wtfplay project - Linux based PC playback system

Hello Everyone,

I would like to introduce to you a new project of mine: wtfplay.

wtfplay is my attempt to create minimalistic Linux based, PC music playback
environment. Initially I wrote the music player software from scratch, later I built a
dedicated Linux distribution for it. It is called wtfplay-live.

wtfplay-live is optimized for playback from local disks. Its main features are:

  • memory based, bit perfect playback of stereo PCM files (WAV and FLAC), 16
    and 24bit, up to 384kHz.
  • command line driven - no graphical mode, no network.
  • runs completely from RAM, all local disks are accessed in read-only mode
  • distributed as LiveCD ISO image that can be written on the optical disk as
    well as onto a memory stick, SD card or hard drive.
  • runs on Intel Core2 Duo and newer CPUs.

In this project, the top priority is the sound quality rather than a number of
features.

Try it and let me know what you think. The downloads and the documentation can
be found at wtfplay-project.org

Please note that wtfplay-live is still under development and new features will
be added to it.

Also note, that wtfplay project is something that I do as a hobby in my so
called free time, so be easy with the amount of questions asked :)

frd
 
Excellent ! Sounds great and so far has found and works with all my sound devices.

Like that it is a ramplayer , quick to boot,it doesn't touch the existing filesystem and simple in usage... very good documentation within the player too !

look forward to future releases. Are you planning navigation within the player (using wtfcui) ?
Things such as search forward/back within playing file, time search, pause/resume etc.
I am used to ncmpcpp command line player.
 
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Thanks all for the interest.

Network storage access: request noted. Will try NFS and CIFS, I'm not sure when though :)
Playback navigation: also noted. That was not in my immediate plans though. Typically I start the player from command line with a bunch of files and let it play.

F
 
Typically I start the player from command line with a bunch of files and let it play.
F

Ah, you must live somewhere free of interruptions...:) I envy you your peaceful listening environment.

Unfortunately with phone calls, unexpected visitors and minor dramas (like having to remove the dog and it's newly caught cicada from the house) a pause/resume is a minimum requirement.
Having to restart a symphony from scratch or missing the final movement is too much of a spoiler.
 
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Way kewl!!!!

A question and two requests...

The user manual states:

"Apart from USB devices wtfplay-live supports a small number of PCI devices. Those are:

• sound cards based on Envy24HT/PT chips. This group includes: Audiotrak Prodigy HD, M-Audio Delta 1010(LT), DiO 2496, 66, 44, 410, Audiophile 24/96; Digigram VX442; TerraTec EWX 24/96, EWS 88MT/D, DMX 6Fire, Phase 88; Hoontech SoundTrack DSP 24/Value/Media7.1; Event EZ8; Lionstracs Mediastation, Terrasoniq TS 88."

Would that also include the ESI Juli@ which uses the Envy24HT-S? See attached picture.

Second, some requests...

1. An R-Pi and a Beaglebone Black version using the I2S output drivers (generic I2S for the R-Pi, Meiro's Botic driver for the BBB which enables feed of an external master clock into the BBB).

2. A SOX upsampling option.

3. Playback navigation would be nice, especially if it recognized .cue files.

Greg in Mississippi
 

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Directly comparable to my ears to Daphile and APL on the same hardware.

My question is; why? If it is a self-interest project, all the best. If it sounds as good as Daphile but lacks all of the many other features, my question stands. The are plenty of other branches off other players that blossom then die. What makes all of the effort worthwhile rather than contributing to a current project?
 
Congratulations on your project. Thank you very much for sharing your efforts for free to our community.

@Tromperie: Yeah why there are so many different car brands out there if a Lamborghini is the best possible car in my opinion. Really a shame!
 
My question is; why? If it is a self-interest project, all the best. If it sounds as good as Daphile but lacks all of the many other features, my question stands. The are plenty of other branches off other players that blossom then die. What makes all of the effort worthwhile rather than contributing to a current project?

If you're truly curious (?) you could read the documentation and find the points of difference but here's a quick summary...
It's fast to boot, does not need to be installed, does not require another machine to control it and it loads your music files into, and plays from, ram.(which explains the delay before the selected file plays)
From what I can gather the emphasis in development is on sq and not a slick web interface.
If you've ever tried to run Daphile from the local machine option and then try this player you will be very pleasantly surprised at the difference.

Celebrate diversity, not conformity.
 
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I will try to answer the recent questions:

Why I am doing it? It started as small experiment some time ago. Just curiosity, how far I can push Linux in terms of SQ. Tried some other players and after some trials realized that they would require much changes to do get them where I wanted. It was easier/quicker to start from scratch.

Later I shared this with my friends and they liked it. So why not sharing it with everybody else?

In terms of licensing: wtfplay and uwtfplay are not under GPL, wtfcui source code be available under GPL when I make some code cleanups.

F
 
Thanks all for the interest.

Network storage access: request noted. Will try NFS and CIFS, I'm not sure when though :)
...

F

For me personally I would opt for NFS.
First NFS being Linux's native network system, so it will have a close fit into the wtfplay distro and second all NAS-es I know do support NFS because they too are most often based on Linux.

CIFS on the other hand is most often switched on by default on commercial NAS-es, because most users are using Windows as their desktop system. NFS often has to be 'switched on'. I expect however a Linux OS has got to do more for a CIFS network than for an NFS, but I'm not completely sure on that one.

Looking forward to your progress with this project.

Cheers
 
My question is; why? If it is a self-interest project, all the best. If it sounds as good as Daphile but lacks all of the many other features, my question stands. The are plenty of other branches off other players that blossom then die. What makes all of the effort worthwhile rather than contributing to a current project?

I can imagine (or I should say know) that to many features have a detrimental effect on sound quality, so it depends on what the aim of the developer is as to what purpose other players can have for his aims.

I assume he is not satisfied with other players, and to many gimmicks in a player spoil the music.
 
What are people using for servers (laptop or a server with monitor, keyboard, and mouse)?

And can you operate your server from where you sit or are you getting up and walking over to the server to operate it?

If the server is near where you sit and your audio system is a distance away, how are you connecting the server to the rest of your audio system?

Thanks,

Joel