Default with timeout for "ASK" items

[oayz]

It mostly concerned bookmarking. We have a few items with "ask" option. If selected RB will wait indefinetly for user choice. Does it make sense to set default item with some timeout so if user doesn't take an action than default will be automatically choosen?

The same concept can be applied to Start Screen (there is no ASK option there as of now)

[AlexP]

Speaking personally, I don't generally like things that change the screen or perform actions without my say so, unless I specifically asked for it (like idle shutdown).  What if I get distracted halfway through, so then a bookmark isn't taken?  I also foresee massive arguments over what action is default

I wouldn't fight to the death to oppose an option to let a timeout be set (as long as the default was off), but I would oppose it as we already have to many options, and as I say I don't like things to do stuff on their own.

Incidentally, related things like automatically going to the WPS after a timeout have been rejected before.

Just my 2p

[Yotto]

Rockbox waiting patiently for me to make a choice is one of my absolute loves of the software.

I sometimes fiddle with my Rockbox while driving (I know, yell at me later). I will *frequently* hit Menu, then drive a bit, scroll down to an option and hit Select, then drive a bit, then select another option, etc, until the job is done. If there was a timeout value I may be encouraged (inadvertently, but encouraged just the same) to pay more attention to Rockbox than the idiot driving in front of me. And that would be a bad thing.

[oayz]

OK but "Save Bookmark on Exit" will sit and drain the power forever waiting for your responce. Also if ASK is added to Start Screen RB will not start playing w/o user input.

Suggested feature is optional so everyone can customize it the way they like. Default choice is of cause customizable, not sure if timeout should be. Interface-wise "ask" should have sub-menu:
- default (Off, Item1, ... ItemN)
- timeout (1..10)

[Llorean]

Why would someone put "ask" as the start screen if they wanted it to start playing without user input?

[Yotto]

I wasn't proposing adding anything.

From what I can see, there is no way to get Rockbox to stay awake past the power-down timer unless you are playing audio (or recording, I suspect, but I don't have a recorder).

I have my Rockbox set up to ask if I want to load a bookmark or not. I do not have it set up to ask whether or not to save a bookmark (it just does. Always). I have never been in a situation where I ran out of battery due to the ask screen keeping the machine in a permanent "on but not playing" state.

If this is the case with "ask before making a bookmark" then maybe it should respect the power-off timer and just not save a bookmark. Or save one, I don't know. There's no need to add more timeouts, though. They'll just annoy those of us who are used to our Rockboxes staying where we left them.

[torne]

Idle poweroff will eventually cause an unclean shutdown; I'm not sure whether it terminates the prompt before that, but the unclean shutdown timeout is unavoidable (intentionally).

Relatedly, I fixed it a while ago such that if during the course of an idle poweroff it feels the need to ask whether to bookmark or not, it just assumes the answer is no (because otherwise the unclean shutdown timeout was being hit).

[oayz]

They'll just annoy those of us who are used to our Rockboxes staying where we left them.

It's not the same. We're talking about timeout from the question RB pops-up by itself. Similar to Windows timeout on closing application during shut-down

Anyway, sounds like this is not something important ... let it go.