How to add "Add to VLC playlist" to the right click menu of Nautilus?

Question

The Problem

While you are playing any song or other media file on VLC and open another such file, then another instance of VLC opens. (You aren't going to hear and understand anything until you are a robot)

What I Want

I what to add a "Add to VLC Playlist" to the right click menu of Nautilus as similar in Windows.

http://blog.revathskumar.com/2011/11/vlc-add-to-playlist-option-in-context.html - this link has a proper answer to this question. — user35952, Mar 17 '14 at 02:10

score 16 · Answer 1 · answered May 13 '12 at 11:57

16

It can be fixed in VLC preferences:

Open VLC preferences by going to tools menu

enter image description here

In preferences, Enable "Allow only one instance" and "Enqueue files in one instance mode" like shown below:

enter image description here

Click save. That's it!

From now on when you open files with VLC they will be enqueued in your playlist.

answered May 13 '12 at 11:57

Basharat Sialvi

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The original question was about how to "add **Add to VLC Playlist** to the **right click menu** of Nautilus". This is not answered, yet. I, too, would like to know how that can be done. I'm not a fan of *forcing* "only one instance". Any takers? – nutty about natty Feb 03 '13 at 15:53
also check http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/17697/ where a work-around is suggested using nautilus-actions (a config. tool), but I'm not that fond of that make-shift solution... – nutty about natty Feb 03 '13 at 18:34
This answer is good, but it is more a workaround than a real solution. Is there some (easy) way to add the enqueue option to the right click menu? – granadajose Dec 12 '13 at 19:26
This doesn't answer the question. – rootkea Dec 05 '16 at 11:22
@nuttyaboutnatty Check out https://askubuntu.com/a/857244/114030 – rootkea Dec 05 '16 at 11:38
This doesn't guarantee adding multiple files in the playlist in the right order. – Warren Parad Sep 12 '20 at 13:43

score 6 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 24 '15 at 19:56

6

You can do that using nautilus-action-Configuration-Tool

Install the tool using using
```
sudo apt-get install nautilus-action
```
After that close all the open nautilus instances
```
nautilus -q
```
Open nautilus-action-Configuration-Tool.
Then click on add new action button and name your action.
Click the Command tab and enter the command
```
vlc --one-instance
```
You should also enter the appropriate parameter into the Parameters box — you can click the Legend button to see a list of parameters you can use.

In our case, we want the %f parameter to feed filename or better %B if we may have spaces in it.We can also view all the detailes about the parameters by clicking on the Legend button.

Nautilus-Actions shows you a preview of the command it will run, so you’ll know you’re on the right track.

edited Jul 24 '15 at 19:56

user.dz

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answered Jul 22 '15 at 06:16

Jaysheel Utekar

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What could you do if filename has space in it?! you should use %B not %f – Maythux Jul 23 '15 at 14:57
Yes @Maythux if the filename has space you should use %B my bad. Also you can check clicking the legend Button – Jaysheel Utekar Jul 24 '15 at 04:53
This package is no longer available. – Warren Parad Sep 12 '20 at 13:43

score 5 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 12 '20 at 14:37

First Method:

Create a new script called add-to-vlc inside the directory ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts

Add this to the file:

#!/bin/bash
for File in "$@"
do
if [ -d "$File" ]; then
zenity --error --text="'$File' is a directory."
exit
fi
done
vlc --one-instance "$File"

Give permissions to the file:

chmod +x add-to-vlc

Now restart nautilus:

nautilus -q

Now you can use it just right click on a file then go to scripts entry and choose add-to-vlc

Second Method:

Install nautilus actions:

sudo apt-get install nautilus-actions

Restart Nautilus:

nautilus -q

Launch the Nautilus-Actions Configuration Tool from Dash:

In the Action Tab Enter the name you want to save:

In the command tab add the command as below in the picture(path:/usr/bin/vlc and Parameters: --one-instance %B)

Now save and exit, now whenever you right click on a file you can go to Nautlus Actions and choose Add to vlc:

Additional option would be `--playlist-enqueue` and for those using multiple instances `--no-playlist-autostart` — VRR, Jul 24 '15 at 09:58

rootkea · Answer 4 · 2016-12-05T11:35:02.030

Solution using no other application/tool: (For Nautilus 3)

Create a file ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/Add to VLC playlist with following content in it:

#! /bin/bash  
echo -n "$NAUTILUS_SCRIPT_SELECTED_FILE_PATHS" | xargs -d '\n' vlc --one-instance --playlist-enqueue

Command to create the required file:

echo -e "#! /bin/bash \necho -n \"\$NAUTILUS_SCRIPT_SELECTED_FILE_PATHS\" | xargs -d '\\\n' vlc --one-instance --playlist-enqueue" > ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/"Add to VLC playlist"

Make it executable:

chmod u+x ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/"Add to VLC playlist"

Done!

Now right click on any media file(s) and select Add to VLC Playlist from Scripts submenu.
Works for directories too!
Just include the intended directory or directories (containing audio/video media) in the selection.

For Naultilus 2
Change ~/.local/share/nautilus/scripts/"Add to VLC playlist" to ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/"Add to VLC playlist"