[iPod 5G] Read iPod native playlists in Rb database

[vcardenas]

There has not been any feedback from the people who wanted this feature only from the Devs. Does anybody want me to do an IPod playlist to RB playlist converter?

GRaTT

you are aware that the ipod playlists aren't plain text files?

here is a description of the structure of iTunesDB.

If this is not a problem for your implementation, let me know and i will send you a example file.

[gratt]

you are aware that the ipod playlists aren't plain text files?

I was not! I thought they were XML files. This makes it much more interesting.
The Sansa uses UTF-16 encoding so it was not so hard of a conversion.

If this is not a problem for your implementation, let me know and i will send you a example file.

I may not be able to do this but I would not mind giving it a shot.
There is lots of info on the structure as I see from your post, and even some perl programs to work with the IPod data base (gnupod).
I wrote my sansa playlist converter in perl first, so much easier than C.
Now there is an idea, a perl interpreter for Rockbox.

Please do not expect anything but I will try.
GRaTT
 

[Llorean]

You should probably simply refer to them as "M3U" or "M3U8" rather than "RB playlist." Some people on here miss the fact that they're a standard format, and that makes it more unclear.

[runawaywind]

You should probably simply refer to them as "M3U" or "M3U8" rather than "RB playlist." Some people on here miss the fact that they're a standard format, and that makes it more unclear.

Agreed. It'd be accommodating iTunes playlists.

And sorry for not responding recently. After receiving criticism I didn't think it was worth any more trouble (cuz I realize you guys don't need less knowledgable ppl bothering you), but I'm pleasantly surprised that vcardenas has his own app for the job and gratt has kindly taken a look at things for a plugin. Much thanks to you guys. I haven't tried the app, but I will tomorrow. I look forward to gratt's progress (don't worry I won't expect anything).

[runawaywind]

well the converter that was mentioned didn't work out. It gave me an error and I let it sit, hoping it would complete but nothing happened. I guess my last option is to go to the iTunesExport I mention in the OP. My only concern is that I still want to use iTunes, but I lose the original firmware if I don't sync with iTunes. I'll be opening up a separate thread because my accommodations are to off-topic here.

[gratt]

While waiting for someone to post their itunesdb file I looked at the plugin from page one
of this topic. With some heavy commenting and a few changes I got it compiling.
It was able to read the header info OK but I was only able to extract the number of playlists and the number of songs in each playlist, no text data only numbers.
Since nobody posted a db file I had to search one out, not many out their,
even on the google, so even the info I did get is suspect as I had no way to verify it.

I am sure it is very possible to extract this data, but I have lost interest as I do not have an Ipod and no one here even bothered to post a file for me to work with.

GRaTT

[runawaywind]

While waiting for someone to post their itunesdb file I looked at the plugin from page one
of this topic. With some heavy commenting and a few changes I got it compiling.
It was able to read the header info OK but I was only able to extract the number of playlists and the number of songs in each playlist, no text data only numbers.
Since nobody posted a db file I had to search one out, not many out their,
even on the google, so even the info I did get is suspect as I had no way to verify it.

I am sure it is very possible to extract this data, but I have lost interest as I do not have an Ipod and no one here even bothered to post a file for me to work with.

GRaTT

Apologies. I didn't realize you still needed an iTunesdb file. I've uploaded a large (35mb) file if your still willing to help out.
http://liquidparallax.com/files/iTunesDB

[gratt]

What I originally needed was a small file to work with
example; 2 or 3 playlists with 10 entries. In addition
then the text info, such as a m3u playlist of the same files.
As I said I have lost interest and hit a road block.
I was able to compile the plugin from page one and extract
the header info. Possibly the offsets have changed with
newer itunes db files??
Sorry.
GRaTT

[etien]

Hi everyone, first post here

First of all congratulations to all involved in developing Rockbox. I tried it last December for the first time in my iPod Photo (4G) but it kept freezing so reverted back to the official firmware. I've installed it yesterday again, and I'm pleased to report it's been working fine since.

I am now in the process of migrating all my iTunes info to Rockbox, and for that purpose was looking for a tool to get all my playlists transfered automatically. I found that thread and read it throughout.

I have to say I am a little bit disappointed in what I've read here from the dev team. Such hostile and defensive reactions to what was a very polite, documented remark seems completely out of order.

All projects need feedback from the end-users, now it's up to you to decide who are your end-users. If it is only aimed at a small group of coders, i suggest you design your website and advertisement strategy accordingly, as for the moment Rockbox kind of presents itself as opened to everyone, offers easily available downloads and even (god forbids) a manual to help the uninitiated.

As for the suggestion itself, I agree that making it a permanent plugin to sync playlists between iTunes and Rockbox would stray too far from the purpose of the project, but I do think that a tool to help the migration from iTunes to Rockbox would be a very good "nice-to-have".

[GodEater]

I didn't think we ever said "don't develop such a thing" - I just thought that the *current* developers had no interest in developing such a feature. That doesn't stop anyone else from stepping forward to do it.

Do bear in mind that OSS projects basically exist to "scratch a developer's itch". Currently none of our developers find that the lack of such a tool makes them itch, so they have no desire to scratch it. A tool to do the job you want is therefore not going to appear until someone who does find it itchy steps forward to write it.

[AlexP]

Anyone is welcome to write anything they want, but currently none of our developers want this feature.  If someone else wants it, they are of course free to write it.

[etien]

And I accept and totally understand that, and agree that runawaywind's suggestion wasn't really in scope with your project goals. I was just reacting to the tone of the replies made to him right after his first post, which i felt were a bit hostile.

As for my suggestion, a tool to import iTunes playlists would complete nicely Rockbox to make it a true replacement firmware. Just keep in mind that unlike the devs who have probably been using RB for some time, most users will come with a few years of using a different player behind them, hence in my instance the iTunes playlists which would take a lifetime to reproduce in RB. I am not asking the RB team to get to work straightaway, I am just flagging out that the need is out there, in case someone with the same need and the necessary knowledge reads this.

[GodEater]

The trouble is we get a lot of people who suggest things that they feel are necessary, and very few volunteers to actually do the work.

As I said before, until someone who does need this and is ready to do the work, then it won't happen.

Rockbox isn't designed for end users - it's written by people who enjoy doing so, and who enjoy the end result. Anyone who isn't contributing is basically enjoying the fruits of that labour. Features are added by people interested in doing so in general - and very rarely (I actually can't think of any cases) because end users demand it.

[etien]

I didn't say what I suggested is necessary or a demand, I actually used the words "nice-to-have". A bonus. A complement. And would gladly volunteer to do it myself if I had the knowledge! I think RB is a tremendous project, one which outshines most if not all alternative OSes I have experienced (in a way that I've seen accomplished by only one other project, XBMC).

I guess what I was pointing out is that if a request gets posted, it is not necessarily to get you to do it simply because someone asks for it, but to flag out something that you might not have thought of, or that you had on your todo list, but with maybe lower priority. Knowing that other users would like this or that bit may help you decide what to do first, or make you itch in a place you didn't know could itch, to re-use your metaphor.

RB is designed for end-users, what you are actually saying is that the end-users are the devs themselves. What I was saying is that because we outsiders cannot have another input (as you don't seem to accept donations, there is precious little I could do except maybe come around and play guitar while you code, since this is my trade), we can only voice what we think could improve the product, in the hope that it will coincide with what you think could improve it.

If not then why not have a private forum opened only to devs? That would nicely sort out your problem of being inundated with requests i¬/

In any case, keep up the good work. It doesn't matter if you are not doing it for us, we are all thankful anyway. I am now (almost) freed from the iShackles...

[Llorean]

1) Donations are accepted, visit the front page of rockbox.org
2) We share the project both in the hopes that more people will use it, and that some of those will gain an interest in joining in development. The only "end-users" of any specific feature are the people who developed that feature to scratch an itch, as you put it. Feature Requests go in the Feature Request tracker, not on the forums, and it's highly unlikely the itch will be scratched by someone not itchy.