How To Install Amarok in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal ?

Amarok is one of those applications that you just can't forget once used. I first came around it few years ago (when I was playing around KDE/Qt) and loved it ever since. But then I switched to Gnome and to be honest these days I don't use it much. But when it comes to playing music files in an elegant looking GUI, Amarok is at the top ten without a doubt.

Although I actually can't remember if Amarok type GUIs (Banshee, Rhythmbox, etc) type music players (you know with the iTunes look-n-feel) for Gnome came afterwards, yet for me I think it was actually Amarok that "introduced" that type of look-n-feel.


Main features...

*. Amarok is actually a Qt4 written GUI which uses major multimedia frameworks such as Phonon and Gstreamer. So any audio file (I think it had a video enabling plug-in as well) that's supported by those frameworks, it can play them.

*. A fully featured Equalizer.

*. Very easy to use GUI... especially the KDE4 version, oh I love those colors.

*. Display album-art, change different views, search for files with ease, manage huge collections of audio albums, excellent playlist support.. it's all there.

*. Import files directly from USB or other storage devices (iPod touch, etc).

*. Although this came kinda late, but now you can even attach album arts directly into the audio file (tag-editing) too.

*. Expand its capabilities via Scripts.

*. Rip or listen to Audio CDs.

*. Web integration such as last.fm, Magnatune, Jamendo, etc.

These are just a very few to mention of this amazingly beautiful, powerful application. There are basically two ways that you can install Amarok in Ubuntu 11.04 (should work on 10.10 and 10.04). You can either use the below command.

sudo apt-get install amarok

But if you want to install the latest versions of Amarok (this will install the current latest version 2.4.1), then I recommend that you use the Kubuntu PPA for that. So, for that enter the below command instead then.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install amarok kubuntu-restricted-extras

If you have installed Ubuntu restricted codecs, then I don't think you'll need the "kubuntu-restricted-extras" package since you can set Amarok to use the Gstreamer back-end in Ubuntu, but use the whole command, just in case :).

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Meet the Redesigned, Awesome Phonon (Multimedia Framework for KDE/Qt Applications) Website!

There are few emerging and prominent multimedia frameworks under GNU/Linux. For instance, Gstreamer is one of the oldest (although not that "old" when concerning the Linux Kernel, etc yet for these types of frameworks) and strongest which is highly used by GTK toolkit based applications.

Although Helix is another one, but I don't think it'll have much success since Real Networks being the original developer.

Anyhow, for sometime even KDE used Gstreamer as their main multimedia framework (in apps such as Amarok, etc). Although Gstreamer developers say that they have nothing to do with GTK or Gnome... but many see (including myself) a lot of similarities between Gnome and Gstreamer (they both start with the letter "G", okay, that was a bad example :/). So it's natural for KDE to have/build something of their "own".

It may have not been the only reason... anyhow, that's one of the reasons how Phonon was created. It consists of main three parts according to KDE themselves, quoted below...

MediaObjects, Paths and Outputs. The MediaObjects control the playback/capture and provide the media data. MediaObjects can be connected to Outputs using Path objects which also allow the insertion of Effect objects between MediaObject and Output.

What is a multimedia framework?

To be honest, I'm not a programmer, so I don't have a in depth concerning its "tech" aspects. But between you and me :)...

... When designing a multimedia framework, the original developers make sure to built/embed codecs, libraries + many more that are necessary to playing/capture the audio/video files from reading the original source file to "carrying" it to your GNU/Linux PC/Laptop's speaker (output).

Most importantly, this is done within a standard "layout" (API). That's why it's called a framework :).

So anyone who knows standard layout, can easily implement it on their "projects"/players.


For instance...

Let's say that you're a developer who'd like to create a multimedia player of your own. Then you'll have to figure out how to read/play all sorts of codecs (hundreds and hundreds of 'em, Xvid, Divx, AAC, MP3, Theora, WMV,.....), etc and implement all that to your video player, despite of the GUI creation using GTK or Qt or any other that you like (you know creating a graphical "player" with buttons and stuff).

So, it's pretty boring and hard work (who likes that :P). But with a multimedia framework, since they've done all the hard work for you (such as building programming codes for playing all those different codecs, etc), all you have to do is built a GUI and simply "attach" the multimedia framework to the "player". So, whenever a user requests a file to play via your GUI, all your GUI does is just calls for the framework libraries and give the job to them.

So, a framework not only helps to create not just multimedia related things, but any other area, with ease + most importantly, it helps to bring applications that have different GUIs yet if they all use the same single framework, then it adds more stability to the software environment it self since, if a bug is detected or if new feature is added, then all those apps that use the framework can easily "get"/implement it.

Geeeeeez, this is getting awfully long. Wha was I saying again, oh yeah, Phonon. In the very recent past Phonon's main web site didn't look that good. I mean, when considering the high standard set by Qt or KDE artwork in general, it was a bit "behind".

But according to a phonon developer (who's still searching for a sensible wordpress pink theme :) ), few days ago they've give the official Phonon website a new look-n-feel and it looks GORGEOUS!.

The website design idea came from Tomasz Dudzik which was then became a reality via Wojciech Ryrych (nicely done) and according to them, the site is still being developed... which makes sense, since it seems to be lacking a nice introduction, etc.

Anyhow, the above mentioned Phonon developer-dude (maybe a girl... the obsession with "pink" :) ) is a very humble person, so if you have few ideas of your own on what's the site's "missing" then, please by all means, visit his/her site and throw some comments at him/her.

And if you want to express your love towards Phonon by making its logo your background for a while, then get it from here (high resolution, 2MB in size).

Again, I looove the "new" website, nicely done.

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UMPlayer 0.9.5 is Released (Qt written, Media Player Front-End)

If you haven't heard about UMPlayer, then it is a graphical front-end which uses the MPLayer as the multimedia engine for playing audio/videos in a GNU/Linux environment. It's kind of a new "project" and the earlier version did have few issues but the rest assured, when considering how the GUI is organized and its "beauty", UMPlayer will be something especial without a doubt.

The great thing about it is, not only on GNU/Linux PC/Laptops... it can also be run in MS Windows, Mac OSX as well. And as mentioned above, the most "important" feature behind its popularity may well be because of the gorgeous look-n-feel it inherits... which can be foreseen :P since they've used Qt toolkit to build the GUI.

Main features...

*. According to the developers themselves, it supports 270 different types video/audio file/containers! such as... AAC, AC3, ASF, AVI, DIVX, FLV, H.263, Matroska, MOV, MP3, MP4, MPEG, OGG, QT, RealMedia, VOB, Vorbis, WAV, WMA, WMV, XVID, etc.

*. Can play both encrypted/unencrypted DVDs as well.

*. Fully featured equalizer.

*. Adjust screen hue/brightness, etc.

*. Audio gain.

*. Take screenshots.

*. Adjust audio/video delays (very handy sometimes, for instance while watching a movie - if you hear the gun shot sound before the video and wondering how to fix it ....).

*. Lots of audio/video filters.

*. Easily change skins.

*. Online subtitle search... are just a few to mention.

How can I install it in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal?

Not just for Ubuntu, but you can obtain builds for Debian, RPM based packages, MS Windows, etc from this UMPlayer download page. Once the downloading is complete, just double click on the file and follow the instructions on your screen. That's it!.

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How To Install Qt Written Unity 2D Desktop in Ubuntu 10.10?

Like me, if you're having problems while trying to run Unity shell (the default 3D interface) on you Laptop/PC because of Compiz (Ubuntu has heavily customized it) and your GPU but still would like to run Unity without the "fancy" graphic effects (some like it though) under Ubuntu 10.10 then this post is for you.

Although it's quite easy to run Unity 2D interface in Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal since they support it officially (might come installed by default in the future releases) but with version below 11.04 of Ubuntu did not support the 2D interface.

But thanks to a cool developer called Roiban & his Cat, Oliver (who also plays a major role :P), now we can easily install Unity 2D in your Ubuntu 10.10 Linux PC/Laptop using a dedicated PPA channel (long live PPA :P).

Remember, unlike the default Unity 3D version, the 2D is written using Qt (there's nothing wrong with it in my point of view) and you won't get any "Compiz" graphic effects either.

2D interface...

Roiban gave his reasons for creating this PPA by saying that...

"I have tried and tested Ubuntu 11.04 during its development cycle and also after the final release and I really liked Unity 2D. It was the first shell that I did not felt the need for major customization. The fact that external monitor support is again broken, middle click emulation is no longer a default ... blocks me from using Ubuntu 11.04... I just want to use my computer now..."

Alright, enough talking, let's get busy :). If you want to install the fast loading Qt written Unity 2D interface in Ubuntu 10.10, then open your Terminal and enter the below command.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:adiroiban/unity-2d-maverick
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install unity-2d

The above command is for the stable PPA, but if you want daily builds (could be slightly unstable) then use the below command instead.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unity-2d-team/unity-2d-daily
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install unity-2d

After the installation completes, make sure to log-out and from the GDM (log-in screen) menu, choose "Unity 2D". That's it, enjoy!.

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