On this day, 22 years ago, the #Rockbox project started, co-founded by me. We wrote an open source firmware for mp3 players. On its 10 year anniversary 2011, I wrote this:
wow I had no idea you were a part of Rockbox! I used to look at it with mild envy, saddened that nothing I could get my hands on was capable of running it :D
@amazing_snacks @sushee the original author of the Archos firmware used to say he created Rockbox by making the original firmware so bad it triggered us to make an alternative =)
when we had get-togethers of #rockbox hackers, we did these (silly) towers of devices that could run Rockbox. Look at this beautiful example featuring 78 mp3 players.
@err_mus also, the backstory of how the reverse engineering of the first ipod that then eventually ran Rockbox is super awesome. A work of art and patience of steel.
@err_mus Maybe not, BUT IT WORKED! And any time someone in my car would dial up music they got the Jolly Roger instead of the Apple UI and it was glorious.
The original 2MB buffer chip was already a bit small for 128Kbps MP3 and a HDD, but definitely too small for 320Kbps MP3 ripped from my CD 😢 Every time I played music, I remember thinking "when will the HDD die from all the power cycles ?" 😅
With a Compact Flash and IDE adapter, there is no spin-up time so it's not that bad.
Thank you! I think rockbox was my first introduction to running my own firmware on a device I owned. One of the SanDisk MP3 players.
It's a step backwards that we can't buy any old electronics and find a community writing better firmware for it. Too many products, too much firmware to rewrite?
i'm a huge fan. i'm one of the people who have a dedicated music player. i keep it in my shirt pocket. as such it's a requirement all my shirts have a left pocket, even my tshirts, which is my uniform nowadays.
i currently have 15 or more devices running rockbox.
if it isn't running rockbox, it aint going in my shirt pocket!
Rockbox was definitely life-changing software for me. I was so proud when I first managed to get it installed, at the age of 10 if that. I got a Sansa Clip Plus for about $25, an affordable price, even at that age, and Rockbox made it talk. Similar devices directly aimed at the blind marked are more expensive at least by an order of magnitude. It has served me well for years, up until 2016 or so, when I finally bit the bullet and switched over to listening on a smartphone full time. I definitely have very fond memories of generating audiobooks on my computer with text-to-speech software to play them later on the Sansa, though.
it's very late but a huge thank you to you and the whole #rockbox crew who put in this effort. I love love loved it back in the day and very much appreciated the #foss model being a disruptor in the proprietary media player marketplace
I miss my 3 rockbox devices -- I've had iRiver (little IFP unit), iAudio (X5), and Sandisk (E280)
The latter 2 I even still have! Sadly only the Sandisk actually works well. I do occasionally think about reviving it -- in a few ways it's a better experience than anything on a smartphone.
My first (and only, because smartphones) MP3 player was a SanDisk Sansa Fuse, and I ran Rockbox on it. I don’t recall whether I was after any specific features vs. the vendor software, or if it was just because I was starting to get interested in Linux and FOSS.
Harsh Shandilya
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •daniel:// stenberg://
in reply to Harsh Shandilya • • •petur 😶🇺🇦🇵🇸🇹🇼
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •fond memories...
as I wrote before, this triggered so many things: I switched to linux, I discovered open source, and I changed my professional career back to embedded
and last but not least, the friendships!
thanks for starting it and nurturing the welcoming community! Will never forget!
EpisodeIV
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Kot
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •James Broadhead
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Su-Shee
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Snacks
in reply to Su-Shee • • •daniel:// stenberg://
in reply to Snacks • • •Snacks
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •daniel:// stenberg://
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •when we had get-togethers of #rockbox hackers, we did these (silly) towers of devices that could run Rockbox. Look at this beautiful example featuring 78 mp3 players.
More photos here: rockbox.org/wiki/TowerOfRockbo…
TowerOfRockbox < Main < Wiki
www.rockbox.orgThomas Steen Rasmussen
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •erroneous_music
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •daniel:// stenberg://
in reply to erroneous_music • • •erroneous_music
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •daniel:// stenberg://
in reply to erroneous_music • • •Bill, organizer of stuff
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Princess Unikitty
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Maybe not, BUT IT WORKED! And any time someone in my car would dial up music they got the Jolly Roger instead of the Apple UI and it was glorious.
Peter Lyons (he)
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •daniel:// stenberg://
in reply to Peter Lyons (he) • • •Don Magnétophone
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •The original 2MB buffer chip was already a bit small for 128Kbps MP3 and a HDD, but definitely too small for 320Kbps MP3 ripped from my CD 😢
Every time I played music, I remember thinking "when will the HDD die from all the power cycles ?" 😅
With a Compact Flash and IDE adapter, there is no spin-up time so it's not that bad.
@focusaurus
keef
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •magggus
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •André Bering
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •daniel:// stenberg://
in reply to André Bering • • •Joel
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Thank you! I think rockbox was my first introduction to running my own firmware on a device I owned. One of the SanDisk MP3 players.
It's a step backwards that we can't buy any old electronics and find a community writing better firmware for it. Too many products, too much firmware to rewrite?
junkman
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Jason_Dodd
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •i'm a huge fan. i'm one of the people who have a dedicated music player. i keep it in my shirt pocket. as such it's a requirement all my shirts have a left pocket, even my tshirts, which is my uniform nowadays.
i currently have 15 or more devices running rockbox.
if it isn't running rockbox, it aint going in my shirt pocket!
Nicholas Boyd Isacsson
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Jason_Dodd
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •while we're here, i'll plug an idea i've had for a while now. feel free to roll your eyes or ban me.
i conceived of a means to listen to audiobooks while i'm not fully paying attention.
i split the audio into 5-10 minute clips and repeat them until i feel like i 'got' that clip and then move to the next one.
this way i can listen to something while otherwise distracted and still get the story.
i'd love RB to have a 'loop x minutes' function so this is built in to THE best player!
Jack Coates 🐀
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •miki
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Matthew Weier O'Phinney
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Jernej Simončič �
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Herr Uke
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Don Magnétophone
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •My two Recorder 20 are still in good shape and so is the Clip + !
boitam.eu/@VoronoV/10827941372…
boitam.eu/@VoronoV/10995634480…
#RockboxRules 😘😘
IXI
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •You made my experience with my Cowon 5XL in 2009 so much more enjoyable.
A sleek design with a great cover view that was sadly lacking in the stock ROM and so many nifty features to top it off.
I'm still using mine to this day!
Thank you for your tremendous work.
FSMaxB
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •jakob42
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Magnesium
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Christian Lauf (Backupaccount)
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Antacon
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Jeremy Nickurak
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •I miss my 3 rockbox devices -- I've had iRiver (little IFP unit), iAudio (X5), and Sandisk (E280)
The latter 2 I even still have! Sadly only the Sandisk actually works well. I do occasionally think about reviving it -- in a few ways it's a better experience than anything on a smartphone.
Abby ☃
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •Daniel Smith
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •My first (and only, because smartphones) MP3 player was a SanDisk Sansa Fuse, and I ran Rockbox on it. I don’t recall whether I was after any specific features vs. the vendor software, or if it was just because I was starting to get interested in Linux and FOSS.
Anyways, thanks for making that possible 🙂
Gianf:) 🇮🇹
in reply to daniel:// stenberg:// • • •