Kodi

Kodi (formerly XBMC) is a cross‑platform, open‑source media center that transforms any device into a full‑featured entertainment hub. At its core, Kodi is a C++ application that exposes a rich set of APIs for media playback, library management, and UI rendering. The codebase is modular: the core handles decoding, networking, and event dispatching, while addons (plugins) are loaded at runtime to extend functionality. Addons can be written in Python, C++, or even JavaScript (via the web UI), giving developers a familiar language ecosystem to create custom extensions.

Architecture & Technical Stack

• Core: C++ (cross‑platform, using SDL for graphics and input; FFmpeg for decoding).
• Plugin system: Python 3 (via the xbmc API), C++ for high‑performance addons, and JavaScript/HTML5 for the web UI.
• Data storage: SQLite (for local libraries), with optional integration to external databases via addons.
• Networking: libcurl and custom protocols (DLNA, UPnP, HTTP/HTTPS) for streaming media.
• Build system: CMake with optional Docker images for CI; builds are available for ARM, x86_64, and other architectures.

The addon API is well‑documented; developers can register services, UI components, and background tasks. Kodi’s event loop is single‑threaded by design but allows asynchronous callbacks, making it suitable for responsive UI and real‑time media controls.

Core Capabilities & APIs

• Media playback: Supports virtually all audio/video codecs via FFmpeg, with hardware acceleration on supported GPUs.
• Library management: Automatic metadata scraping (from OMDb, TVDB, TMDB) and local database maintenance.
• Remote control: HTTP/WebSocket API (JSON-RPC) for full remote operation; also supports IR, Bluetooth remotes.
• Skinning engine: XML‑based skin definitions with dynamic controls, enabling custom UI themes.
• Event handling: OnAction, OnScriptTerminate hooks for addon developers.
• Web UI: Modern web interface served over http://localhost:8080, exposing the same JSON‑RPC endpoints.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Kodi is designed for self‑hosting on a wide range of devices: Raspberry Pi, NAS units, desktop PCs, and even cloud VMs. The application is lightweight (≈200 MB binary) and can run headless, making it ideal for media servers. Docker images are available on Docker Hub, allowing developers to spin up a reproducible environment with minimal effort. For scaling, multiple Kodi instances can be orchestrated behind a reverse proxy (Traefik/NGINX) with TLS termination, and media libraries can be shared via SMB or NFS.

Integration & Extensibility

• Addons: Thousands of community addons cover streaming services, weather, games, and system utilities.
• Webhooks: JSON‑RPC endpoints can be exposed to external services (e.g., Home Assistant, Node‑RED).
• Custom protocols: Addon developers can register new media protocols or integrate with proprietary streaming APIs.
• Skin API: Custom skins can hook into the playback state, enabling synchronized lighting or LED displays.

The plugin ecosystem is mature; most addons are versioned and signed, ensuring compatibility across Kodi releases.

Developer Experience

• Documentation: Comprehensive developer guides on the official wiki, with API references and sample code.
• Community: Active forums, IRC channels, and a large contributor base (500+ developers).
• Testing: Continuous integration via Jenkins, with automated unit tests and static analysis.
• Licensing: GPLv2 allows commercial use while requiring source disclosure, which is acceptable for most internal deployments.

Use Cases

1. Home Theater PCs (HTPCs) – A single Raspberry Pi running Kodi with a remote‑controlled UI.
2. Enterprise Media Servers – Deploy multiple instances behind a reverse proxy to serve corporate training videos.
3. IoT Media Control – Integrate Kodi’s JSON‑RPC with smart home systems to trigger playback via voice assistants.
4. Custom Streaming Appliances – Build a branded media box by packaging Kodi with proprietary addons and skins.

Advantages

• Performance: Native C++ core with hardware acceleration delivers smooth playback on low‑end devices.
• Flexibility: Modular addon architecture lets developers add any feature, from new codecs to cloud storage integrations.
• Cross‑Platform: Runs on almost every OS and architecture, reducing deployment friction.
• Open Source & Community‑Driven: Rapid feature iteration and extensive support for niche media formats.

For developers looking to build a robust, extensible media solution that can be self‑hosted and customized at the code level, Kodi offers a proven foundation with a vibrant ecosystem.