Elecard ViCont¶
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1. Quick Start¶
Describing Software¶
Elecard ViCont is a solution designed for real-time control of content on screens. The software operates in the client-server mode. The client part, which is a player, gets settings from the server and plays a received stream, a playlist consisting of media files, or individual media files.
System Requirements¶
Player |
Server |
|---|---|
OS Linux Ubuntu 22.04 |
OS Linux + Docker |
OS Android 7+ |
ОS Linux + Docker |
Working With Server¶
The ViCont system is operated via a browser.
Supported browsers:
- Chromium, version 54 and later
- Google Chrome, version 54 and later
- Mozilla Firefox, version 47 and later
- Microsoft Edge, version 100 and later
For a smooth experience, make sure that your browser is updated to the latest version.
Technical Characteristics¶
Ubuntu-Based Players¶
Receiving streams
Using playlists of files
Statistics sending: over HTTP and SNMP protocols
Android-Based Players¶
Receiving streams
Using playlists of files
Statistics sending: over HTTP and SNMP protocols
Installing ViCont Software¶
Prerequsites¶
To install the server part, the following components are required:
Docker. On this page, select the guidelines for Docker installation based on your Linux distribution.
Python 3. Python is pre-installed in most Linux distributions, including Ubuntu. You can check its presence and version using the following command:
python3 --version
If Python is not installed, install it using suitable guidelines from this page.
Installing ViCont Server¶
Download a server installation package named in the way vicont-bundle-<version>-<tag>.tar.gz and unpack it:
tar -xzvf vicont-bundle-<version>-<tag>.tar.gz
Then go to the vicont-bundle folder:
cd vicont-bundle
Set execute permission for the installation file:
chmod +x deploy.sh
Run the installation file:
sudo ./deploy.sh
After the installation, the web interface will be available at http://<server_address>:8090. Instead of server_address, specify any network interface you are using.
To log in to the web interface, use the following credentials 1:
adminAdm!nV1-NT- 1
This account cannot be deleted.
After the first login, it is recommended to change the password. Then click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the interface and select the Server Settings item in the drop-down list. In the window that opens, specify Network interface and Port for players to access the server.
Changing Server Parameters¶
The server package contains an env file where all the settings, e.g. port number or log folder directory, are written.
You can edit these settings, if necessary, and save the file.
To apply changes, run the deploy.sh script if you edited the settings before installing the server.
Otherwise, run rebuild.sh.
Updating Server¶
To update the server, download the server update package and unpack it in the same folder where you unpacked the initial package:
tar -xzvf vicont-bundle-<version>-<tag>.tar.gz
Go to the folder containing the vicont-bundle update package:
cd vicont-bundle
Set execute permission for the installation file:
chmod +x deploy.sh
Run the server update:
sudo ./deploy.sh
Note
During update, access parameters and saved database remain intact.
Installing Player¶
You can install a player using one of the following ways:
Installation via the Web Interface¶
It is recommended to install a player via the server web interface. You can also download and install a player package directly on the device. This method is described in the Standalone Installation section.
To install a new player or add an existing one without installation, go to the Players page and click the Add button. In the window that opened, you can specify parameters for adding a player or import a list of players from a CSV file.
To add a player, specify the following parameters:
Name (required) — the player name for identification.
Description — additional information about the player.
MAC address (required) — the MAC address of a network interface used by the computer on which the player will be functioning.
Group — selection of a group for adding the player. Groups are used for mass player control. In case the group is not specified, the player will be working with individual settings.
Package — selection of the player package version if you need to install a new player. Otherwise, leave the Without install value in the field.
If you need to install a new Ubuntu-based player, also specify the following:
IP Address and Port (required) — data for connection to the computer over the SSH protocol. The default port is 22.
Login and Password (required) — user credentials for remote connection to the computer. Using this account, the system will boot, and the player will start.
If you need to install a new Android-based player, specify the following:
IP Address and Port (required) — the data that should be used to connect to the computer via adb. The default port is 5555.
After setting all the parameters, click the Apply button.
You can add multiple players at a time, using a special template form in the CSV format. To download the form, click the CSV Template button. Fill in the form and click the Import From CSV button. Check imported parameters and apply changes.
Standalone Installation¶
Download the player ZIP package to the target computer. For this, click the gear icon in the upper right corner of the page and select the Player Packages section. In the opened page, select the appropriate player package and click the appeared download icon in the Control column.
Installing an Ubuntu-Based Player
Note
To install a player in the standalone mode, the user should have the sudo privileges.
Extract files from the downloaded ZIP archive with an Ubuntu-based player to a folder of your choice:
unzip <archive_name>The archive contains the following files:
Installation guide (readme)
Configuration file (config.json)
An archive with the player package (tar.gz)
Installation file (install)
Go to the
config.jsonfile and check that the ViCont server address is correct:"server": { "address": "127.0.0.1", "port": 8090 }
Specify a real IP address in the
addressstring and a real port number in theportstring.Run the player installation from the user having sudo privileges.
sudo ./install -p <path_to_player_package> -u <username>
Specify the actual values instead of <path_to_player_package> and <username>, for example:
sudo ./install -p ./Elecard.Player-1.2.9.tar.gz -u user
Then reboot the computer:
sudo reboot
Following the reboot, the player will automatically start up, connect to the server, and begin streaming live content or playing files according to a playlist. When there are no available streams or files, the player will display a black screen.
Installing an Android-Based Player
An Android-based player comes in the form of an APK package. There are two methods to install it.
Method 1: using the adb tool
Extract files from the downloaded ZIP archive with the Android-based player to a folder of your choice.
The archive comprises the following files:
Player installation guide (readme)
An archive with the player APK package (tar.gz)
Unpack the tar.gz archive with the player package.
Activate Developer options on the Android device.
If you don’t have the adb tool on your computer, download it. Open the link, go to the Downloads section, and select a version that is suitable for your computer. Click the name of the chosen version to download a ZIP archive with adb.
Unpack the archive in a folder on the computer and go to this folder using the terminal.
Connect to the Android device:
adb connect <Android_device_IP_address>:5555
Install the player package from the archive:
adb install <path_to_player_package>
Instead of <path_to_player_package> specify a path to the installed package, for example:
adb install C:\Android\Elecard.Player-0.1.26.apkRun the player:
adb shell am start -n com.elecard.vicont.player/com.elecard.vicont.player.MainActivity
Method 2: installing directly on the device
Download, unpack and install the player package (APK) directly on the Android device.
Run the player by clicking the Vicont Player icon.
Regardless of the installation method, when you run the Android-based player the first time, you will see a screen where you need to enter the IP address and port of the server. Enter the address and the port and click CONNECT.
Note
Players installed in the standalone mode can be added in the ViCont web interface via the Players ➝ Unregistered players tab.
Adding new users¶
To add a new user, click the gear icon in the upper right corner of the page and select the Users section. On the opened page, click the Add button. Specify a user name, its role, password to access the system. The description of roles is given below:
Guest — a read-only access providing the ability to view all information without the possibility to make any changes. This role doesn’t allow changing user credentials.
Operator — full access to system without the possibility to work with users.
Administrator — full access to system with the possibility to add or delete users.
As you specify all fields, click the Add button. A new user will be added to the system and appear on the page. If required, you can change the user credentials and(or) role even after the user has been added. Further, send the credentials to the user.