New Idea For Pmenu

[HackModford]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a media/music functionality built right into PMenu?

So in theory you just click the Music tab and you have a "Library" of your Mp3s kinda like the iPod. So you can look via Album, Artisct, etc.

Just an idea...

 

[dflemstr]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a media/music functionality built right into PMenu?

Please, no. Let's not over-complicate things. PMenu should do what PMenu does best. If you want to copy Moblin then set that as the goal for another project.

It's at least *my* vision (and I think that that's what Cpas's vision is too) that the PMenu should be a *lightweight* program launching system, and that's what it is. GLES2D doesn't support widgets and doesn't have a decent input system (which is understandable - it's made to display graphics not to replace the X-server) so it would be *very* difficult to add random features to it beyond the features it has now.

 

[WizardStan]

So I'm guessing neither of you saw the video recently posted of Pmenu playing a movie right in the selection screen.

 

[JayFoxRox]

Yes, first this doesn't deserve its own topic, and second, its already in the works like WizardStan already mentioned, you could have found this one out quite easily.Also if it is only for movies so far you could just add the rest yourself.

 

[dflemstr]

So I'm guessing neither of you saw the video recently posted of Pmenu playing a movie right in the selection screen.

We did, but that's just an embedded MPlayer, and not really something I'd prefer to use. (It's the stereotypical hack)
Also, the means don't justify the purpose. Just because you *can* do something doesn't mean that it should be done.

Read more about the controversy in the Developer's Corner!

 

[WizardStan]

Read more about the controversy in the Developer's Corner!

Thanks, but I think I'll pass. Politics make me queasy.

 

[HackModford]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a media/music functionality built right into PMenu?

Please, no. Let's not over-complicate things. PMenu should do what PMenu does best. If you want to copy Moblin then set that as the goal for another project.

It's at least *my* vision (and I think that that's what Cpas's vision is too) that the PMenu should be a *lightweight* program launching system, and that's what it is. GLES2D doesn't support widgets and doesn't have a decent input system (which is understandable - it's made to display graphics not to replace the X-server) so it would be *very* difficult to add random features to it beyond the features it has now.

So you're thinking that we should go the iPhone way and have a springboard (PMenu) that launches the iPod app? I guess that would be fine too as long as Pmenu can multitask... but in any case I think Pmenu is awesome...

 

[dflemstr]

So you're thinking that we should go the iPhone way and have a springboard (PMenu) that launches the iPod app?

Yeah, basically. PMenu is supposed to be the *simple* version of the UI, right?

I guess that would be fine too as long as Pmenu can multitask...

I'll use X (and XFCE or Enlightenment etc) for that. BTW, I don't think that PMenu would be able to play music in the background while you do something else even if it supported multitasking, because:
- PMenu suspends itself IIRC when you start something
- There is no PulseAudio since you don't have X → you'd have to use ALSA directly which means that the app you're using has to use ALSA too...
- There is no window-level multitasking since there is no X → you can't switch to the music player unless you close the app you're using.
- There's no input API → you can't control the media player using hotkeys from within another app.

but in any case I think Pmenu is awesome...

It is, especially since it's leveraging the SGX for drawing the UI.

I would have liked something more modular (that would make it possible to use e.g. media players from inside the menu *without* hacks; like applets) but that can be added later I guess if Cpasjuste is benevolent.

 

[skeezix]

Don't fill cpas head with ideas; oits already a tough enough duty to get something simple together, he's ready to explode

"Version 2" ideas

jeff

 

[Trip]

I don't see what's wrong with PMenu being able to play audio and video, Mplayer is capable of playing both anyway.
It will be useful for previewing files in the menu and quick playing them, I listen to music like that a lot of the time anyway. I get a certain tune in my head and just have to listen to it.

The only thing that it could do with adding is a very basic visualisation to show in the box whilst playing music.

 

[Sphinxter]

Mplayer makes for a great mp3 player too.

 

[bzar]

I don't see what's wrong with PMenu being able to play audio and video, Mplayer is capable of playing both anyway.
It will be useful for previewing files in the menu and quick playing them, I listen to music like that a lot of the time anyway. I get a certain tune in my head and just have to listen to it.

The only thing that it could do with adding is a very basic visualisation to show in the box whilst playing music.

It's not inherently in the ability to play media, it's about concentration of resources. We need, first and foremost, a good, stable, bug-free launcher. It is not wise to spread our attention on extra features before we've nailed that. By adding features, even simple ones we generate need for upkeep, bug fixes, developer time. To put it in a C&C metaphor: don't start building a tech center before you are ready to defend it and still expand.

 

[HackModford]

Thus my subtitle "For the Future"

 

[mzeo77]

Using Mpd for music would be nice for PMenu 2.0. It is a music player daemon listening to simple commands via tcp. It handles playlists and music searches (and playing music of course). It would have the added bonus of being able to control any other mp daemon on your network. Like having some linux computer hooked up to your stereo, being controlled directly in PMenu.