JCast

JCast is a self hosted internet radio service. It is an alternative backend for vTuner services, and it is written in Java with Spring Boot.

The project was being heavily inspired by https://github.com/milaq/YCast.

Features

• Radio Browser support (basic functionally works)
• Favorites file support with auto-reload - a YAML file with a manually entered stations

Supported models

• Yamaha HTR-4066

Deployment

Docker

Running with Docker

Volume

The Docker exports a Volume where it will try to load favorites stations file. The Volume name is /favorites and you should mount it if you want to have your stations YAML file read.

Environment variables

• SERVER_PORT - the port on which the service will run inside the container (default: 80)
• FAVORITES_FILE - the file with the favorites stations (default: /favorites/stations.yml) If you want different file name you should set it like: /favorites/<YOUR_FILE_NAME>

docker pull mapuo/jcast:latest
docker run -p 8090:80 -v ~/.local/jcast/:/favorites:ro mapuo/jcast

Skip to setting up Nginx and PiHole

Executable JAR

Setting up the environment

I've tested this on Debian/Ubuntu server, may apply to other distributions.

Don't forget sudo if your are not logged as root.

1. Create a directory for the application

   mkdir /opt/jcast

2. Set directory permissions

   chown jcast:jcast /opt/jcast

   • I'm assuming user and group jcast - if other change it in the jcast@.service as well.

3. Add the systemd unit

   cd /etc/systemd/system
   ln -s /opt/jcast/jcast@.service jcast@.service

4. Enable the systemd service

   8090 is the port on which the service will run - choose another if you wish

   systemctl enable jcast@8090.service
   systemctl daemon-reload

5. Setup rsyslog configuration

   cd /etc/rsyslog.d/
   ln -s /opt/jcast/rsyslog.conf 10-jcast.conf
   systemctl restart rsyslog.service

6. Setup logrotate

   cd /etc/logrotate.d
   ln -s /opt/jcast/jcast.logrotate jcast
   

Setting up the application

1. Download the executable jar or build it yourself and put it in /opt/jcast with the name: jcast.jar

2. Add application.properties file in /opt/jcast with one parameter favorites.file= with the location and name of the favorites station YAML file.

Service management

To start the service

systemctl start jcast@8090.service

To stop the service

systemctl stop jcast@8090.service

Setting up Nginx

cd /etc/nginx/sites-enabled
ln -s /opt/jcast/nginx-jcast.conf
nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx.service

Setting up PiHole

On the PiHole machine as root execute

echo "address=/radioyamaha.vtuner.com/radioyamaha2.vtuner.com/<NGINX_IP_ADDRESS>" > /etc/dnsmasq.d/05-vtuner.conf

...or for all vtuner to be redirected:

echo "address=/.vtuner.com/<NGINX_IP_ADDRESS>" > /etc/dnsmasq.d/05-vtuner.conf

...and then restart the DNS service:

pihole restartdns