Setting up your very own iTunes server on FreeBSD

This was done on FreeBSD 6.0 with a current Ports tree as of 17May2006, and tested using iTunes v6.0.4.2 on
a Windows XP Pro laptop.

Ports Required:

• audio/mt-daapd
• net/mDNSResponder

Build Instructions:

• Build each port with no special options (just a make install will do the trick.)
• Add the following lines to your /etc/rc.conf file:
  

  daapd_enable="YES"
  mdnsresponder_enable="YES"
  mdnsd_enable="YES"

Configuration Stuff

• Copy mt-daapd.conf.sample to mt-daapd.conf:
  

  root@host# cd /usr/local/etc
  root@host# cp mt-daapd.conf.sample mt-daapd.conf

• Now edit mt-daapd.conf as appropriate. Here's mine with the comments removed for easier reading:
  

  # $Id: mt-daapd.conf,v 1.9 2004/04/18 20:24:14 rpedde Exp $
  
  web_root	/usr/local/share/mt-daapd/admin-root
  port		3689
  admin_pw	mypassword  # Admin password for the control panel
  db_dir		/usr/local/var/mt-daapd/db
  mp3_dir		/usr/local/music # Change this to wherever your music lives
  servername	Chronos iTunes Server # Name this whatever you want it to show up in iTunes as
  runas		daapd
  playlist	/usr/local/etc/mt-daapd.playlist # Change as appropriate
  password	mypassword # Change this to require users to enter a password
  extensions	.mp3,.m4a,.m4p
  logfile		/var/log/mt-daapd.log

• If you want to have playlists displayed within the server (in iTunes), then create the playlist
  file (/usr/local/etc/mt-daapd.playlist) and add whatever genres you want. Here's mine as a sample:
  

  # Playlist for my iTunes server
  "Celtic" {
  genre includes "Celtic"
  }
  
  "Country" {
  genre includes "Country"
  }
  
  "Soundtracks" {
  genre includes "Soundtrack"
  }

  This will be displayed within iTunes like this:
  
  

• Now edit the /usr/local/etc/mDNSResponder.conf file. Here's mine:
  

  Chronos iTunes Server
  _daap._tcp.
  
  3689

  NOTE: It's IMPORTANT to keep the blank line in place, or it won't work. I don't know why, but that's the deal.

Now, start the mt-daapd and mDNSReponder servers:

root@host# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/mt-daapd.sh start
root@host# /usr/local/etc/rc.d/mDNSResponder.sh start

In order for iTunes to see the server, you need to configure iTunes to look for shared music. This is done by checking
a box within the Preferences menu under "Sharing", as shown here:

If you remember when editing the mt-daapd.conf file, you were asked to provide a password for the web control panel. In
order to access the panel, open a browser and point it to your iTunes server on port 3869:

http://myserver:3869

Login with the username "admin" and your password. From there you can view how many listeners are connected, which
songs are being streamed, and even modify your server configuration (provided your mt-daapd.conf file is writable by
the daapd user.)

You don't have to modify any Apache settings, or even have Apache installed for this.