--- name: "xmms2" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "xmms2" version: "0.9.7-4" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/xmms2" --- # xmms2(1) The official XMMS2 command line interface ## NAME xmms2 - The official XMMS2 command line interface ## SYNOPSIS **xmms2** \[command\] \[arguments\]\ **xmms2 help** \[command\] ## DESCRIPTION XMMS2 is a redesign of the XMMS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XMMS) music player. It features a client-server model, allowing multiple (even simultaneous!) user interfaces, both textual and graphical. All common audio formats are supported using plugins. On top of this, there is a flexible media library to organise your music. **xmms2** is the official CLI XMMS2 client. ## INVOCATION ### Inline mode If **xmms2** is passed a command as an argument, that command will be interpreted and **xmms2** will exit after it is finished. ### Interactive mode **xmms2** features a powerful shell-like environment via readline that allows the user to enter commands at a prompt and have the usual cool features such as pathname expansion and line editing. ## COMMANDS All commands accept the option **-h**/**--help** which displays the command's help. *pattern* refers to a collection definition. (See **PATTERN** below.) *position* is a pattern to match playlist positions. When absent in a command, the default is the end of the playlist. (See **POSITION PATTERN** below.) ### General Commands **add** \[ **-f** \[**-N**\] \[**-P**\] \[**-A** *key=value*\]... \] \[**-p** *playlist*\] \[**-n** \| **-a** *position*\] \[**-o** *prop*\[,...\]\] \[**-j**\] *arguments*...\ **add** \[**-p** *playlist*\] \[**-n** \| **-a** *position*\] \[**-o** *prop*\[,...\]\] \[**-j**\] *pattern*... Add media to a playlist. It will attempt to guess whether *arguments* constitute a *pattern* or represent file paths. This behaviour can be overridden by forcing the type with **-f** and **-t**. If file paths contain \* or ? characters, it will attempt to expand them. Failing to find a match the \* and ? characters will be attempted to be added as a part of the URL. **-f**, **--file** Force treating *arguments* as file paths. **-P**, **--pls** Force treating *arguments* as playlist files. This option implies **-f**. **-t**, **--pattern** Force treating *arguments* as a pattern. **-N**, **--non-recursive** Do not add directories recursively. **-p**, **--playlist** *playlist* Add media to *playlist* instead of the active playlist. **-n**, **--next** Add media after the current track. **-a**, **--at** *position* Add media at the given position. **-A**, **--attribute** *key=value* Add media with given key=value attribute. May occur multiple times. Only valid when adding new files to the media library. **-o**, **--order** *prop*\[,...\] Add media sorted by the given comma-separated list of properties. If a property is prefixed by -, media are sorted in reverse order on that property. **-j**, **--jump** Jump to and start playing the newly-added media. - **exit** Exit the shell-like interface. - **help** \[**-a**\] *command* Show the help on *command*. This is equivalent to **command -h**. If *command* is an alias, show the alias definition. If no command is provided, list all available commands. **-a**, **--alias** List available aliases if *command* is not provided. Otherwise, have no effect. - **info** \[*pattern* \| *positions*...\] Display the properties of all media matching *pattern* or at the given positions. Without argument, display the properties of the current track. - **jump** \[**-b**\] *pattern*\|*position* Jump to the first media matching *pattern* or to the given position. **-b**, **--backward** Jump backward to the first media matching the pattern - **list** \[**-p** *name*\] \[*pattern* \| *positions*...\] List the contents of a playlist (the active one by default). If *pattern* is provided, contents are further filtered and only the matching media are displayed. **-p**, **--playlist** List *playlist*, instead of the active playlist. - **move** \[**-p** *playlist*\] \[**-n** \| **-a** *position*\] *pattern* \| *positions*... Move entries inside a playlist (the active one by default). **-p**, **--playlist** *playlist* The *playlist* to act on. **-n**, **--next** Move the matching tracks after the current track. **-a**, **--at** *position* Move the matching tracks by an offset or to a *position*. - **next** \[*offset*\] Jump to the next song. If *offset* is provided, act like **jump +***offset*. - **pause** Pause playback. - **play** Start playback. - **prev** \[*offset*\] Jump to the previous song. If *offset* is provided, act like **jump -***offset*. - **remove** \[**-p** *playlist*\] *pattern* \| *positions...* Remove the matching media from a playlist (the active one by default). **-p**, **--playlist** *playlist* Remove from *playlist*, instead of the active playlist. - **current** \[**-r** *seconds*\] \[**-f** *format*\] Display playback status, either continuously or once. **-r**, **--refresh** *seconds* Set the delay, in seconds, between each refresh of the current playback metadata. If 0, the metadata is only printed once (default) and the command exit immediately. When in refresh mode, basic control is provided on the active playlist. **-f**, **--format** *format* Set the format string used to display status information, instead of the one from the configuration file (see **FORMAT STRING** below). - **search** \[**-o** *prop1*\[,*prop2*...\]\] \[**-l** *prop1*\[,*prop2*...\] \] *pattern* Search and print all media matching *pattern*. **-o**, **--order** *prop1*\[,*prop2*...\] Display search results sorted by the given list of properties. If a property is prefixed by '-', results are sorted in reverse order on that property. **-l**, **--columns** *prop1*\[,*prop2*...\] List of *properties* to use as columns. - **seek** *time* \| *offset* Seek to a relative or an absolute time in the current track. - **stop** Stop playback. - **toggle** Toggle playback. ### Playlist Commands - **playlist clear** \[*playlist*\] Clear a playlist. By default, clear the active playlist. - **playlist config** \[**-t** *type*\] \[**-s** *history*\] \[**-u** *upcoming*\] \[**-i** *coll*\] \[**-j** *playlist*\] \[*playlist*\] Configure a playlist by changing its type, attributes, etc. By default, configure the active playlist. **-t**, **--type** *type* Change the *type* of the playlist: list, queue, pshuffle. **-s**, **--history** *size* The *size* of the history of played tracks (for queue, pshuffle). **-u**, **--upcoming** *upcoming* Number of *upcoming* tracks to maintain (for pshuffle). **-i**, **--input** *collection* Input *collection* for the playlist (for pshuffle). Default to 'All Media'. **-j**, **--jumplist** *playlist* Jump to another *playlist* when the end of the playlist is reached. - **playlist create** \[**-s**\] \[**-p** *playlist*\] *name* Create a new playlist. **-s**, **--switch** Switch to the newly created playlist. **-p**, **--playlist** *playlist* Copy the content of the playlist into the new playlist. - **playlist list** \[**-a**\] List all playlists. **-a**, **--all** Include hidden playlists. - **playlist remove** *playlist* Remove the given playlist. - **playlist rename** \[**-f**\] \[**-p** *playlist*\] *newname* Rename a playlist. By default, rename the active playlist. **-f**, **--force** Force the rename of the playlist, overwrite an existing playlist if needed. **-p**, **--playlist** Rename the given playlist. - **playlist shuffle** \[*playlist*\] Shuffle a playlist. By default, shuffle the active playlist. - **playlist sort** \[**-p** *playlist*\] \[*prop*\] ... Sort a playlist. By default, sort the active playlist. Prefix properties by '-' for reverse sorting. If no properties are specified, the playlist is sorted by artist, album, and track number. **-p**, **--playlist** Rename the given playlist. - **playlist switch** *playlist* Change the active playlist. ### Collection Commands - **collection config** *collection* \[*attrname* \[*attrvalue*\]\] Get or set attributes for the given collection. If no attribute name is provided, list all attributes. If only an attribute name is provided, display the value of the attribute. If both attribute name and value are provided, set the new value of the attribute. - **collection create** \[**-f**\] \[**-e**\] \[**-c** *collection*\] *name* \[*pattern*\] Create a new collection. If pattern is provided, it is used to define the collection. Otherwise, the new collection contains the whole media library. **-f**, **--force** Force creating of the collection, overwrite an existing collection if needed. **-c**, **--collection** *collection* Copy an existing collection to the new one. **-e**, **--empty** Initialize an empty collection. - **collection list** List all collections. - **collection show** *collection* Display a human-readable description of a collection. - **collection remove** *collection* Remove a collection. - **collection rename** \[**-f**\] *oldname* *newname* Rename a collection. **-f**, **--force** Force renaming of the collection, overwrite an existing collection if needed. ### Server Commands - **server browse** *URL* Browse a URL via the xform plugins available in the daemon. - **server config** \[*name* \[*value*\]\] Get or set configuration values. If no name or value is provided, list all configuration values. If only a name is provided, display the content of the corresponding configuration value. If both name and a value are provided, set the new content of the configuration value. The name of the configuration value is subject to shell wildcard expansion so that multiple values can be queried (but not set) at once. - **server import** \[**-N**\] *path* Import new files into the media library. By default, directories are imported recursively. **-N**, **--non-recursive** Do not import directories recursively. - **server plugins** List the plugins loaded in the server. - **server property** \[**-i** \| **-s** \| **-D**\] \[**-S**\] *mid* \[*name* \[*value*\]\] Get or set properties for a given media. If no name or value is provided, list all properties. If only a name is provided, display the value of the property. If both a name and a value are provided, set the new value of the property. By default, set operations use source "client/xmms2-cli", while list and display operations use source-preference. Use the **--source** option to override this behaviour. By default, the value will be used to determine whether it should be saved as a string or an integer. Use the **--int** or **--string** flag to override this behaviour. **-i**, **--int** Force the value to be treated as integer. **-s**, **--string** Force the value to be treated as a string. **-D**, **--delete** Delete the selected property. **-S**, **--source** Property source. - **server rehash** \[*pattern*\] Rehash the media matched by the pattern, or the whole media library if no pattern is provided - **server remove** \[*pattern*\] Remove the matching media from the media library. - **server shutdown** Shutdown the server. - **server stats** Display statistics about the server: uptime, version, size of the medialib, etc. - **server sync** Immediately save collections to disk. (Otherwise only performed on shutdown or 10 seconds after last change to collections.) - **server volume** \[**-c** *name*\] \[*value*\] Get or set the audio volume (in a range of 0-100). If a value is provided, set the volume to *value*. Otherwise, display the current volume. By default, the command applies to all audio channels. Use the **--channel** flag to override this behaviour. Relative changes to the volume are possible by prefixing *value* by **+** or **-**. **-c**, **--channel** Get or set the volume only for the named channel. ## PATTERN Patterns are used to search for songs in the media library, some of these patterns may require escaping (with '\\') depending on what shell is used. The properties can be found in the output of **xmms2 info**. - \**:**\ Match songs whose property matches the string. A *?* in the string indicates a single wildcard character, and a *\** indicates multiple wildcard characters. - \**~**\ Match songs whose property fuzzily matches the string. Equal to matching by \**:**\*\\*. - \\\ The operation can be **\<**, **\<=**, **\>** or **\>=**, the pattern will match songs whose property is a numerical value smaller, smaller or equal, bigger, bigger or equal in comparison to the number. - **+**\ Match songs which has the property. - **in:**\/\ Match songs in the given collection. The namespace may be *Playlists*, or *Collections*. - **NOT** \ Match the complement of the pattern. \ \\ \ **AND** \ Match songs that are matched by both patterns. - \ **OR** \ Match songs that are matched by at least one of the two pattern. - **(** \ **)** Match songs matched by the pattern, used for grouping AND and OR matches. - \ Match songs whose artist, title or album match the string. - \~\ Match songs whose artist, title or album fuzzily matches the string. - **#**\ Match a specific media library id. ## POSITION PATTERN Position patterns are used together with commands that operate on playlist content. - **M**\_**N** Select playlist entries ranging from **M** positions before the current song, to **N** positions after. Both **M** and **N** may be omitted and will then default to 0. - \-**N** Select the song **N** positions before the current song. - \+**N** Select the song **N** positions after the current song. - **pos0**,**pos1**,...,**posN** Select one to many playlist positions. ## FORMAT STRING Commands that output formatted metadata can be customized with the help of user-defined format strings like the following: ´${artist} - ${title}´ When passed metadata the name of the artist and the title will be inserted into the resulting string. In addition to the metadata supplied from the media library the following list of properties are also available: - **position** The current playlist position. - **playback\_status** The playback status as a string (Stopped, Playing, Paused, Unknown). - **playtime** The playtime of the currently playing song. - **duration** The duration of the current song, as zero-padded minutes:seconds - **minutes** The minutes part, zero-padded, of the current song duration. - **seconds** The seconds part, zero-padded, of the current song duration. ## ALIASES A list of command aliases are read from the configuration file in the section \[alias\] at runtime. The syntax of **xmms2** aliases are somewhat similar to bash and other shells. An alias is defined by a list of semi-colon separated commands and arguments. Parameter expansion is supported (see **Expansion** below). - The default configuration includes the following aliases: - **addpls** add -f -P $@ - **clear** playlist clear - **status** current -f $1 - **ls** list - **mute** server volume 0 - **quit** server shutdown - **repeat** seek 0 - **scap** stop ; playlist clear ; add $@ ; play ### Expansion **Positional Parameters** An alias can use positional parameters, for example: foo = add -f $1 $3 foo ctkoz.ogg and slre.ogg Will result in: add -f ctkoz.ogg slre.ogg **Special Parameters** **$@** This expands to all parameters passed to the alias. ## CONFIGURATION All control characters are interpreted as expected, including ANSI escape sequences. AUTO\_UNIQUE\_COMPLETE Boolean, complete an abbreviation of a command and it's arguments. For example: \`serv vol 42' will complete to \`server volume 42'. (Note: Abbreviations must be non-ambiguous) CLASSIC\_LIST Boolean, format **list** output similar to the classic cli. CLASSIC\_LIST\_FORMAT String to format classic **list** output with. GUESS\_PLS Boolean, try to guess if the URL is a playlist and add accordingly. (Not reliable) HISTORY\_FILE File to save command history to. PLAYLIST\_MARKER String to use to mark the current active entry in the playlist PROMPT String to use as a prompt in **INTERACTIVE MODE** SERVER\_AUTOSTART Boolean, if true xmms2 will attempt to start [**xmms2d**(1)](/xmms2d/1.md) if it's not running already. SHELL\_START\_MESSAGE Boolean, if true, **xmms2** will display a greeting message and basic help when started in **INTERACTIVE MODE** STATUS\_FORMAT String to format **status** output with. ## FILES $XDG\_CACHE\_HOME/xmms2/nyxmms2\_history Default command history file if HISTORY\_FILE is unset. $XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/xmms2/clients/nycli.conf The configuration file for **xmms2** ## ENVIRONMENT XMMS\_PATH Override the default connection path. - To connect via IPv4 tcp://IPv4-Address:port - To connect via IPv6 tcp://\[IPv6-Address\]:port - To connect via unix socket unix:///path/to/socket ## BUGS Please report all bugs at https://github.com/xmms2 ## AUTHORS Igor Assis, Anders Waldenborg, Anthony Garcia, Sebastien Cevey, and Jonne Lehtinen, Daniel Svensson, Raphaël Bois See the **AUTHORS** file in the XMMS2 source distribution for more info. The blame for this man page is on Anthony. If you contributed and feel you should be listed here please send me a mail.