#!/usr/bin/perl -w
close STDOUT;

@playlist = `cat ./playlist.txt`;
$totalnum = scalar(@playlist);

foreach $i (@playlist)
 {
  # a random number for the randomizer.
  $random = int(rand $totalnum);

  # use that random number to determine a file to play.
  $filename = $playlist[$random];

  # format the file name so I can *USE* it.
  # the first regex escapes symbols for me.  the second, spaces.
  $filename =~ s/(')|(&)|(\()|(\))/\\$+/g;
  $filename =~ s/\s/\\\ /g;

  # play the file, throw that process into the bg
  system("/usr/local/bin/ogg123 -d oss -q $filename &");

  # write the PID and filename to a file
  # need this sleep in here to make shure the player starts before I t
+ry
  # to write the PID
  sleep 2;
  system("ps -U root --format pid --format fname| grep ogg123> ./playe
+r.pid");
  open(PLAYING, ">./nowplaying.txt");

  print PLAYING $filename;
  close PLAYING;

  # decriment the total number of files left to play.
  $totalnum--;

  # remove the filename from the list.
  splice @playlist, $random, 1;

  # get the information for the file that is playing.
  $playtime = `ogginfo $filename| grep length=`;

  # get the total playtime in secs for the file.
  $playtime =~ s/length=//;
  
# pause for that many seconds, as to not play multiple files
  # simultaneously  :)
  sleep $time;
 }
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This may be a typo. strict would have caught it.

sleep $playtime;

Here's a very quick rewrite. It's untested, but it's a little nicer, in my opinion.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use strict;
close STDOUT;

open(LIST, 'playlist.txt') or die "Can't open playlist: $!";
my @playlist = <LIST>;
close LIST;

while (@playlist) {
    my $pos = rand @playlist;
    my $filename = playlist[$pos];

    system("/usr/local/bin/ogg123", '-d', 'oss', 'q', $filename, '&');

    sleep 2;
    foreach (`ps -U root --format pid fname`) {
        next unless /ogg123/;
        open(PID, '>player.pid') or warn "Can't log pid ($_): $!";
        print PID $_;
        close PID;
        last;
    }

    open(PLAYING, ">nowplaying.txt") or warn "Can't log filename $file
+name: $!";
    print PLAYING $filename;
    close PLAYING;

    splice @playlist, $pos, 1;

    my $playtime;
    foreach (`ogginfo $filename`)
        next unless /length=(.+)$/;
        $playtime = $1;
        last;
    }

    sleep $playtime;
}
[download]