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Rockbox General => Rockbox General Discussion => Topic started by: Febs on August 05, 2006, 11:09:06 AM

Title: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Febs on August 05, 2006, 11:09:06 AM
The purpose of this poll is to gather some information about how people use the Rockbox Manual. 

NOTE:  this poll refers specifically to the Rockbox Manual available in PDF and HTML format through the link in my signature.  (The PDF and HTML versions are built from the same source and should be identical in content.)  This poll does *not* refer to the "WikiManual" or to other wiki pages documenting features or functions.

Please feel free to explain how you have used the manual and whether you have found it useful.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: mnhnhyouh on August 05, 2006, 11:33:17 AM
I can do everything I want to do :)


h
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: dunno on August 05, 2006, 11:42:36 AM
trying to operate a new toy/machine without reading the manual is like banging your head against the wall, it's nice when you stop.....

but it's a guy, macho, ego thing..."dont nobody tell me what to do", "I'll get this thing to work without a freakin manual", whilst these sentiments are very admiral when you are stranded alone on an Island, not very condusive to getting gizmos to work, or utilising the full potential of a machine/toy.

In my poffession it is a constant headache to get the guys that operate B747's to read the manuals and stay current, so I do know a thing or two about "manuals" and the reluctance of "Men" to.....

Read The F*cking Manual

thats one of the reasons the aircraft manufacturers have automated aircraft so much, just push a button and sit on your hands.

Rant over, *pours scotch*


Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: mnhnhyouh on August 05, 2006, 11:55:01 AM
There are not so many options in RB that you cant try them all out fairly easily...

However, I am sure I would learn something if I were to read the manual.

How many printed pages are there?

I do use the wiki a bit though.

h
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: soap on August 05, 2006, 12:09:14 PM
I have a leatherbound King James edition of the manual.

If I may bitch a little, I'm going broke binding a new edition every daily build.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Febs on August 05, 2006, 01:45:13 PM
If I may bitch a little, I'm going broke binding a new edition every daily build.
So, your complaint is that we keep the manual *too* up-to-date?    ;D
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Yotto on August 05, 2006, 01:56:31 PM
I went through the entire manual before loading rockbox on my ipod, and made mental notes.  After loading it, I perused the manual again to make sure I was getting the most out of it.

Since then, it's not been needed.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Rincewind on August 05, 2006, 06:51:31 PM
I installed Rockbox before there was a Manual available for the iriver. So my answer would be:

"I skimmed through the manual to confirm that I really know (almost) everything rockbox can do"

I read almost all relevant wiki pages, though before installing.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bascule on August 06, 2006, 03:20:01 PM
Admittedly I *always* read manuals for things at least once, just so I know the more obscure options, but I find myself going back to the Rockbox one frequently, mostly to understand why I can't make head nor tail of some of the menu options.

/me still finds some UI inconsistencies annoying, like Play to exit the menu, but Stop to exit a playlist  >:(
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Llorean on August 06, 2006, 04:16:05 PM
What menu does "Play" exit?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: gozirra on August 06, 2006, 07:01:47 PM
I went through the entire manual before loading rockbox on my ipod, and made mental notes.  After loading it, I perused the manual again to make sure I was getting the most out of it.

Since then, it's not been needed.

I've done exactly the same thing, its pretty intuitive (other than the initial installation of course).
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bascule on August 07, 2006, 03:41:22 AM
What menu does "Play" exit?

Sorry, sloppy terminology on my part. Instead of exit, I meant return to WPS...
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Llorean on August 07, 2006, 01:19:44 PM
Ah, but that's not exiting anything. That's *calling* the While Playing Screen from anywhere. Play to return to Playing Music (and in some case, to actually Play the resume playlist) kinda makes a lot of sense, when you think of it from that angle... ;)

As for whether I've read the manual, I read some of the 2.4 manual, and I have a habit of checking to see if something's in the manual most times before I suggest someone go look in the manual for it.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Deano on August 22, 2006, 10:16:41 AM
I have to say that the majority of my information has come from the Wiki rather than the Manual. Just because it's easier to have my web browser open, because of my line of work.

However, I will say that the ROCKbox manual is incredibly well laid out and I have used it to get a more detailed explanation when required. After reading the thread, I may well dig my nose further into the manual now.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: ryran on August 22, 2006, 10:40:34 AM
I've been using Rockbox since May but I first read through the manual last night. I always knew it was there though.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: aegis on August 22, 2006, 11:31:43 AM
Re: actual question - well, I'm just getting started. :)

But putting the thing straight - there is a pretty nice guide on the wiki, for instance how to install and what features are actually present (well, it's pretty hard to start without that info 8) ) and it's fair enough for me (I'm a sysop on Wikipedia and although it's not MediaWiki but tech wiki I get the idea :) ).

That's why maintaining the wiki is IMHO crucial. AFAIR there was one typo in iPod section in one of instructions to put in the command line but I'm pretty sure it has been corrected so far.

Maybe it's a Polish culture of not reading manuals, but Rockbox is still not a rocket science and you can use it effectively when you read forums and wiki. Of course it's nice to have this _complete_ manual somewhere to learn or send somebody to learn more easily (esp. if one has little time). But certainly tasks like compiling, porting to Rockbox, debugging, translating etc. require much more detailed knowledge and looking into documentation than just using it on day-to-day basis.

And I think it's good - Music Players should be simple enough to be used without reading the manual.  :)
Rockbox delivers that.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Jillorious on August 22, 2006, 12:01:20 PM
I read through the entire manual three to 4 times PRIOR to instalation. After instalation I've used it just to make sure that i understood everything correctly.
Call me a communist, but I personaly do think that anybody that hasn't read the manual should be banned from the forums until he/she has done so. Maybe there should be some kind of test upon registration.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Febs on August 22, 2006, 12:03:41 PM
But putting the thing straight - there is a pretty nice guide on the wiki, for instance how to install and what features are actually present (well, it's pretty hard to start without that info 8) ) and it's fair enough for me (I'm a sysop on Wikipedia and although it's not MediaWiki but tech wiki I get the idea :) ).

That's why maintaining the wiki is IMHO crucial.
The problem with the wiki is that as the number of supported Rockbox platforms increases, it becomes extremely difficult to maintain separate wiki pages for each supported platform.  The manual, on the other hand, is set up in LaTex, so it can be configured relatively easily to support multiple platforms. 

Now that the manual is available not only in PDF form but also in HTML form, my personal feeling is that it should supplant the wiki page.  Obviously, that would make it more difficult for individuals to edit the documentation.  However, the upside is that we can maintain documentation that is customized for each supported platform.  Those with commit access can make changes directly to the manual; users without commit access can still make changes to the manual through use of the patch tracker.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: aegis on August 23, 2006, 05:43:06 AM
Well... the idea of having just one manual is certainly tempting for the developers.

However, Wiki is not that bad. :) If you have the same content for multiple platforms, one common Wiki page will be just enough. And personally if I am looking for one certain thing Wiki seems to be more efficient for me.
Certainly if maintaining it requires too much effort, the number of Wiki pages should be simply reduced. But I'm not sure it's necessary; and I think Wiki is "more natural" to maintain for Rockbox users than manual and certainly through Flyspray.

Maybe if there were more explicit policy "Wiki for users. Help to maintain." it would solve some problems - or maybe not.
Results are hard to predict here.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bascule on August 23, 2006, 06:15:33 AM
Call me a communist, but I personaly do think that anybody that hasn't read the manual should be banned from the forums until he/she has done so. Maybe there should be some kind of test upon registration.

LOL - I totally agree

...and I think Wiki is "more natural" to maintain for Rockbox users than manual and certainly through Flyspray.

Agree with this as well. Once past the Wiki concept learning curve, I've found it quite easy. However, the whole rigmarole of download, install, learn and configure CVS, learn what source code looks like, make updates, build a manual to check etc., etc. puts me right off doing proper manual updates
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Febs on August 23, 2006, 08:14:16 AM
Quote from: bascule
...and I think Wiki is "more natural" to maintain for Rockbox users than manual and certainly through Flyspray.

Agree with this as well. Once past the Wiki concept learning curve, I've found it quite easy. However, the whole rigmarole of download, install, learn and configure CVS, learn what source code looks like, make updates, build a manual to check etc., etc. puts me right off doing proper manual updates
This is true in theory, but the fact of the matter is that despite the lower learning curve and higher ease of use, updates to the wiki are not happening--or at least they are not happening with nearly the frequency of updates to the manual.  Look at this page for example:

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualFileBrowser

The last time it was updated was more than six months ago when I made changes.  It only contains information about iriver, and lacks information about Archos, iAudio, iPod, etc. 

Look at some of the other pages in the WikiManual:

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualFileMenu (last update Feb 16)
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualMainMenu (last update May 5)
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualWpsContextMenu (last update May 18)

By contrast, the last update to the manual was less than an hour ago.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Llorean on August 23, 2006, 08:19:34 AM
It's true, most people who find information lacking in the wiki "can't be bothered" to add it once it's explained to them. And the explainer is often already busy elsewhere.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: aegis on August 23, 2006, 09:09:27 AM
That's pretty said, Llorean.

Maybe some sound invitation / policy "please help us maintain the wiki" would help?

By the way, I've been curious - why tech wiki and not MediaWiki? Because it's simpler to keep files to download on it?

The sad thing is the most projects use MediaWiki and people know them better from Wikipedia and its sister projects, iPodLinux, iPodWizard etc. I think it's some kind of barreer - people rather modify environments they know already - but maybe I'm in minority here.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: carmenm on August 25, 2006, 04:44:50 AM
By the time i discovered RB there was no manual, and now i dont need it anymore :p
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Bagder on August 25, 2006, 07:12:04 AM
Quote
By the way, I've been curious - why tech wiki and not MediaWiki?

Because we picked one (a long time ago). It's not like the particular wiki flavour would matter in regard to keeping the information up-to-date.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: keuleJ on September 08, 2006, 03:39:54 AM
Would it be possible to make a text-only version of the Manual (e.g one text file per chapter or so)? Then you could it add to the build and display it on your player. That way you would always have it around when you need it!  ;D
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Mr. Brownstone on September 08, 2006, 05:49:45 PM
Good idea!
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bluebrother on September 08, 2006, 07:47:30 PM
You could dump the HTML manual using lynx or links to plain text. The output of links is really good, so I don't see a need generating another version of the manual.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: keuleJ on September 11, 2006, 10:48:35 AM
Well, I just saved the stuff as plain text and its a bit cumbersome. I don't think it would be that difficult to build a text-only manual
With a uncompressed size of 210Kb, you could even include the text manual in builds.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Yotto on September 11, 2006, 12:09:53 PM
I don't think it would be that difficult to build a text-only manual

We look forward to what you can produce :D

Really, though, if you think it's a good thing to do, why not do it yourself and provide it to the community?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bluebrother on September 11, 2006, 03:28:39 PM
Well, I just saved the stuff as plain text and its a bit cumbersome.
I don't consider this as cumbersome ... on a linux box, you can generate a text version with the following line:
Code: [Select]
$ for i in *.html; do links -dump -no-numbering -no-references $i > `basename $i html`txt; done(assuming you have links installed). This removes all links from the output and creates text files with the same name as the input files but the extension txt. Just run it from within the html directory.

As the installation archives are for distribution of rockbox itself I don't think it would be feasible to include a text version of the manual as every update (and thus download) would include it. But for the release version there already arised the idea of including the manual in the download archives and as far as I got the discussion this will happen, most probably the pdf version.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: keuleJ on September 12, 2006, 04:48:24 AM
OK, maybe I have to try it with links or something.
I tried it with Firefox and saved the pages as text-only. Unfortunately I couldn't display them correctly on my iriver. It stoped in the middle of the 2nd line. Anybody an idea what's the problem?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bluebrother on September 12, 2006, 04:15:26 PM
I don't think anyone can help you here with this description -- maybe there's something wrong with your file, or the text viewer has a problem. Perhaps some settings. I just tried the text version I generated as stated above (h120) and it worked nicely.
For discussion of the display issue in the text viewer please use the plugins forum as this isn't related to the manual anymore. Thanks.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Cassandra on November 09, 2006, 07:13:25 PM
Hmm.  The poll doesn't come with an option for "I wrote large chunks of the manual", does it?

No, no, I'm not dead.  Just been busy dealing with other things for a while.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Febs on November 10, 2006, 07:15:48 AM
Heh!  Nah, no poll option for that because we know that everyone who reads that manual will see, "© 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The Rockbox Team and its contributors, © 2004 Christi Alice Scarborough, © 2003 José Maria Garcia-Valdecasas Bernal & Peter Schlenker."

 ;)

Good to see you around.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: psycho_maniac on November 20, 2006, 10:16:46 PM
I've not read the whole manual. i started using rockbox since it started on the h120 so i reallly didnt need it as i explored all the settings by myself but needed help sometimes like the search feature, but now since i haven't used a player with rockbox id probably have to skim the manual as i was using my player
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: adam917 on December 05, 2006, 03:49:39 PM
Before loading my first Rockbox version, I read the whole thing. Now, I skim it for new stuff right before my next update.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: kuuan on January 02, 2007, 03:09:15 PM
3rd option, referred to, but not read/skimmed all
quite intuitive, but I never got into playlists asf. for which I'd need to refer to the manual

came inside the forum now because I had problems with an rockbox update.
now after solving it I refered to the manual to find out again that it is the 'Browse .wps files' in the A/B > general settings > display where I can find my theme again ( which one was it?.. quite tiring having to go through each, checking how each looks during playback )
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: squinty on January 12, 2007, 10:38:20 PM
I didn't vote in your poll since you had no question that related to my use of the Manual.  

I have knowledge of the Manual, and have downloaded a copy for my reference after I first loaded Rockbox.  

I skimmed through the index only, for anything that I felt I may have needed to know that I hadn't found elsewhere or figured out on my own.  

My only major use of the manual was previous to the problem I posted about last night.  I tried doing a reload of the gigabeat software, then going back for a fresh install of the latest build.  Somewhere along the way, I managed to lock up the installation.  I made use of the search function in the PDF to find the error code details, and found out what I needed to do to correct the problem.  Of course, searching in the Manual for the problem I am having that I posted on, didn't return what I was looking for, so it was time to ask for some expert advice in this forum.

Regarding manuals in general, I find reading them cover to cover, a useless effort.  Most of what I read won't sink in, because if it isn't something I am directly doing or looking at on the program or device, it will never be remembered.   A couple years ago, I needed to learn drawing with a CAD program.  I was having a hard time at first, so I printed off about 500 pages of the program manual for reference.  I think I looked at it once on a trip when I had some spare time.  The only way I learned how to use that program was to jump in and play with it, occasionally searching the online manual and printing off another sheet describing the function for immediate reference.  It was certainly easier than thumbing through all the pages I printed off.

So now, if I install a new program, I'll at least try using it just a bit to explore functions.  If I need more info to use it, the help page is usually all I need, and if there is a search function, I'll start there before I read every page.  

Ken    

Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Sambolina3 on January 26, 2007, 05:49:29 PM
I read the whole thing after I lost all of the stuff on my iPod now I just use it for referance.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: princessblacklung on February 14, 2007, 11:43:44 PM
I read nearly the whole manual out of necessity.

I personally feel that both the manual and the site are in need of editing/reorganization. The install explaination etc. could definitely be made easier for less technical people. I think the almost all pertinent info is there, but:

1. it's hard to find. The wiki could use a few more subheadings and inter-wiki links
2. sometimes the manual makes assumptions about the user's technical expertise... I think without bottle-feeding readers some portions could at least be stated more clearly.

I'm going to sign up for editing permissions on the wiki today.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: GodEater on February 15, 2007, 03:51:13 AM
By all means feel free to submit patches for the manual too if you think you could improve on it.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: knight4led on February 20, 2007, 02:34:50 PM
I voted that I've skimmed the manual and referenced parts when needed. I feel my knowledge of the manual is deeper than that, I have extensively read it with regards to the database, WPS and other such customization topics.

For creating your first WPS it is invaluable, but it still lacks a few tags that exist within Rockbox currently like the real time clock tags. Also the discussion of tags for the upcoming song should either be moved or copied to the WPS tags section not the advanced topics.

I would also recommend some more about customizing the database view. At least a reference to the wiki pages would be helpful. This is something I plan to learn about and having this info in the manual rather than the wiki would make it readable most of the time when internet isn't available.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bascule on February 20, 2007, 02:55:51 PM
...having this info in the manual rather than the wiki would make it readable most of the time when internet isn't available...

This is something I think about a lot, but never have time to do. Ideally, I'd like to copy some whole Wiki pages into the manual, but I'm not sure what the policy on manual bloat is...

Maybe there should be a set of downloadable manual appendicies that are basically re-worked Wiki content?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Febs on February 20, 2007, 02:59:07 PM
@princessblacklung and @knight4led:

If there are things that you feel are missing from the manual, or things that could be stated better, the best thing to do is to submit a patch to our Flyspray patch tracker under the category "Manual."  If you are familiar with LaTeX, you can submit an actual patch that can be applied directly to the manual source files.  If not, you can simply describe your suggested changes.  Whichever way you choose to do it, we always welcome constructive suggestions.

Obviously, the more specific you can be, the better the chances are that your changes will be incorporated.  For example, if you simply submit a patch saying "the description of tag X is missing from the WPS chapter," it is less likely to be addressed than if you actually write the description that needs to be included.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Febs on February 20, 2007, 03:00:29 PM
Maybe there should be a set of downloadable manual appendicies that are basically re-worked Wiki content?

Perhaps the better way to approach it would be to include a reference in the manual to the wiki page?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Pizzarth on April 05, 2007, 01:59:48 AM
I've read the entire manual. I liked it, but it would be nice if there were some examples in advanced topics, such as in creating wps themes. it would be nice if there was a hand-holding type walkthrough through a created theme, explaining not what each command means, but the significance of the structure and what effects placement
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: betamaxman on April 29, 2007, 01:03:42 PM
I would likely read it from cover to cover, but 140 plus pages is a bit to print.  Aw if I only had a laser printer that would print both page sides. :cool:
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: gritzlover on April 29, 2007, 08:47:15 PM
where can i find the manual, so i can read it?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: elborak on April 29, 2007, 09:21:07 PM
Look left...
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: LambdaCalculus on July 02, 2007, 01:40:26 PM
For every single time I install Rockbox to a new platform (for me, anyway), first things first:

Get the manual, read it all the way through, then I read it again... and to be sure, I read it once more.

Better to be prepared and well aware of what you're doing than to run about like a headless chicken, not knowing what the hell to do.

(Side note: having read the manual so many times has made Rockbox installation almost second nature for me!  ;) )
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Continental Drifter on July 12, 2007, 01:22:04 PM
The only thing I've ever read is the set of installation instructions for my player. The thing about having a portable music player is that I'm generally not at home with a computer and/or printed manuals to read about how it works. That being said, the interface and menus are so intuitive that you really don't need the manual to figure out how to do most things.

Is there anything in particular (i.e., certain sections) that a relative noob like myself should know from the manual in order to make the thing work better? I already have simplicity and functionality - what else could I hope for?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: xtremedrummer498 on July 14, 2007, 04:38:14 PM
I heard about Rockbox from a friend, and had to have it because the firmware on the Gigabeat sucks. . . I want to steal all of my friends's music! Rockbox made that possible, but I didn't want to screw up a brand new player so I read the whole manual, and refer to the Wiki often.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Mikerman on July 15, 2007, 10:56:57 PM
Is there anything in particular (i.e., certain sections) that a relative noob like myself should know from the manual in order to make the thing work better? I already have simplicity and functionality - what else could I hope for?
The thing is, Rockbox has no many beneficial options, you don't know of them without reading the manual (and even then, some items haven't hit the manual yet--e.g. customizing the virtual keyboard so that it readily is readable ...).

Definitely, skim it at the least.  Really.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: melancholydm on July 16, 2007, 02:59:00 AM
Ive skimmed the manual for specific info I need
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: psycho_maniac on September 09, 2007, 10:22:44 PM
i sold my cousin my h120 when i needed money. he really wanted it and the only way i would sell it to him was if he read the manual. he hasn't said anything about any problems only when it wouldn't boot up for some reason. Now he has a nano and still doesnt ask me for help much only the stuff that he never had on his h120. (videos,  different button presses for stuff(( hard reset) how to play videos)) now that i have a ipod i skim the manual  from time to time. usually i just browse the wiki because thats easier for me.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: scharkalvin on October 04, 2007, 12:53:27 PM
Well I've downloaded several versions of the manual
(sansa e200, gigabeat, ipod mini, ipod color) and read the installation and using pages, and skimmed though the plugin pages.  (checking out the differences between ports).

I get the feeling the manual is part shared source between ports, and part ad-hoc between ports.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: fluxam on October 06, 2007, 09:27:08 AM
Merely to print the manual's many pages was a huge chore.
Surely there could be a condensed version.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: GodEater on October 06, 2007, 01:06:07 PM
I'm certain there could be - would you care to write one for us ?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Llorean on October 07, 2007, 12:20:35 PM
I'm curious, how would one condense the manual and at the same time preserve all the information in it? And if you're suggesting, for example, a "simplified" manual, that's not really a "manual" any more so much as perhaps an "Installation Guide" or other document (which can then be achieved by simply printing the appropriate section of the manual) and would not be valid in the situation where was ask that users read the manual itself before posting.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: scharkalvin on October 09, 2007, 07:42:46 AM
Well maybe a command summary, which would do little more than be a road map of the menu system.  Something like those cpu instruction set cards the computer makers used to hand out.  (anybody ever collect those?)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: GodEater on October 09, 2007, 07:44:03 AM
..and again - feel free to write one.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: John on October 11, 2007, 04:59:19 PM
Firstly the manual for a Sansa c240 does not exist but I have tried to find answers in the Sansa e200 manual.
I would appreciate a section on file management probably between Installation and quick start. I am trying to delete old playlists but cannot. I have deleted the .3mu8 files but the old playlists and music are still there. Any suggestions how to delete unwanted junk?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: pixelma on October 11, 2007, 06:25:50 PM
Firstly the manual for a Sansa c240 does not exist but I have tried to find answers in the Sansa e200 manual.
I wonder how you managed to find the e200 manual and to overlook the c200 one right next to it? It is to the right of the Sansa e200 one on the manual page (even if it's not that complete but the port is quite new too).

About your question: do you mean the music that was on it before you installed Rockbox or things you copied over later? But I'd check with a filebrowser on a computer (especially looking for hidden folders, depends a bit on your operating system) or maybe there is still something in a recycle bin on your player then you could either wipe that with your computer too or try to run the disktidy plugin in Rockbox.

Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: cc on October 16, 2007, 04:37:08 PM
Well maybe a command summary, which would do little more than be a road map of the menu system.  Something like those cpu instruction set cards the computer makers used to hand out.  (anybody ever collect those?)

I have written one of these. A patch for the manual is in flyspray ( http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/7816 ).

Or there is an online version here (http://burbleland.com/tmp/rockbox_menus.html) (until I find somewhere better for it). You have to select a player at the top to get just the menus for that player.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: duney50 on October 20, 2007, 10:32:12 PM
I've read the manual - I've referred to it often with problems, and usually end up searching the forums for advice (to at least point me to the right place in the manual) as I find the manual rather confusing at times (vague and obtuse?)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Llorean on October 20, 2007, 10:38:20 PM
We do ask that if you find portions of the manual insufficient that you contribute by suggesting improvements by way of the tracker.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: HWjock on December 26, 2007, 05:55:19 PM
old Archos owner, new Rockbox user, hardware & software jock since God was in diapers.

The PDF version of the User's Manual for the JBFM is screwy: the screen caps are all unreadable, but the other photos & graphics are fine.  Here's an example:
(http://i14.tinypic.com/837iiop.jpg)

http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-fmrecorder.pdf

The PNGs in the HTML version look OK, so either the PDF distiller is insane, or it's putting in PS bitmap code that makes Foxit (free PDF reader that's faster than Adobe) display garbled junk.  Both of my machines have Foxit, neither has Adobe's AcrobatReader bloatware so I don't have a point for comparison.  Out of several hundreds of PDFs I've viewed, only 1 or 2 ever gave Foxit any grief so I doubt that's the problem.

Additionally, I just looked at the PDF manual for the Player/Studio and about 80% of the screen cap graphics in that one are all crazy, as well.
http://download.rockbox.org/manual/rockbox-player.pdf
As slow as the downloads are for the manuals, I don't want to sit here all day checking 'em out.

My best guess is that the PDF distiller (pdfTeX) has grief with monochrome PNGs, as those are the only ones effected.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Llorean on December 26, 2007, 06:26:43 PM
Your link to the fmrecorder manual looks perfect to me. Are you sure your downloads aren't corrupted somehow, or perhaps you have a buggy viewer?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: ZincAlloy on December 27, 2007, 11:19:28 AM
Foxit is pretty buggy, indeed.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Llorean on December 27, 2007, 03:09:08 PM
And as a note, I wasn't using Adobe reader, just whatever PDF viewer comes stock with Ubuntu, so it really does sound like Foxit may be the problem.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: ZincAlloy on December 27, 2007, 04:52:15 PM
I'm using OSX "Preview". No problems with the manuals.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: edpatterson on April 18, 2008, 05:52:55 PM
I initially read only enough to get it installed. Then I got lost in all the menus so I read the whole thing. Understood about 70% of it but now know where to find the answers.

Ed
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: wintermute23 on May 07, 2008, 08:48:26 AM
I read the installation and getting started chapters very carefully before I even downloaded Rockbox. Since then, I've scanned though it, once or twice, looking for stuff that looks interesting, and I've looked up specific things, when I've not been able to work out how something works.

But mostly, I've found that (despite its slight learning curve) Rockbox is pretty intuitive, and I can often figure out what I need to without referring to the doco.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: peter122 on June 10, 2008, 08:48:49 AM
Yes, Ive read the entire manual and refer to it often (Ipod 5G).  It could be a little more complete but I'm assuming it is still a work in progress. For example, how do you delete a bookmark?  A nice developer provided the answer.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: AlexP on June 10, 2008, 04:58:02 PM
Yes, Ive read the entire manual and refer to it often (Ipod 5G).  It could be a little more complete but I'm assuming it is still a work in progress. For example, how do you delete a bookmark?  A nice developer provided the answer.

The manual, as the rest of Rockbox is, is done by volunteers.  Now you know how to delete a bookmark, perhaps you could write it up nicely for the manual :)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: peter122 on June 11, 2008, 09:03:03 AM
The writeup would be fun and quite simple but I have difficulty in understanding how to get it integrated with the actual manual on the Rockbox site.  I found no simple instructions as to how to accomplish this.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: AlexP on June 11, 2008, 09:05:54 AM
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/ManualHowto
http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/LatexGuidelines

Then submit the patch using the patches link on the left.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bascule on June 11, 2008, 10:47:02 AM
The writeup would be fun and quite simple but I have difficulty in understanding how to get it integrated with the actual manual on the Rockbox site.  I found no simple instructions as to how to accomplish this.

It is permissible (but obviously less helpful) to just submit a simple text file with the changes to Flyspray and some other nice, kind person will convert to LaTex.

Any update is better than none at all.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: ThaCrip on June 12, 2008, 05:31:21 AM
"I have referred to specific sections but not read or skimmed the entire manual."

that's what i chose cause i basically used it to get rockbox up and running and after that i aint used it to much but i have checked it out to find out how to delete stuff from within rockbox which i could not figure out at all as i expected there to be a specific section within the main rockbox menu's but there was not as i found out you have to hold down the big circle button in the center of the Sansa e250 player to access that stuff.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Slim on July 04, 2008, 02:58:54 PM
Of course not, I'm a system administrator.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Hillshum on August 08, 2008, 03:59:05 PM

My only player is not supported (e260v2) so I haven't fully read the manual yet. I have read parts (manly installation and Games)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: astro2 on August 15, 2008, 09:54:07 AM
i have skimmed it, but like a typical guy i couldn't be bothered to fully read it, especially on a comp, my eyes would go square

and I only know of the program due to following a youtube vid trying to get a emulator to work i.e play mario bros on my ipod

now thats its on, i'm not sure if i want it, CPU is too weak to play a simple game, there seems to be bugs on it still, not all controls are that straight-forward eg. if i'm viewing a picture i can't figure how to get back to the menu

and i dont' know how to boost the volume for songs

whats so good about it??

Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: LambdaCalculus on August 15, 2008, 11:31:29 AM
i have skimmed it, but like a typical guy i couldn't be bothered to fully read it, especially on a comp, my eyes would go square

and I only know of the program due to following a youtube vid trying to get a emulator to work i.e play mario bros on my ipod

now thats its on, i'm not sure if i want it, CPU is too weak to play a simple game, there seems to be bugs on it still, not all controls are that straight-forward eg. if i'm viewing a picture i can't figure how to get back to the menu

and i dont' know how to boost the volume for songs

whats so good about it??



Rockbox is about audio playback; games are not the main concern of the project.

If you actually take the time to read the manual, you'll learn how to work the various plugins and adjust the audio to suit your needs. (And if you don't want to read it on-screen, then download the PDF manual and print it.)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: thasp on September 01, 2008, 11:18:46 PM
I voted I have not read or referred to the manual, but I am aware that the manual exists.

I'm not a genius by any means, but I'm very well technically inclined, with consumer electronics, audio electronics, and computers - so if I need to reference a manual to find out how to operate a simple device for the simple and specific uses I have for it, I don't bother with that device. Marketing to the average consumer means making it just that intuitive.

I haven't had a need to read the manual yet.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: LinusN on September 02, 2008, 02:57:30 AM
Marketing to the average consumer means making it just that intuitive.
I wouldn't say that Rockbox is marketed for the average consumer, rather the more demanding one.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: GodEater on September 02, 2008, 03:00:08 AM
I wouldn't say it's "marketed" at all ;)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: psycho_maniac on December 20, 2008, 01:05:42 AM
I said this before but i was here when rockbox first came to the h120 so i learned most of the settings and stuff. but  recently rockbox has gotten more complex and the other day i wanted to learn how to use a-b repeat and i actually learned on my own how to use it on the gigabeat haha
Title: oooouuuuccchhhhh I never knew there was a manual
Post by: stevio on January 04, 2009, 11:50:12 PM
SO thats why ive been thinking of getting rid of rockbox!!
thank god and and owssaaa !!! now i can install and do every thing the right way, thats probably why my version is so glichy and unexplored, really pissed me of until now.  So can someone please post where to download this manual i tried a few times
from rockbox but keep getting some kind of error

 
Title: Re: oooouuuuccchhhhh I never knew there was a manual
Post by: Febs on January 05, 2009, 07:47:07 AM
So can someone please post where to download this manual

Use the link on the left that says "manual."
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Danikat on January 09, 2009, 04:25:08 AM
I read a lot of it before even getting the program and I've since read other specific sections to try and learn how to use it.

To be perfectly honest I was very happy with the software that came with my Sansa e280 anyway, I only got Rockbox so I could use an 8GB SDHC card, so I wanted to make sure having it wouldn't annoy me more than only having half my music before I went ahead and did it.

I still need to re-read the section on audio settings, I've played around with it already but I can't seem to get it exactly right.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: kiwibird on January 09, 2009, 04:16:06 PM
Thank you guys so much for the Manual. It has to be the most user-friendly and comprehensive open-source manual I've ever seen. Props, or whatever the kids say these days.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Zardoz on January 09, 2009, 07:12:36 PM
Rockbox, its developers, administrators, moderators, experts, artists and contributors are, as a community, a particular genius.  I just wondered about tagnavi.config information. It seems to be  missing from the manual or am I missing it?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Chronon on January 09, 2009, 07:39:25 PM
No, it's not mentioned in the manual at this time.  I wouldn't really consider it basic usage, so I'm not sure it belongs in the manual.  It can be found from the docs index in the "For Users" section (i.e. the DataBase link).
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Zardoz on January 09, 2009, 09:07:18 PM
I think it should be mentioned. after all there are basic users like me who don't have a clue!! why am I cut out wahhh!!!!
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Chronon on January 09, 2009, 09:21:47 PM
Nobody cut you out.   ::)

Personally, I don't have anything against having an appendix that lists the allowed tags -- similar to the appendices for WPS tags and config options.  Still, I think that the current wiki page is a better place to keep detailed information and examples (similar to CustomWPS).  If you want something like the supported tags table from DataBase in the manual you could always suggest it in Feature Ideas.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Zardoz on January 10, 2009, 03:57:47 AM
It is a better place to keep detailed information. (sorry for my previous 'wahhh' post! btw) But I still think the manual could refer, at least, to possibilities. I would have slotted it in under 'Advanced Topics'
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: nls on January 10, 2009, 06:00:59 AM
I would have slotted it in under 'Advanced Topics'

You know, patches are welcome...  ;)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Scitale on January 30, 2009, 02:01:35 AM
I just discovered this software... it's very well done, so I haven't felt any need yet to read a manual.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: v497 on January 31, 2009, 09:14:32 AM
I have not felt the need to read the entire thing, as I found most things to be pretty much self-explanatory.. when I needed help on a specific topic however, I consulted the appropriate section of the manual.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: josephcs on February 07, 2009, 10:50:24 PM
Thanks to those who created the manual.. Helped me a lot.. :) And I am now planning to write tutorials (with screenshots) on my new website.. :)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: sremick on February 24, 2009, 09:42:44 AM
I read the full manual because that's how I am. I'm an old-school geek and learned long enough that you learn countless goodies and end up with a much more-enjoyable experience with any piece of technology after you've read the manual. No matter how dry it is.

Even if you don't retain all of it, it lodges somewhere in the back of your mind so that later if you bump up against something, it jogs your memory: "Wait, I remember something about how to do this being in the manual..."

Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: pixelma on March 12, 2009, 06:21:24 AM
Thanks to those who created the manual.. Helped me a lot.. :) And I am now planning to write tutorials (with screenshots) on my new website.. :)

A bit late but please don't create personal tutorials for installing Rockbox on "third party" pages (and I'm quite sure to speak for all who give technical support). The reason is that we want people to use the official installation instructions to make sure we can follow what they do or try and we are able to help if something goes wrong. Such an outside tutorial can contain unnecessary steps or even mistakes and even when it doesn't - it can easily become outdated without noticing (by the one who wrote it, not to mention us). This could possibly cause a lot of trouble for the one who is following the tutorial.

If you feel that the official instructions could be made better, it would be better to suggest specific improvements, perhaps create a patch or write something down. We are open to ideas...
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: schwarzermoritz on February 18, 2010, 08:31:10 AM
I found Rockbox while looking for alternative firmware for the player I had in mind to buy, because the original firmware was said to be a pain in the ass. I read most of the first part of the manual befor buying the player, but i skipped most of the parts from plugins downwards because when I got there, I was sold on Rockbox.
I've since reread most of it when I ran into trouble, and its a really good manual imho.
Still, I had some trouble getting Rockbox to boot, but I tag that to lack of sleep and Murphys Law.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: HankB on December 01, 2010, 10:22:02 AM
My needs are relatively simple. I listen to podcasts and only want the player to sequence through daily downloads stored in directories named to conform with ISO 8601 date format. (yyyy-mm-dd) I've been able to figure out what settings I need to do that on the player itself. Once in a while I see an interesting sounding option that I do not understand so I crack open the manual to learn more. A couple days ago I used the manual to figure out how to lock my Sansa Click+ since it does not have a hardware lock button like all of my previous Sansa players.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: mofared on March 23, 2011, 11:49:39 PM
very nice  manual ;D there is a couple of video about rockbox installation in youtube too.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: bluebrother on April 19, 2011, 11:24:22 AM
there is a couple of video about rockbox installation in youtube too.

Which are neither done nor supported by the Rockbox people. There are official install instructions, and all other instructions tend to get outdated rather quick (and usually nobody cares about updating them). So it's not recommended to follow any installation instructions except the ones in the manual.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: OldITGeezer on May 29, 2012, 09:53:02 PM
I read enough to get it installed. Looks like there are a quite a few features that hold no interest to me, but I've been through the parts that I do care about.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Gearbox on August 20, 2012, 12:49:09 AM
There doesn't seem to be a manual for the iPod 6th gen, the closest manual would be the ipod video and that is very useful indeed. Read all of the manual since I had the time. Exhaustive and detailed manual.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Herby on September 07, 2012, 02:29:22 PM
Excellent manual,.. ... 14 license pages?!! :S
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Paul_Bags on November 13, 2012, 03:31:07 AM
Section 13.6.3 (http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-archosrecorder/rockbox-buildch13.html#x16-32400013.6.3) suggests it is possible to tun off the peak meter in the WPS, and refers you to section 4.3.2 (http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-archosrecorder/rockbox-buildch4.html#x7-460004.3.2), however section 4.3.2 (http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-archosrecorder/rockbox-buildch4.html#x7-460004.3.2) does not describe how to turn off the peak meter.

I will eventually read this whole thing, but in the mean time if it referenced itself correctly that would help alot.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Mach-X on January 06, 2013, 12:13:07 AM
Always read my manuals cover to cover. As an off topic sort of on topic rant, you fellow clip+ users need to read sandisks manual...tired of seeing "clip+ has no lock function" comments...long press the home key in the OF sheesh it isnt that hard to find...
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: steak on February 03, 2013, 10:15:31 AM
I've skimmed through... only avoiding things I really don't need (games and such) and giving up on what I could hardly understand without practice (advanced topic relating to Themes)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: umptious on February 26, 2013, 06:44:48 PM
It's great to see you collecting feedback on the manual. I've browsed the it but not read every word. I'd rate it as generally good - generally above the average for commercial products - but with a couple of flaws:

- The installation section is unnecessarily unfriendly to people who are not used to installing software. For example, no where does it tell you to select the player as a drive! When I played around with the installer, trying it out with USB set into MTP mode and not selecting the player as a drive, I found that the installer didn't give a clear "You screwed up!" message. This is a bad combination.

- The manual installation section says "Copy an unmodified original firmware" etc but doesn't link to said firmware. Imagine that you're not a non-computer loving type trying to install and that you messed up the auto install, but think that it's some weird computer thing and you are now going to do a manual install - isn't there a good chance that you'll use think the rockbox utility is "the firmware"?

- The Fuze version says that there are 5 EQ bands.. but that the peaking filters are numbered 1-8! Yes, this is an extremely trivial one.

Oh - and I think you should have sub-forum just for the manual; even if the traffic will be very low it's a way of emphasizing  how important the manual is.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: torne on February 27, 2013, 05:32:50 AM
The manual for most devices where MSC/MTP modes both exist *does* say to switch it to MSC; which device specifically are you talking about?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: umptious on February 27, 2013, 09:30:50 AM
I'm talking about the Fuze manual (hence the comment about the typo re. Fuze EQ) and I did not say that the manual did not tell the user which USB mode to use. What I said was that

- The manual does not tell you to select the player as a drive; yes you can only do in this in MSC mode, but that it is not the same as telling people this needs to be done

- If you make a mistake with mode/selecting the player as the drive, the installer doesn't tell you, and that the manual does not warn of this behaviour

I'd suggest that an install guide should be usable by someone with no real computing knowledge, and it should be forgiving if people make a mistake and make a reasonable effort to guide them back on to the correct path. At the moment the manual, while generally good, falls a step or so below this (admittedly high!) level.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: umptious on February 27, 2013, 09:31:41 AM
..And really, when problems like these are the only ones left to worry about, it's a sign you're doing extremely well!
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: r_avital on February 27, 2013, 11:17:26 AM
Kudos for a very well written manual, very detailed.  Is Version r30107-110702 the latest?  How often does it get up dated?
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: torne on February 27, 2013, 01:15:12 PM
I'm talking about the Fuze manual (hence the comment about the typo re. Fuze EQ) and I did not say that the manual did not tell the user which USB mode to use. What I said was that

- The manual does not tell you to select the player as a drive; yes you can only do in this in MSC mode, but that it is not the same as telling people this needs to be done
It does tell you this needs to be done, and also how to do it. See this section: http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-sansafuze/rockbox-buildch2.html#x4-70002.1
Could this be improved? What do you suggest? We welcome improvements to the manual.

Quote
- If you make a mistake with mode/selecting the player as the drive, the installer doesn't tell you, and that the manual does not warn of this behaviour
It's not always possible for the installer to detect this. We look at basic USB info for connected devices but that is not always sufficient to tell whether it's in MSC or MTP mode as some devices use the same IDs for both. I don't know whether this is the case for the Fuze or not, I don't have one. Many players don't have anything really distinctive that we can check for to know if the user has selected the right drive or not :(

It may be that we could do this better for the Fuze specifically, I don't know how the Sansas work; but in general this is difficult to solve.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Gaudeamos on June 05, 2013, 05:05:57 PM
re. giving credit where credit is due...

I find the rb user interface natural and intuitive. For the most part I've found what I've needed by exploring rb's menu tree. At first I used the manual for 'getting started' kind of issues, but not since then.

For my most recent issue, I didn't find what I was looking for in the menus (it's there, I just didn't see it  :-\) I didn't find it in the manual either (likewise it is there...  ::). I found what I needed (in the manual!!!) soon after joining these forums.

There's a weak link here... but I just don't see it ...  ;D
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: atlanx on October 07, 2013, 04:40:31 AM
I have read through the complete manual because quiet a lot of settings
in Rockbox are not self-explaining.

For example :
Dithering - yes/no : what is this setting doing? I have no Idea
Kompressor : Verhältnis : 6:1 : what is this setting doing? I have no clue

It would be nice if Rockbox could explain this a bit in the program and not only at the manual.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: [Saint] on October 07, 2013, 05:23:44 AM
It simply isn't practical to include the documentation in the firmware itself (very few firmwares actually do this, and those that do are usually net-connected devices that can easily direct you to online documentation), and for the most part, Rockbox is set up in such a way that it will "Just Work" for most people with the default settings.

Generally speaking, if you don't know what a particular setting does, or why you should use or enable it, you probably don't need to.


[Saint]
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Tekidos on January 07, 2014, 09:45:25 AM
hi there,
first, thank you for the rockbox firmware..... I have just discover it and keep out my old samsung YP-R0 to make it new and efficient by installing rockbox on it  :)
this is great ; maybe not as pretty as the original Samsung Firmware but so much more efficient..I luv it.

That said, as it seems that the port of Rockbox on YP-R0 is not completely approved, there is no specific manual for this mp3 player, so what is the closest manual that I can use for the Samsung ?
(actually, at random, I use the Toshiba Gigabit S serie)

nb : sorry for my bad english ..i'm working on  :-[
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: BrianW on January 31, 2014, 08:03:27 AM
I did read the installation part of the manual before I loaded Rockbox onto my Sansa Clip Zip.
I used the automated process (why not?) and all was going well until I saw the pop-up about requiring the original Sandisk firmware (bin file). I aborted the install, worked out what to do and then started again with a successful result. I was surprised that the need to pre-download the Sansa firmware was not covered in the automated install instructions as far as I could see. Could the manual be updated to reflect this, or if it is there, make it clearer? Sorry if this is not the right place to make this comment but I couldn't see where else to suggest changes to the manual.
Thanks.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Bipolaman 69 on October 16, 2014, 12:15:57 PM
LOL.. looks like most of us are skim-readers..

Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Neil Parks on October 30, 2014, 10:24:24 PM
I did read the installation part of the manual before I loaded Rockbox onto my Sansa Clip Zip.
I used the automated process (why not?) and all was going well until I saw the pop-up about requiring the original Sandisk firmware (bin file). I aborted the install, worked out what to do and then started again with a successful result. I was surprised that the need to pre-download the Sansa firmware was not covered in the automated install instructions as far as I could see. Could the manual be updated to reflect this, or if it is there, make it clearer? Sorry if this is not the right place to make this comment but I couldn't see where else to suggest changes to the manual.
Thanks.
I had the same situation installing onto a Clip+.
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: fennectech on December 10, 2014, 10:26:44 AM
nope i never read the manual  allways knew it was there so if i have a problem i keep it around  but havent really read it
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: spudmachine on October 31, 2017, 04:08:12 PM
Hello,
I am new to the whole Rockbox thing, but I just ordered an AGPtek Rocker as it seems to offer the "next step up" from budget MP3 players.  I ordered a pair of SoundMAGIC ES20s to go with it.

So my understanding is that this AGPtek unit is the "official" Rockbox hardware, but you don't seem to have a manual for it?  At least, it doesn;t seem to be listed on the manual page as far as I can see.

So, in answer to the question at the top of this thread...I will read the manual if you provide one :-)

BTW, if this thing is any good I may put together a basic video review on YouTube.  There doesn't seem to be one at the moment.

Cheers,
SPuD
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: Bilgus on October 31, 2017, 04:16:12 PM
"official" Rockbox hardware

Where did you get a notion like that? We have (had?) a port in progress but as far as I know it is not any where near done
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: spudmachine on November 07, 2017, 11:34:15 AM
I actually thought I saw it as an announcement on this forum, but when I tried to check the next day the forum was down, and it stayed down for several days until I lost interest.  The message I saw seemed to suggest that the Rocker was the "official platform" for Rockbox going forward.

That seemed to make sense to me because you can't really buy any MP3 players that support Rockbox now.

I now have the AGPtek Rocker and it's reasonably good.  The UI totally sucks, as do all of these low cost Chinese players (in fact they all seem to share the same, non-intuitive UI as the icons are identical).

Am I wrong, or is Rockbox just sort of "dying"?  (Note - I'm not trying to be rude with that question.  I appreciate this is an open source effort that's supported by enthusiasts).

I've never tried Rockbox (because I don't have any hardware capable of running it), but some people seem to like it.

Why not just approach AGPtek and try to get them to support it officially?  I would think it would be a major boost for their sales.



Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: saratoga on November 07, 2017, 12:42:42 PM
Am I wrong, or is Rockbox just sort of "dying"?  (Note - I'm not trying to be rude with that question.  I appreciate this is an open source effort that's supported by enthusiasts).

I don't think so, although MP3 players are becoming much less common, so there are less devices and less people than 10 years ago.

Why not just approach AGPtek and try to get them to support it officially?  I would think it would be a major boost for their sales.

They aren't interested. 
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: GreyBeast on February 12, 2018, 08:11:36 PM
I have a leatherbound King James edition of the manual.

If I may bitch a little, I'm going broke binding a new edition every daily build.

This is the kind of quote where I miss a "Like" button :)
Title: Re: Have you read the Rockbox Manual?
Post by: davespagnol on May 13, 2020, 10:58:21 AM
Is this the longest-running poll in the History of the World?