Multi-user profile support in Winamp 5.11+ (inc Paths.ini Editor)

[Benski]

I'm currently adding multi-user profile support for Winamp 5.11 (not yet released as of this post). I'd like to hear from users on what additional features might be necessary.

Here's how it works so far. On load-up, Winamp reads from "paths.ini" which will be located in the same folder as winamp.exe. This ini file has four entries
inidir: overrides where Winamp and plugins store their data files.
m3udir: overrides where Winamp will store its playlist.
inifile: overrides the name of "winamp.ini"
class: overrides the Winamp class name (like the /class= commandline switch)

When Winamp reads paths.ini, it will expand environment variables and CSIDLs. Environment variables should be surrounded by %, and CSIDLs surrounded by {}'s.
A list of CSIDLs can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...8VS.85%29.aspx
Please note that paths.ini requires the decimal value of each of these, while MSDN lists the hexadecimal value.

An example paths.ini would be
[Winamp]
inidir={26}\Winamp
inifile=%USERNAME%.ini
m3udir={13}
class=Winamp_%USERNAME%

Which would make winamp and plugins store their data in C:\Documents and Settings\Benski\Application Data\Winamp, the inifile be called Benski.ini, the playlist saved in My Music, and the winamp instance to be uniquely identified as Winamp_Benski

Note that the install will create a default paths.ini, so most users won't have to mess with this. However, it can be customized to meet other needs.

Comments? Suggestions?

-benski

[Koopa]

Why do you want to save the playlist in My Music, instead of $AppDataDir$\Winamp (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\Benski\Application Data\Winamp), like the other settings?

It makes it much harder to backup the settings and blows up My Music folder.

Just to to satisfy my curiosity, why is the winamp instance called Winamp_%USERNAME% (e.g. Winamp_Benski) instead of just Winamp? Is there a special reason for this?

Thanks a lot for taking this issue, I guess many Winamp users wait for this since years.

Keep on your great work.

[DrO]

Koopatrooper: it's just an example of what the settings could be. as long as the folder exists then you can specify it for where you want the files and settings to be stored. and the different options are there to hopefully work around just about all situations that could be thought of based on restricted access and user's 'quirkiness'

-daz

[Benski]

DrO is right - those were just examples of various things you could do.

However, there might be a reason, for example:
Storing the playlist in My Music would allow you to take advantage of relative pathnames - you could move the My Music folder around and not worry about it.

Creating unique class names allows for multiple instances of winamp (even when the multiple instance setting is off). It can be useful if you want to run two winamps but still don't want multiple instances to spawn automatically.

If you choose "Use individual settings per user" in the installer, paths.ini will be created as follows:
[Winamp]
inidir={26}\Winamp

Note that "\Winamp" will be replaced by the subfolder that winamp is installed to. Installing to C:\Program Files\Winamp5 would cause result in:
[Winamp]
inidir={26}\Winamp5

[MasterViVi]

It should be able to detect all users (and the OS of course) automatically. Everything should be stored in Application Data by default.

Otherwise, nice work. Just make sure it'll be able to run a seperate Winamp-per-user.

[d3x7r0]

Originally posted by MasterViVi
It should be able to detect all users (and the OS of course) automatically. Everything should be stored in Application Data by default.

Otherwise, nice work. Just make sure it'll be able to run a seperate Winamp-per-user.

agreed, it should store in the Application Data folder by default, changing the location of the my music folder is something only advanced users consider (at least most of the times)...

[shepard]

I am glad to see this is being resolved. I am a fairly new user of WinAmp and have been singing it's praises to family and friends. We just stumbled upon WinAmp not working properly on XP computers with multiple users and could not believe it! I had just converted my son to WinAmp and he has re-ripped most of his CD's to MP#'s. My son and daughter want me to remove WinAmp from the computer they share. Then they plan to go back to using WMP!!!!

To help me delay their demands, do you have an approximate date of the release of this fixed version?

Thanks.

[Koopa]

Everything should be stored in Application Data by default.

I agree, nice, if advanced users can change the loaction, but all should be stored in AppData by default.

[chris_31]

...nice to see this problem is finally approached in a proper way

Just a few thoughts on that, most of them have been already mentioned anyway:
- make sure it works without requiring *any* write access to the %PROGRAMFILES%\Winamp folder in the default installation
- it should seamlessly handle multiple instances of the same user or of different users (fast user switching)
- winamp agent must be aware of these settings also
- I'm not sure about how older third-party plugins will be able to cope with this; I suppose some of them will need to be rewritten as well.
- Oh, and while you're at it: to let the file associations be changed on a per-user level, consider using HKCU instead of HKLM (this goes for other registry stuff as well, of course)

... just my 2 cents,
cheers
Chris

[shepard]

An answer to this question may make it easier to be patient when waiting for major fixes like this one.... Are the people making the fixes and changes for new releases paid programmers for AOL. Or are they volunteers who are doing it on their own time?

[d3x7r0]

Originally posted by shepard
An answer to this question may make it easier to be patient when waiting for major fixes like this one.... Are the people making the fixes and changes for new releases paid programmers for AOL. Or are they volunteers who are doing it on their own time?

Paid for, the only volunteer in winamp is DrO and the JTFE plugin...

[DJ Egg]

It doesn't say "Winamp Dev Team" under Benski's name for nothing :/

It sounds great, but if I use only one user I wouldn't like to bothered with something like a login screen or something (like in trillian). If there is only one user, all should remain the same.

[DrO]

er there is no login screen...

-daz

Ok

[MasterViVi]

Michgelsen

What on earth do you picture of "multi-user profile support"? XD

Something like trillian and windows have now. Each user has his own profile with his own settings and playlist. For the program to know which profile to load, you must enter your name or something like that.

[d3x7r0]

Originally posted by Michgelsen
Something like trillian and windows have now. Each user has his own profile with his own settings and playlist. For the program to know which profile to load, you must enter your name or something like that.

Multi-user support is support for the multi-user feature in windows! Having different winamp preferences, playlists, media library, etc for each Windows user... That's multi-user support!

Trillian's login screen is for you to login into different accounts for a messenger service...

Thanks man for making this clear. Sorry I totally misunderstood the whole thing... Never mind.

[mike hinson]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to create this feature Benski.

I have 2 requests.

1).
I would like to maintain separate media libraries for several members of my family. Because of this I would like to invoke different user profiles by starting Winamp with an additional parameter for each "user" while only using a single account on my Windows machine.

e.g.
"C:\Program Files\Winamp\winamp.exe" /user=fred

2).
I would also like the ability to set "flags" in the ID3 header that would identify the users of that particular file (e.g. fred, bill, john). This would help when using multiple PCs to access media on a shared drive.

I have tried putting names in the comments field manually for this purpose but it gets complex when removing a specific name from a list of names. I think perhaps the comments field could still be used for the "flags" if Winamp was aware of the flag names & was able to make their maintenance straight forward.

Thanks,
/\/\

[glop]

mike hinson >> just one thing about the 1)
you can create a special view for each member without private some people to see other media

filename BEGINS "C:\mp3\john"
filename BEGINS "C:\mp3\mike"
filename BEGINS "C:\mp3\mum"

and so on

[mike hinson]

Originally posted by glop
...>> just one thing about the 1)
you can create a special view for each member...

Thanks Glop, my particular requirement is to share the media where there is a considerable overlap in use of the files. I think if I understand you then your method would mean I needed multiple copies of the media that was used by more than one person.

Thanks,
/\/\

[glop]

mmm not at all (or i don't understand what you want!) if there is one (just need reorganisation.....this files are in that directory and so one. and when you want a library you have yours...

i just want to say there are alternative of multi using and not necessary a copy of media !

I'd like to second mike hinson's request to invoke a profile via a command line switch (winamp.exe /user=fred).

I've been looking for a solution that would allow multiple instances of winamp with different plug-in configurations. For example, instance 1 configured to run a vis and output to front channels, instance 2 configured to output rear channels and no vis.

Mike's suggestion would allow that.

[ByTor201]

One suggestion I would make is to enable/disable multiple profiles during the installation process. It wouldn't necessary be visible to the user, but it would just create a default profile and no UI to change it.

[d3x7r0]

Originally posted by d3x7r0
Multi-user support is support for the multi-user feature in windows! Having different winamp preferences, playlists, media library, etc for each Windows user... That's multi-user support!

Trillian's login screen is for you to login into different accounts for a messenger service...

Just quoting myself since I see a lot of people that don't understand just how multi-user support is supposed to work...

EDIT: btw if you need 2 different winamp installs for 2 different porposes just copy the folder and rename the new to something like winamp_avs... I believe there aren't any configs left in the registry...

[DrO]

the /inidir commandline switch should be able to what's needed since you can then create shortcuts and have the same winamp install still but just the different settings (edited post)

-daz

[Benski]

5.11 has been released. However, due to several issues*, the option won't be available to the user in the installer or winamp. However, the features are there - DrO should be doing a write up on how to modify Winamp to take advantage of it.

* - Due to lack of time, some of the plugins shipped with Winamp still assume that configuration files live in the same folder as Winamp itself. Many popular third party plugins assume this, also.

[shepard]

The features are there but not available to the user? I'm not sure I understand. If we download and install this version, will there be multi user support. Like in other XP software where each user has their own library and settings?

[DrO]

as things stand, the current mutli-user implementation works but it has to be manually configured ie creating paths.ini yourself. there's been some additions to what was posted at the start of this thread and i intend to get at least the first attempt at documentation on setting up paths.ini and some other information about the options and the way that they work to be finished by tomorrow night (well that's the plan at least since work and real life hindered having it prepared just before 5.11 went live)

-daz

[DJ Egg]

Yes and no. There's no ui options in the 5.11 release (not in the installer or the winamp prefs), but (primary/basic) multi-user functionality is there.

Hopefully, 1) it'll be completed in time for 5.12 or 5.2 (whatever the next release version # is) and 2) DrO will post the guide sometime in the next day or two, so you can test what's there if you want, heh.

[Edit] Bleh, too slow again, heh [/Edit]

[FirebirdTN]

Not meaning to step on toes, but its been done already, I believe with a "installer" (not exactly a plugin), but if you guys are working on *native* multiuser support, then that rocks.

Here is the link; I have been using it for a while now. So far, so good. Hell, it even allows Winamp to run properly for users that have "User" rights (not even Power user rights):


http://forums.winamp.com/showthread....=user+profiles

-ALan

[DJ Egg]

Yeah, we know about all the plugins and workarounds.
This is all about native multi-user support.

[FirebirdTN]

You guys STILL rock.....amazing!

Sorry I didn't read the whole thread. Honestly, I just don't come here much because well.....everything works for me, and if I have a question, I usually find the answer in a forum search. Wouldn't it be nice of other newbies tried the "search" function?

I stopped by today just to pick up the multiuser installer for another rig I am working on, and couldn't be bothered to find out where I hid the CD I made with it on it.

Anyway, OUTSTANDING....native multiuser support. It has been a long time coming, but glad you guys got around to it.

Carry on...

-Alan

[Benski]

If anyone wants to test out the multi-user feature, here's some files to set it up.

Run the "copyprofile.bat" file (it assumes your winamp installation is in Program Files\Winamp, you can edit the batch file if it's elsewhere). This copies your existing profile into your user folder, so you don't lose everything.

You'll want to run copyprofile.bat as each Windows user, unless you don't mind having default settings.

Put the "paths.ini" file in the same folder as winamp.exe

Report back any oddities here

If you ever need to go back to the old Winamp behavior, simply delete paths.ini from your Winamp folder.

[DrO]

Paths.ini Editor v1.0

This will let you load/save a paths.ini into the specified folder (will default to the last correct Winamp installation folder). Comes with a handy look-up and preview of the paths.ini entries.

To remove an entry from the file then uncheck the relevant line. If when going to save the paths.ini file all lines are disabled then the file will be removed.

Full information break down on the different entries is to come soon and i'll look into adding in a mini backup/transfer mode as the bat file in benski's attachment does to keep things neater

The gui is a bit lame but i'm not too sure how else to display/retrieve what's needed, heh The [...] buttons aren't implemented and i probably need to make this app remember some of it's states between usage but you can load/save a valid paths.ini as it stands

edit: 07/11/2005
Hopefully 0.7a fixes the restricted user issue with the program not loading

edit: 13/11/2005
Uploaded v0.8 which (should) fix the incorrect preview issue oneweb was having. Also added in an overwrite/delete prompt and a few minor tweaks to the layout/handling of the dialog window

edit: 16/06/2010
Updated to request evelation on Vista / Windows 7
Converted tool to be unicode allowing for unicode paths in paths.ini to be edited
Added compacting of paths when changed via the browse for folder buttons
Added handling of %WINAMP_PROGRAM_DIR% and %WINAMP_ROOT_DIR% (depends on the Winamp client used as to how well this will work)
Fixed some minor issues with environment variables not being enumerated correctly
Fixed tool not exiting correctly in all cases
Minor visual tweaks

-daz

[oneweb]

Great work, have been looking forward to a real solution like this for such a long time! (logon scripts and manual folder permission setting can be such a pain)

The paths editor doesn't work for me though
Unzipped it but it doesn't load, crash or give any error on winXP sp2 English.

[DrO]

what's the error (if you're running xp there should be a detailed crash log available)

-daz

[Urzumph]

DrO, I think I am having the same difficulty as oneweb. The program runs, but doesn't seem to do anything. There are no error messages, it just quits immediately without ever displaying anything. I have tried it in a bunch of different compatability modes, and it doesn't seem to change anything. I am also running this on an XP SP2 / English machine.

[redxii]

I run as non-admin and the paths editor will fail silently as you two describe, however, when I run it as admin (Run As) it works just fine. So are you guys running the paths editor as admin?

And with focus on non-admin, the multi-user support seems to be doing well. There are no errors as a result of lack of write access to C:\Program Files\Winamp. The ml_ipod plugin appears to function fine although I haven't actually plugged in my iPod to try it out.