AmiNetRadio 3.0 Released

[KennyR]

#AmigaZeux are proud to present: AmiNetRadio 3.0.

This release is aimed at the MorphOS platform. Support for AmigaOS has largely been abandoned, for many reasons. Check out the readme and guide in the archive or go here for more details.

Features of this new, MorphOS-targeted release include:

- New modular, multi GUI system for selectable GUI, including the old 'classic'.

- New, fully configurable ANRNG.gui, with a very nice default skin.

- Supports classic WinAMP skins via new WinAMP.gui, including packed .wsz ones.

- New OGG Vorbis player (thanks to vorbisfile.library by Nicolas DET).

- Can play digital CDDA from CD straight through AHI (thanks to Ilkka Lehtoranta).

- Players for AHX, Protracker, Future Composer and SoundMon modules (thanks to Ilkka Lehtoranta).

- It's now possible to bind ANR functions like play, stop, volume control and so on to any key command, including multimedia keys.

- Complete playlist overhaul and rewrite.

- Scan files in playlist for more info.

- New external scope - monoscope.

- Internal scopes have been optimised and one new scope was added.

- Many bugs caught and mercilessly squished.

Download this brilliant player and many other skins at its site: http://anr.amigazeux.net.

You can read the press release here. Bring a crowbar, you'll need it to prise your tongue back out of your cheek.

-- #amigazeux

[KennyR]

First, my apologies by anyone disappointed by this release. We (or rather they, I'm just a guide writer) have struggled for a good while to keep ANR running on vanilla AmigaOS, without a vanilla AmigaOS system to debug on. It says 'last few months' but should probably say 'last whole year'. I'm probably the only AmigaZeux member that still does have a fully (or almost fully) working Amiga, and I did betatest ANR on it, but that kind of betatesting is blind and extremely time consuming, and the coders themselves often couldn't reproduce bugs. Workarounds of AOS bugs and limitations were attempted but failed. And all the real Amiga/emulator users who often downloaded the beta without asking usually didn't bother to send us any bug reports, and that didn't help either.

Then there's the external libraries issue. These are used for all the special players we added, and coded by people who are no longer interested in old 1993 AmigaOS but are excited about their new platform. Some (like OGG) take too much CPU time for real 68k CPUs. They weren't going to get non-MOS ports, and since this release is mainly about the extra players, we decided just to aim the full release at MOS.

Finally, ANR will work on AmigaOS. The ANRNG GUI might be corrupt (apparently this is because of features missing in AOS versions of render and guigfx.libraries), the MOS-only stuff of course is no use, and we can't assure stability any more than hoping that whats stable on A\Box is stable on AmigaOS, but it does work and still offers some new features to AmigaOS users ANR2.0 didn't.

[KennyR]

Gadgetmaster wrote:
What type of freeware license is that?

It's a "angry at people who lie every day about our own OS who then make money from our hard work on ANR" licence.

Wouldn't that type of behaviour be counterproductive. I mean the "AMI" part is from Amiga right. Wouldn't the the trademark holders also actively prevent ANR to advertise thair non-commercial software without explicit permission from the trademark holders?

One, they have no money to enforce that. Two, they could never prove Ami was from 'Amiga'. Three, even if they did, we'd just rename it, then disable it running on their OS for the insult. :-)

Also since when is MorphOS non-commercial? So it would equally apply to that OS as well right?

MorphOS is technically non-commercial (but not non-copyright, so you couldn't use it on your A1 :-P), but that's not really the point. It stands just as much for MOS than anything else. All we ask is permission. We're just as touchy about Genesi using ANR to sell Pegasos as we are about Hyperion doing it for OS4. Or what do you think the timed 'BUY OS4' easteregg was about? ;-)

[KennyR]

Gadgetmaster wrote:
the ANR authors should feel flattered that their great software is being demonstrated.

In one case, it was demonstrated to show the capabilities of an OS coded and supported by people who have restlessly thrown lies and FUD against the MorphOS project since day one. Flattered? Sir, surely you jest.

The fact that so many people are dissappointed is for that very reason, it's good software and the users are the ones that are really losing out.

That's ok, a significant portion of the users want to lose out. No, really, they must do. Why else would they want this Amiga 'divorce' and keep saying MorphOS isn't a REAL AMIGA when they know a large perecentage of Amiga software developed is now developed on MorphOS? :-)

[KennyR]

AmiDelf wrote:
I prefer SongPlayer for MorphOS better, since it's got a plain MUI GUI...

So has ANR. It now has a plan MUI.gui module.

[KennyR]

BrianJHoskins wrote:
Since you're obviously in the mood for insult, Aminet Radio is a {bleep} program anyway so good luck.

Oh I'm sorry, you're offended?

No, just faintly amused. ANR is free software, and insulting free software is pointless. If you don't like it, don't use it. The end. Anything else is pure sour grapes.

If you're the only person left in Amigazeux who actually runs an Amiga, and now you're also abandoning the platform, then maybe you should also think about naming your website MorphZeux, since it's obviously not Amiga anymore. MOS isn't an upgrade for the Amiga platform, it's a change of platform. I don't feel there's anything wrong at all in your decision to support MOS, but at the same time I don't see the hardship in also supporting the Amiga platform as well.

We believe that MorphOS is the Amiga. Legally, the brand belongs to Amiga Inc, but practically, who cares. So we don't feel the need to rename our group, channel or software just to reflect what Amiga Inc. are wasting the Amiga on today. Are we quite clear?

If it is your wish to support MOS only because of personal reasons then fine, but do it quietly and keep your flame-bait opinions to yourself... unless you want to look completely unproffesional all the time that is.

I don't mind looking unprofessional. I'm not a professional (the definition of which is that one gets paid, and I don't). And ANR isn't professional software, so...

[KennyR]

MAD wrote:
KennyR is not that right when he says he is the only #AZ member with a working Ammy.
Captain HIT, Davar (even if we haven't seen him for quite a while), K0rky and myself STILL use our beloved machines and are glad to beta-test new #AZ productions

Ok, ok, I'm the only active member with a working Amiga. You're in England, Davar hasn't been in for months now, Cap'n^HIT only appears from time to time, and k0rky does his best but his graphics card means he does more booting than testing.

So whenever there is any real betatesting to be done, it's only myself, Gelb, ToDi, iti, and some others who are around. We are all Pegasos users. I'm the only one with an Amiga that actually boots.

And we don't denegrate AOS - we view it fondly and with nostalgia. But it was coded in 1993 and it the limit of support we can give it has been reached, finally.

[KennyR]

Cass wrote:
That's a pitty, because you have to consider the latest release of Amiga Forever (v.6), or the Amithlon users, I think they have the needed power for the decoding. About the upgrade, that's what the G2 PPC for the classic Amigas is.

A pity, yes, but not our choice. The vorbisfile.library we use for decoding is done by Nicolas DET. He isn't terribly keen on making a 68k native version, but you could always ask him nicely. If he does make one, all you have to do is drop in the new lib and go.

As for the modules, as Gelb told me a minute ago, DeliTracker is probably the better choice for these on an emulated or Amiga system. :-)

[KennyR]

And I have to say this, it's important. I'd have posted it on AmigaWorld where it's relevant but since they banned me for no reason I'll just say it here. They have a thread linked here anyway.

What is it that OS4 people actually want, can I ask? MOS users are told constantly that they've formed a new platform, and should go to that platform and stop pretending they're Amiga users. A clean divorce, right?

And yet, when we do, and take our software with us, we get called childish and vindictive? We get told that we're the ones trying to divide the community. WTF! What's the issue here? Do they really want us to push off but magically continue developing our software for the people who forced us out and view us as some kind of evil non-Amigan heretics?

And, Brian goes on at me for shooting my mouth off! OS4 people have done themselves absolutely no favours with their attitude for the past 3 years. ATC is currently being attacked because it has problems on OS4. "Fix ATC!" And yet it works on all other Amiga platforms. It wouldn't be long until ANR was getting the same treatment, if we kept up the difficult Amiga debugging, even if we could. We can compensate for old AmigaOS bugs and limitations. We can't compensate for new ones on beta prereleases we can't use.

In the end, we're not the ones who've been childish. Don't mistake this: the main reason that only MorphOS is supported now is almost totally practical. But there are minor poltical reasons that haven't helped. We've supported AOS for ages now, biting down anger at the abuse on certain websites that only allow one point of view. We've tried to accomodate other systems, often with zero support. We've tried to make ANR usable to people who think that we should just piss off and die or become another OS like Linux. We've come to the end of the road. Free software is free. We're now making it for us, and for our own path, because we can't do otherwise. Take it or leave it.

[KennyR]

BrianJHoskins wrote:
You have a BAD attitude, and I don't like bad attitudes, same as most people don't. If you're to continue with a bad attitude, then I for one am GLAD that you choose to leave the Amiga community, because I feel we need stinky attitudes in our community like we need an Ash tray on a Motorcycle.

But I didn't leave the Amiga community. We just stopped actively supporting OS3.x.

[KennyR]

And now non-MorphOS users will be pleased to hear that a 68k version of ptplay.library has been compiled, and is tested and working. It will be available as part of an update soon available at the ANR site. It will enable ANR to play ProTracker and compatible modules.

The other libs use MorphOS extentions and can't be ported. vorbisfile is nothing to do with us and we can't simply make a 68k version of it.

Also note that the ANRNG GUI isn't corrupt on non-MOS systems (that was worked around), it just has no transparency due to missing features.

[KennyR]

Tomas wrote:
I think what pissed off most AmigaOS supporters, was the fact that it was used as a way to promote MorphOS in favor of AmigaOS. The press release hinted about how much better MorphOS is, and then telling people that they should "upgrade" to MorphOS..

The press release said no such thing! It said that we believe that MorphOS is the upgrade path. That's a bit different than telling everyone like it was fact, somewhat like OS4 fans do every single day...

[KennyR]

The update is ready, here. It fixes some bugs noticed on release (all platforms) and now includes the 68k ptplay library for protracker playback.

[KennyR]

Nobody is complaining that Art Effect is coming out for OS4 either. Where is all the whining and indignation and threating to make software not work on OS4 there, just because they release for the platform they want to support? 'Disgusting attitude'. Heh.