Do I Have To Register An Amazon Account Before I Can Download Kodi

Remote controls are so 1950. If y'all have a Kodi media center and an Amazon Echo, you can play all your favorite movies and shows with a well-placed vocalisation command…if you're willing to practise a little setup.

The Amazon Echo is, in our opinion, one of the coolest parts of a smart habitation. Controlling your lights, blinds, and Television set with your phone is absurd, but controlling them with your voice is truly the future. I was skeptical, but quickly became impressed—and hungry for more.

RELATED: How to Set Up and Configure Your Amazon Echo

Being able to plough my TV on is cool, but what I really wanted was to be able to control my media center. I wanted to be able to say "Play the adjacent episode of Friends" and have it search my library, see what I watched terminal, and start playing the subsequent episode. And afterward a fleck of searching, I found that i enterprising programmer named Joe Ipson had already done just that.

This takes a little bit of setup, and it looks very intimidating at commencement. You'll need to create a spider web server, push some code from GitHub, and do a lilliputian work from the command line, but you lot don't need to be a developer to become this up and running. Ipson has done most all the heavy lifting, and you simply need to copy his code, edit a few parts, and upload information technology to the right place. If you follow this guide to the letter, you should exist upwardly and running in no time.

NOTE: We're using Amazon Spider web Services for this tutorial, since information technology'due south the most reliable. If you're a new AWS user, Ipson says yous should be able to run the skill for complimentary for well-nigh a year, after which you lot'll exist charged less than xx¢ per month. If you want something truly free, yous could set it upwards using Heroku instead, replacing steps two, three, and 4 of this guide with the Heroku instructions in Ipson's documentation. It is, however a piddling less reliable, and some requests may fourth dimension out when you use it. We recommend AWS if you desire the best feel possible—it's well worth the meager 20¢ per month.

Footstep One: Set Your Kodi Web Server

In order for this to work, Kodi will need to accept a server attainable from the spider web. Thankfully, this is built into Kodi, though you may need to forward some ports on your router and perform some other tasks before it works smoothly.

Open Kodi on your media center and head to System > Services > Web Server. Enable the web server if it isn't enabled already, and give information technology a username and countersign. Be certain to use a password you don't use for any other service.

Y'all volition too demand the public IP address for your habitation. However, since this tin can alter, nosotros highly recommend signing upwardly for a dynamic domain name using a service like Dynu. Follow our guide hither before standing if yous don't already take one.

Lastly, y'all'll need to fix up port forwarding for your Kodi box. This volition differ from router to router, simply yous can check out our guide here for more than information. Simply forward any external port to the local IP address of your Kodi box (in my case, 192.168.one.12) and local port (8080 past default).

NOTE: while Kodi'southward local port is 8080 by default, you can change it to whatever you want—or y'all can forward it to a unlike external port to make sure at that place are no complications (since other apps may ask for port 8080). I'm using 8080 in this tutorial, but if you use something different, just replace all instances of port 8080 with the external port yous choose hither.

If all goes well, y'all should exist able to access Kodi's spider web interface by opening a web browser and typing in:

my.dynamic-domain.com:8080

where my.dynamic-domain.com is the URL of your dynamic domain, and 8080 is the port y'all set in Kodi. If that doesn't piece of work, make certain that Kodi, your dynamic domain, and your port forwarding were all ready properly.

RELATED: How To Easily Access Your Habitation Network From Anywhere With Dynamic DNS

Pace 2: Set Up Your Amazon Spider web Services Account

Next, you'll need to set an account with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Head to this page and click "Create an AWS Business relationship". Log in with your Amazon credentials when prompted. If you don't have an AWS account already, y'all'll be asked to enter your contact info to create one. Be sure to check "Personal Account" forth the top.

Go through the remainder of the steps in the wizard. Y'all volition too have to enter your credit carte du jour info, but don't worry—like we said, you shouldn't be charged very much, if at all (particularly for the first 12 months).

Afterward verifying your identity with your phone number, and selecting your support plan (nosotros recommend Bones, which is gratuitous), click the "Complete Sign Up" push in the right corner of the screen. Amazon volition then log you in.

At present head to the Identity and Access Management folio (log back in to AWS if necessary) and click the "Users" tab on the left-paw side. Click the "Add User" button.

Create a new user with whatsoever username you want. Check the "Programmatic Admission" box and click "Side by side: Permissions".

Next, you'll be prompted to ready permissions. Click "Adhere Existing Policies Directly", and so search for "AdministratorAccess". Check the AdministratorAccess choice and click "Next: Review".

Make sure your user looks like the image beneath, then click "Create User".

Do not shut the next page! Yous'll need to grab the Access Key ID and Secret Admission Fundamental here (yous'll demand to click "Show" to bear witness your cloak-and-dagger key). Copy them to a text file for safe keeping, because you won't exist able to become the secret central again later yous leave this page.

One time y'all accept those written downwardly, you tin close that window safely.

Step Iii: Install Python 2.vii and Set Your Variables

In order to button Ipson'south lawmaking to AWS, you'll need Python ii.7 installed on your computer. We'll be using Windows in this tutorial, but you should be able to exercise this on macOS and Linux besides.

To install Python on Windows, head to Python's download folio and download Python ii.seven. Run the installer similar you would any other Windows program. Use the default selections, as we'll demand some of the tools that come with Python'south installer.

And then, click here to download Ipson'southward code. Unzip the kodi-alexa-master folder inside the ZIP file somewhere on your hard drive.

Once installed, it'south time to dig into the command line. Press Windows+X on your keyboard and choose "Command Prompt". (Mac and Linux users will desire to open their respective Last apps). From there, run the following ii commands, one after the other:

C:\Python27\Scripts\pip.exe install awscli

C:\Python27\Scripts\aws configure

This volition install the AWS control line tools and launch the configuration tool.

Paste your Acces Primal ID and Clandestine Access Cardinal when prompted. When asked for your Default Region Name, blazonus-e-1 (if you're in the The states) or european union-west-i (if y'all're in Europe). You can leave your Default Output Format empty (just press Enter).

Next, run the following command:

C:\Python27\Scripts\pip.exe install virtualenv

You lot'll need this installed for later.

Now CD into your kodi-alexa-master folder with the following command:

CD C:\Users\Whitson\Documents\Code\kodi-alexa-main

Evidently, supervene upon the file path with the path to wherever yous saved your kodi-alexa-chief folder.

Keep the window open for now, we'll need to come up back to it in a moment.

Get-go, in order for Ipson's code to piece of work with your Kodi and AWS setup, you lot'll demand to define a few variables in a configuration file. Download this template, rename it to kodi.config , and salve it in your kodi-alexa-principal folder. Open it in a code-friendly text editor like Notepad++, and edit the following 4 4 variables:

address =  port =  username =  password =

The address variable will exist the dynamic accost you set up in step one (eastward.grand. my.dynamic-domain.com ), port will be the port y'all used in step one (probable 8080, unless you changed information technology), and username and password will be the credentials from footstep ane.

If you have multiple Kodi boxes in your business firm, y'all can also use this config file to control them separately with Alexa. We won't go through that in this guide, but you tin observe instructions in Ipson's documentation here.

When y'all're washed, save the file and head back to your Command Prompt window.

Step Four: Button Your Lawmaking to AWS

With those variables in place, your code is gear up for deployment. Back in your Control Prompt, run these two commands:

C:\Python27\Scripts\virtualenv venv

venv\Scripts\activate.bat

This will create a new "virtual environment" and activate information technology.

From the venv prompt that appears, run the following commands:

pip install -r requirements.txt

pip install packaging

pip install zappa

This will install a tool called Zappa, which volition help y'all deploy your code.

Next, y'all'll need to prepare up Zappa. Run:

zappa init

It'll take y'all through a sorcerer. But take the defaults for everything.

Lastly, run:

zappa deploy dev

This will deploy your code to Lambda. Information technology'll take a few minutes, and so let it run. At the cease, it'll give you a URL—copy this downward, since you lot'll demand information technology in the next pace.

Lastly, I likewise recommend running the following control, since you'll need the resulting files in the next step too:

python generate_custom_slots.py

Make sure your Kodi box is turned on and running when y'all run this script, equally it'll be grabbing names of movies, shows, and other media from your library.

You lot're near there! At present nosotros but need to ready an Alexa skill for this code.

Pace Five: Create Your Alexa Skill

To connect Ipson's code with our Echo, we'll need to create an Alexa "Skill" that uses that code. This app won't exist distributed to anyone, it'll just be in "testing mode" forever, connected to your own Amazon business relationship for use with your Echo.

To get-go, set a free Amazon Developer account. Caput to this page, log in with your Amazon account, and register for a developer account. Make full in the required fields, agree to the terms, and say "No" when y'all're asked if yous're going to monetize your apps.

Once logged in, caput to "Alexa" in the top toolbar. Click the "Get Started" push button nether "Alexa Skills Kit".

Next, click the "Add together a New Skill" button.

Requite your skill a name—I called mine "Kodi"—and requite information technology an invocation name. This is what y'all'll say when y'all desire to invoke a command. For case, my invocation name is also "the living room", which ways I'll have to say "Ask the living room to…" to give Alexa commands for my media center.

In my experience, long invocation names work better than shorter ones. I used "Kodi" for awhile ("Inquire Kodi to…") but Alexa occasionally had trouble finding movies. I couldn't tell you why, simply longer invocation names like "the living room" work well-nigh flawlessly for me. So effort choosing something with a few syllables.

Click Next when finished.

Click "Add together Slot Type" push in the middle of the adjacent window.

Create a new slot called SHOWS. Caput back to your kodi-alexa-master binder, open the SHOWS file with Notepad++, and re-create the shows into the box on Amazon'south page. This will aid Alexa recognize the shows you lot dictate to it.

Alternatively, you tin just listing some of your Telly shows in the box, ane per line. Y'all don't need to add every prove in your Kodi library, but it's skillful to have a decent number of examples (I've establish 20 or 30 is pretty good).

Click OK when finished.

Repeat this process with these Slot Types: MOVIES, MOVIEGENRES, MUSICARTISTS, MUSICALBUMS, MUSICSONGS, MUSICPLAYLISTS, VIDEOPLAYLISTS, and ADDONS (If you lot don't take data for any of these, create the slot blazon anyhow—Ipson's code requires it—and just write the word "Empty" in the box. It won't cause whatsoever problems.)

Again, you don't need every single show, film, or creative person in these slots, and then you lot don't need to update them every time y'all add a new movie to your library. Information technology just helps to have a decent number of examples in each.

When you've created all nine Slot Types, caput back to the kodi-alexa-master binder. Open the speech_assets folder and open the IntentSchema.json and SampleUtterances.txt files with an app similar Notepad++.

Select all the text in the IntentSchema.json file and paste it into the "Intent Schema" box on the Amazon Developer website. Repeat this process with the SampleUtterances.txt file, placing the text in the "Sample Utterances" box.

When you're done, click Next. It may take a few moments to build the interaction model.

On the next page, choose "HTTPS" for the Endpoint Type and paste in the URL you got at the cease of Step 4. Choose your geographical region (North America or Europe) and select "No" for Account Linking. Click Next.

On the side by side folio, select "My development endpoint is a subdomain of a domain that has a wildcard certificate from a certificate authority". Click Next.

You shouldn't need to add any data on the Test page, though you lot tin can test certain aspects of the code if you know what you're doing. Otherwise, click Next.

On the Publishing Data page, fill up out the required fields—simply don't worry too much about what you put in, since you won't be submitting this app for certification. You're the only one who will be using this app. (Hither is a 108×108 icon and a 512×512 icon for yous to apply.) Click Side by side when finished.

On the concluding page, choose "No" for both privacy questions and bank check the Complicance box. Click the "Save" push button when you're finished. Practise NOT click the "Submit for Certification" button.

Step Vi: Test Your New Commands

If all went well, you lot should be able to exam your new commands now. Make sure your Kodi box is turned on, and try maxim something like:

"Alexa, inquire the living room to play season ane, episode 1 of Friends"

(…obviously replacing that with an episode and testify that you have on your machine.) It may take Alexa a moment, but hopefully she should answer and offset playing the show in question. If you lot become an fault and the episode doesn't play, get back and make sure yous did everything properly.

Y'all can ask Alexa if yous have any new episodes, ask her to play the next episode of a bear witness, or even utilise her to control Kodi, as inefficient as it may be ("Alexa, ask the living room to break," "Alexa, ask the living room to navigate down," etc.). Cheque out the SampleUtterances.txt file to encounter all the things Alexa tin exercise with this integration. If yous ever desire to add a new phrase that corresponds to one of those functions, just log back onto your Amazon Developer business relationship and add information technology to the list we pasted in step four.

It isn't the quickest or easiest thing to set up, but once you become it working, it's hands one of the coolest things you tin can do with your Amazon Repeat, in my stance. Now I tin can start watching TV while cooking in the kitchen, or when my remote's batteries are dead. This is the kind of power Amazon Repeat was designed to have, and even though information technology takes a fleck of work, information technology's well worth information technology.

Having problem? Check out this thread on the Kodi forums, as well equally the original GitHub folio, or drib a line in our comments beneath.

Title prototype from doomu/Bigstock and Amazon.