Linux compatible MP3 players?

[cakurk]

Been thinking of buying an MP3 player and I want it linux compatible to use with Amarok. I want it in the 1 to 5 gbyte range. No interest in video, FM radio would be nice. Samsung was looking good since it plays OGG but wants to to talk windoze. Anyone have any recommendations?

cakurk

[aysiu]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

Sandisk works for me. Mine is 256 MB, but they make a 1 GB version, too, I think.

It's simple plug-and-play/drag-and-drop. I plug it in, it shows up as a USB drive on the desktop, I drag-and-drop songs from my AmaroK playlist to the Sandisk player.

No special software needed. And it has an FM radio built in, too.

[thedevilsjester]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

Dont get iRiver! They require proprietary windows software to communicate with them. Their recent updated firmware says that you can use it as a usb device normally without their software now, but thats bull.

[prozac_field]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

I have this one and very happy with it. It has 1 Gb of built-in memory and supports SD cards of up to 2 Gb, so the memory is limited only by how many cards you have. Works as standard mass-storage device, just mount and drag'n'drop. Sound is very good too. Listed at Linux-USB device overview as fully compatible...

[stephZ]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

every Archos mp3 player are fine quality are 100% compatible linux

[Marlin]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

I have a Sansa 4GB. It has an FM radio and recorder. It plays MP3s and works with my Linux perfectly. It is dual mode- MTA for Windows and Mass Storage for Linux.

[gsnoorky]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

I'm not really answering your question directly. I like using a PDA (Palm Tungsten E) for this function. Because most Palms use flash cards, storage is practically unlimited. I think that the included Realplayer software can play ogg-vorbis and mp3s. Also, relatively inexpensive (and, I think better and cooler) software can be downloaded (MMplayer and pockettunes) that plays both mp3 and ogg-vorbis files (ogg-vorbis compresses very nicely, allowing more than twice the number of tunes to be stored than with mp3). Pockettunes also plays wma from the Windows world . PDAs also are more versatile than music players (they are very much like miniature PCs); PDAs do prefer styli, however.

It's definitely best to have a good flash card reader supported by Linux (I use a Crucial CR-T7-U2D) for very fast transfer of tunes from PC to the card; this is simply drag and drop (or select (all), copy, and paste). The install files dialog in the Linux Palm Desktop may be (tediously) used in a pinch.

Syncing and backing up a well-supported PDA with a current enough Linux distro is not really any more difficult than for Windows. It's always best to make sure the hardware is supported in ubuntu/ Linux--some higher-end Palms (such as the Treo) even use the same MS-based Pocket PC O/S as HP IPAQs and other Pocket PCs instead of the Palm OS (I'm not sure how well such PDAs are supported).

[Teppic]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

Dont get iRiver!  They require proprietary windows software to communicate with them.  Their recent updated firmware says that you can use it as a usb device normally without their software now, but thats bull.

I did a firmware upgarade, mine works as a USB drive now, there are plenty of resources around telling you how to do this, it's not rocket science.

[thedevilsjester]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

Dont get iRiver! They require proprietary windows software to communicate with them. Their recent updated firmware says that you can use it as a usb device normally without their software now, but thats bull.

I did a firmware upgarade, mine works as a USB drive now, there are plenty of resources around telling you how to do this, it's not rocket science.

You dont need to be a smart ass, we are all on the same side here, I did the same firmware update and it DOESNT work as a USB drive now (in either windows or linux), and it wont upgrade to another firmware because its already the latest version. However I now have two ipods (2 GIG Nano and 30 GIG Photo) and they both work flawlessly, out of the box, in linux. So the choice is some wannabe 'near generic' brand over a brand with years of a proven track record. Its not a really much of a choice if you ask me. I gave the iRiver to my 7 year old as a toy, its not worth much else.

[Teppic]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

I'm not being a smart ass, I just take exception to comments like

but thats bull.

when

but it wouldn't work for me.

would be a more accurate description.
There are even plugin scripts for amarok that are specifically for iRiver players.

If anyone is planning on buying one check out misticriver for the howto's and firmware before spending money on one.
There are some good wikis for hotplug and udev too, that will allow you to automate the uploading of files and playlists when you plug it in.

[thedevilsjester]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

No, its not a "but that wouldnt work for me", the firmware IS the new version, the firmware upgrade was fully successful, yet it doesnt connect as described. Maybe it does so for your model, but my model (which is STILL supposed to do this) doesnt.

But thats all beyond the fact (ok, opinion) that iRiver just plain sucks, ugly, bulky, cheap wannabe brand. Thats like going to get a gfx card and buying an ATI, its a waste of money IMO.

[kubicle]

Re: Linux compatible MP3 players?

Thats like going to get a gfx card and buying an ATI, its a waste of money IMO.

Well it's not black and white, There is some 3D support in the open ati drivers (it's extremely slow, but works), which means there's hope 3D will improve in the future with open drivers...nvidia's propietary drivers are still better than ati's fglrx, though.

I actually prefer the open ati drivers to the binary ones, they offer better 2D performance than the fglrx drivers on my card (for example, I couldn't get 1400x1050@85 resolution to work with fglrx, but it's fine on open drivers)

All that said, I think both nvidia and ati are a waste of money

EDIT: Hmm...I'm drifting off-topic...again