erland wrote: > If someone with the necessary drawing skills is interested to spend some > time drawing completely new icons/logos for whole LMS and Touch/Radio > firmware, that would be a great start if some developer wants to make > what you suggested happen, most developers I know (including myself) > really don't know how to draw graphics. So if someone feels this would > be an interesting challenge and would like to help, please let us know, > or just do it and post the result in the "Developers" section of the > forum. > > > Redistributing custom firmware for Classic/Boom/Transporter/Receiver is > going to be hard, but I think it's unlikely that Logitech will remove it > from their servers anytime soon and the > Classic/Boom/Transporter/Receiver hasn't really got any firmware updates > lately so what we have today might be good enough also for the future. > > Custom firmware for Radio/Touch/Controller is less of a problem as most > of it is available under BSD license which allows redistribution and > even commercial usage if needed. There are some firmware parts which > isn't redistributable, if I've understood correctly it's related to some > drivers, some codecs and some online streaming service integrations, but > re-implementing the most important parts of that is probably not a big > issue for someone with the right knowledge. > > Except for the already mentioned parts, there are some other parts which > also isn't redistributable: > - Windows exe binaries (The compiled exe versions of LMS is only > redistributable by Logitech) > - Windows Installer (Only redistributable by Logitech) > - I think MP3 libraries also might have some redistribution restriction, > but I'm not completely sure > - The Logitech Android/iOS apps aren't even available as source code, > but it would be possible to refer people to the existing commercial > third party apps instead, so this isn't critical. > > Finally, most online streaming service integrations is implemented on > mysqueezebox.com which due to this isn't available as source code, so to > make Rhapsody, Pandora, LastFM, Deezer, TuneIn and similar services work > someone would have to get an agreement with the streaming providers and > implement a plugin for it. Getting an agreement with some of these > providers as an individual spare time developer won't work as some of > them refuse to even start a discussion unless you are backed up by a > company.
Interesting that the various firmwares are under different licenses, if I've understood correctly. I've never seen the Windows version - I didn't realise it was wrapped up as an exe. I suppose it had to be done like that just to avoid user issues. I suppose this is where the distinction between a commercial venture and a "classic" open source project comes in. In the latter case, the Windows issue (or any other issue) would only be addressed if someone with the appropriate dev skills, time and inclination has that particular itch which needs scratching (the same reason why it's not reasonable for users in any free/open-source project to 'demand' action on a particular point), whereas if you're going down the commercial angle then you address the needs which will satisfy the most customers - in which case things like a nice Windows installer (and Windows support itself) are a necessity. I hadn't forgotten the mysqueezebox.com issue, I just didn't want to cloud things further :) The only way I can possibly see that continuing is under a commercial arrangement, for the very reasons you enumerate. That either means Logitech continuing it out of some kind of obligation or good-will, or another company taking it on. I don't know the ins and outs but I could conceive of the possibility that there could be a potential business in running that service alone, distinct from any hardware & software, and taking a cut of revenue-share / affiliation fees or whatever from the likes of Pandora et al. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ tigersim's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=11362 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=96572 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss
