How to Install rmpc

Updated

rmpc is installed by following the official installation instructions on its documentation site, and the one thing to check first is version alignment: the docs you are reading are for the development version of rmpc, so you must make sure your installed version matches the documentation you selected. If you are running a released version but reading the development docs (or the reverse), configuration options and behavior may not line up.

Before You Start

rmpc is a TUI client for MPD (Music Player Daemon), so an install only gets you the client. You also need a working MPD instance to connect to, and rmpc configured to point at it. The official site splits this into two separate steps: Install and Configure.

Installation Steps

  1. Open the rmpc documentation site and go to the Install page. This is the authoritative source for installation instructions, since the supported methods can change between versions.
  2. Follow the instructions on that page for your platform. The site presents installation as the first step after getting started, with configuration as the distinct next step.
  3. Confirm which version you installed. Because the documentation covers the development version, note whether you installed a release build or a development build.
  4. Match your documentation to that version. If your version and the selected docs differ, switch the documentation version selector (or install the matching version) before relying on any configuration details.

Verify the Install

After installing, launch rmpc from your terminal. The expected result is the TUI starting up and attempting to connect to MPD. If it starts but shows no library or playback data, the install itself succeeded — the remaining problem is the MPD connection, which belongs to the configuration step.

Common Sticking Points

  • Version mismatch with the docs. This is the failure mode the site explicitly warns about. Symptoms are configuration keys or options that appear not to work as documented.
  • No MPD running. rmpc is a client; without a reachable MPD instance there is nothing to control.
  • Skipping configuration. A successful install does not mean rmpc knows where your MPD is or how you want it to look.

Next Steps After Installing

  • Configure — set up rmpc the way you want, including how it connects to MPD.
  • Reference — look up a specific configuration option when you need exact syntax.
  • Themes — browse predefined and user-submitted themes if you want to change the appearance.
  • Try without installing — if you only want to evaluate rmpc first, the site offers a way to try it before committing to an install.