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VLC URL Handler for macOS

This project provides a custom URL scheme handler for VLC on macOS, allowing you to open VLC with specific local files and parameters directly from web links or other applications.

Example: vlc://path/to/video.mp4?start=30&stop=60&loop=true

Motivation

As a guitarist, I often need to quickly access specific sections of music videos or loop backing tracks for practice. This tool streamlines that process, allowing me to create clickable links in my Obsidian (or simple HTML) documents that open VLC with precise settings for each song or practice section. It makes my practice routine more efficient and organized.

Features

  • Open VLC with a specific file using a custom URL scheme
  • Set start and stop times for video playback
  • Control playback speed
  • Enable looping

Requirements

  • macOS 10.14 or later
  • VLC media player
  • Xcode Command Line Tools (for building from source)

Installation

Choose one of the following installation methods:

1. Download Pre-built Application

  1. Go to the Releases page.
  2. Download the latest VLCURLHandler.app.zip file.
  3. Unzip the file and move VLCURLHandler.app to your Applications folder.

2. Use the Install Script

  1. Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/ohmycode/vlc-url-handler.git
  1. Navigate to the project directory:
cd vlc-url-handler
  1. Run the install script with sudo:
sudo ./install.sh
  1. Follow any on-screen prompts.
  2. Restart your computer or log out and back in for the changes to take effect.

3. Build from Source

  1. Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/vlc-url-handler.git

  1. Open src/VLCURLHandler.applescript in AppleScript Editor.

  2. Export as an application named VLCURLHandler.app (File > Export > File Format: Application).

  3. Right-click on VLCURLHandler.app, select "Show Package Contents", and navigate to Contents/Resources/.

  4. Copy src/vlc_handler.sh into the Resources folder.

  5. Make sure vlc_handler.sh is executable:

  6. In order to register the URL Scheme you need to add the following lines to the Info.plist of the VLCURLHandler.app, inside of the tag.

<key>CFBundleURLTypes</key>
<array>
    <dict>
        <key>CFBundleURLName</key>
        <string>Custom Scheme</string>
        <key>CFBundleURLSchemes</key>
        <array>
            <string>vlc</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</array>
<key>LSApplicationQueriesSchemes</key>
<array>
    <string>vlc</string>
</array>
  1. Restart or run following command to apply the new url scheme
 /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -f /Applications/VLCURLHandler.ap

Usage

Use URLs in the following format:

vlc://path/to/video.mp4?start=30&stop=60&speed=1.5&loop=true

Parameters:

  • start: Start time in seconds
  • stop: Stop time in seconds
  • speed: Playback speed (e.g., 1.5 for 1.5x speed)
  • loop: Set to 'true' to loop the video

Example:

<a href="vlc://Movies/MyVideo.mp4?start=30&stop=60&speed=1.5&loop=true">Play Video in VLC</a>

Configuration

You can customize the behavior of the VLC URL Handler by creating a configuration file at ~/.vlc-url-handler. This file allows you to set the following options:

  • BASE_PATH: The base path for relative URLs (default: "/x/Personal/guitar")
  • VLC_PATH: The path to the VLC executable (default: "/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC")

Example ~/.vlc-url-handler file:

BASE_PATH="/Users/yourUsername/Videos"
VLC_PATH="/Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/VLC"

Troubleshooting

  • If the URL scheme doesn't work after installation, try restarting your computer or logging out and back in.
  • Ensure that VLC is installed in the standard Applications folder.
  • Check Console.app for any error messages related to VLCURLHandler.

Contributing

Feedback and contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.