I’ve found a python script that reads a .m3u playlist and randomizes it so that it doesn’t always play the media in the same order. I was getting quite tired of the same video always playing first every time I opened a playlist. All credit for the script goes to Colin Turner @ piglets.org.
Copy the code and create a new file named shuffler.py (or whatever you’d like to name it)
#!/usr/bin/env python
#
# Simple script to randomise an m3u playlist
# Colin Turner <ct@piglets.com>
# 2013
# GPL v2
#
import random
import re
# We want to be able to process some command line options.
from optparse import OptionParser
def process_lines(options, all_lines):
'process the list of all playlist lines into three chunks'
# Eventually we want to support several formats
m3u = True
extm3u = False
if options.verbose:
print "Read %u lines..." % len(all_lines)
header = list()
middle = list()
footer = list()
# Check first line for #EXTM3U
if re.match("^#EXTM3U$", all_lines[0]):
if options.verbose:
print "EXTM3U format file..."
extm3u = True
header.append(all_lines[0])
del all_lines[0]
loop = 0
while loop < len(all_lines):
# Each 'item' may be multiline
item = list()
if re.match("^#EXTINF.*$", all_lines[loop]):
item.append(all_lines[loop])
loop = loop + 1
# A proper regexp for filenames would be good
if loop < len(all_lines):
item.append(all_lines[loop])
loop = loop + 1
if options.verbose: print item
middle.append(item)
return (header, middle, footer)
def load_playlist(options):
'loads the playlist into an array of arrays'
if options.verbose:
print "Reading playlist %s ..." % options.in_filename
with open(options.in_filename, 'r') as file:
all_lines = file.readlines()
(header, middle, footer) = process_lines(options, all_lines)
return (header, middle, footer)
def write_playlist(options, header, middle, footer):
'writes the shuffled playlist'
if options.verbose:
print "Writing playlist %s ..." % options.out_filename
with open(options.out_filename, 'w') as file:
for line in header:
file.write(line)
for item in middle:
for line in item:
file.write(line)
for line in footer:
file.write(line)
def shuffle(options):
'perform the shuffle on the playlist'
# read the existing data into three arrays in a tuple
(header, middle, footer) = load_playlist(options)
# and shuffle the lines array
if options.verbose:
print "Shuffling..."
random.shuffle(middle)
# now spit them back out
write_playlist(options, header, middle, footer)
def print_banner():
print "playlist-shuffle"
def main():
'the main function that kicks everything else off'
usage = "usage: %prog [options] arg"
parser = OptionParser(usage)
parser.add_option("-i", "--input-file", dest="in_filename",
help="read playlist from FILENAME")
parser.add_option("-o", "--output-file", dest="out_filename",
help="write new playlist to FILENAME")
parser.add_option("-v", "--verbose",
action="store_true", dest="verbose")
parser.add_option("-q", "--quiet", default=False,
action="store_true", dest="quiet")
(options, args) = parser.parse_args()
# if len(args) == 0:
# parser.error("use -h for more help")
if not options.quiet:
print_banner()
shuffle(options)
if not options.quiet:
print "Playlist shuffle complete..."
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
Make the script executable:
chmod +x shuffler.py
Set up a cron job with for each playlist you want shuffled. This requires cron to be installed.
Edit your crontab with crontab -e
Example:
0 4 * * * /home/osmc/shuffler.py -q -i /home/osmc/.kodi/userdata/playlists/video/Music\ Videos.m3u -o /home/osmc/.kodi/userdata/playlists/video/Music\ Videos.m3u
0 4 * * * /home/osmc/shuffler.py -q -i /home/osmc/.kodi/userdata/playlists/video/TFL.m3u -o /home/osmc/.kodi/userdata/playlists/video/TFL.m3u
I’ve tested this on OSMC VERSION_ID=“2015.09-2” on a Pi2, but it should work on any linux system with cron and python installed.
This is my first HowTo. Hope I didn’t leave anything out!