Windows: service vs. application mode

[matthijskoopmans]

... Because Apple claims that iTunes is the single most popular Windows application in the world. There have been over 500M downloads of the Windows version. (I'm sure there's some double-counting here, but 100M is still a pretty big number.)

It may not matter to you, but it matters to most people.

I am not anti-iTunes... or anti-anything for that matter. If so many users use iTunes, then who am I to question that .

However, for that matter, all Windows users have WMP installed (i wouldn't touch it with a 20 ft pole). Winamp is also pretty popular... and Amarok for the Linux users.... My point is that if the integration is posing an architectural problem, then the added value of the integration itself should be scrutinised.

As far as I understand from this thread, the current thoughts are to off SC as a service, or as a client. I would be ok with that. Perhaps you can make it a setup option: if you choose to have iTunes support, then the installation defaults to user client type. If not, then service as usual. I think that should make us all happy

Cheers

Matt

[Craig, James \(IT\)]

I was thinking about this last night - the problem is finding the iTunes
file from the registry when running as a service?
Why not configure this up front from the installer? We know the
installer will have access to the registry.
And/or you could change the mode in which SlimServer is started
depending on whether iTunes is detected during installation?

James
--------------------------------------------------------

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[mherger]

> I was thinking about this last night - the problem is finding the iTunes
> file from the registry when running as a service?

Exactly. That's one of the problems (probably the major for now).

> Why not configure this up front from the installer? We know the
> installer will have access to the registry.

No, you don't know this: users without administrative privileges will have to switch user to install SC. Plus if you install iTunes _after_ you've installed SC, this doesn't work neither.

> And/or you could change the mode in which SlimServer is started
> depending on whether iTunes is detected during installation?

Switching modes automagically will very likely be a support headache.

Michael

[dean]

On Oct 26, 2007, at 2:34 AM, Michael Herger wrote:
>> Why not configure this up front from the installer? We know the
>> installer will have access to the registry.
>
> No, you don't know this: users without administrative privileges
> will have to switch user to install SC. Plus if you install iTunes
> _after_ you've installed SC, this doesn't work neither.
Is there no way for the to figure out who ran it? The other thing
we have discussed is to have the tray app expose to SC what user is
running it.

[kdf]

On 26-Oct-07, at 8:11 AM, dean blackketter wrote:

>
> On Oct 26, 2007, at 2:34 AM, Michael Herger wrote:
>>> Why not configure this up front from the installer? We know the
>>> installer will have access to the registry.
>>
>> No, you don't know this: users without administrative privileges
>> will have to switch user to install SC. Plus if you install iTunes
>> _after_ you've installed SC, this doesn't work neither.
> Is there no way for the to figure out who ran it? The other thing
> we have discussed is to have the tray app expose to SC what user is
> running it.

none I can think of. But, one idea that shaves just a little off of
the need for user credentials in setup
might be to use the registry hivelist to create a list of users on
the system. We can then fine itunes xml files
under each users' NTUSER.DAT and present a list of user itunes files
as a radio list. Ask users to pick one.
If Win32::TieRegistry works as it seems to, then no login is needed.
We just load the user of choice, get the path and read it (unless
users have it as non-readable.)

-kdf

[mherger]

> Is there no way for the to figure out who ran it? The other thing
> we have discussed is to have the tray app expose to SC what user is
> running it.

As the tray icon is run in the user space, a non-privileged user can't
change the service settings. Triode already added some code to disable the
"start on boot" menu on Vista, as it can't work.

The solution is as easy as adding a dialog to enter login/password in the
installation wizard. But if this is too confusing for the average user,
then we'd better go the application way and let the advanced user do it
manually. It would imho need less than ten lines of documentation for an
average user to get the service installed:

- run "squeezecenter.exe --install --username=.\yourWindowsUsername
--password=nada" from a DOS window
- if you're getting an error message "permission denied" or similar, then
log on as administrator and try again

That's all there is. We shouldn't spend a lot of time and add amounts of
complexity to try to find out the username and password automagically
(which won't work anyway).

Michael

--

[mherger]

> the system. We can then fine itunes xml files
> under each users' NTUSER.DAT and present a list of user itunes files
> as a radio list. Ask users to pick one.

iTunes is only one issue. Network access is another one.

> If Win32::TieRegistry works as it seems to, then no login is needed.
> We just load the user of choice, get the path and read it (unless
> users have it as non-readable.)

Bad luck if that user's in a domain with roaming profiles: the hive will
be stored somewhere on a server.

Michael


--

[dean]

How about this in the installer:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
SqueezeCenter Startup


SqueezeCenter can be set to run automatically. Choose how you'd like
to run SqueezeCenter:

(x) Start SqueezeCenter when I log in.

( ) Start SqueezeCenter automatically when the computer starts. You
need to enter your user name and password so SqueezeCenter can access
your music library.

[ ] User
[ ] Password

( ) Don't start SqueezeCenter automatically.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----

[mherger]

> How about this in the installer:

Good! But some think it's too confusing for the average user...

> (x) Start SqueezeCenter when I log in.
> ( ) Start SqueezeCenter automatically when the computer starts.
> ( ) Don't start SqueezeCenter automatically.

I'd probably not even add the third option.

Michael



--

[dean]

On Oct 26, 2007, at 9:08 AM, Michael Herger wrote:

>> How about this in the installer:
>
> Good! But some think it's too confusing for the average user...
Possibly, but this is how we've been doing it on the Mac for years
and nobody's complained. At least it would be consistent.

>
>> (x) Start SqueezeCenter when I log in.
>> ( ) Start SqueezeCenter automatically when the computer starts.
>> ( ) Don't start SqueezeCenter automatically.
>
> I'd probably not even add the third option.

Ideally, whatever options we choose here would be mirrored in the
tray application. We're close there. What we don't have is the
ability to get the user's credentials, right?

-dean