plan on getting myself a N810.

[nyc_paramedic]

Originally Posted by warrior05

I find this very interesting indeed. I know zero about Linux - never played with it but the thought of creating something so small and efficient is intriguing. Did you get the complete kit from Netgate (board, case, cf card and psu)? Price is certainly right! The only downside I see is having to use a separate controller - though I do plan on getting myself a N810.

I did order most of the components from Netgate: board, case, faceplate with USB cutout (standard included faceplate is for ALIX without USB). The 12v adapter and compact flash are items I had on hand. 512MB CF cards are available new and dirt cheap on eBay. Even a 2GB CF card won't cost you more than $17 USD on Newegg.com. Netgate has the 12v adapter for about $11 USD.

Having a separate controller is actually one of the main benefits of this setup. You can use --wired or wireless-- a laptop, Nokia N810, or even a Bluetooth phone. There is also one gentleman working on a native Apple iPod touch MPD client.

I extremely pleased with this little computer so far. It sounds very good feeding my DAC. The FLAC files are %100 buffered to RAM, the machine is dead silent, is very energy efficient, and is highly customizable. No ASIO issues either.

For some who only use Windows, they might be put off by the fact that it's Linux based.

[warrior05]

I've done some poking around the Voyage Linux site. Since I don't know Linux, a lot of what I'm reading I just don't understand. Do you know of a site that caters to the Linux challenged and introduces it in plain English? I realize this set-up is very focused and stripped down, but I would like to understand what I'm reading.

[nyc_paramedic]

I found one website that seems to lay out all the UNIX basics out in easy to understand fashion:UNIX / Linux Tutorial for Beginners

If your looking for help that's specific to Debian (on which Voyage is based), then Debian Help is a good site: debianHELP | Militantly FREE software support.

If you would like to get started playing with Linux, you could download Ubuntu and play with the Live CD. It boots everything into RAM; doesn't touch your hard drive. You could install from the same disk later on if you would like. It's also based on Debian

Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu

[warrior05]

Originally Posted by nyc_paramedic

I found one website that seems to lay out all the UNIX basics out in easy to understand fashion:UNIX / Linux Tutorial for Beginners

If your looking for help that's specific to Debian (on which Voyage is based), then Debian Help is a good site: debianHELP | Militantly FREE software support.

If you would like to get started playing with Linux, you could download Ubuntu and play with the Live CD. It boots everything into RAM; doesn't touch your hard drive. You could install from the same disk later on if you would like. It's also based on Debian

Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu

Much thanks!