Winamp for Ubuntu

[Nedward]

i was thinking it would be a great idea to add Winamp to the list of media players for ubuntu and possibly other Linux Distros. Winamp is so configurable and people who use Linux would be very happy to use it.

Unless I'm wrong and its already been talked about.

[DrO]

it's been talked about ever since Winamp was created. either use Winamp under WINE or use one of the many competent players designed to work on Linux - porting Winamp to Linux would not be the same as the Windows version - the Android version has clearly proved this point which has been mentioned for the decade i've been around these parts.

-daz

[MrSinatra]

interesting...

what about porting the android ver to linux? the base version is free already, so why not?

[DrO]

no idea as even that would likely need to be re-worked to make the core work on Linux properly i'd expect (even though Android is basically Linux) - but as it's not something i've got any interest or need to work on, i could be wrong. but it's still the same thing in that it's not going to be like Winamp proper as people seem to want (i.e. skin and plug-in support).

-daz

[MrSinatra]

i understood, but seems like an opportunity to be big on a platform that otherwise doesn't have great options. potentially i could see them buying pro versions as well. yes, smaller market, but also they have far fewer choices.

[Kilobyte]

Ok, i know this topic is a bit older already, but i am wanting a native linux version too. Regarding wine: Winamp seems to not run that stable in Wine. Also, some GUI elements do not show (Time counter, time slider, the entire media library). You already ported it for OSX, so why not linux. There are probably many more people out there who will agree with me.

[DrO]

the Mac client is a completely different code base to the Windows version. if Wine doesn't work well then that's not our fault as we only support Windows, not Linux. i realise people want a linux version but like with everything else that's been created, it would not be the same as the desktop version and there's just not anything to warrant the massive undertaking for such small usage compared to the platforms already supported.

and that's not forgetting all of the Winamp clones (as isn't it really just having the Winamp look anyway since the code is going to be different under the hood). so i think a linux version is pretty much never going to happen.

getting the Android core to run on it also involves a lot of work (though less than porting the Windows codebase) and that's before even considering the UI element of things. i can go on more if wanted as to the impracticalities for such a move and really if it was going to have happened, it would have done so by now and there are plenty of good audio players on linux without having to make another one and go through the pain of new code.

[rockouthippie]

Closer to the mark is that Winamp is so embedded in Windows code, that it would be nearly impossible to re-create it for linux. There are alternatives for linux. You got juk, vlc, xmbc, banshee, nuvola, spotify, clementine, rhythymbox and maybe a dozen others.... or if you'd got some juice... you can just run windows under linux with virtualbox.

I never had much luck with wine running Winamp, but I haven't tried it in a couple years. My recommendation at this point would be xmbc. This "open" stuff changes, so there may be better alternatives I haven't played with.

[ravermeister]

when I had a Kubuntu System I was most satisfied with
amarok --> http://amarok.kde.org/
and
xmmp --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XMMS

I think it is not really neccesary to port winamp to linux, as
there are plenty of good open source player out there, and
as stated above, it would just take too much time and power.

[rockouthippie]

Ubuntu now ships with Unity desktop. You could use Amarok or xmms, but you'd be using kde libraries, which is kinda loading up stuff that didn't need loading. Xmbc is probably the closest to the feature set you'd find in current Winamp, including visualizations... etc.

[ravermeister]

xmms and amarok support visuals as well,
through libsdl I think.
with this lib, the milkdrop clone works too
have a look at: http://projectm.sourceforge.net/

[rockouthippie]

libsdl doesn't ship with Ubuntu. I'd call it deprecated.

The move is, for better or for worse, platform and hardware independent code. Your web browser will display it, or it isn't relevant.

The question for Microsoft and Apple is: How do we sell something that isn't worth anything anymore?

Play with a Chromebook. You'll see what I'm saying.

Visualizations, playing HD video, rendering fast graphics? A miracle ten years ago, now just a common function of a web browser. Will the browser I have perform the functions of html5 standards? If it won't, it's ready for the bin.

Microsoft just found that out when they lost 750 million on the Surface tablet. Windows 8 has nearly formed a lynch mob. Developers are fleeing IE 10 if they can help it.

Firefox is trying to pretend it's Eric Snowden.

Winamp? In a few years it will either run on your toaster while cooking a pop tart or?

BTW. If anybody that matters reads this, I have truly been enjoying your Android app. Thanks.

[alex25502]

I would love to have a "WinAmp for Linux"!

[DrO]

sure... i hope your pockets are deep enough to pay for all of the development that's needed to create a Winamp branded Linux client that'll take a few years to do and to keep it going afterwards as i expect you'd not want others to have to pay anything to use it?

or... rather than asking for something that won't fit what you think you want (as we've already seen, the other clients in the family don't bear much resemblance to the desktop client) you look at one of the many media players already available on Linux than trying to get something to happen (which pretty much won't). just having something with Winamp officially on it won't make it super lovely - we still haven't got the desktop client right after 16+yrs so think about how long it'd take to do anything for Linux (and compare how long it's taken to get WAFA to where it is for Android...).

and also see my signature (which is really the only reason i decided to post a rambling rant in this thread) to point out that WinAmp is not something that has existed for over a decade!

[Victhor]

A bit offtopic; I've just saw your signature, kinda funny, some years ago I would thought "why so much trouble for capitalisation??" but now I know where it comes from.. I've read the other day "internet turned people into stupid", it's kinda true, but I think it actually put together normal/user/non-tech-guy with developer and professionals, all together in (almost) the same space, inevitable result is the former asking a lot of un - thought stuff to the latter, usually ignoring the big effort, years of experience and the money (among others..) needed to achieve things. They kinda think that, because "computer achieve wonder", developer can too, effortlessly, quick and at zero cost (cause "it doesn't take mo' than typin' and clickin' ya know?").

So, anyway, winamp for Linux would be cool, a winamp mp3 (physical) player would be cool, winamp for Smart TVs would be cool, etc, but that's on an ideal world, enjoy what it is now and learn to do the rest if it's really your desire (kinda like the Xion's guy did), asking for it won't make it to happen (unless...)