n8n Kodi Node

A powerful and intelligent n8n node for controlling Kodi media centers via JSON-RPC API with automatic method discovery.

🚀 Features

✨ Automatic Method Discovery

• Dynamic API Adaptation: Automatically discovers all available JSON-RPC methods from your Kodi instance
• No Hardcoded Methods: Adapts to any Kodi version or configuration automatically
• Real-time Method List: Always up-to-date with your Kodi instance's capabilities

🔍 Smart Method Parsing

• Clean Method Names: Extracts proper method names (e.g., VideoLibrary.Scan) instead of raw introspection data
• Parameter Information: Automatically captures and displays method parameters and return types
• Intelligent Grouping: Combines related .params and .returns data into coherent method definitions

🎯 Three Operation Modes

1. Discover Methods: Automatically find all available Kodi methods
2. Execute Method: Run any discovered method with custom parameters
3. Raw JSON-RPC: Send custom JSON-RPC requests for advanced users

🛠 Enhanced User Experience

• Dynamic Method Selection: Dropdown populated with discovered methods
• Parameter Guidance: See what parameters each method expects
• Return Type Info: Understand what each method returns
• JSON Parameter Input: Flexible parameter specification

📋 Prerequisites

• n8n (self-hosted or cloud)
• Kodi media center with JSON-RPC enabled
• Network access to your Kodi instance

🚀 Installation

Option 1: Community Nodes Package (Recommended)

npm install n8n-nodes-kodi

Option 2: Manual Installation

1. Clone this repository
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Build the project: npm run build
4. Copy the dist folder to your n8n custom nodes directory

⚙️ Configuration

1. Add Kodi Credentials

In n8n, go to Credentials → Add Credential → Kodi API:

• Host: Your Kodi device IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
• Port: Kodi HTTP port (default: 8080)
• Username: HTTP username (if configured)
• Password: HTTP password (if configured)

2. Enable JSON-RPC in Kodi

1. Go to Settings → Services → Control
2. Enable Allow remote control via HTTP
3. Set Port (default: 8080)
4. Optionally set Username and Password

📖 Usage

🔍 Discover Methods Operation

Use this to see all available methods on your Kodi instance:

{
  "success": true,
  "methods": [
    {
      "name": "VideoLibrary.Scan",
      "description": "Method: VideoLibrary.Scan",
      "hasParameters": true,
      "hasReturns": true
    },
    {
      "name": "Player.GetActivePlayers",
      "description": "Method: Player.GetActivePlayers",
      "hasParameters": false,
      "hasReturns": true
    }
  ],
  "total": 2
}

⚡ Execute Method Operation

Run any discovered method with custom parameters:

1. Select Method: Choose from the dynamically populated dropdown
2. Set Parameters: Use the JSON parameter input (if the method accepts parameters)
3. Show Parameter Info: Toggle to see what parameters the method expects

Example: Execute VideoLibrary.Scan with parameters:

{
  "showdialogs": true,
  "directory": "movies"
}

🔧 Raw JSON-RPC Operation

For advanced users who want full control:

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "VideoLibrary.Scan",
  "params": {
    "showdialogs": true
  },
  "id": 1
}

🎯 Common Use Cases

📺 Media Library Management

• Scan video/audio libraries
• Get movie/show information
• Export media data

🎮 Player Control

• Play/pause media
• Navigate playlists
• Control volume and playback

🖥 System Operations

• Get system information
• Control power states
• Manage add-ons

📱 Remote Control

• Send navigation commands
• Execute actions
• Show notifications

🔧 Development

Building from Source

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Run linter
npm run lint

# Run tests (if available)
npm test

Project Structure

nodes/Kodi/
├── Kodi.node.ts          # Main node implementation
├── Kodi.svg              # Node icon
├── interface.ts           # Type definitions
└── kodi.ts               # Generated Kodi API types

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Development Guidelines

• Follow TypeScript best practices
• Maintain n8n coding standards
• Add tests for new features
• Update documentation as needed

📝 Changelog

v0.1.25-dev

• ✨ NEW: Automatic method discovery with clean method names
• ✨ NEW: Parameter and return type information parsing
• ✨ NEW: Enhanced user interface with method details
• 🔧 FIXED: Method name parsing (removed .params/.returns suffixes)
• 🎨 IMPROVED: Better error handling and user feedback

v0.1.20-dev

• 🔄 REFACTORED: Converted from declarative to programmatic node
• 🎯 ENHANCED: Dynamic method discovery via JSON-RPC introspection
• 🛠 IMPROVED: Better error handling and TypeScript support

🙏 Credits

Original Development

• n8n Community: Base node framework and infrastructure

Major Enhancements & Rewrite

• Claude Sonnet 4 (Anthropic): Complete refactoring from declarative to programmatic node, implementation of automatic method discovery, intelligent method parsing, parameter information extraction, and enhanced user experience features.

Contributors

• pm: Project maintainer and requirements specification
• Claude Sonnet 4: AI assistant for implementation and enhancement

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🆘 Support

Getting Help

• Issues: Report bugs or request features via GitHub Issues
• Discussions: Join the conversation in GitHub Discussions
• n8n Community: Get help from the broader n8n community

Known Issues

• Some Kodi versions may have different introspection data structures
• Parameter validation is currently basic (JSON format only)
• Complex nested parameters may require manual JSON construction

🌟 Star History

If you find this node useful, please consider giving it a star! It helps with visibility and encourages further development.

Made with ❤️ for the n8n and Kodi communities