# (Linux question) Anyone here use MPD?



## Artificial Ginger (Mar 29, 2010)

MPD stands for "Media Player Daemon." Basically, it's like any other Linux media player, except the database/collection/playback parts are completely separate from the interface.

Which is kind of a cool gimmick, but I'd still rather have Amarok 1.4x. But since that isn't an option for me anymore (I'm not sure why), I had to switch. It's not awful, but the client I'm using (GMPC) provides pretty much the bare minimum in terms of functionality. I can't use it to sync my iPod or download podcasts.

I don't need a ton of features--or really any besides the aforementioned iPod-related ones--but if any of you use MPD with a different client, particularly one that supports such operations, could you clue me in? I'd really appreciate it =3


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## Kitcat490 (Mar 29, 2010)

Well, i've never used it before, but I thought that this may be useful http://mpd.wikia.com/wiki/Clients I would recommend you try a few different ones on there and see if any of those fit your needs. I can't personally recommend one though, because I have never used MPD before. Hope this helps


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 29, 2010)

Kitcat490 said:


> Well, i've never used it before, but I thought that this may be useful http://mpd.wikia.com/wiki/Clients I would recommend you try a few different ones on there and see if any of those fit your needs. I can't personally recommend one though, because I have never used MPD before. Hope this helps


Well, it certainly gives me plenty of names of players. I was hoping for a bit more in the way of advice, however...


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## CyberFoxx (Mar 29, 2010)

Well, I used to use mpd, (mpd on the fileserver, outputting to pulseaudio, which broadcasted across the network, to the pulseaudio running on my PC and it's 5.1 setup) I found that the qmpdclient was pretty good.

The thing is, none of the clients, that I know of, support copying to portable media players, because they're clients. All they are is an interface to the server, just like a web browser to an httpd.

Although, I have to say, Amarok 2.x is a huge amount of fail. Sad that the 1.x series is discontinued. (Mostly due to the fact that KDE3/QT3 support discontinued) Amarok 2.3 is supposed to be close to how Amarok 1.x used to be, but I've yet to try it.

Before I made the switch back to Windows on my PC, and after Amarok 1.x was removed, I was just using Foobar2000 under Wine to convert tracks for my portable media player. (Then again, I have a "proper" portable media player, one that shows up as USB Mass Storage, and just have to convert and copy the files over.) There is an iPod component for Foobar2000, but I have no idea if it works under Wine. There are, at least in Gentoo Portage, several iPod clients. There's even FUSE plugins called ifuse and fusepod that let you mount the iPod as a filesystem.

Just did a quick search for packages that had the ipod USE flag and these players came up:
media-sound/amarok (2.x series)
media-sound/banshee
media-sound/quodlibet
media-sound/rhythmbox
(There was a couple more, but they're marked unstable)

I'm really sorry I couldn't be of more help.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 29, 2010)

CyberFoxx said:


> Well, I used to use mpd, (mpd on the fileserver, outputting to pulseaudio, which broadcasted across the network, to the pulseaudio running on my PC and it's 5.1 setup) I found that the qmpdclient was pretty good.
> 
> The thing is, none of the clients, that I know of, support copying to portable media players, because they're clients. All they are is an interface to the server, just like a web browser to an httpd.


I don't see how that'd be a problem. As far as I know, MPD itself has no code that'd prevent them from copying files to a device, even if they have to run it through a transcoder on the way, while at the same time it would be useful for providing access to the database/collection/whatever it's called.

Huh...because it seems like it _could_ be done, I guess I assumed it would have been. Oh well, that's life.



> Although, I have to say, Amarok 2.x is a huge amount of fail.


Oh my _god,_ yes.



> Sad that the 1.x series is discontinued. (Mostly due to the fact that KDE3/QT3 support discontinued)


My distro still lets me install KDE3, but for some reason it won't run correctly. I've gotta see what the deal is with that sometime.



> Amarok 2.3 is supposed to be close to how Amarok 1.x used to be, but I've yet to try it.


I really doubt it. The devs even said they wouldn't bring all of 1.4's functionality back to Amarok 2.x. They might've changed their mind after getting a ton of flak from people who loved 1.4, but...considering that my biggest problem with Amarok 2.x was that it'd randomly just fail to output sound at all--and that I officially decided not long ago that KDE4 can go choke on a Nixon--I don't have any interest in giving it yet another chance.



> Before I made the switch back to Windows on my PC, and after Amarok 1.x was removed, I was just using Foobar2000 under Wine to convert tracks for my portable media player. (Then again, I have a "proper" portable media player, one that shows up as USB Mass Storage, and just have to convert and copy the files over.) There is an iPod component for Foobar2000, but I have no idea if it works under Wine. There are, at least in Gentoo Portage, several iPod clients. There's even FUSE plugins called ifuse and fusepod that let you mount the iPod as a filesystem.


Um, my iPod mounts as a mass storage device no problem.

Foobar's iPod plugin is adequate, but it doesn't handle podcasts well, and it seems to use a different definition of "sync" than Winamp and iTunes--instead of just updating and deleting relative to the contents of a playlist, it wipes every file that's not on the playlist being sent. (I hate iTunes, though, because I always have to do a system restore after installing it and using it to sync my iPod. Anyway, I'm trying to get further away from Windows.)



> Just did a quick search for packages that had the ipod USE flag and these players came up:
> media-sound/amarok (2.x series)
> media-sound/banshee
> media-sound/quodlibet
> ...


Is that some Debian I see there? D=

Rhythmbox is great for taking files OFF an iPod, but the last time I tried to use it, it had no way of putting them back on. And Banshee, in my experience, has always crashed like a Hindenburg reenactment at double speed. I don't even know what Quodlibet is, but I guess I could give that one a shot. Thanks =3


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## CyberFoxx (Mar 29, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> Um, my iPod mounts as a mass storage device no problem.


Ah, guess my iPod knowledge is old then. I remember how with the first-gen iPods you could mount them USB Mass Storage, and copy stuff over and back, just that the iPod itself wouldn't admit that the files were there when you tried to play them. They needed to be in a database or some weird thing...



			
				Artificial Ginger said:
			
		

> Is that some Debian I see there? D=


Nope, all Gentoo.


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## ToeClaws (Mar 30, 2010)

I just use Audacious for MP3s (mainly 'cause it's like Winamp), and play other media either in VLC or the Gnome player, whatever works better.  I never used features like libraries on media players - just fire it up and play the file I want to play.  MP3s I move to a player and back like files and do it manually via a file browser or command line.  

What is it that you're specifically looking to gain via a different player?


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

CyberFoxx said:


> Ah, guess my iPod knowledge is old then. I remember how with the first-gen iPods you could mount them USB Mass Storage, and copy stuff over and back, just that the iPod itself wouldn't admit that the files were there when you tried to play them. They needed to be in a database or some weird thing...


Well, yes, they need to be in a database, but that isn't the same as not being able to mount it as a device...

I think they can update their databases themselves now, if they're set to disk mode, though I could be wrong.



> Nope, all Gentoo.


Even worse =P



ToeClaws said:


> I just use Audacious for MP3s (mainly 'cause it's like Winamp), and play other media either in VLC or the Gnome player, whatever works better.  I never used features like libraries on media players - just fire it up and play the file I want to play.  MP3s I move to a player and back like files and do it manually via a file browser or command line.


That's nice. Audacious has never worked for me. At all. Slow, buggy, crashes often. Do not want. Doesn't it depend on PulseAudio or something, too? >.>



> What is it that you're specifically looking to gain via a different player?


I already specified that.
No offense, but I don't think you're going to be any help whatsoever =/


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

.


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## ToeClaws (Mar 30, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> That's nice. Audacious has never worked for me. At all. Slow, buggy, crashes often. Do not want. Doesn't it depend on PulseAudio or something, too? >.>



Depends - it can be set to use a number of different outputs.  Pulseaudio is the norm for Ubuntu family of stuff now (unfortunately). 



Artificial Ginger said:


> I already specified that.
> No offense, but I don't think you're going to be any help whatsoever =/



:/  Well if you're asking about iPod specifics and sync'ing, no probably not - I don't (and will never) own one of them.  My use of media players is pretty simple - click on file, play file, close player.  Never used them for anything more than that.  Best of luck though.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

Thanks, everyone. I think I'm gonna check and see if GMPC has any plugins for it before I try any of the other clients. I've never found any GMPC plugins in the repos, but it seems worth a shot.



ToeClaws said:


> :/  Well if you're asking about iPod specifics and sync'ing,


I know _how_ to sync my iPod. However, some players do not have a component for it; I was asking if anyone knew of an MPD client with that capability.



> I don't (and will never) own one of them.


Eh. iPods are pretty much the only thing Apple does well. My Nano's also nearly indestructible, which is pretty cool.



> My use of media players is pretty simple - click on file, play file, close player.  Never used them for anything more than that.


Well, good sir, may the sun of the early 1990s never set on you.


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## Ricky (Mar 30, 2010)

MPlayer


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

Ricky said:


> MPlayer


No.


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## ToeClaws (Mar 30, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> I know _how_ to sync my iPod. However, some players do not have a component for it; I was asking if anyone knew of an MPD client with that capability.



Gotcha.




Artificial Ginger said:


> Eh. iPods are pretty much the only thing Apple does well. My Nano's also nearly indestructible, which is pretty cool.



I'd actually go so far as to say hardware in general is something that Apple does really well.  They know how to build things with a good design and quality components.  The latest Nano's are brilliant.  The problem I have with them is more of their insistence on controlling the user via closed-source and difficulty of straying outside of the Apple-world with their products.  Would buy their stuff in a heartbeat otherwise. 



Artificial Ginger said:


> Well, good sir, may the sun of the early 1990s never set on you.



Heh, well in a way, that's almost true.  My media collections date back about 15 years, so prior to any library software, ID3-type tags and so on, everything was organized in hierarchal directory structures.  The collection is too large now to try and reorganize via a more modern library type method (not without investing dozens of hours anyway).  It's one of those "someday" projects.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> I'd actually go so far as to say hardware in general is something that Apple does really well.


I dunno--how much of the hardware do they actually still make themselves? I mean, okay, presumably the glass touchpads and aluminium cases and such, but...

Then again, the only thing I've really heard any complaints about has been that MagSafe thing.



> They know how to build things with a good design and quality components.  The latest Nano's are brilliant.


I only have the 4th-gen, myself, but it's pretty nice too.



> The problem I have with them is more of their insistence on controlling the user via closed-source and difficulty of straying outside of the Apple-world with their products.  Would buy their stuff in a heartbeat otherwise.


You know, it's that reluctantce that lets them keep getting away with it =/



> Heh, well in a way, that's almost true.  My media collections date back about 15 years, so prior to any library software, ID3-type tags and so on, everything was organized in hierarchal directory structures.  The collection is too large now to try and reorganize via a more modern library type method (not without investing dozens of hours anyway).  It's one of those "someday" projects.


Huh. I organize mine that way anyway. I'm kind of a neat freak when it comes to files...


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## Ricky (Mar 30, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> No.



How come, just out of curiosity?

I'm not sure about syncing with iPod because I don't have one but I'd think there would be plugins available if they have been made for another client for Linux.  There is one for streaming media.

It will play damn near everything, including Apple's mp4 format.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

Ricky said:


> How come, just out of curiosity?


Like a lot of other players mentioned here, it just doesn't work when I try to use it.



> I'm not sure about syncing with iPod because I don't have one but I'd think there would be plugins available if they have been made for another client for Linux.  There is one for streaming media.
> 
> It will play damn near everything, including Apple's mp4 format.


I'll use a standalone thing before I go anywhere near MPlayer, sorry.


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## ToeClaws (Mar 30, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> I dunno--how much of the hardware do they actually still make themselves? I mean, okay, presumably the glass touchpads and aluminium cases and such, but...
> 
> Then again, the only thing I've really heard any complaints about has been that MagSafe thing.



Technically, I don't think anyone builds their own hardware anymore.  The difference-maker is that Apple insists on quality hardware and builds from the folks they commission to do it.  They're not concerned about trying to hit the lowest price-point for a sale, as a result, you get a lot higher-end stuff.



Artificial Ginger said:


> I only have the 4th-gen, myself, but it's pretty nice too.



Also nice.  Heck of an improvement from the first gen. 



Artificial Ginger said:


> You know, it's that reluctantce that lets them keep getting away with it =/



How so? - choosing not to buy their product because of their corporate ethics does not aid them in getting away with it.



Artificial Ginger said:


> Huh. I organize mine that way anyway. I'm kind of a neat freak when it comes to files...



*nods* Same here - I have a very organized system.  That's a good thing though - the various media players and their library methods of cataloging things in a database will come and go with time, but a neat and tidy directory structure will always be a valid base.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> Technically, I don't think anyone builds their own hardware anymore.  The difference-maker is that Apple insists on quality hardware and builds from the folks they commission to do it.  They're not concerned about trying to hit the lowest price-point for a sale, as a result, you get a lot higher-end stuff.


Ah, ok.



> Also nice.  Heck of an improvement from the first gen.


I have never owned an iPod before this one, honestly, so I have no idea there ^.^;




> How so? - choosing not to buy their product because of their corporate ethics does not aid them in getting away with it.


Well, it does in the sense that the alternatives end up having less demand...



> *nods* Same here - I have a very organized system.  That's a good thing though - the various media players and their library methods of cataloging things in a database will come and go with time, but a neat and tidy directory structure will always be a valid base.


Yes! =D


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## ToeClaws (Mar 30, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> Well, it does in the sense that the alternatives end up having less demand...



Ahhh, I gotcha - you were talking about the masses, not me.  Agreed there.  Shame folks weren't more willing to understand all their choices _before_ making a choice.  But then, I don't think many folks do that in any field, not just computers.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> Ahhh, I gotcha - you were talking about the masses, not me.  Agreed there.  Shame folks weren't more willing to understand all their choices _before_ making a choice.  But then, I don't think many folks do that in any field, not just computers.


Yeah, too true.

Anyway, if Rockbox ever ends up supporting Nano 4G, I am going to download it with the fury of a thousand furious things.


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## Ricky (Mar 30, 2010)

My little $20 Sansa mp3 player doesn't seem to have any of these problems you speak of.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

Ricky said:


> My little $20 Sansa mp3 player doesn't seem to have any of these problems you speak of.


Which is _completely_ unrelated to what software I use to play music on my computer.


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## Ricky (Mar 30, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> Which is _completely_ unrelated to what software I use to play music on my computer.



It is _completely_ relevant.

If you would have stuck with something that didn't use proprietary file formats and protocols you wouldn't be running into half the problems you are.

The iPod costs a hell of a lot more than my Sansa I'm sure but all I've ever had to do is plug it in and it works.  Why pay all that extra money for a headache?

Then again, I'm a minimalist.  Maybe there are some features people actually use that are unique to the iPod.  Me, if I buy an mp3 player I want something that plays MP3's, has a decent UI and that's it.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

Ricky said:


> It is _completely_ relevant.


No, it isn't. I've already explained _why_ it isn't below, but I'll give you a summary here:

It's not the iPod giving me problems, it's the lack of media player support in MPD clients.



> If you would have stuck with something that didn't use proprietary file formats


Every single file on there is an MP3, and while MP3 _is_ technically a proprietary format, I'm not sure what you actually think you're proving.



> and protocols you wouldn't be running into half the problems you are.


This is the first time I've had any problems syncing files to it, and _that_ is only because I can't use my program of choice after some system update broke it.

You see, Amarok 1.4 uses a shared library called libgpod for performing operations on an iPod. That worked just fine, and, unlike all the other standalone players based on it, Amarok never really crashed or failed to start until recently. In Windows, Winamp works just fine with my iPod. Were I not trying to move away from Windows, I would be perfectly content to keep using Winamp.

As it so happens, the reason I chose an iPod over the other players available at that store was that Linux supports iPods specifically, in addition to the usual "generic USB" kind of player. And Linux's support for iPods is by all accounts very, very good; I, personally, have had no problems with my iPod itself.

Unfortunately, I can't even use Amarok 1.4x anymore, and I'm not entirely sure what the reason is--but judging from the error messages, it's got _nothing_ to do with my choice of portable media player.

Quit pretending you know anything just because I shot you down once before.


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## Ricky (Mar 30, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> No, it isn't. I've already explained _why_ it isn't below, but I'll give you a summary here:
> 
> It's not the iPod giving me problems, it's the lack of media player support in MPD clients.



Again, you're having the problems.  I'm not :roll:



Artificial Ginger said:


> Quit pretending you know anything just because I shot you down once before.



What are you talking about?

Oh no, it's an opinion!

Try not to cry.


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## Artificial Ginger (Mar 30, 2010)

Ricky said:


> Again, you're having the problems.  I'm not :roll:


I'm curious--do you routinely post in threads without actually reading the OP? Or the titles, for that matter?


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## ToeClaws (Mar 31, 2010)

Artificial Ginger said:


> I'm curious--do you routinely post in threads without actually reading the OP? Or the titles, for that matter?



Ichy reply finger?

Sidenote: I'd forgotten all about Rockbox.  They didn't support v2 of the Sansa e200 series every time I'd checked before, now they do! w00t!  Thanks for reminding me. ^_^


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## Ricky (Mar 31, 2010)

ToeClaws said:


> Ichy reply finger?



A bit.  I was making fun of Apple since since some of the problems were specific to iPods.


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