Ubuntu Wiki

• Launchpad Entry: ubuntu-music-experience

• Packages affected: rhythmbox

Summary

The specification describes the issue encountered while using the hardy rhythmbox version

Rationale

Ubuntu users should be able to manage their music collection and media players easily

Use Cases

• Michael has lot of audio CDS and would like to copy those on his new music player

Design

Those are the issues noted during the review and the corresponding bugs

iPod nano (2nd generation)

• When plugged:

  • an icon is displayed on the desktop, it doesn't reflect the actual model though, correct icons are in gnome-icon-theme-extras svn now and libgpod gives the required model informations so could be used, see

• Trying to play an mp3 gives a codec installation dialog
  • the dialog has some options in the list but doesn't give details
  • validating install the selected codecs

  • displays an extra dialog asking if the user wants to install extra software, it should not in codec mode (gnome-app-install bug #238685)

  • after installing the codecs the music starts playing

• getting the music in the library is not obvious, dnd the device in the sidebar to music doesn't work for example (gnome bug #537477)

• Dnd-ing some albums to the library:
  • not obvious how to do it
  • the copy indicator is an obvious progress bar in the corner

    + no cancel button (gnome bug #537475)

• Importing doesn't do a copy but imports locations, that's confusing for the users (gnome bug #454239)

• Automatic library watching should be activated (gnome bug #349924)

• Filepicker bug: "Error stating file" error message <- GTK bug, not specific to rhythmbox, the previously used directory has been deleted (gnome bug #485766)

podcasts:

• when adding a podcast there is no immediat feedback which is confusing (gnome bug #537480)

• podcasts shouldn't download to ~/ by default, where?
• Podcasts preferences shouldn't call themselves "Download Manager"

• Playback preferences use "backend" jargon. Users may not know what is a "backend" (gnome bug #537593)

• Dragging .ogg podcast to iPod does nothing until the required multiverse codecs are installed

  • should use the missing plugin API in GStreamer to obtain the codecs (gnome bug #520209)

Generic PMP (The simple ones with integrated USB)

Works in both rhytmbox and nautilus. Music gets converted(When dragging inside rhythmbox if Multi/Universe are enabled) Music is converted to MP3 even if the device supports Ogg. A workaround is to dnd from nautilus

Samsung U3

• When connecting it, nothing happens (though it shows up in HAL).
  • gvfs bug
• Launching Rhythmbox doesn't show it by default
  • "Portable Players - MTP" plugin should be on by default

=> the current code is not multithreaded (gnome bug #534981) which would be bad user experience

Music CD

* CD icon appears on the desktop, but nothing else happens, even though "Open Rhythmbox" is set in nautilus' preferences. <- bug on the demo laptop apparently, that should be working

* The toolbar has a "Copy to Library" button when a CD is selected in Rhythmbox, but not when (for example) a playlist is selected.

• - It copies all the list even if just one song is selected (gnome bug #537483)

• can drag the sidebar icon but not drop somewhere (gnome bug #537477)

• copies to the library are not cancelled when ejecting the disk (gnome bug #537484)

Implementation

The issue previously listed should be fixed

BoF agenda and discussion

Banshee

• takes about twice as long as Rhythmbox to start up

• It has a real Pause button

• Dragging a playlist to player doesn't work
• Can't tell whether a playlist will fit on a connected player
• "Synchronise DAP" WTF
• "Write CD" is alert-ridden
• Doesn't quit when you close the window
• Does not have the music store support to Magnatune and Jamendo, which are a great way to have real content (which is at least partially open/free at the same time) available for the users, itunes-like
• Does not have support for DAAP music shares
• Does not have support for DLNA/UPnP music shares

Syncing

*Syncing is not implemented. But is possible to make it work on all Portable Media Players (PMP's/"MP3s").

• How to implement: (May need work upstream)

• -Create a .songs database file inside the PMP.(When the device is connected for 1st time). Rhythmbox will read from there what songs are in the PMP and which ones are not on it. -Add checkboxes to songs on rhythmbox to sync them. -Add "Sync Music" button. Sync= Copy checkboxed songs to PMP, delete uncheckboxed ones from PMP -If the PMP is too small to get all the checkboxed songs, tell so to the user and ask him to uncheck some songs. -Add a"Sync this playlist" button. Maybe the user wants 1 PMP e.g.YP-P2 8 GB as its main player and wants all his/her music on it.
  • The same user may have a 2nd player e.g. Ipod shuffle to have a selected choice of music.
  -Check if the device is Ogg capable and offer the option to convert music to OGG (more songs on the same space, slight decrease of quality due to conversion) -If there is no way to recognize the device, ask the user if his/her device is Ogg capable -This syncing feature is superior to Apple's iTunes?. We can sync anything, even a mobile phone if we want. -More ideas?

Comments

Music folder selection jumps to GTK filepicker's Music folder, which seems awkward.

• Sharing music is possible, but so well-hidden it might as well not be
  • needs to be turned on from a dialog accessed when "DAAP" is selected in the "Plugins" window
• "Configure..." button shouldn't be visible for plugins where it's never available
• plugins shouldn't be configured in Plugins window in the first place

*Random music playing is not really random. The randomizer needs to be remade. The typical user doesnt want to listen two times in a row the same song if he/she has enabled the random play.

* UPnP shares browsing should be easy to activate: propose to install the missing dependendencies (python-coherence)

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