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Nemp 5.0 Development Test 1

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depp.jones
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Nemp 5.0 Development Test 1

Application: Nemp
Category: Music & Video
License: GPL (Base App) source/Free for personal use (bass.dll)
Description: Nemp ("Noch ein Mp3-Player" - German for "Yet another mp3-player"). An intuitive mp3-player with many functions.
Features

  • plays many formats as mp3, ogg, wma, flac, ape, aac, ... (for some files you'll need a plugin)
  • webstreams (shoutcast)
  • search local harddrives for audiofiles and store it into the Nemp media library
  • coverflow
  • LastFM-Support ("Scrobble")
  • integrated webserver to control the player through a web-interface

(from website)

Download Nemp Portable 5.0 Development Test 1 online [1,03MB + 13MB download / 19.4MB installed]
(MD5: c57a585d785165dd83a44d71c9e71c76)
This is an online installer.

Release Notes:

5.0 Development Test 1 (2022-11-1^2)
Updated base app
Updated PA.c installer/launcher
added preservation of Skins folder (moved to Data folder while not in use)

4.12.2b Development Test 1 (2019-10-28)
Updates base app

(skipped some versions Wink )

4.9.2 Development Test 1 (2019-02-22)
Updated base app and PA.c installer/launcher

4.6.2 Development Test 2 (2014-10-01):
adapted to PA.c App Template 2.4

4.6.2 Development Test 1 (2014-10-01):
Updated base app
Updated PA.c installer to 3.0.13

4.5.0 Development Test 1 (2012-05-12):
Updated base app
Updated PA.c format to 3.0
Updated PA.c installer to 3.0.3

4.4.0 Development Test 1 (2012-02-24):
Updated base app

4.3.1 Development Test 1 (2012-01-27):
Updated base app
adapted to PA.c App Template 2.2

4.3.0 Development Test 1 (2011-10-26):
Updated base app
Fixed issue with app not defaulting to english language at initial standalone startup.

4.2.0 Development Test 2 (2011-10-26):
fixed the issue of the wizard running on first launch and preconfigured DefaultData folder not used
Thanks kAlug for the support

4.2.0 Development Test 1 (2011-10-25):
Initial release
Makes use of PA.c launcher/installer

Please Test!
Nemp has so many options (and entries in its config file) that I probably overlooked something.

Some notes:
I did not find a way to disable the wizard on first run. DefaultData does not work for that because it seems to be too slow. (I'll open up a separate topic for that.)
The base app works somewhat arbitrary. It keeps track of what folders were selected (for Webradio downloads f.i.) and uses them an a subsequent launch, even if the app is deleted and reinstalled in between.

Don't put it in the Program Files folder. The base app will detect that and stop working in portable mode.

While Nemp itself is licensed under the GPL, some of its components are not. It uses the bass library, that is freeware only for personal use and otherwise shareware. Hence the online installer.

Pyromaniac
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2 things

first, I suggest calling it Data\NempData because it's better than Data\Data. Second, you can get rid of the Wizard by first running the app without the apps settings saved, then when the wizard comes up, set it up like you want to in the portable version (such as disabling checking for updates), then exit the app. Then go to Data\Data\Nemp.ini and copy that file into DefaultData\Data. That will get rid of the wizard for you.

EDIT: Also, HKCU\Software\ATI\ACE\Settings\ADL\MaxCofuncPaths and HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\MCD is created when you run the app.

depp.jones
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Thanks for testing. I have

Thanks for testing.
I have set up a DefaultData here on my end, but left it out in Dev Test 1 because it did not work (maybe a bug with DirectoriesMove related to what prapper found out here. I'll put up another Dev Test, once I find out to exclude certain paths from an online installer package.

I did not get the first reg key on my end and the second seems to be windows "background noise". It seems to be related to the OpenGL Mini driver. Maybe that is the cause for the first one, too. Do you use an ATI graphics adapter?

Pyromaniac
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pshh I don't know

It's a library computer Blum

I've retested it and gotten the same two keys. What caused them is anyone's guess, but what I can say for sure is that they are not there before opening the app. And they're there when I take a second regshot.

Also, your language switching isn't working right. The first time you run it, it's in German, and it never defaults to English or German, just what you had last.

depp.jones
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Thanks, I'll look into that.

Thanks, I'll look into that.

-edit-
Did you use Dev Test 2 or Dev Test 1? The first one had several issues with the preset settings in DefaultData.
I checked it, and language switching works here on my end, at least as I expected. It takes the language from the platform if that option is checked or it keeps the last setting if run standalone. It just has these two languages (en/de). I found one quirk, though. I defaulted the language to german on first run if used standalone (it is set in the nemp.ini in DefaultData). I'll change that to english in the next Dev Test.

The registry keys seem to be related to the OpenGL minidriver (MCD) as Nemp uses OpenGL for coverflow. I consider them noise.

Pyromaniac
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Dev Test 2

I ran it outside the platform. I thought that PAL defaulted the language to English when run outside the platform. So I guess the only problem was that you had the default language as German.

depp.jones
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Updated to Dev Test 2

See release notes for changes. I finally convinced the wizard to keep quite.

depp.jones
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Updated to 4.3.0 Dev Test 1

See release notes for changes. The app now defaults to english language if launched standalone the first time (see Pyromaniacs comment). You may have to delete the nemp.ini in Data\Data\ to get the fix initial language automatically. Attention: you loose all settings made until now if you do. As alternative you could simple set the language through the menu (Einstellungen => Languages).
Launching through the PA.c Menu with automatic language switching was not affected. It still only supports english and german.

depp.jones
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Updated to 4.3.1 Dev Test 1

See release notes for changes.

depp.jones
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Updated to 4.4.0 Dev Test 1

See release notes for changes.

depp.jones
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Updated to 4.5.0 Dev Test 1

See release notes for changes.
Sorry for the long update delay, I was very short of spare time the last weeks.

m0d
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Outdated

Nemp 4.6.2 is latest

depp.jones
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I stopped updating this

I stopped updating this simply because of low interest (27 downloads this year to date). If anyone wants to take over - feel free to do so.

John T. Haller
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Useful?

How useful is this compared to CoolPlayer+? If it is, we could push this as official which would gain some users. Though we would have to self host since this uses freeware components (BASS).

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

depp.jones
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Compared to CoolPlayer+ it's

Compared to CoolPlayer+ it's a feature beast with cover flow, simple tag editing, full-fledged media library and an own web server for remote control. It has some similarities to foobar2000. The GUI follows its own philosophy, feels a bit cumbersome at first but has some nice shortcuts. I used it as a party player occasionally.
I can review this the next week when I have holidays. I recall the settings handling a bit problematic. And I think I did not test the web server so it may leave things behind.

depp.jones
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Update

I did a quick update for 4.6.2.
This has to be tested on WinXP (can do it this afternoon) for its new skin-options. And I just found out, I forgot to update the template. Will push out a 2nd dev test later.
-edit-
done

3D1T0R
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¿MinOS=XP?

Why have you set Windows XP as the minimum OS requirement?
Nemp's homepage lists compatibility with "Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows7". I don't have a Windows NT machine handy at the moment, but I tested 4.6.2 DevTest 2 earlier today on a Windows 2000 SP4 VM (with MinOS=XP removed) and it runs quite well.

~3D1T0R

depp.jones
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I don't know anymore. Maybe I

I don't know anymore. Maybe I set it when I was troubleshooting the problems with the wizzard and writing to the nemp.ini and simply forgot to revert it. I'll keep it in mind for a future dev test.

depp.jones
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Updated base app

... to 4.9.2 (quick and dirty, not much testing).
Please post updates here.

depp.jones
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Updated base app

to 4.12.2b

I will not update to every version, since I don't use it that often an the download count is negligible (20 for the last version...)

John T. Haller
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Portablization Issue

I remembered why I hadn't released this earlier. For its music database, it uses a Nemp.gmp file that appears to be a binary database of some sort. I don't think we can adjust the paths within. Most music apps that we adjust the music database in use sqlite.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

depp.jones
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Thanks for the heads up

You are absolutely right. Interestingly nobody mentioned it earlier. I did not realize that, because I stopped in deep testing it right after the first few releases, simply because I personally don't use it anymore. I think, it's a nice program, but not my usecase because I use a Logitech Mediaserver at home (now on a piCoreServer) or mobile devices on the go.
I found out, Nemp can deal with relative paths, but that does not solve the problem. I could nail it on Documents\Music in the DefaultData so at least drive letter changes would be no problem with this special setup, but that still is a dealbreaker for most of the people. There would be no way to add further paths without breaking portability.
Changing the paths through the UI will add drive letters again, so not even failsafe.
So, Nemp is no option for an official release. Maybe I leave it as it is for the few people that use it locally (and add a warning in the first posting).

Gausi
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Hi there!

Hi there!

I found this discussion while searching the web about my little player (I'm the developer of Nemp), which I do every now and then. I don't know whether Nemp qualifies for this project here, as I am new to this, and don't know much about it - but it looks interesting. Smile

It's true that the gmp file is a proprietary file format, not one of the usual database files. Internally, the media library is just a couple of lists of audiofile objects. It is also true that all paths are stored as absolute paths including the drive letter within this file. But that doesn't break portability, or at least not the way I think about it. The reason is, that the first section of the gmp file stores also some more information about the used drives (like serial number, type and name). By that Nemp can readjust all paths on startup.

For example, if Nemp is located with all the music files on an USB-drive, and the media library is created while letter "D:\" was assigned to this drive, and later this USB drive is connected as drive "E:\" on another computer, this will be fixed automatically. Also, additional drives that are connected to the computer while the player is already running will be fixed that way as soon as they're ready. Nemp will notice the new drive which is part of the library and will react properly.

So, as far as I see it, there is no need from your end to modify the library file to ensure portability. Actually, that was one of my key usecases during developing. Wink

Or do I miss something here?

However, there are some limitations to this principle. For example, the playlist files (.npl) stores just relative paths without such correction of the drive letter. This may lead to problems when more than one drive (or more than one partition) is used. There are also some settings in the nemp.ini that doesn't work that way (yet), like the setting for the midi soundfont file, or the tracks scheduled for the "birthday mode".

And finally a few words to the "wizard" discussion (quite a long time ago): The wizard is only shown on first startup, if the setting "Wizard was shown" can be written into the ini file. If Nemp is running from a write-protected drive (like a CD), the wizard is not shown at all.

John T. Haller
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Welcome and Notes

Hi Gausi and welcome to the forums here! The main issue will be for folks whose whole path changes. So folks who run it from a cloud drive. My Google Drive directory may be C:\Users\John\Google Drive on one computer but C:\Users\admin\Google Drive on another. So, NEMP would lose all my music when I switch from where I installed it to my second computer. Also, folks tend to move portable software around anyway. I may keep it all in C:\Apps\PortableApps for now but then later move it to an external drive at X:\PortableApps later.

If there were an option for NEMP to only use relative paths for the files internally, that would likely work. They'd have to be relative to NEMP itself and not just drive root to account for the first situation I mentioned.

If you could give us a tiny module to update the database we can do that. We maintain the last drive and current drive, last full path to NEMP and current full path to NEMP, and last relative path from the PortableAppsRoot (the parent of the PortableApps folder) and can expose all of those to your app if it can help. Our open source (GP) launcher in the form of NEMPPortable.exe could handle maintaining that state and passing it to you if you're interested in using it yourself as well.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

Gausi
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Thank you and some thoughts

Thank you for your reply! Now I get it.

I haven't thought about this situation yet, as I assumed that a music library is usually too big for cloud drives. But that may have changed in the last few years, and obvioulsy not every music collection contains tens of thousands of files (or even way more). The moving of the portable apps as you describe it is another interesting use case I haven't thought about yet. I had always an external drive in mind, which you carry around, without changing the directory structure on it.

I'll think about it how I can include this in Nemp. I don't want to just switch to "relative paths" by default, as this may break parts of the current functionality, when the music library is spread over several drives.

Just a "tiny module" to update the database file won't work in it's current state, as Nemp would "unfix" the fixes made by such a module. It would be similar to the case a user mentioned some time ago: He had two external drives with two copies of the same music library, both drives mapped to the same drive letter (but always only one drive connected at a time). If the library was built with one drive, it could not be used with the other drive ... maybe I can fix this behaviour as well (but that's another use case that would need special treatment). Wink

(There is an update coming very soon - but without this feature, as I am in the last steps for the next release right now, and this could be a little bit tricky to implement. )

John T. Haller
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Relative Same Drive When Portable

You could have a setting so that all paths on the same drive as NEMP are relative to NEMP when running in portable mode. We could have that set by default for NEMP Portable. That way it would work for both external and cloud drives and any paths on separate drives would be unaffected. This would probably be the 'simplest' solution for now at least and would make it so we could get NEMP available to all our users.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

depp.jones
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Updated base app to Ver. 5.0.

Updated base app to Ver. 5.0. This is a major release with a complete rewrite of large portions of the media library. I did not find time to test it myself, as I barely use offline audio since some years and don't maintain my files anymore, so my library is heavily outdated. When there is more time, that could change. Wink

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