Recommended setup for Roon

Roon Software Discussion
22

Just to clarify, am I loading Roon Server unto the mini pc or my main one?
I would assume the main pc? And then Roon bridge on the mini?

23

Put Linux (I’d just use Ubuntu Server) on the mini pc, then install Roon Server on that mini PC as well. That will be your Core machine. Plug the 4 terabyte drive into it and let it start indexing the music.

Put the Roon Windows install on the gaming PC for use as the remote control.

24

It’s amazing: I have built my own gaming pc, and have also installed and used many linux distros in the past, but for some reason I just seem unable to wrap my head around Roon!
I plan to be able to use an android tablet for choosing music, etc.
My gaming pc is in my bedroom, I could see using it for a core. but i don’t want to use it for remote control.
If I install a minimal linux server on the mini, along with Roon Server, will it feed my usb dac?
Because I couldn’t install ROCK on the mini, I thought I would have to put The core on my gaming pc and use the mini in the living room as a bridge. Someone else suggested that instead of the core, the server would work better on my main pc.
I thought setting up Foobar was hard, but, man, all of these different approaches to setting up Roon are really making my head spin!
Apologies for being so thickheaded on this topic!

25

Can i ask why I need Roon installed on my gaming pc for remote control?
If the mini is my core machine using Linux with Roon Server, can’t I control it with just an android tablet? And does having the mini as the core using server allow the mini to feed my usb dac?

27

I don’t understand your ideas at all.
I’ve stated previously that for some reason ROCK will not install on the mini pc.
So, no rock. I don’t think i understand the difference between the “client program” and the “remote application”. My gaming pc is in my bedroom, and my stereo is in my livingroom. I have no desire to have to go into my bedroom just to choose music to play. That’s why I would like to use an android tablet for that.
Once I found that ROCK would not install on the mini, I thought I would have to go to some kind of dual installment instead. For example, the roon server on my main pc in the bedroom, and a bridge on the mini going to my usb dac. But people keep bringing up putting the server on the mini and using the main pc as a remote, and for some reason that isn’t making any sense to me.
I feel like either I’m missing something really obvious, or that I’m not explaing myself very well.

28

You don’t have to. But many myself included find the desktop app preferable to a tablet.

Of course

Sure not an issue unless your DAC has issues with Linux.

29

OK, I think its starting to make sense! ( . . . . and everyone says: “God, about time!”) Having linux on the mini along with Roon server is kinda like running ROCK in a different way.
One last question: why exactly the desktop app on the main computer if I’m using a tablet? What would I be using the desktop app for? I’m thinking that it doesn’t make sense to me, because I don’t understand what the app does.

30

You certainly don’t need roon on the PC. You might find it convenient for something though. Or maybe you’d like to listen to music on the PC.

I have a suggestion for you. Install a core on something, and whatever you need to connect to your dac. Just load up a few albums and then play around. Try things out, and get to see how it all works. Then you’ll be able to design a setup that’s going to work for you.

1 Like
31

@Dennis_Wade - I’m no expert, but I might be able to help clarify.

There are 3 types of Roon software (excluding ROCK, which you can’t use and excluding Roon Bridge which I think will just complicate things for you). I’ll also exclude reference to Apple as it doesn’t appear that you’re using that.

(1) Roon Server. This is a headless programme that can be installed on Windows or Linux. This is the operating heart of your Roon set up.

(2) Roon. This is the full Roon set up that allows both the Server and the Remote to function on the same Windows PC

(3) Roon remote. This is the app on your Android device that allows you to control the Server.

Please note that (2) allows a Windows PC to operate as a remote. In other words you can install the full Roon programme and use this as a Remote to connect to your Server.

As you have experience with Linux I would suggest the following:

  1. Install Linux (Ubuntu seems to be a straightforward option, but I haven’t done this myself), on to your Mini PC.

  2. Download and install the Linux Roon Server on your Mini PC

  3. Download and install Windows Roon (64 bit or 32 bit) on your Gaming PC (if you want to use this is a Remote)

  4. Download and install the Roon App on your Android device, via the Play Store. This will act as as Roon Remote.

Instead of putting Linux on your Mini PC, you can always use Windows and download the Windows Roon Server (64 bit or 32 bit).

A Windows remote allows much greater functionality than an Android remote. It’s useful for settings alterations, metadata tweaking and many other things.

32

Thank you! I think your explanation filled in a lot of the blanks for me! And also gave me a good step by step plan! The main reason i want Linux on whatever is feeding my dac is because my dac can only go up to DSD128 if connected to a windows machine, but can go up to DSD512 with Linux.
Final questions: i turn my main gaming pc off every night just because its in my bedroom. Is that a problem? And I have noticed that the wall brick for my mini pc heats up if left on for hours. I was planning to just turn the mini pc on whenever I want to listen to music. I don’t really do background music, and only play it when i can give it my full attention. Will this setup work ok that way?

2 Likes
33

No problem at all. I turn my core (on Windows) off every night. I would suggest that regular reboots help with performance and functionality.

34

Thank you for your help. and Thank you to everyone who tried to assist. i appreciate it! There are quite a few different setups available for Roon, and to a newbie it can sometimes seem very confusing to figure out what would work for me. I feel like i have a way forward now, and I’m sure once its all up and running, I’ll better understand it all.

1 Like
35

I maybe a bit late in the threads but if I remember Rock can only install on PC when the BIOS BOOT option is set to Legacy Mode

If the Boot option is set to UEFI Rock won’t install.

36

You don’t. It’s completely optional. If you do install it there, you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. Just a convenience. Personally, I install it on everything I can, so that I can just reach out and control the music.

I second @Ken_Lesniak 's suggestion!

37

What DAC are you using? This sounds like you need the Windows ASIO driver for your DAC.

38

Tried that. Tried both. For some reason ROCK doesn’t like my mini pc. It’s actually not a NUC but another totally different brand.

39

Yes, if i use windows to send music to the dac, I do. But the designer of the dac says that I don’t need it for linux.

40

Are you saying that you didn’t get the USB pen drive with ROCK to boot? Or that the installer failed?

41

The instructions for installing ROCK state:

  1. Insert the USB flash drive you prepared earlier into the front of the NUC
  2. Turn on the NUC and press the F10 key on your keyboard. Continue to hold the F10 key down until you appear at a menu that is asking you which device you’d like to boot from
    But when I do this the F10 key on my mini pc doesn’t give me the message asking which device i want to boot from.
    The instructions also say to prepare the bios by pressing F9 to set the bios to factory reset. On my mini F9 doesn’t do this, I have no idea which key would, and I have looked throughout the bios and there seems to be no way to factory reset the bios.
    I think my problem is that the instructions for installing ROCK are for the approved NUCs, whereas my mini is a different brand.
    For example, the instructions say to press F2 to enter bios, but on my machine its the delete key.
    So, as a result, even though I have tried following the instructions, my mini pc just doesn’t work with the same keys.
    I set it to boot the way that is described in the instructions, but I have no idea which key to hold down, as F10 doesn’t do anything.
    I also tried just asking it to boot from usb and then rebooting to see if this would work, but again, nothing.
    Funny, because when I try to install windows or ubuntu, this method does work.
42

If you look into the Amazon link you supplied you will find that the key you want is F7.