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[almos]

Hello,

   Annoyed by the lack of the module players for Linux that would replicate the playback quality offered by the XMPlay, I decided to write my own player that uses Bass library. While I wrote the player primarily for myself, I decided to post it to the forum in case it might prove useful for other Linux users out there.

   Notes about the player:
  
    - the player is an interactive command-line application
    - it requires the Linux version of libbass (downloadable from the Un4Seen website)
    - for now it takes only one command-line parameter, namely the name of the module that is being played. The volume can be set  during playback.
  
   The key bindings for the player are:
  
   '[ ]' - decrease and increase the volume, respectively
   'p'  - pause or resume the playback
   'q'  - stop the playback

   Sample usage (provided that the bassplay is in path, eg. /usr/local/bin):

  

Code: [Select]

     cd ~/Music/modules
      bassplay mystery.xm
  
   While the application itself is quite unpolished, I might expand on the functionality in case of positive feedback.

   I put the player on Mediafire for download

The download for the player is attached to this post.

*EDIT = not console, but command-line application
 EDIT2 = The upload on mediafire contains just the player binary

[m0d]

Posted news Also added the file to your post as an attachment because Mediafire shares suck when they disappear/expire and don't look very trustworthy.

[68k]

This is nice, thanks for posting it!

[almos]

As a matter of fact, I am working on a GTK version of the application. I'm trying to keep a steady progress, implementing one functionality after another - and typing in at least a few lines of code a day, which is not always easy given that my day work leaves me unsurprisingly drained by the evening.

On a positive note, working with the Linux libraries and programming tools is a breeze - I was able to implement all of the player's basic functions (such as loading the module and basic control over the playback) during the last weekend. Hopefully the next two weeks will see something I'll be able to post to the forums.

[raina]

A BASS-based GUI player for Linux? I think the new computer just might get a Linux partition..

[almos]

It doesn't have volume control as of yet - but it's playing modules!

Busy with rooting out some annoying bugs.



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[68k]

Will the command-line player be updated still, or are you moving to GUI only? The GUI player looks nice but I'm a terminal nerd

Either way I'm glad you're posting updates.

[almos]

At the moment I'm concentrating on the GUI player, as most users would probably find it the most convenient. On the other hand, in response to the popular demand, I might as well continue the bassplay along the bassplay-gtk!

Yesterday I've implemented the long-overdue volume control; right now the GTK player has: the ability to stop, start, pause and resume the playback, control the volume; the slider shows the position within the module - but is not yet able to control it. I'm already using the player to play the modules on my own computer.

My TODOS are: to be able to set the position within module and show the message, sample, and instrument list for the module. The player is usable enough for me to be able to use it - if anyone is interested I could release the binaries along with some BASH script to install them in the opt directory.

By the way, writing a GTK application in C with Anjuta and Gtk-Builder is like creating a RAD application with Delphi or Lazarus. If not for the lack of time and other concerns that detract me from the project I think it'd already be complete.

[68k]

At the moment I'm concentrating on the GUI player, as most users would probably find it the most convenient. On the other hand, in response to the popular demand, I might as well continue the bassplay along the bassplay-gtk!

Well I don't know that I'm that popular... You're right that a GUI player would probably drum up more interest.

Oh, and just to get the elephant out of the room: no source release?

[almos]

The source at the moment is a mess - since I lack experience with creating GNU software (to date I wrote Windows and - mostly - web applications) I let Anjuta manage the whole thing, including configuration, Makefiles et al. Couple that with the fact that most features are introduced impromptu, and that my own limited ability to keep the code organized forces me to reorganize it repeatedly to keep things in check, and you get functions that are inappropriately named, others completely empty, then you get structures that were declared when I thought they would serve a specific purpose, only to find that I don't need them, that linger still in the code - in other words, the code, at the moment, IS A MESS, AS I SADLY AND TRULY CONFESS.

However, I do plan on doing a cleanup and posting the code to Sourceforge - as soon as - well - I have basic things cleaned up.

The console version is in a slightly better condition (source-wise), perhaps because I didn't spend as much time working on it as I did working on a GUI version. When I make the code readable by commenting on it it might be eligible for Sourceforge.

EDIT: The screenshot of Bassplay-Gtk, newest version (with the volume control, that is), playing Nightbeat's "Miriel":



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