The Ultimate Guide to Install Kodi on Raspberry Pi (OSMC) –

Nowadays we often use purple beer for everything and everyone.
But what are the strengths of the pi-purper? Small size, low energy consumption and absolute silence.
What else does it take to build a media centre?
Raspberry Pi is the best hardware to do it at low cost, and Kodi is the right software solution to do it.

How do I install Kodi on Raspberry Pi?
Kodi is a media center application that can be installed on Raspberry Pi OS, LibreElec or OSMC.
The software will be available immediately after installation of the OSMC or LibreElec.

In this article I will show you how to install OSMC and use Kodi.
I will try to answer all your questions about this, from downloading the operating system to playing your favorite video or song in your media player.

By the way, if you want to use a universal remote control from Kodi to Raspberry Pi, you need this USB receiver from Flirc tab (Amazon). It’s amazing, they just made something that wasn’t enough to use Raspberry Pi as a media center.

Introduction

Before we start, I need to clarify the three most important words in this handbook.

Crimson Pi

If you are on this site with this project idea, you should already know what Raspberry Pi is. But I’m also here to help absolute beginners, so I’ll give you a brief introduction.

Raspberry Pi in a single on-board computer, not powerful, but by other means.
It’s small (handheld), cheap (some models cost less than $40) and quiet (no fan needed).
It consumes virtually nothing and has all the necessary connections (network, Wi-Fi, HDMI, audio connection).

Raspberry Pi is the ideal device to turn your old TV into a smart TV or to upgrade your current smart TV with the latest Media Center applications.
You can also travel with it and use it at home, at your parents’ house or while traveling with the same content, no matter what TV you find on the road ^.

OSMC

Raspberry Pi works mainly with Linux distributions.
Linux is an operating system (such as Windows or MacOS), which can be found in different variants (called distributions).

To build our media center, we will use the OSMC as the Linux distribution for this project.
The OSMC is a free, open source distribution designed to host media centers.
It is a lightweight, easy to install distribution that does its job perfectly.

Currently the CMOS does not work with Carmine Guns 4 or 400. If you want to install Kodi on Raspberry Pi 4, you need to open Raspberry Pi OS or LibreElec.
In this case you can skip the next section and go directly to the Cody manual at the end of this article.

Codes

Most people don’t know the difference between CMHO and Cody.
That’s why I’m writing this short introduction.

Kodi is a software we will use to search our media center (for example Spotify for music).
The OSMC is an operating system that runs on Raspberry Pi (like Windows on the PC).Data: Image/svg+xml

You can use codes to play videos, music and other digital media files from local and network media or the Internet.

We will use Kodi next to the OSMC because the main goal of this project is to have our own raspberry pipe for our press center.
But if you already have Raspberry Pi on Raspberry Pi OS and you want to try Kodi, it’s possible.
The codes are now directly available in the standard repository.

OSMCInstallation

After this brief overview of the theory, let’s go!

Download

All downloads for the CMOS distribution are available on this page.

The CMOS offers two ways to create an SD card:

• Use the installer to download the correct version for your computer system (Windows or MacOS).
• After downloading, download the version corresponding to your Raspberry Pi model.

I will explain these two methods in the next section. There’s not much difference.
If you already have Etcher installed on your computer, the image can be downloaded faster.

However, the installation program allows you to configure certain things, such as a network. If you only use Wi-Fi or if you need to set a static IP address, this is the easiest way to do it.

If you don’t know, call the installer and follow the steps described in the next section.

SD card

CMOS Installation program

The installation program will guide you through the following steps:

• Welcome at
  • Please select your language.
  • Select the device (Raspberry Pi) and model.
• Select the version
  • Take the first line if you don’t know.
• Define the options
  • There are a few options, but for the first attempt, I think you will use the SD card.
• Networking
  • This is an important step if you want to use Wi-Fi or if you do not have DHCP.
  • The connection method must be chosen.
  • Then tick the box to enter detailed information about your network (Wi-Fi SSID, IP address, …).
• Media selection
  • Insert the SD card and select it from the list.
• Licence agreement
  • Activate the checkbox to accept the license.

The system then starts downloading and installing the OSMC onto the SD
card. You are then ready to proceed to the first pass below.

Eraser

If you have downloaded an image that matches your camera, you can flash it on the SD card using Etcher.
Etcher is a free tool that you can download from this page
. Then install it and run it.

You get an intuitive interface consisting of three parts: Image format, SD card selector and flash!Data: Image/svg+xml.

• On the left you will find the image file on your computer.
• Insert the SD card into your computer.
• And then click on Flash! to start creating an SD card.
  It has to be fast, because the image needs less than 300 MB.

At the end of this process you are ready to lead the CMHO for the first time.

First start

Insert the SD card into the raspberry beer and let it run.
I’ll tell you what happens now.

Startup screen

This first step is automatic. You don’t have to do anything.
The OSMC will perform the necessary tasks to get your system running (shrinking the SD card, installing files, etc.).

At the end of the progress bar you will receive a success message and a restart of Raspberry Pi.

Welcome menu

After a short overview of the Kodi menu the welcome menu appears.
In this menu you must enter your preferences:

• Language
  • Select your preferred language for the Kodi interface.
• Timeson
  • Select the continent and city corresponding to your current time zone.
    .
  • I don’t find this menu very intuitive.
    I used a touchpad with a Bluetooth keyboard and it was easier, or if you have a mouse, it should be easier.
• Host name
  • You can save the default value or choose a custom name.
• SSH
  • It’s on by default, and I recommend you leave it that way.
  • Maybe easier for some of the things we’ll see later.
  • If you do not use it after installation, you can always turn it off.
• License
  • Accept the license and proceed.
• Look, um…
  • You can choose between two topics in the welcome menu.
  • Take the one you like best, but you can change it later.
    I choose the classic theme, so you might have differences in the next theme if you choose a different one.
• Login
  • It’s not compulsory, just skip it and leave the master’s greeting.

Once this menu is completed, the Kodi interface will return to your screen:.

I will call this interface Kodi, although I know that the boundary between OSMC and Kodi is blurred.
In this menu you will find OSMC and Kodi things, no problem, you don’t have to use the right word.

Codes

When you have completed these installation steps, you should see the same menu as in the figure above.

You now have a better idea of what to expect from this distribution on your Raspberry Pi. As you can see, there are many things in
you can already try to see, but I will help you make the best of it in the rest of this article.

Your first steps with Cody

Now let’s take a closer look at this Cody interface.

Adding multimedia files tocodes

Immediately after installation, clear the media recordings (movies, music, etc.) in the menu.
I will now explain how to add my files. There are different methods.

USB stick

The most common way to read a file in Kodi is to use a USB stick or an external drive (especially if all your photos or movies are on it).

In this case, connect the player to Raspberry Pi and all your files will be immediately available.
OSMC and Kodi automatically connect your player and display all available files.

For example, if I go to Music > Files > USB and click on it, I get the mp3 files and can play them directly.Data: Image/svg+xml

Copy files to Raspberry Pi

You cannot save files from the USB memory directly to the SD card using the File menu.

• Go to Settings > File manager.
• Then select the file in the left pane and the destination folder in the right pane.
  The first time, you may need to click the Add Source button and, for example, choose Folder > Select Music from a list.
• Finally, right click on the file and select Copy to save it to Raspberry Pi.

There are other interesting options, I’ll let you try.

Share of network

If you have a shared network (such as a NAS or a shared folder on another PC), you can also access it via Kodi to play your multimedia files on the network.

To do so, go to Movies > Add a video (or other media).
Then you need to find your network shares by clicking the Browse button and following the instructions in the wizard.Data: Image/svg+xml.

Kodi can work with many types of servers (SMB, NFS, HTTP, …) and you can also directly add a network location (perhaps the only option if guest access to your resource is not allowed).
You will find help with the syntax that can be used in the Kodi-Wiki.

Once your media source has been added correctly, you can access all the media on this server directly via the Kodi (or Web) interface.

File transfer

One of my favorite methods is to have a larger SD card on Raspberry Pi (see myif you need it), then view/listen the files to play directly on Raspberry Pi via SFTP.

The SFTP is associated with the social sciences and humanities, but most people do not think about it.
Since you have an SSH connection to Raspberry Pi, you can use programs such as WinSCP, FileZilla or rsync/scp to move the file back and forth.
You can even open a port on your router (NAT) to transfer files from another network over the Internet.FileZilla.

To do this, I connect to Raspberry Pi using programs like FileZilla, WinSCP or even scp/rsync under Linux.
To log in, you need the address of Raspberry Pi, which you can find under Settings > System information.
The default username and password is osmc / osmc.

Once the connection is established, you can transfer files to the appropriate directory (movies, music, photos, TV programs).
To see them in Kodi, you have to place the files in /home/osmc in the desired folder.

Are no media files available after the transfer?

For example, if you have uploaded media files to /home/osmc/Movies and they are not visible on Kodi, you need to add a new media source with your homemap:

• Go to Video > Files.
• Select Add video.
• Click the Browse button in the menu and select a folder > Movies.
• Send it, adjust the default settings if necessary.
• A way out.

Then go back to Video > Files.
Select your new source (movies) and you will see the list of videos on the SD card.

If necessary, do the same for each type of media (images and music).

Web Interface

Maybe you missed it, but immediately after installation the Kodi web interface is available for you.
You can open it by entering your purple Pi IP address in your browser: http://X.X.X.X.

This interface is reactive, so you can use it with your tablet or smartphone.

Before you do this, you need to know your IP address.
I’ll give you four choices:

• When setting your IP address in the OSMC Wizard
  • You already know your IP address, it’s the same as when you entered the wizard.
• When you’re in the CMOS menu, it’s easy:
  • Enter the parameters (symbol at the top of the menu).
  • Additional system information
    .
• If you are on another computer on the network, here are the last two options:
  • Go to the router’s web interface, in most cases you will find all connected devices with their names and IP addresses.
  • Follow this article on how to find your Raspberry Pi IP address (and use the network scanner method).

SSH

We have enabled the SSH service in the home menu, so we can connect to the OSMC via SSH.
Under Windows you can use a putty for this.
Under Linux and Mac, the ssh command is already activated (for more information, click on tab).

Then login to Raspberry Pi by entering the IP address (see above if you don’t know how to find it) and default user information:

• Log in: Osmk
• Password: osmc

Once the connection is established, I recommend changing the default password with the command :
Password

You are now in an OSMC system, essentially a Debian-like system where you can use your skills in Debian to do whatever you want.

Additional codes

Okay. Okay. Okay, okay. Now you know how to play the media files of your Raspberry Pi with Kodi.
But it’s no different than what you can do on Raspberry Pi or a game console, so why is Kodi so popular?

One of Kodi’s most powerful features is the ability to install additional modules.
The add-on is a kind of application on your smartphone.
A smartphone without an app store is not that funny. A smartphone with a 5-megapixel app is something else.

Cody’s got a lot of extras, too. I’ll introduce you to some of them.
The problem is that you can find anything and everything on the internet.
I’ll sort them according to the law, but be careful what you find elsewhere.

Official codes of Annex

In this first part I will only show you the additions from the official deposit.
So everything’s fine here, don’t worry.

YouTube

The first important addition is YouTube.
To install it: 1 :

• Go to Settings > Advanced.
• From the storage space, choose Install > Video Add-ons.
• Search YouTube in the list (Yes, at the bottom, but use the up arrow to go directly to the end).
• Click on it and then select Install and Confirm.

The add-on is quickly downloaded and installed.

To use them, return to the main menu and then to the Add-ons section.
Select Video Additives and then YouTube.
Until you can use YouTube directly, you will need an API key.

To do this, you need to create a project in the Google Developer console. It’s a long process to get it, so I won’t explain it here (I’ll probably write a special article about it later), but I’ll just redirect you to this page for the tutorial.

A word of advice: However, if you have all the references to use the API, do not enter them directly on your Pi Framboise. You can enable the configuration webpage and go to http://IP:50152/api to enter the information:Data:Image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSI2OTgihlaWdodD0iMjY2Ij48L3N2Zzz4=.1CDovL3d3dy53MjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSI2OTgiIGhlaWdDD0iMjY2Ij48L3N2Zz4=.

When you start for the first time, you may be asked some configuration questions, such as language and country. You can also login to your account if you wish.

The interface is not exceptional, but it allows you to find and watch your favorite YouTube The to Cody

Noise cloud

Here’s another example of SoundCloud In case you didn’t know, SoundCloud is a popular platform for sharing and listening to music online.
You can install it on Kodi and YouTube:

• Go to Settings > Extensions > Music extensions.
• Search for and install SoundCloud.

When you return to Main Menu > Add-ons > Music applications, you will see the SoundCloud application.
No API key is needed here, it works directly:.

Other typical applications

Now you need to understand that every add-on you find in the main repository is easy to install and use, and that you can use it legally.
I therefore give you permission to browse through this directory and install any add-on that interests you before going to the next section.

Grey additional codes

Let’s go to the part where we don’t really know the extent of legality.
I think an add-on is gray when you need to add new source code or install an application from a zip file.

Using VPN

It’s more of an advice than a supplement.
I may be paranoid, but I advise you to take security measures at this level to protect your personal information.

But with Cody, there’s a fine line between legal and illegal, and you have to use a VPN.
The VPN encrypts and anonymises your Internet traffic (via Raspberry Pi).

Here is a good graph of ExpressVPN, explaining how VPN protects itself:

Click on the link for more information about the operation of the VPN.

I’m not talking about the best VPN provider of my choice.
There are tons of websites that compare them and order them for you.
Usually they all do their jobs.
It’s more a matter of budget, because there’s not much difference between them.

Here I have opened the step-by-step information on the NordVPN if you want to check it to know how to install it, especially on Kodi (because some other solutions do not work on Raspberry Pi).

Also check the news about your preferred supplier. Many websites still recommend Vanish IPV, even if they are accused of recording your activities.

Once you have found your VPN provider, follow the instructions on their website to install the VPN customer on Kodi.

Challenge

Spotify is an important music streaming service with which you should already be familiar.
There is no application in the code repository, but you can download it from a third party source.

Here are the steps to perform to install SpotiTM:

• Get the latest zipper available on this site.
• Download it and transfer it to your purple Pi :
  • You can connect to your computer and download it with a software like FileZilla.
  • You can also download it directly from SSH:
    wget http://azkotoki.org/download-file/35/script-audio-spotimc-1-0-beta5 -O spotiMC.zip
  • Try to place the file in a folder with all your add-ons.
    For example, I have the /home/osmc/Downloads folder where I can put everything.
• Then go back to Cody, go to Settings > Advanced.
• Select Install in Zip file.
  • By default, the installation of zip files is disabled, it must be enabled in the settings.
    So, if you have received an error message, do it first and check for unknown sources.
• Then navigate to the download path (e.g. Map > Downloads).
• Click on the file to install it.

SpotiTM should now be available in the Music menu of the Music Supplements section.
The first time you start it, you may be asked to define dependencies and select yes.
Then you have to restart the Pi of the raspberry to apply the changes.

After restarting you will return to Spotifica, log in and you are ready to go.
A premium account is required to use Spotify on any device: /.

Another way to install Spotify is by using an external repository, you can read my full tutorial here.

Crispy

We’ve seen how to install an add-on from a zip file, now we’ll see how to add a new repository with Crackle.

Crackle is owned by Sony and offers a streaming service for watching popular shows and movies.
For example, to install it, you need to add a new repository like this

• Download Eracknaphobia’s zip-file here.
• Put him in raspberry pii.
• Go to Settings > Advanced.
• Select Install in Zip file.
• Go to the zip file and install it.
  You’re starting to know how to do it.
• Then go back to the add-on browser, but choose Install in repository.
• You should see the new deposit on the list now.
• Click on Repo eracknaphobias and you will see all the packages available in this repository.
• Crackle is in the Video expansion subfolder, with many other interesting additions:
  .
• Click on Crack and then on Install.
  Editor: it seems that it is now available in the official archive, but at least now you know how to add another archive.

Crack is now available under Add-ons > Video Add-ons.
It’s free, enjoy it!.

Other additives

You have now learned how to install new add-ons, using both the zip file and the repository.
I’m not gonna list all the possible add-ons you can install here.
That’s not the point. But now you can add whatever you want.

And then you can start paying attention.
All add-ons will be available as soon as possible, whether they are authorized or not. It’s up to you to decide whether it seems legal or not.

Is the same service free on your computer? If not, are you already paying for this service?

Do you answer both questions with a no? I’d be surprised if it’s legal.

Additional codes to be avoided

There are some additions I don’t recommend for Cody unless you want legal problems.

Here are some examples to avoid: Exodus, willpower, placenta, inertia.

These are supplements that allow you to watch movies and television programs for free.
As you know, it is rarely free to receive such content, so these additions are not legal at all.
Depending on your country, this may even be considered a crime.

Recommended equipment to get the most out of the Kodi on Crimson pi.

• Crimson Pi 3B+: You don’t need it anymore, and the OSMC doesn’t even work with Raspberry Pi 4 right now, so keep it simple and accessible, choose Raspberry Pi 3 and leave it connected to your TV.
• The Flirc: Allows you to use any universal remote control with Raspberry Pi. It should be more convenient than zapping with a keyboard.
• The Harmony: Replace all remote controls with one and work perfectly with your Flirc receiver. There is also an app for your smartphone that you will appreciate.
• The hugetab: It is more likely that you are the person who stores all your media files on the device and that you do not use streaming services as often, then you need a large SD card. With capacities from 32 GB to 1 TB this is the best available!

Conclusion

Let me get this straight. You should have learned by now:

• Install Kodi on raspberry Pi via OSMC.
• Use the basic functions available in Cody, such as playing media files.
• How can I install add-ons in different ways?
  • The official repository (YouTube).
  • From the downloaded zip file (Spotify).
  • From a third party deposit (crackle).

I have also tried to warn you about the legal problems associated with installing third-party configurations on Kodi.
Cody’s legal and safe, but you have to be careful if you put anything in there.

I hope this article will help you understand how Cody works.
It’s a big topic, so I can’t imagine it’s all in one article.
There are many pages on Kodi, and the official wiki can also help you with
. Take a look if you need more information:

OSMC Wiki
Kodi-Wiki

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