Rockbox has no Sony cagetory (NWZ-E436F), where is sony_e36x hiding?

[mdlueck]

Greetings,

I have a Sony Walkman NWZ-E436F. I was recommended to switch to Rockbox as the track order is not preserved when I transfer music from Xubuntu Linux with Rhythembox to the native Sony device software. I was told changing the device to Rockbox would clear up the track order issue.

I have successfully installed the Rockbox Utility software onto my workstation via the GetDeb repository.

Starting the Rockbox Utility shows no Sony category what so ever.

The Rockbox Utility appears to detect the mount point of the device correctly, as: /media/WALKMAN

This page did not indicate special steps required for Sony devices:
http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SonyNW#NWZ_45E_Series

It looks like my device would use the sony_e36x image.

Suggestions please.

I am thankful,
Michael

[saratoga]

I haven't followed the Sony players closely, but there is no mention of your player on the list of active ports.  I'm guessing you can't find anything because no one has worked on that player.

[mdlueck]

Greetings,

In the Rockbox Utility screen, I see no vendor listing for Sony at all.

So this "sony_e36x" image the matrix seemed to suggest is correct for my player... what exactly is that?

I am thankful,
Michael

[saratoga]

I think you are misreading that table. 

[mdlueck]

Greetings,

Please explain further. What was I not understanding? Are you noting that the image file is not populated for the exact model player I have? If so, I was thinking to try based on the general text which states there are slight variations within each model family - however that the image file should work in spite of the subtle differences. I certainly would have contributed my testing results.

Still, Sony is not even a vendor option in Rockbox Utility I downloaded / installed today. That does not make sense.

I am thankful,
Michael

[saratoga]

Please explain further. What was I not understanding?

There is no rockbox port to your player, nothing for you to install, and that image file you are referring to is for a different MP3 player than you own (and is not actually an image file, just a description). 

Basically, you can either use the stock firmware that came with your MP3 player, or else buy a new device. 

Edit:  See this thread:  http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?topic=20508.0

If the second to last post is right and its a STMP3750, then maybe eventually a port will be done.

[mdlueck]

Greetings,

and that image file you are referring to is for a different MP3 player than you own (and is not actually an image file, just a description). 

Still, I do not see "Sony" as a vendor on the Rockbox Utility vendor menu list.

I quote from the Sony support page:

Sony usually releases three or more players at one based on the same hardware but without little differences like the bluetooth or the amount of flash. As a consequence, there a families of players based on the same hardware within each A/E/S/Z series and sometimes even across series.

So there is a name populated in the table for the NWZ-E363 and NWZ-E364 model devices. The same name in fact. Based on that, I was hoping to try "sony_e36x" on my device, hoping it was compatible, I would resport such, and "sony_e36x" would then be added to the NWZ-E436F blank.

However, you keep insisting that there is no support period for Sony brand devices. Why have the Sony brand page then? Why have "image files" filled in for various device models. That is confusing to me.

I am thankful,
Michael

[saratoga]

Greetings,

and that image file you are referring to is for a different MP3 player than you own (and is not actually an image file, just a description). 

Still, I do not see "Sony" as a vendor on the Rockbox Utility vendor menu list.

Rockbox Utility cannot install on Sony devices yet.

However, you keep insisting that there is no support period for Sony brand devices.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

Why have the Sony brand page then? Why have "image files" filled in for various device models. That is confusing to me.

We have a wiki containing information about various MP3 players, but no "image files".   Like I said above, the sony_e36x is not a thing you can download, its just a label on that wiki page that describes a group of fairly similar MP3 players.

Edit:  let me be 100% clear, you can find a list of supported players here:  www.rockbox.org.  If you want to run rockbox, buy one of those players. 

[bluebrother]

Still, I do not see "Sony" as a vendor on the Rockbox Utility vendor menu list.

So what? Then it doesn't support that player. Period.

Go to rockbox.org, and check the list of supported players. The only supported Sony players are in the "unusable" category. So from a users point of view you can consider it unsupported -- unless you want to develop for that player there is no point in installing. And why are you insisting on Rockbox Utility to support a player that is considered "unusable"?

[mdlueck]

Greetings,

We have a wiki containing information about various MP3 players, but no "image files".   Like I said above, the sony_e36x is not a thing you can download, its just a label on that wiki page that describes a group of fairly similar MP3 players.

Aaahhh, bingo! "Developer classification" and not an "image file" of the correct Rockbox software to load on the device. Got it.

Edit:  let me be 100% clear, you can find a list of supported players here:  www.rockbox.org.  If you want to run rockbox, buy one of those players.

I have the other way around... I already had the device, and was looking for a solution to the song tracks playing out-of-order on the device but not so in Rhythmbox in Linux. Someone suggested Rockbox as a possible solution to the problem.

I am thankful,
Michael

[[Saint]]

I have the other way around... I already had the device, and was looking for a solution to the song tracks playing out-of-order on the device but not so in Rhythmbox in Linux. Someone suggested Rockbox as a possible solution to the problem.

Well, it seems that the person that said that seems to have a limited understanding of what they are talking about. This isn't entirely uncommon.

Perhaps they thought that Rockbox was a generic firmware, or that there was already a port available for this device, but unfortunately for you, neither of those things are true.

The fastest way this would happen for you is if you were to do it yourself.

As pointed out by others in this thread, if you are not willing to do, or capable of doing, the work required to produce a functional port for this player your best course of action is to purchase one of the supported devices.


[Saint]

[pamaury]

I am the developer of the imx233 port, on which some Sony players are based. There is no port for the  NWZ-E436F. It *might* be similar to the NWZ-E36x series but there will be differences for sure. I must insist that should not attempt anything stupid. As for the E36x, it is not supported by the Rockbox Utility yet (there is some work in progress), it must installed by hand as explained on the wiki and on the forums.
I hope it clarifies things a bit. Also the http://www.rockbox.org/wiki/SonyNW page is supposed to be a technical one, it's nothing official and might be wrong.

[mdlueck]

Perhaps they thought that Rockbox was a generic firmware, or that there was already a port available for this device, but unfortunately for you, neither of those things are true.

I believe they were merely pointing out / recommending to look at Rockbox in general, and it was up to me to determine if it would work with my specific device or not.

As pointed out by others in this thread, if you are not willing to do, or capable of doing

Or just tooooo busy to bother with the perfection of getting tracks to play in the correct order on the MP3 device!  I need to jump into the bowels of complicated OO PHP code to track down an obscure bug within CiviCRM, develop new Software Distribution to manage deployment of Windows and application packages, and and and... track order on MP3 device is "below the line" on my to do list.

I am thankful,
Michael

[mdlueck]

Thank you pamaury for the helpful background.

In the event there is time resources to work on proper support of a NWZ-E436F device in the future, please do not hesitate to ask me to assist with testing.

I am thankful,
Michael

[mdlueck]

I ended up finding the solution to the track list play order issue with my Sony NWZ-E436F and the default Sony software.

It is necessary to prefix the track names with a track number in addition to the track number field. Then once I download music to it from Xubuntu Linux via Rhythembox, the music plays in the same track order as it plays in Rhythembox.

For multi-disk CD sets, then I prefix the track names with continuous numbering series... and the track/disk fields I have those accurate to reflect the per-disk track counter.

I am thankful,
Michael