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[kugel-rb.git] / manual / appendix / appendix.tex
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1 % $Id$ %
2 \appendix
4 \input{appendix/file_formats.tex}
6 \input{appendix/wps_tags.tex}
8 \opt{lcd_bitmap}{\opt{tagcache}{
9 \input{appendix/album_art.tex}
12 \input{appendix/config_file_options.tex}
14 \input{appendix/menu_structure.tex}
16 \chapter{User feedback}\label{sec:feedback}
17 \section{Bug reports}
18 If you experience inappropriate performance from any supported feature,
19 please file a bug report on our web page. Do not report missing
20 features as bugs, instead file them as feature ideas (see below).
22 For open bug reports refer to
23 \url{http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/index.php?type=2}
25 \subsection{Rules for submitting new bug reports}
27 \begin{enumerate}
28 \item Check that the bug has not already been reported
29 \item Always include the following information in your bug report:
31 \begin{itemize}
32 \item Which exact \dap{} you have.
33 \item Which exact Rockbox version you are using
34 (Menu $\rightarrow$ Info $\rightarrow$ Version)
35 \item A step{}-by{}-step description of what you did and what happened
36 \item Whether the problem is repeatable or a one{}-time occurrence
37 \item All relevant data regarding the problem, such as playlists, MP3
38 files etc. (IMPORTANT!)
39 \end{itemize}
40 \end{enumerate}
42 \section{Feature ideas}
43 To suggest an idea for a feature or to read those made by others, see
44 \url{http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php?board=49.0}. Please keep in
45 mind that this forum is for the discussion of feature ideas - they are not
46 requests and there is no guarantee they will be acted upon.
48 \subsection{Rules for submitting a new feature idea}
50 \begin{enumerate}
51 \item Check that the feature has not already been suggested.
52 Duplicates are really boring!
53 \item Check that the feature has not already been implemented.
54 Download the latest current/daily build and/or search the mail list archive.
55 \item Check that the feature is possible to implement (see \reference{ref:NODO}).
56 \end{enumerate}
58 \subsection{\label{ref:NODO}Features we will not implement}
59 This is a list of Feature Requests we get repeatedly that we simply
60 cannot do. View it as the opposite of a TODO!
62 \begin{itemize}
63 \opt{archos}{
64 \item Record to WAV (uncompressed) or MP3pro format.\\
65 The recording hardware (the MAS) does not allow us to do this
66 \item Crossfade between tracks.\\
67 Crossfading would require two mp3 decoders, and we only have one.
68 This is not possible.
69 \item Support MP3pro, WMA or other sound format playback.\\
70 The mp3{}-decoding hardware can only play MP3. We cannot make it play other
71 sound formats.
72 \item Converting OGG $\rightarrow$ MP3.\\
73 The mp3{}-decoding hardware cannot decode OGG. It can be reprogrammed, but
74 there is too little memory for OGG and we have no documentation on how to
75 program the MAS' DSP. Doing the conversion with the CPU is impossible, since
76 a 12~MHz SH1 is far too slow for this daunting task.
77 \item Archos Multimedia support.\\
78 The Archos Multimedia is a completely different beast. It is an entirely
79 different architecture, different CPU and upgrading the software is done
80 a completely different way. We do not wish to venture into this. Others
81 may do so. We will not.
82 \item Multi{}-band (or graphic) equaliser.\\
83 We cannot access information for that kind of visualisation from the MP3
84 decoding hardware.
85 \item CBR recording.\\
86 The MP3 encoding hardware does not allow this.
87 \item Change tempo of a song without changing pitch.\\
88 The MP3 decoding hardware does not allow this.
89 \item Graphic frequency (spectrum analyser).\\
90 We cannot access the audio waveform from the MP3 decoder so we cannot analyse
91 it. Even if we had access to it, the CPU would probably be too slow to
92 perform the analysis anyway.
93 \item Cool sound effects.\\
94 Adding new sound effects requires reprogramming the MAS chip, and we cannot
95 do that. The MAS chip is programmable, but we have no access to the chip
96 documentation.
98 \nopt{h300,x5}{
99 \item Interfacing with other USB devices (like cameras) or 2 player games over USB.\\
100 The USB system demands that there is a master that talks to a slave. The
101 \dap{} can only serve as a slave, as most other USB devices such as
102 cameras can. Thus, without a master no communication between the slaves
103 can take place. If that is not enough, we have no way of actually
104 controlling the communication performed over USB since the USB circuit
105 in the \dap{} is strictly made for disk{}-access and does not allow us
106 to play with it the way we'd need for any good communication to work.
108 \item Support other file systems than FAT32 (like NTFS or ext2 etc.).\\
110 \opt{archos}{Rockbox needs to support FAT32 since it can only start off a FAT32
111 partition (since that is the only way the ROM can load it), and adding}%
112 support for more file systems will just take away valuable ram for
113 unnecessary features. You can partition your \dap{} fine, just make sure
114 the first one is FAT32 and then make the other ones whatever file system
115 you want. Just do not expect Rockbox to understand them.
116 \item Add scandisk{}-like features.\\
117 It would be a very slow operation that would drain the batteries and
118 take a lot of useful ram for something that is much better and faster
119 done when connected to a host computer.
120 \item Alphabetical list skipping.\\
121 Skipping around the lists by jumping letters (i.e skip all C's and go
122 straight to the first D). This isn't feasible with the current list
123 implementation, if you really want this you can get similar effects using
124 the database (see \reference{ref:database}).
125 \item Add support for non standard tag formats.\\
126 APE tags in MP3 files has been rejected a few times already. Its not something we want.
127 \item Implementing the ability to playback DRM files.\\
128 Firstly, this would be extremely difficult to implement legally - Rockbox
129 is not legal entity as such, and therefore is unable to enter into license
130 agreements with providers of DRM technology.
131 Secondly, Rockbox is open source, which would mean that any DRM technology we
132 incorporated into our codebase would suddenly become visible to the whole world,
133 completely defeating its purpose. Remember, DRM achieves part of it's security
134 through obscurity, and publishing the keys necessary to decrypt DRM'd
135 media would essentially render it useless.
136 \end{itemize}
138 \chapter{Credits}
139 People that have contributed to the project, one way or another. Friends!
141 \begin{multicols}{2}
142 \noindent\caps{\small{\input{CREDITS.tex}}}
143 \end{multicols}
145 \chapter{Licenses}
147 \section{GNU Free Documentation License}
148 \input{appendix/fdl.tex}
149 \newpage
150 \section{The GNU General Public License}
151 \input{appendix/gpl-2.0.tex}