[mythtv] MythMusic - Support for ipod/portable devices

[Duncan Palmer]

Hi,

For a little while, I've been interested in adding support for portable devices (ipods etc) to MythMusic so that I can manage my ipod using my PVR... Basically, I want to be able to delete music from, and export music to my ipod. 

Sometime last year, I posted a proof of concept type patch that achieved some of this... In the last couple of months, I've had time to rework this, and with any luck I may have something completely usable soon. 

The approach I've taken is to implement 'music stores'. A store is a source of data and metadata that is hot-pluggable. When a store is connected, I load metadata from it into the myth database (i've taken this approach as it means that stores fit neatly into mythmusic, rather than requiring extensive special case modifications such as those used to support cd's) - this allows a store to be accessed just like the 'local music store' used by mythmusic. In addition, stores provide an interface to allow tracks to be added or deleted. 

I've attached a patch that partially implements an ipod music store. This applies to the head as of a bit over a week ago... When an ipod is connected, metadata is loaded from it, and the ipod appears in the database box tree as a source of music. Music can be played from it, and that is about as far as it goes. I'm currently implementing add and delete support. To delete/add tracks, I'm going to add a menu to the database box ipod entry - this will have a button to allow selected tracks to be deleted, and to export the active playlist to the ipod...

Its worth noting that my patch currently relies on libgpod, which in return relies on glib. I know that this will not be accepted into the mainstream myth tree, but I'm using it for the moment simply because the only portable device I have is an ipod. Once I complete support for it, I'll add a generic portable store that scans the tags in all tracks on a device, and in future, with a bit of luck, it may become possible to interface with a ipod database without requiring glib...

I'd be very interested in any comments on what I'm trying to do, or suggestions to improve my approach, etc... I see that there's been a reasonable amount of ongoing work in
MythMusic lately, so if I can get any guidance from the MythMusic
maintainers on what I'm doing, that would be much appreciated.

Cheers,
Dunk




 
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