On 27/07/07, Owen Griffin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Has anyone tried using the iPlayer on Linux using wine?
>
> I could wait for the Linux version but I'm quite impatient. :)
I doubt it would work under WINE. The BBC worked exceptionally hard to
make sure it won't run under non Windows platforms.
The problem is you need to run WMP and Kontiki. WMP was found to use
undocumented hooks into Windows (it was the subject of an EU judgement
against Microsoft). Even if WINE supported all documented Windows API
calls fully (it currently doesn't) it would not know of the
undocumented ones. I think that Microsoft where ordered to release
details or stop using undocumented API calls, I'm not sure if they
complied.
So what is the time frame on a cross platform version? A week, A
month, 2 months, shouldn't be any more than that at most unless
iPlayer was not written well. Anyone CS graduate knows how to do
platform independent coding, somebody at the BBC must know how to do
it.
In case they don't here's some very quick tips.
* Use a platform independent language for all the code you write.
* If you use external libraries ensure that:
- You know in enough detail how they work so that should you need
to replace them with a compatible version of your own creation you can
do so (open standards would help here).
- That the library is written in either a platform independent
language or a portable language (that does not use non-portable
extensions) and you can recompile the library to a different platform.
* You should NOT make OS calls unless such a call is defined by POSIX,
and then you should only use it in the defined way.
* You should NOT invoke other programs unless they are either defined
in POSIX or provided by you. When invoking such programs you must not
do so in a platform dependant way.
* You should NOT assume any particular layout or placement of files on
the system, neither must you assume things like path separators
That's pretty much the basics the rest is common sense really.
Of course the biggest problem is the installer. They vary widely
between platforms and often need to know platform specific things like
where to put the binary (or executable) files.
Luckily if you Open Source your code and ask nicely someone will
probably package your program for you so it can be installed into
Linux OSes without out you having to worry to much, and they may list
your file in the central store of programs most Linux vendors have.
As the installer is the only part likely to be hard to port, I will
make an offer, if the BBC can guarantee it will release a Linux client
and all the required parts under an Open Source license within the
next three (3) months I will learn how to package applications for my
particular distribution and attempt to provide a .deb file for easy
installation. Can't say fairer than that.
(Also if anyone at the BBC can answer this question it would be
helpful: If the BBC supports standards as it so often claims why use
Kontiki and not the more common and widely used Bit torrent protocol
for it's content delivery?).
Andy
--
Computers are like air conditioners. Both stop working, if you open windows.
-- Adam Heath
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