How to Install Snapcast on Elementary OS Latest

Snapcast is an open-source multi-room audio system that allows you to stream music across multiple devices in sync. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Snapcast on ElementaryOS Latest.

Prerequisites

Before you begin with the installation process, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• A computer running Elementary OS Latest.
• A user account with root or sudo privileges.

Step 1: Update your system

The first step is to update your system packages to the latest version. Run the following command to update the package list.

sudo apt-get update

Step 2: Install Snapcast Dependencies

Snapcast requires some dependencies to work properly. Run the following command to install them.

sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev libvorbisidec-dev libopus-dev libflac-dev libogg-dev libmpdclient-dev libboost-dev libssl-dev

Step 3: Download Snapcast

Download Snapcast from the Github Repository using the following commands:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/badaix/snapcast.git
cd snapcast

Step 4: Build and Install Snapcast

Now that you have the source code of Snapcast, you can build and install it. Run the following commands:

make
sudo make install

Step 5: Configure Snapcast Server

After installing Snapcast, you need to configure the Snapcast server. Run the following command to open the configuration file:

sudo nano /usr/local/etc/snapserver.conf

Modify the configuration file according to your requirements. You can define the network name, port, and audio backend, among other things. Here is an example of a basic configuration file:

# Network settings
server {
    # Name of the audio server
    name "Snapcast Server"
    # Port for audio streaming
    port 1704
    # Audio backend to use
    audio backends
    {
        # Name of the audio backend
        name "alsa"
        # ALSA device name to use
        device "default"
        # Mixer control name
        mixercontrol "Master"
    }
}

Save and close the configuration file.

Step 6: Start Snapcast Server

After configuring Snapcast, you can start the Snapcast server using the following command:

sudo snapserver -d

The -d flag is used to run Snapserver as a daemon.

Step 7: Install Snapclient

If you want to connect to the Snapcast server from other devices, you need to install Snapclient. Run the following commands to install Snapclient:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/badaix/snapcast.git
cd snapcast/client
make
sudo make install

Step 8: Connect to the Snapcast Server

To connect to the Snapcast server, run the following command:

snapclient -h <server IP address>

Replace with the IP address of the Snapcast server.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured Snapcast on Elementary OS Latest. Now you can stream audio across multiple devices in sync using Snapcast.