iTunes Compatible Software for Linux?

[im_to_hyper]

Does anyone know if there is any software for Linux that will play iTunes protected songs?

Since I can't afford a newer Mac and I really don't want to keep running Windows on my Toshiba and am too lazy to try to install Mac OS on a Pentium 4 computer I decided to try out FreeBSD.

I mean, with that OS I can run Firefox, Thunderbird, BitTorrent, some video software, but no iTunes... I really want to be able to use my library under Linux and don't see why Apple, for how often they "think different" can't realease a Linux-compatible iTunes client.

 

[rainman::|:|]

Unfortunately, Jobs doesn't feel the need to release Fairplay on linux, not quite sure why, it may be early dementia settling in. At any rate, if you're determined to run Linux, your best bet may be to emulate OS X or Windows on it. ****** answer, sorry.

 

[caveman_uk]

You do realise that FreeBSD and Linux are not the same don't you. FreeBSD is better

...starts flame war.

 

[dubbz]

You do realise that FreeBSD and Linux are not the same don't you. FreeBSD is better

fr33bsd 1s t3h suck/d34d. l1nux r00lz.




Seriously, your best bet is to *cough*unprotect*cough* the files.

Or maybe you could try iTunes with WINE. That could possibly work.

 

[steve_hill4]

I guess apple don't think it's worth producing a version of iTunes for such a small percentage of users, an even smaller percentage that actually use Linux and own iPods too. I would say the vast majority of Linux users want to use the Linux only music software anyway, so apple don't think it's worth it.

I would however like to see them license iTunes out to someone else to produce a Linux version for free.

 

[im_to_hyper]

You do realise that FreeBSD and Linux are not the same don't you. FreeBSD is better

...starts flame war.

Oh well, since I couldn't install Mandriva (it wouldn't recognize the hard drive - minor problem ) and Linspire gives me a kernel panic, I asked on iexbeta.com what other people use for Linux. I was told to try FreeBSD... which uses the KDE interface... which I thought was only used on Linux kernel OSs?

I know Be is in its own little OS world, but FreeBSD, I dunno. Now I'm confused.

I still wish a Linux version of iTunes would be announced or even that iTunes 4.x would be able to run under WINE.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Oh well, since I couldn't install Mandriva (it wouldn't recognize the hard drive - minor problem ) and Linspire gives me a kernel panic, I asked on iexbeta.com what other people use for Linux. I was told to try FreeBSD... which uses the KDE interface... which I thought was only used on Linux kernel OSs?

I know Be is in its own little OS world, but FreeBSD, I dunno. Now I'm confused.

I still wish a Linux version of iTunes would be announced or even that iTunes 4.x would be able to run under WINE.

I think there is a commercial CodeWeavers fork of WINE that will run iTunes... let's see... ah yes, here we are: http://www.codeweavers.com/site/compatibility/browse/name?app_id=134

Get's a bronze star, so it works more or less... known issues:

The following are known issues with this app in the current version of CrossOver.

CD Burning / Ripping Doesn't Work
Ripping audio tracks from CDs and burning audio tracks to CDs is not supported. This is due to it being implemented in iTunes by a kernel-mode driver, which would be very difficult to re-implement in Linux.
Accessing the iPod
Getting the iPod to work with iTunes still requires the modification of vital Hotplug configuration files as root and is thus not recommended to any one unfamiliar with the workings of Linux.
For this reason, we do not provide official support for using the iPod with iTunes.
But if you are not deterred by the required work needed to get it working, then head over to our iPod FAQ for step by step instructions. In case of trouble you can also ask for help on the CrossOver Discuss mailing list.
Sound
Due to issues and limitations of different sound cards/chipsets, iTunes may not work perfectly with the default settings provided by CrossOver Office. Please see the iTunes FAQ entry for information on how to resolve these issues.

 

[caveman_uk]

Oh well, since I couldn't install Mandriva (it wouldn't recognize the hard drive - minor problem ) and Linspire gives me a kernel panic, I asked on iexbeta.com what other people use for Linux. I was told to try FreeBSD... which uses the KDE interface... which I thought was only used on Linux kernel OSs?

KDE runs on many different OS's (except windows...I think) you can even compile to run on Mac OS X. FreeBSD is based on a different sort of kernel that gets it's heritage from the original BSD Unixes. Linux's heritage is derived from a kernel originally written by Linus Torvalds.

My problem with the various Linux distributions is that they are great as long as what you want is in the distribution. If not it can be a complete PITA to get stuff compiled from source due to the varying range of versions of critical system tools. You end up in a paper chase of finding umpteen source rpms just to get the damn compile to crap out because the distribution vendor has applied their own patches to it.

In FreeBSD the OS is under much more centralised control and a lot more emphasis seems to be on reliability. FreeBSD always just felt more solid to me than Linux. Compiling stuff on FreeBSD is pretty straightforward due to the 'ports' system. There's only one Linux that has a system that is comparable (or indeed better) and that's Gentoo.

As for why Apple doesn't release iTunes for Linux? Well they probably don't see much point supporting an OS with an even lower desktop market share than they've got and the Linux guys probably have a philosophical problem with DRM and paid downloads so wouldn't use it anyway.

 

[mrgreen4242]

KDE runs on many different OS's (except windows...I think) you can even compile to run on Mac OS X. FreeBSD is based on a different sort of kernel that gets it's heritage from the original BSD Unixes. Linux's heritage is derived from a kernel originally written by Linus Torvalds.

My problem with the various Linux distributions is that they are great as long as what you want is in the distribution. If not it can be a complete PITA to get stuff compiled from source due to the varying range of versions of critical system tools. You end up in a paper chase of finding umpteen source rpms just to get the damn compile to crap out because the distribution vendor has applied their own patches to it.

In FreeBSD the OS is under much more centralised control and a lot more emphasis seems to be on reliability. FreeBSD always just felt more solid to me than Linux. Compiling stuff on FreeBSD is pretty straightforward due to the 'ports' system. There's only one Linux that has a system that is comparable (or indeed better) and that's Gentoo.

As for why Apple doesn't release iTunes for Linux? Well they probably don't see much point supporting an OS with an even lower desktop market share than they've got and the Linux guys probably have a philosophical problem with DRM and paid downloads so wouldn't use it anyway.

I have the same gripe with Linux. Getting anything not in the original distro release to work was always a HUGE PITA. I used it as a daily desktop on both my computer and my wife's for about a year before I went to OS X. She still uses Linux, but dual boots for a lot of things.

When the Intel iBooks (maybe a PBook) come out I will probably buy one and give her my mini, but until then I didn't even tell her that iTunes in Linux was an option because I don't want the hassle of trying to set it up!

On the upside, in a good distro, almost everything you need is included, and for the most common stuff not in the distro there is usually a fairly straight forward way to get it. It's just those few times when you need/want something that isn't that it ruins the whole experience.

Makes me love the OS X "installation" method all the more.

 

[dubbz]

Makes me love the OS X "installation" method all the more.

Some KDE guys seem to be working on a similar system for Linux. It's called klik.

There's some multidistro installation systems, but they just don't seem to be very popular.

I don't really have terrible issues with app installations on Linux, since the two distro's I generally like (Gentoo and Ubuntu) have great systems for just that. If you know what to do, then it's not very hard to add apps that's outside the main repositories.

KDE runs on many different OS's (except windows...I think)

Heh KDE for Windows