Disable Radio?

[BoxArockin]

Would it be possible to disable (not show) the FM radio application via a config file setting, etc. even though the hardware has the tuner chip available?

[cool_walking_]

Why?

[BoxArockin]

ie. parental controls (a lot of junk out there on the radio these days I would not necessary want my young kids stumbling across at their age), etc.

Here are some threads with others' reasons:

http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?p=267860

http://www.misticriver.net/forums/iriver-h3xx-series-h320-h340/41162-can-i-disable-radio-function-h340.html#post440753

[cool_walking_]

I don't think this is very likely to be accepted to SVN, but you could try to compile your own build with the radio disabled.

I'm not sure, but I think removing all the blocks of

Code: [Select]

#if CONFIG_TUNER
...
#endif

from rockbox/apps/root_menu.c might work.

[Llorean]

Why not simply remove the CONFIG_TUNER define, then?

[cool_walking_]

Tried that first, but a bunch of code in rockbox/firmware/target/arm/sandisk, I think, didn't like that.  Doing the above gets it to compile, at least.  I don't have my e200 on me, so I couldn't actually test it.

[Llorean]

Did you compile in a different folder than usual (or make veryclean)?

[cool_walking_]

Yes, a new directory.  I've just retraced my steps.  Above, I gave the wrong folder (rockbox/firmware/target/arm/sandisk) for the error messages from removing that define.

Here are the errors from removing #define CONFIG_TUNER LV24020LP from firmware/export/config-e200.h

Code: [Select]

...

CC apps/menus/playlist_menu.c
CC apps/menus/recording_menu.c
/home/anthony/rockbox/apps/menus/recording_menu.c: In function ‘recsource_func’:
/home/anthony/rockbox/apps/menus/recording_menu.c:89: error: ‘LANG_FM_RADIO’ undeclared (first use in this function)
/home/anthony/rockbox/apps/menus/recording_menu.c:89: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
/home/anthony/rockbox/apps/menus/recording_menu.c:89: error: for each function it appears in.)
/home/anthony/rockbox/apps/menus/recording_menu.c:89: warning: missing initializer
/home/anthony/rockbox/apps/menus/recording_menu.c:89: warning: (near initialization for ‘names[1].string’)
/home/anthony/rockbox/apps/menus/recording_menu.c:95: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘radio_hardware_present’
make: *** [/home/anthony/build-sansae200/apps/menus/recording_menu.o] Error 1
rm /home/anthony/build-sansae200/apps/bitmaps/native/usblogo.128x37x16.c /home/anthony/build-sansae200/apps/bitmaps/native/default_icons.6x8x16.c /home/anthony/build-sansae200/apps/bitmaps/native/rockboxlogo.176x54x16.c

So then I took a punt and also removed #define HAVE_TUNER_PWR_CTRL and | SRC_CAP_FMRADIO from config-e200.h, and got the following.  The first time, I didn't start again with a different directory at this point, but when retracing my steps just now, I did (or rather, deleted and recreated the same directory name), with the same effect.

Code: [Select]

...

CC firmware/target/arm/sandisk/sansa-e200/powermgmt-e200.c
CC firmware/target/arm/sandisk/audio-c200_e200.c
/home/anthony/rockbox/firmware/target/arm/sandisk/audio-c200_e200.c: In function ‘audio_input_mux’:
/home/anthony/rockbox/firmware/target/arm/sandisk/audio-c200_e200.c:72: error: ‘AUDIO_SRC_FMRADIO’ undeclared (first use in this function)
/home/anthony/rockbox/firmware/target/arm/sandisk/audio-c200_e200.c:72: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
/home/anthony/rockbox/firmware/target/arm/sandisk/audio-c200_e200.c:72: error: for each function it appears in.)
make: *** [/home/anthony/build-sansae200/firmware/target/arm/sandisk/audio-c200_e200.o] Error 1
rm /home/anthony/build-sansae200/apps/bitmaps/native/usblogo.128x37x16.c /home/anthony/build-sansae200/apps/bitmaps/native/default_icons.6x8x16.c /home/anthony/build-sansae200/apps/bitmaps/native/rockboxlogo.176x54x16.c
anthony@blahblah:~/build-sansae200$

So then I gave up that route and removed the #if CONFIG_TUNERs from root_menu.c, which worked.

[Gareth Schakel]

I'm probably going to sound like a moron here, but: you could also try building an fmpresets file that contains only the stations you want them listening too... i believe the format is "XXXX000000:STNM Station Name" where the Xs represent the frequency, and STNM the call letters

[AlexP]

It is trivially easy (one button press) to switch from preset to manual mode, so that on its own will not help I don't think.

[TAC109]

Of course, no mater what you do in RockBox, the user could simply boot into the original firmware and use the radio from there. You'd have to somehow disable it in the OF. If you flash using an OF without radio, the person you are trying to censor can always flash it back.

Censorship can always be circumvented by the determined.

[ve4cib]

Maybe I'm just an idiot, but if people are that worried about their kids listening to the radio maybe it would be more practical to buy a device without such capability?  Or monitor how much the kids use it?  Or if you want to be really paranoid you could open the device up and physically disconnect the antenna.  But honestly parental control software does not protect children.  Good parenting protects children.

Now, from a more practical standpoint, disabling the radio because of a hardware problem (like the antenna connection on the chip broke), or because you simply don't use the radio (ever) and want to take it out of the menu... that I can see as being a justifiable reason for this request.

[cool_walking_]

maybe it would be more practical to buy a device without such capability?

e200s are pretty cheap (although the OP hasn't specified which player this is for). 

Or monitor how much the kids use it?

Even assuming this is practical (which it isn't), I imagine being followed around by a parent who is making sure you are only listening to certain radio stations might be much more frustrating than having no radio at all.  A lot of the time, I like to relax, lie down, and listen to music alone, with my eyes closed.  How would this omnipresent parent affect that?

Or if you want to be really paranoid you could open the device up and physically disconnect the antenna.

Because that's somehow a better solution than just disabling it in software?  

But honestly parental control software does not protect children.  Good parenting protects children.

I'm pretty sure the OP thinks they are doing the latter by doing the former.

As I am now, there's no way I would ever censor the radio myself, but people keep telling me everything changes when you have your own kids, and this is definitely something for the parent to decide, not you.

[ve4cib]

I wasn't proposing following the kids around and taking the headphones away from them every few minutes to check what they're listening to.  Clearly that's a bad idea.  I was thinking more along the lines of just keeping an eye on how many hours a day does the kid walk around with the headphones in.

But how about explaining to your kids what your expectations of good behaviour and acceptable music are and trusting them to be responsible?  Check how often they have their headphones on.  If it's 24/7 maybe mention that they should take a break?  Or if they're obviously enjoying what they're listening to why not ask them what it is they're listening to that they enjoy so much.  Active, interested, involved parenting seems to be a better solution than disabling features because you don't think your children can be trusted with them.


Anyway, that's enough of my views on parenting.  As I said, there are other legitimate reasons for wanting to disable the radio.  I don't know how many people will actually need/want this functionality, but I suppose it's a good option to have around.

[Chronon]

As long as there are legitimate reasons for a feature I don't think it's productive to micromanage every user's reasons for wanting it.  (Also, this isn't a parenting forum.  )  However, I expect that the most that would likely be done about this is to make it easier to disable at compile time.