3 Problems with ver. 1.1.7 & Ubuntu 11.10 64 bit (Unity desktop)

[rizlaw]

(1) I just finished a new, clean installation of Ubuntu 11.10 64 bit, and installed gmusicbrowser 1.1.7 from the repositories. In "settings" I checked "Desktop Widgets" and added the "Buttons, Song & Cover" widget. Using the slider bars I moved it to the lower right area of my screen and closed the widget adjustments window. I then realized I needed to move the widget a little lower, but I can't nor can I get back to the slider adjustment window. The documentation page and wiki don't provide any help. Going back to "Settings > Desktop Widgets" only allows me to ADD another widget, there is no button to ADJUST the widget I already have on the screen. If I uncheck "Desktop Widgets" the widget disappears, but it's not really gone, since adding the check back to "Desktop Widgets" just returns the widget to where it was. Right clicking on the widget itself brings up no editing menu to adjust the position or allow me to move it around by holding down the right mouse button. I can add another widget of the same kind, but I can't move or delete the existing widget. Also, left clicking on the white triangle in the lower right corner of the widget and trying to move it just blows the entire widget up to 1/3 the entire right side of the screen (top to bottom) and the only way to fix it is to disable and re-enable the "Desktop Widgets" button. What am I missing?

(2) I can't install the 1.1.8 deb release candidate file I downloaded from the development section. I get an error stating that attempting to install 1.1.8 over 1.1.7 will break the existing package.  Is this a bug? Can 1.1.8 be installed over 1.1.7 in 64 bit 11.10?

(3) When I set gmusicbrowser to "ALSA" and "hw:0,1" in advanced settings, I get a gstreamer error on track changes between albums (mostly) involving 24/96 FLAC files. Playback stops and when I hit play it resumes. I need this setting to by-pass the pulse audio and themixer in order to get bit perfect output to my external DAC. This gstreamer issue didn't happen when I was using Ubuntu 10.04 LTS with the same setting. Any ideas why this could be happening?

I've attached a screenshot of the error message that pops up.

Thanks.

[Quentin Sculo]

1) it is a bug, fixed in git, see http://forum.gmusicbrowser.org/index.php?topic=469.msg2191

2) maybe you are trying to install the new version without un-installing the old one, how are you installing the package ?

3) I don't really know, I guess the error happens because the device can only handle one stream at a time, and for some reason the old file is still using the device when the new file is starting.
Maybe you could try the (slightly unstable) "gapless" option in the advanced options, if you are not already using it.

[rizlaw]

Thanks Quentin for your usual speedy replies.

Issue:

(2) "Installation/update error" : I used Synaptic for the original install of GMB 1.1.7 and then Gdebi for the install of 1.1.8. At the time, I didn't think it was required to uninstall 1.1.7 before installing 1.1.8 rc. Based on your response, I did a Synaptic complete removal of 1.1.7 and then used Gdebi to install 1.1.8. This still gave me an error at the end of the install, rather than the beginning. I have attached a screenshot of the error for your review. In any event, 1.1.8 did install and seems to work, although I haven't played anything yet.

(1) "Desktop Widget" bug : Based on my experience, the bug is not 100% fixed for the widget in question. There is still no way I can find to move or resize the widget either from the desktop widget itself or from the Settings > Desktop Widgets menu. I find it odd that, in addition to the "Add" button, you don't provide a button like "Adjust or Modify" that opens the control window with the sliders to adjust an existing desktop widget. I ultimately decided to delete the hidden gmusicbrowser configuration folder. This nuked all my settings, including the misbehaving desktop widget. I then added a new, replacement widget and carefully positioned it before closing the adjustment window. However, in version 1.1.8, the new desktop widget still suffers from the same problem of inability to adjust position or size.

(3) "Gstreamer error" bug : I have enabled "gapless" as you suggested. Time will tell if this works better.

[Quentin Sculo]

Thanks Quentin for your usual speedy replies.

They are not always speedy, it depends on a lot of things...

1) ) "Desktop Widget" bug : I said it was fixed in git, not in 1.1.8, to get the fix you can simply replace /usr/share/gmusicbrowser/plugins/desktopwidget.pm by
https://raw.github.com/squentin/gmusicbrowser/3d75f91e331ca3d8fee493542297df27aa909b1e/plugins/desktopwidget.pm
it's the only change, you need root permissions of course

[rizlaw]

Thank you Quentin. My bad for not reading the other thread more carefully. :-[
I now see the widget plug in controls in the Settings menu area. Excellent work.

This may have been asked before, but is there any way to display the "remaining time" in the widget for each track being played?

[Quentin Sculo]

This may have been asked before, but is there any way to display the "remaining time" in the widget for each track being played?

You can make the widgets PlayingTime (old name : LabelTime) and Time display the remaining time by using the remaining=1 option, so you can modify the layout you want and replace for example "PlayingTime" by "PlayingTime(remaining=1)"
Clicking on them toggle the remaining mode, but it is not possible for insensitive desktop widgets.

Or maybe you meant adding a widget that does this, rather than changing the mode of an existing one, then you need to add "PlayingTime(remaining=1)" somewhere in the layout, you'll have to tell me which layout you want to modify if you want more help.

You can also use $left with the widget TimeBar to show it inside the bar : TimeBar(text="time left : $left")

[rizlaw]

This may have been asked before, but is there any way to display the "remaining time" in the widget for each track being played?

You can make the widgets PlayingTime (old name : LabelTime) and Time display the remaining time by using the remaining=1 option, so you can modify the layout you want and replace for example "PlayingTime" by "PlayingTime(remaining=1)"
Clicking on them toggle the remaining mode, but it is not possible for insensitive desktop widgets.

Or maybe you meant adding a widget that does this, rather than changing the mode of an existing one, then you need to add "PlayingTime(remaining=1)" somewhere in the layout, you'll have to tell me which layout you want to modify if you want more help.

You can also use $left with the widget TimeBar to show it inside the bar : TimeBar(text="time left : $left")

I guess my first question about this is: I don't see the widgets "PlayingTime" or "TimeBar" in the list of 1.1.8 widgets, so where are they to be found (I looked in the development section and didn't notice anything about them). Also, how would either one be installed? Having said that, it sounds like option 1 could be more difficult for me to accomplish if it requires modifying code.

As for option 2, adding a widget, this is a more interesting choice. Perhaps a simple widget that shows both the "remaining track time" and "total track time" for each song as a thin bar that can be placed just below the existing "Button, controls, CoverArt" widget.

As for my player window layout, I'm currently using "Lists, Library & Context".
As for my desktop widget, I'm using "Buttons, Song & Cover"

[Quentin Sculo]

Sorry I wasn't clear, there is a confusion between "desktop widgets" and the widgets used to make layouts.

In gmb, layouts are defined in .layout text files which are placed in either /usr/share/gmusicbrowser/layouts/ or in ~/.config/gmusicbrowser/layouts/
the layouts are made-up of widgets, such as Title which display the current song title, SongList that displays a list of songs ...
(see the layouts documentation, a bit outdated currently, but mostly still valid)

The "desktop widgets" are in fact just layouts which use a few special options to appear in the desktop background, without any borders, skipped by taskbar ...

So it depends where you want to show this, if it's in the "Lists, Library & Context" window, you can just click on the current time to make it display the remaining time. If you want to display it on the desktop, you can modify an existing one easily, a desktop layout is defined in just a few lines, look at the file /usr/share/gmusicbrowser/layouts/desktop.layout

You can try this one, just put it in a .layout file in ~/.config/gmusicbrowser/layouts/

Code Select Expand

[D_buttons_song_cover2]
Type= D
Name= _"Buttons, Song & Cover2"
Window =  transparent=1
DefaultFontColor= white
HBTitle = _Title LabelsIcons
HBArtist = _Artist
HBAlbum = _Album -Year
HBbuttons = Prev Stop Play Next
VBmain = HBbuttons 2HBTitle 2HBArtist 2HBAlbum Time(remaining=1) -Cover(forceratio=1,maxsize=0)


[rizlaw]

Again, many thanks Quentin. It works quite nicely.  ;D

Without trying to be difficult, can the time be placed below the cover art instead of above?

[Quentin Sculo]

sure, the - in front of Cover means it is packed from the bottom, not sure why I put it here, other than that you can just change the order :

Code Select Expand

[D_buttons_song_cover2]
Type= D
Name= _"Buttons, Song & Cover2"
Window =  transparent=1
DefaultFontColor= white
HBTitle = _Title LabelsIcons
HBArtist = _Artist
HBAlbum = _Album -Year
HBbuttons = Prev Stop Play Next
VBmain = HBbuttons 2HBTitle 2HBArtist 2HBAlbum Cover(forceratio=1,maxsize=0) Time(remaining=1)


[rizlaw]

Quentin, thanks again. I promise to be silent for awhile. :-X