Registered Member
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Maybe stupid question: where is in 2.2.2 the random and repeat function? I use the built of gentoo.
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Alumni
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On the bottom of the playlist, the very right button. Clicking it shows you what you are looking for (i think so).
i don't have hard drives. i just keep 30 chinese teenagers in my basement and force them to memorize numbers (bash.org)
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Registered Member
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Thanks a lot! |
Registered Member
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This change ticked me off enough that I decided to register and post. It's fine to put a little icon at the bottom right that has these options, but if it has been there previous to 2.2.2, I never knew about it and do not use it. Personally, I prefer the menus at the top and I feel that options previously available from the menus should continue to be available. If they are going to be removed, then users need to be alerted to this instead of forcing them to waste an hour looking for information on the Internet as to where the hell the options are currently hidden. I've been using Amarok since 1.2 and it seems like the developers' goal with every new release/update is to make Amarok more difficult and less intuitive to use. I like Amarok, but if this keeps up, I am going to find an alternative and place Amarok squarely in the sh**-can.
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Manager
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Well, it has been told in the release notes on http://amarok.kde.org both for Amarok 2.2.2 beta and the final release.
Analogy: when you buy a new device and try it out without reading the notice, complaining to the manufacturer is seriously a bit lame... Also, this is not an option, but a playlist action, hence it belongs in the playlist. Of course you are free to use whatever player you like, this is Free Software, remember?
Running Kubuntu 22.10 with Plasma 5.26.3, Frameworks 5.100.0, Qt 5.15.6, kernel 5.19.0-23 on Ryzen 5 4600H, AMD Renoir, X11
FWIW: it's always useful to state the exact Plasma version (+ distribution) when asking questions, makes it easier to help ... |
Registered Member
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I didn't see it in the release notes. So, forgive me for missing what is probably one line in the release notes. It would help if the tooltips for the icons were a bit better, as well. "Track Progression", to me, describes the progression of a single track. No hint there about "Look here for repeat/random". Further, why not also make it available under "Playlist"? Since that would, intuitively, describe things you can do with a playlist, such as repeat and random AND since it was previously available under "Playlist". Seems to me like the icon on the lower right for "Playlist" is simply intended for fast access, while the "Playlist" menu option should list all playlist actions available for those who either haven't monkeyed around with the fast access icons or prefer using the menus. I never messed around with the icons because I could never figure out what they were for and because I had everything I needed in the menus. Since the option was previously available under "Playlist", I am sure you can appreciate why I consider the intent behind this change to simply be to make it harder to use the program.
Complaining to the manufacturer about counter-intuitive interface design is appropriate. I am sure you'd complain if the turn signal activation was placed in a non-intuitive location as opposed to directly on the steering column or steering wheel. This change to the location of repeat and random is about like that: you *can* get by without it, but the function is useful enough that you prefer not to. Furthermore, just because it is in the release notes, the average user is not going to take the time to read them and is going to expect things to be logically placed. Few people ever RTFI. Most devices' interfaces are designed well enough that one can look at it and know how to use the device. This issue is about usability and being user-friendly. Don't want to be user-friendly? Fine with me, but then don't **** about how people still don't like F/OSS. If it isn't easy and fairly intuitive to use, people just won't use it (whatever 'it' is). |
Manager
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Well, so sorry you can't read:
"We also made some small changes to streamline some functionality: The Playlist Layout Editor is now part of the Tools menu in the menu bar, while the playlist actions are at the bottom of the playlist panel. This has the big advantage to see immediately if you did activate a random, repeat and/or favor mode by a visual indicator. " Exact quote from the release text for Amarok 2.2.2.
Running Kubuntu 22.10 with Plasma 5.26.3, Frameworks 5.100.0, Qt 5.15.6, kernel 5.19.0-23 on Ryzen 5 4600H, AMD Renoir, X11
FWIW: it's always useful to state the exact Plasma version (+ distribution) when asking questions, makes it easier to help ... |
KDE Developer
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For a variety of reasons. Believe me, before we are doing such things, we developers do have long discussions about it, including some professional usability experts. I don't have the time to list the all reasons here (they are somewhere in our public amarok-devel mailing list archive), but one thing is for sure: We don't just move around stuff randomly, after throwing dice. A lot of thinking and testing goes into these things
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Mark Kretschmann - Amarok Developer |
Registered Member
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Hi,
I also think that it sucks how repeat + random are hidden away. I've been going without them for weeks now before I found this forum post describing where they actually are. The reason I didn't see the release notes was because I just updated my system with yum and got the new version, but even knowing the secret I still think it is wrong that way. It quite simply isn't intuitive to have such an important feature hidden behind a vague icon with no text, and an unobvious tooltip, no matter how many usability experts were consulted. It really should be on the playlist menu, and the icon in the playlist toolbar should have dice (for random) and something like a circular arrow (for repeat), the tooltip should explicitly imply repeat and random (e.g. mention them in brackets). edit: the icon should show dice/circular arrow *before* selecting random/repeat, i realise now the icon changes when you actually use it. Anyway, that's my opinion. Now I know the secret I'm happy. Cheers James |
Registered Member
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I almost stopped playing music because I could not find random. The words "Track progression" (exactly like this in my dutch translation) did me not even look any further because the track progression is in the ruler at the top.
I used to use "50 random from collection to playlist" (Amarok 1). Could not find it, But moving the whole of th collection to the playlist and then playing random has the same result. So this is solved. BTW documentation, I used the Help menu, no manual (on the system or online) mentioned). My conclusion: old programmers adagium, program, documentation is for next year. Never thought about going for Release Notes for every (sub)version. And again: why isn't that Release Notes link in the Help menu? Sigh, now I have to find out how to get tracks from the playlist to the collection (there were copy and move to collection on right click in the playlist). But I will not go off topic and post (after searching ) elsewere
Henk van Velden
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Registered Member
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It's also my opinion. Cheers, mcz
Archlinux a 64bit.
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Registered Member
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I don't get it. After reading (bits of) this thread I still don't see how to enable both random and repeat. In Amarok 2.3.0, the right-most button at the bottom of the playlist has only "standard", a section with random options and another section with repeat options (and a "favor" pop-out menu). But they can't be enabled together. What am I missing?
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Administrator
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As far as I know, if you choose a Random option, then it will automatically Repeat also.
KDE Sysadmin
[img]content/bcooksley_sig.png[/img] |
Registered Member
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Ok. So then where is the option to have random without repeat? It's a bit baffling that these options aren't made explicit and that some of them don't even exist, it seems.
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Administrator
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Unfortunately I don't think that setting exists... you may wish to ask in #amarok though.
KDE Sysadmin
[img]content/bcooksley_sig.png[/img] |
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