Spotify for Linux (native) | Hacker News Reader

Spotify for Linux (native)

spotify.com

83 pointsDrJokepu40 comments

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It has been repackaged for Arch Linux here: http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=38846

Read the build file [1] to find out how to build it for yourself on whatever system you're on ;)

[1] http://aur.archlinux.org/packages/spotify-x86_64/spotify-x86...

That one seems to have been lost, this is the new one http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=38865

Fun fact: in Compiz, the Spotify window doesn't wobble like other windows, with wobbly windows enabled.

I wonder how they managed to create windows like that, since all other windows on my systems are wobbly. Even VirtualBox running Windows XP!

I only have Spotify unlimited (no mobile support), not premium.. Even tho I don't get ads, it won't let me log in.

Back to running it with wine, which runs adequately.

I can't log in with either my 'free' or 'open' accounts. The client outputs something like this:

  12:53:03.051 I [ap:1387] Connecting to AP B2.spotify.com:4070
  12:53:03.054 I [ap:937] Connected to AP: 78.31.8.17:4070
  12:53:03.073 E [ap:3280] Connection error:  404
  12:53:03.576 I [ap:1387] Connecting to AP B1.spotify.com:80
  12:53:03.609 I [ap:937] Connected to AP: 78.31.8.15:80
  12:53:03.629 E [ap:3280] Connection error:  404
  12:53:03.810 I [ap:1387] Connecting to AP B3.spotify.com:443
  12:53:03.840 I [ap:937] Connected to AP: 78.31.12.9:443
  12:53:03.913 E [ap:3280] Connection error:  406
  12:54:25.855 I [offline_authorizer.cpp:156] Unable to login offline: no such user

Ubuntu could add this by default to their distribution (or by easy install link) and generate extra revenue by provisions for each sale.

Is there any ETA on when Spotify might become available in the US?

When enough people lobby their congressman for copyright reform. The RIAA simply have no interest in doing a deal with Spotify.

seemingly warner are dragging their heels

http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/06/03/spotify-already-has-3000...

Just register using a European proxy. Once you download the app, you can listen all you want from a US IP. I'm doing it right now.

Edit: "a person can use a free, ad-supported Spotify account anywhere outside of their home country for 14 days."

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3ib...

The Spotify client does support proxying, so I'll be using my proxy server permanently after the 14 day limit, I guess. But if you pay them for the Unlimited or Premium plans, you don't have to worry about that.

I was under the impression you needed a credit card with a European address to register for their premium services. Anyone know otherwise?

It says they take PayPal, so I don't see why you wouldn't be able to use that.

I've really pleased at this news. I've been using Spotify in linux via WINE for a while which has been generally fine despite a few glitches, especially on update, but it'll be so much nicer to shift to a faster and more reliable (and hopefully eventually supported) native version.

Go spotify!! :-)

Agreed. Spotify on WINE ran fine (on purpose even, so much kudos to Spotify) but a native version is very much appreciated. So far, it's running far more smoothly.

wtf: "there are issues regarding decoding of local music on the Linux platform so we haven’t included support for local files in this version."

every music player + distro has had this solved for years ...

I think this has to do with the encryption of the local files. Spotify doesn't plainly store the mp3s or equivalent in a local cache (for obvious reasons); they store what looks like encrypted snippets of songs all across different folders.

I think they're actually talking about Spotify's ability to play your own, unencrypted regular music files. The Mac and Windows vers do this - which means you no longer need to switch between apps to play music you either own or subscribe to.

Actually, I believe they are using Vorbis, not mp3 encoding.

Right, that is the key to the issue I think: Spotify can't just include an MP3 decoder, unless they pay licensing fees to Thomson or Fraunhofer or whoever it was. On Windows/Mac, I guess they instead rely on the system-wide codec, but on Linux there would be some diversity in the implementations, and so probably they chose not to bother, for now.

I have been running spotify on Wine for quite some time on my Ubuntu machine and it serves the purpose pretty well. The only glitch I have encountered so far is that when I click on ads no actions is taken.

This is disappointing. I tried to log in, only to get a really obscure error message: "Use of this device is not enabled for your account." It turns out that only spotify premium is enabled for linux.

Ads aren't reliable in this version (from the Spotify site) - so they can't make it available for free users. Remember Spotify still works really well under Wine.

It doesn't install on Ubuntu 10.04:

    spotify-client-gnome-support: Depends: gconf2 (>= 2.28.1-2) but 2.28.1-0ubuntu1 is installed.

I don't have Gnome installed (kubuntu 10.04), and got the same. The core package works fine though.

it looks like it was meant for debian. You could try forcing it though, since it's the same gconf version, with only the distribution's release (the -2 or 0ubuntu1 part) differing.

Don't force it - you will get an error every single time you do anything with packages if you do that.

You want this version: https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/maverick/+source/gconf/2.28.1-3...

No deb, but the source is there, and you can build it yourself.

BTW, the version requested is not on debian stable either, it's a testing only version. So I guess you should be on the ubuntu equivalent of testing.

Direct .deb link here: http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/g/gconf/gconf2_2.2...

Once downloaded, you need to install it with the following command:

sudo dpkg -i ./gconf2_2.28.1-3_i386.deb

Then re-run:

sudo apt-get install spotify-client-qt spotify-client-gnome-support

EDIT: Only tried on Ubuntu 10.4. Works flawlessly then. Enjoy ;)

you only need the spotify-client-qt package for it to run.

gpg --keyserver wwwkeys.de.pgp.net --recv-keys 4E9CFF4E gpg --export 4E9CFF4E |sudo apt-key add -

I wonder why they haven't just made a web client already, instead of bothering with fat native clients for every platform. The P2P stuff isn't really worth it given that bandwidth is so cheap, and they otherwise don't actually do anything with a native UI that a web based UI couldn't do.

Because the web-client would suck compared.

And yes they do plenty with the native UI, it's just in the details. Those details that matter.

Do you some concrete examples of some of these details where being native makes it far and away better or easier than a web UI?

One thing that keeps amazing me about Spotify, is how there's seemingly zero latency when you jump to a new track. This is true for any track - even if you do a search query over the whole catalogue, then hit a random entry in the list of results, the music starts pretty much immediately.

This makes it much more pleasant to use than something like Grooveshark (Flash-based). I really don't see anyone pulling that off with a web client.

But RTMP was designed for this. This is totally possible using a web client.

Can you show me one place where it works?

I'd imaging it's the p2p streaming and the encryption that's also holding it back not just the UI. Plus I like having Spotify minimised.

The p2p streaming and encryption is overengineering for this problem. RTMPE works just fine for this.

Why would you want to depend on Adobe (or any other company) if you don't have to? You still have to implement your own technology if you want to be in mobile phones, set-top boxes etc. Spotifys cost of scaling is going to be relatively low with Debian, C++, Python, Vorbis, p2p etc.

This was already available, but then blocked: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotify#Despotify

After having used Linux for 10 years on the desktop, I now admit that as much as I want it to be, Linux isn't a general purpose desktop platform for a variety of reasons.

But providing a client for paying customers is a pretty good way for Spotify to justify the cost of a Linux version and differentiate themselves from their competitors. This also may be a good for Netbook makers.

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