[SOLVED] New Login Menu Item

Hi there,

I've been using Zorin for a while now, and I am using it for a media server on another pc as well.

Today I installed Kodi as a standalone session (I hope this is correct?) and can choose this as an option at the login screen.
As I am using the pc as a media server and only run sound when Kodi is running, I have been searching for a way to add a menu item at login. I found a little script that starts Kodi with ALSA that enables audio passthrough of DTS-HD material.
The little script is called 'kodi_alsa.sh' and starts Kodi with the command 'AE_SINK=ALSA kodi'

Can anyone help so I can log into the kodi as mentioned above?

When you are greeted with the login screen that asks for your password, click on the 'Z' icon to see the other DE's (Desktop Environments) - Kodi should be listed!

Swarfendor437 wrote:When you are greeted with the login screen that asks for your password, click on the 'Z' icon to see the other DE's (Desktop Environments) - Kodi should be listed!

Thanks Mate...
Yes I have the other DE's but the Kodi option there has Pulse Audio only in the Audio setup in Kodi.... but what I need is an additional/amended Kodi that forces ALSA as the Audio. I know this works as I have used the AE_SINK=ALSA kodi in terminal and there I get full Audio pass through.

I found this link that describes what I am trying to achieve - ALERT - there is profanity used by this person, so if you are offended by such language please do not click on the link!!! https://gist.github.com/bmaeser/1918514429e4855d5188#file-kodi-alsa-desktop

Can you advise how I can achieve this?

OK, I have edited out the expletives:

"fix kodi to work with ALSA and working PASSTHROUGH
Raw

readme
1 this will fix passthrough on ubuntu systems (at least with nvidia 210 via hdmi).
2
3 install alsa and:
4
5 place kodi_alsa.sh somewhere, eg in your $HOME/bin
6 place kodi-alsa.desktop in /usr/share/xsessions
7
8 (set path in kodi-alsa.desktop to your script)
9
10 restart gdm/lightdm (or reboot system)
11
12 pick 'KODI WITH ALSA' from dropdown on login
13

Raw
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kodi-alsa.desktop 1 [Desktop Entry]
2 Name=KODI WITH ALSA
3 Comment=This session will start kodi with alsa
4 Exec=/home/berni/bin/kodi_alsa.sh
5 TryExec=/home/berni/bin/kodi_alsa.sh
6 Type=Application

Raw

kodi_alsa.sh
1 #! /bin/bash
2
3 # this makes kodi start with ALSA instead of pulse audio
4
5 # disable pulse audio
6 pasuspender
7
8 # start kodi with ALSA
9 AE_SINK=ALSA kodi"

I have never written script before but you would use Text Editor under Accessories in Zorin to write it - save each 'document' as 'kodi-alsa.desktop' and 'kodi_alsa.sh' respectively and place them where he stated.

In your instance, replace 'berni' with 'cranks' or whatever user name you use to login to Zorin with.

Thanks very much Swarfendor437,

I must be missing something.... I cannot get this to work...either that or have reached the limit of my skill set.

I had a different thought that maybe I could add / change the current Kodi menu item to include AE_SINK=ALSA kodi ... any ideas how I can do this??


HOLD EVERYTHING!!! I DID IT...I DID IT...I DID IT...I DID IT...I DID IT...I DID IT...I DID IT...
What I did was to change the command line for the Kodi item in xsessions to kodi_alsa.sh and changed the menu name to 'Kodi with ALSA' , rebooted and it worked!!!! Woo Hoo!!!

Nice going! And thanks for sharing! 60 blue jewels to you friend!

Yes it is good news isn't it Swarfendor437!

Mate....I have three other items on my list that maybe you can direct me to the right places??

1/ I want to run my HTPC which has Zorin OS installed as well as Kodi. I want the HTPC to run headless(?) without a monitor as I want to hook it up to my projector for streaming media. I don't want to fire up the PJ each time I need to access the HTPC. What to do??
2/ How can I access the login screen without monitor attached so I can select Zorin or Koid when the need arises, and
3/ Can I run Kodi all the time in the foreground and remotely login to do other activities?? If this cannot be done easily (I am a bit of a novice with Ubuntu stuff) can you advise of a web gui based file manager that I can setup?? I have qtorrent installed and is running via a web gui and it would be a huge benefit to me to be able to move, rename, copy, delete files. I have looked at web admin but it doesn't help me.

Thanks so much

Hi, please can you start a new thread for these additional requests please? I have some ideas but struggling to get them to work (and messed my login sounds whilst doing so!)

Swarfendor437 wrote:Hi, please can you start a new thread for these additional requests please? I have some ideas but struggling to get them to work (and messed my login sounds whilst doing so!)

Sure thing Swarfendor437!