Where Does pianobar Store Config and Credentials?
pianobar reads key=value config from $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/pianobar/config, with a fifo and event hook alongside it.
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pianobar keeps one flat config: user, password, quality, format strings, keybindings, event_command and fifo paths as key = value lines. Man page documents every key, so unknown options mean typos.
Secrets deserve a pause: password sits plaintext unless password_command shells out to a vault. Event hooks (songstart, songfinish and friends) run scripts with song metadata on stdin, which is where scrobbling and notifications plug in.
Where pianobar stores this, by platform
~/.config/pianobar/config
Credentials (or password_command), quality, formats, keybindings, event_command, fifo. libao honors /etc/libao.conf or ~/.libao separately.
~/.config/pianobar/config
Same file. mkfifo the ctl path yourself before use; event scripts receive song metadata for scrobblers and notifiers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I log into Pandora with pianobar?
Create the file with user, password (or password_command with gpg) and audio_quality lines. Credentials sit plaintext by default, so password_command plus strict perms is the grown-up setup.
How do I remote-control pianobar?
Set fifo to a path (default under the config dir) and mkfifo it yourself. Echo single keystrokes (n for next) into the fifo; scripts and hotkeys drive playback through it.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.