The official wiki page for this sort of thing is at https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:HOW-TO:Autostart_Kodi_for_Linux, which points to https://github.com/graysky2/kodi-standalone-service. Here's some modified takes on the official-ish instructions. This presumes you're running Ubuntu 19.04 on a Pi 3, or have a similar setup to that. NOTE: You could also just use something like LibreELEC if having a full OS on the machine isn't important to you. == Step 1, Variant A: Kodi from the main repos, using X11 == Install Kodi and xinit with `apt install kodi xinit xserver-xorg`. Create `/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service` with the contents as ``` lang=ini, name=/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service [Unit] Description=Kodi standalone (X11) After=systemd-user-sessions.service network-online.target sound.target mysqld.service Requires=network-online.target Conflicts=getty@tty1.service [Service] User=kodi Group=kodi PAMName=login TTYPath=/dev/tty1 ExecStart=/usr/bin/xinit /usr/bin/kodi-standalone -- :0 -nolisten tcp vt1 Restart=on-abort StandardInput=tty [Install] WantedBy=graphical.target ``` == Step 1, Variant B: Kodi customized with hardware acceleration, using GBM == Either [[ documentation/kodi/standalone/compile/ | compile it yourself ]] or [[ https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=246837 | grab a package ]]. If you're using the latest Raspbian [[ https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=251645 | a new-enough version should be available in the main repos ]] (as of this writing untested by @keithzg). Make sure to set the following in `config.txt` (may be either `/boot/config.txt` or `/boot/firmware/config.txt`, depending on the distro): ``` lang=ini, name=config.txt dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d gpu_mem=256 ``` Then use the following service file (changing the path used by `ExecStart` if you've [[ documentation/kodi/standalone/compile/ | compiled it yourself ]] and installed to a different path): ``` lang=ini, name=/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service [Unit] Description=Kodi standalone (GBM) After=systemd-user-sessions.service network.target network-online.target sound.target upower.service mysqld.service Requires=graphical.target Wants=network.target network-online.target Conflicts=getty@tty1.service [Service] User=kodi Group=kodi PAMName=login TTYPath=/dev/tty1 Environment=WINDOWING=gbm ExecStart=/usr/bin/kodi-standalone Restart=on-abort StandardInput=tty [Install] WantedBy=graphical.target ``` == Step 2 == ``` lang=bash # Add the group sudo addgroup kodi # Add the user, giving it no login shell and with /var/lib/kodi as its home directory sudo useradd -c 'kodi user' -u 420 -g kodi -G audio,input,uucp,video -d /var/lib/kodi -s /usr/sbin/nologin kodi # Not sure why this is necessary frankly, since the shell is set to nologin anyways sudo passwd -l kodi > /dev/null # Actually make the home directory we're using, and set ownership correctly sudo mkdir /var/lib/kodi sudo chown -R kodi:kodi /var/lib/kodi # Now, enable and start the service sudo systemctl enable kodi.service sudo systemctl start kodi.service ```

The official wiki page for this sort of thing is at https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:HOW-TO:Autostart_Kodi_for_Linux, which points to https://github.com/graysky2/kodi-standalone-service. Here's some modified takes on the official-ish instructions. This presumes you're running Ubuntu 19.04 on a Pi 3, or have a similar setup to that. NOTE: You could also just use something like LibreELEC if having a full OS on the machine isn't important to you. == Step 1, Variant A: Kodi from the main repos, using X11 == Install Kodi and xinit with `apt install kodi xinit xserver-xorg`. Create `/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service` with the contents as ``` lang=ini, name=/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service [Unit] Description=Kodi standalone (X11) After=systemd-user-sessions.service network-online.target sound.target mysqld.service Requires=network-online.target Conflicts=getty@tty1.service [Service] User=kodi Group=kodi PAMName=login TTYPath=/dev/tty1 ExecStart=/usr/bin/xinit /usr/bin/kodi-standalone -- :0 -nolisten tcp vt1 Restart=on-abort StandardInput=tty [Install] WantedBy=graphical.target ``` == Step 1, Variant B: Kodi customized with hardware acceleration, using GBM == Either [[ documentation/kodi/standalone/compile/ | compile it yourself ]] or [[ https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=246837 | grab a package ]]. If you're using the latest Raspbian [[ https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=251645 | a new-enough and correctly compiled version is reportedly available in the main repos ]] (as of this writing untested by @keithzg). Make sure to set the following in `config.txt` (may be either `/boot/config.txt` or `/boot/firmware/config.txt`, depending on the distro): ``` lang=ini, name=config.txt dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d gpu_mem=256 ``` Then use the following service file (changing the path used by `ExecStart` if you've [[ documentation/kodi/standalone/compile/ | compiled it yourself ]] and installed to a different path): ``` lang=ini, name=/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service [Unit] Description=Kodi standalone (GBM) After=systemd-user-sessions.service network.target network-online.target sound.target upower.service mysqld.service Requires=graphical.target Wants=network.target network-online.target Conflicts=getty@tty1.service [Service] User=kodi Group=kodi PAMName=login TTYPath=/dev/tty1 Environment=WINDOWING=gbm ExecStart=/usr/bin/kodi-standalone Restart=on-abort StandardInput=tty [Install] WantedBy=graphical.target ``` WARNING: For some reason the environment line here causes Kodi from the Raspbian repos to fail, so comment it out if on Raspbian. == Step 2 == ``` lang=bash # Add the group sudo addgroup kodi # Add the user, giving it no login shell and with /var/lib/kodi as its home directory sudo useradd -c 'kodi user' -u 420 -g kodi -G audio,input,uucp,video -d /var/lib/kodi -s /usr/sbin/nologin kodi # Not sure why this is necessary frankly, since the shell is set to nologin anyways sudo passwd -l kodi > /dev/null # Actually make the home directory we're using, and set ownership correctly sudo mkdir /var/lib/kodi sudo chown -R kodi:kodi /var/lib/kodi # Now, enable and start the service sudo systemctl enable kodi.service sudo systemctl start kodi.service ``` == Further reading == If setting up on a Raspbian system, https://www.enricozini.org/blog/2019/himblick/cleanup-raspbian/ has some interesting notes on some of the customizations Raspbian has done compared to plain Debian.

The official wiki page for this sort of thing is at https://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:HOW-TO:Autostart_Kodi_for_Linux, which points to https://github.com/graysky2/kodi-standalone-service. Here's some modified takes on the official-ish instructions. This presumes you're running Ubuntu 19.04 on a Pi 3, or have a similar setup to that. NOTE: You could also just use something like LibreELEC if having a full OS on the machine isn't important to you. == Step 1, Variant A: Kodi from the main repos, using X11 == Install Kodi and xinit with `apt install kodi xinit xserver-xorg`. Create `/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service` with the contents as ``` lang=ini, name=/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service [Unit] Description=Kodi standalone (X11) After=systemd-user-sessions.service network-online.target sound.target mysqld.service Requires=network-online.target Conflicts=getty@tty1.service [Service] User=kodi Group=kodi PAMName=login TTYPath=/dev/tty1 ExecStart=/usr/bin/xinit /usr/bin/kodi-standalone -- :0 -nolisten tcp vt1 Restart=on-abort StandardInput=tty [Install] WantedBy=graphical.target ``` == Step 1, Variant B: Kodi customized with hardware acceleration, using GBM == Either [[ documentation/kodi/standalone/compile/ | compile it yourself ]] or [[ https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=246837 | grab a package ]]. If you're using the latest Raspbian [[ https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=251645 | a new-enough and correctly compiled version should beis reportedly available in the main repos ]] (as of this writing untested by @keithzg). Make sure to set the following in `config.txt` (may be either `/boot/config.txt` or `/boot/firmware/config.txt`, depending on the distro): ``` lang=ini, name=config.txt dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d gpu_mem=256 ``` Then use the following service file (changing the path used by `ExecStart` if you've [[ documentation/kodi/standalone/compile/ | compiled it yourself ]] and installed to a different path): ``` lang=ini, name=/etc/systemd/system/kodi.service [Unit] Description=Kodi standalone (GBM) After=systemd-user-sessions.service network.target network-online.target sound.target upower.service mysqld.service Requires=graphical.target Wants=network.target network-online.target Conflicts=getty@tty1.service [Service] User=kodi Group=kodi PAMName=login TTYPath=/dev/tty1 Environment=WINDOWING=gbm ExecStart=/usr/bin/kodi-standalone Restart=on-abort StandardInput=tty [Install] WantedBy=graphical.target ``` WARNING: For some reason the environment line here causes Kodi from the Raspbian repos to fail, so comment it out if on Raspbian. == Step 2 == ``` lang=bash # Add the group sudo addgroup kodi # Add the user, giving it no login shell and with /var/lib/kodi as its home directory sudo useradd -c 'kodi user' -u 420 -g kodi -G audio,input,uucp,video -d /var/lib/kodi -s /usr/sbin/nologin kodi # Not sure why this is necessary frankly, since the shell is set to nologin anyways sudo passwd -l kodi > /dev/null # Actually make the home directory we're using, and set ownership correctly sudo mkdir /var/lib/kodi sudo chown -R kodi:kodi /var/lib/kodi # Now, enable and start the service sudo systemctl enable kodi.service sudo systemctl start kodi.service ``` == Further reading == If setting up on a Raspbian system, https://www.enricozini.org/blog/2019/himblick/cleanup-raspbian/ has some interesting notes on some of the customizations Raspbian has done compared to plain Debian.