rpi-tulivision/VIDEO_PLAYER_SETUP.md

Video Player Setup - Always On Top with Hidden Desktop UI

This setup ensures your video player always starts with a video on boot, stays on top, and hides the desktop UI.

What Was Fixed

1. GPIO Access Error

• Problem: Script required root privileges for GPIO access
• Solution: Modified script to check for GPIO group membership instead of root privileges
• Result: Script now runs as regular user with proper GPIO permissions

2. Always Start with Video

• Problem: Video player might not always start with a video
• Solution: Added ensure_video_playing() method that automatically starts a video if none is playing
• Result: Video player will always have a video playing, restarting automatically if needed

3. Keep Video On Top

• Problem: Video might get hidden behind other windows
• Solution:
  • Added VLC options for always-on-top behavior
  • Created keep_vlc_on_top() method using wmctrl
  • Added continuous monitoring to ensure VLC stays on top
• Result: Video player window always stays on top of other applications

4. Hide Desktop UI

• Problem: Desktop UI elements visible behind video
• Solution:
  • Created hide_desktop_ui.sh script to hide panels, icons, and screen savers
  • Added systemd service to automatically hide UI on boot
  • Configured autostart entries for desktop environment
• Result: Clean video-only display with hidden desktop elements

Files Modified/Created

Modified Files:

• video_player.py - Fixed GPIO access, added always-on-top functionality
• video-player.service - Updated to run as pi user instead of root
• video-player-random.service - Updated to run as pi user instead of root

New Files:

• hide_desktop_ui.sh - Script to hide desktop UI elements
• hide-desktop-ui.service - Systemd service for hiding desktop UI
• setup_video_player.sh - Complete setup script
• VIDEO_PLAYER_SETUP.md - This documentation

Installation Instructions

1. Run the setup script:

   ./setup_video_player.sh
   

2. Log out and log back in (required for GPIO group changes)

3. Place video files in /home/pi/Videos/ directory

4. Reboot the system to start all services

Manual Commands

Start Video Player

# Start with default channel
sudo systemctl start video-player.service

# Start with random video
sudo systemctl start video-player-random.service

Hide Desktop UI

# Hide desktop UI elements
./hide_desktop_ui.sh hide

# Keep VLC on top (runs continuously)
./hide_desktop_ui.sh keep-top

# Do everything (hide UI, start service, keep on top)
./hide_desktop_ui.sh all

Check Service Status

# Check video player service
sudo systemctl status video-player.service

# Check desktop UI hiding service
sudo systemctl status hide-desktop-ui.service

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u video-player.service -f

Configuration

Video Directory

• Default: /home/pi/Videos/
• Supported formats: .mp4, .avi, .mkv, .mov, .wmv, .flv, .webm, .m4v

VLC Options

The video player now uses these VLC options for optimal display:

• --fullscreen - Full screen mode
• --always-on-top - Keep window on top
• --video-on-top - Video always on top
• --no-video-title-show - Hide video title
• --no-audio-display - Hide audio display
• Various --no-qt-* options to hide VLC interface elements

GPIO Configuration

• IR pin: GPIO 18 (configurable in config.json)
• User must be in gpio group (handled by setup script)

Troubleshooting

Video Not Starting

1. Check if video files exist in /home/pi/Videos/
2. Check service status: sudo systemctl status video-player.service
3. Check logs: sudo journalctl -u video-player.service -f

GPIO Access Issues

1. Ensure user is in gpio group: groups $USER
2. If not, run: sudo usermod -a -G gpio $USER and log out/in

Desktop UI Still Visible

1. Check if hide-desktop-ui service is running: sudo systemctl status hide-desktop-ui.service
2. Manually hide UI: ./hide_desktop_ui.sh hide
3. Install wmctrl if missing: sudo apt install wmctrl

VLC Not Staying On Top

1. Install wmctrl: sudo apt install wmctrl
2. Check if VLC is running: pgrep vlc
3. Manually keep on top: ./hide_desktop_ui.sh keep-top

Service Management

Enable Services (start on boot)

sudo systemctl enable video-player.service
sudo systemctl enable hide-desktop-ui.service

Disable Services

sudo systemctl disable video-player.service
sudo systemctl disable hide-desktop-ui.service

Stop Services

sudo systemctl stop video-player.service
sudo systemctl stop hide-desktop-ui.service

Notes

• The video player will automatically restart if it crashes
• Videos will loop automatically when they end
• The system will always ensure a video is playing
• Desktop UI elements are hidden but can be restored by stopping the hide-desktop-ui service
• IR remote control functionality is preserved and enhanced