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Volumio Headless

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volumio-headless

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un Volumio headless with status displayed on an e-paper display! This is actually a popular setup for audiophile systems where you want minimal visual distraction but still need to see what's playing.

Here's how you can approach this:

Basic Setup

Volumio runs perfectly headless - you just need to disable any connected HDMI display and access it through the web interface from another device for initial configuration.

E-Paper Display Integration

You have several options for the e-paper display:

Hardware Options:

Waveshare e-paper displays (2.13", 2.9", 4.2", 7.5" etc.) - very popular choice
Inky series from Pimoroni
Good Display e-paper modules

Software Integration:

Python scripts - Most common approach using libraries like:
- waveshare-epd for Waveshare displays
- inky for Pimoroni displays
- Volumio REST API to fetch current track info
Existing solutions:
- PaperUI - Specifically designed for this use case
- Volumio Display plugins - Some community plugins available
- Custom scripts using Volumio's API

What You Can Display

Current track title, artist, album
Album artwork (converted to monochrome)
Playback status (playing/paused/stopped)
Volume level
Source information
Time/date

Implementation Steps

Set up Volumio headless
Connect e-paper display via SPI
Install display drivers and Python libraries
Create or install a script that polls Volumio's REST API
Format and display the information on the e-paper screen

The e-paper display is perfect for this since it's easy to read, consumes minimal power, and the slow refresh rate isn't an issue for music status that doesn't change frequently.

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