media-player-server/CLAUDE.md

Media Server - Development Guide

Overview

Standalone REST API server (FastAPI) for controlling system-wide media playback on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android.

Running the Server

Manual Start

python -m media_server.main

Auto-Start on Boot (Windows Task Scheduler)

Run in Administrator PowerShell from the media-server directory:

.\media_server\service\install_task_windows.ps1

To remove the scheduled task:

Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName "MediaServer" -Confirm:$false

Development Workflow

Server Restart After Code Changes

CRITICAL: When making changes to backend code (Python files, API routes, service logic), the media server MUST be restarted for changes to take effect.

When to restart:

• Changes to any Python files (*.py) in the media_server directory
• Changes to API endpoints, routes, or request/response models
• Changes to service logic, callbacks, or script execution
• Changes to configuration handling or startup logic

When restart is NOT needed:

• Static file changes (*.html, *.css, *.js, *.json) - browser refresh is enough
• README or documentation updates
• Changes to install/service scripts (only affects new installations)

How to restart during development:

1. Find the running server process:

   # Windows
   netstat -ano | findstr :8765
   
   # Linux/macOS
   lsof -i :8765
   

2. Stop the server:

   # Windows
   taskkill //F //PID <process_id>
   
   # Linux/macOS
   kill <process_id>
   

3. Start the server again:

   python -m media_server.main
   

Best Practice: Always restart the server immediately after committing backend changes to verify they work correctly before pushing.

CRITICAL Always check acccessibility of WebUI after server restart to ensure that server has started without issues

Configuration

Copy config.example.yaml to config.yaml and customize.

The API token is generated on first run and displayed in the console output.

Default port: 8765

Internationalization (i18n)

The Web UI supports multiple languages with translations stored in separate JSON files.

Locale Files

Translation files are located in:

• media_server/static/locales/en.json - English (default)
• media_server/static/locales/ru.json - Russian

Maintaining Translations

IMPORTANT: When adding or modifying user-facing text in the Web UI:

1. Update all locale files - Add or update the translation key in both en.json and ru.json
2. Use consistent keys - Follow the existing key naming pattern (e.g., section.element, scripts.button.save)
3. Test both locales - Verify translations appear correctly by switching between EN/RU

Adding New Text

When adding new UI elements:

1. Add the English text to static/locales/en.json
2. Add the Russian translation to static/locales/ru.json
3. In HTML: use data-i18n="key.name" for text content
4. In HTML: use data-i18n-placeholder="key.name" for input placeholders
5. In HTML: use data-i18n-title="key.name" for title attributes
6. In JavaScript: use t('key.name') or t('key.name', {param: value}) for dynamic text

Adding New Locales

To add support for a new language:

1. Create media_server/static/locales/{lang_code}.json (copy from en.json)
2. Translate all strings to the new language
3. Add the language code to supportedLocales array in index.html

Versioning

Version is tracked in two files that must be kept in sync:

• pyproject.toml - [project].version
• media_server/__init__.py - __version__

When releasing a new version, update both files with the same version string.

Important: After making any changes, always ask the user if the version needs to be incremented.

Git Rules

• ALWAYS ask for user approval before committing and pushing changes.
• When pushing, always push to all remotes: git push origin master && git push github master