macOS Porting iTunes to linux

[binaryspazz]

I'm thinking about getting started on this. One question is, are they're people doing it now? any groups?

If so, you tell me who they are? Currecntly, on the linux side of things, Rythem Box will play and sync music to your iphone. It messes the art work up tho. But a complete port of iTunes needs to be done.

can anyone point me in the right direction regarding a group trying to do this?



-Eddie

 

[notjustjay]

Considering everything that iTunes does, I think this would be a ridiculously HUGE undertaking without at least access to the iTunes source code (and even with that, it would be pretty huge).

What exactly would you want a port of iTunes to do? I'm betting the iOS device connection functionality and/or the Apple DRM support would be high on the list, as it otherwise probably wouldn't be difficult to skin an mp3 player app to look and feel like iTunes. It's the "everything else" part that would be a monumental task.

 

[larkost]

And to be clear, in order to be a "port" you would have to have access to the source code, which you are not going to get. So rather you would be looking to create a "clone" of some or all of iTunes onto linux.

 

[lee1210]

You aren't able to port code you don't have, as others have said, so that's right out. If you wanted to work on something that would get you iTunes working on Linux I would suggest working on WINE to get the Windows version of iTunes running to whatever degree is of value to you. It may work already, I have no idea, but you would have a shot at improving WINE, you do not have the possibility of porting iTunes.

-Lee

 

[binaryspazz]

not sure why i used 'port'... a little out of it when i wrote this.. (actually second question) has any darwin/aqua app actually been successfully ported to linux or bsd?)

i really meant duplicate, sort of like rythem box did, but with all the functions as itunes.

The only thing really missing is the store (hopefully just replacing store URL's etc), more specifically, being able to backup, and sync apps, calander, email, application document sharing. Music and video sync is really covered. I was thinking about it a little more, and it seems like it would be possible, but probably only with a jailbroken phone. Apt-get backup script through a music manager probably wouldn't be too bad, for sycning apps. Installing IPA's through a music manager seems possible if the connection was done thru, ssh over USB, and a script, similar to the instalous install script.

 

[Cromulent]

not sure why i used 'port'... a little out of it when i wrote this.. (actually second question) has any darwin/aqua app actually been successfully ported to linux or bsd?)

i really meant duplicate, sort of like rythem box did, but with all the functions as itunes.

The only thing really missing is the store (hopefully just replacing store URL's etc), more specifically, being able to backup, and sync apps, calander, email, application document sharing. Music and video sync is really covered. I was thinking about it a little more, and it seems like it would be possible, but probably only with a jailbroken phone. Apt-get backup script through a music manager probably wouldn't be too bad, for sycning apps. Installing IPA's through a music manager seems possible if the connection was done thru, ssh over USB, and a script, similar to the instalous install script.

Why stop at iTunes? You could port the whole of Cocoa over to Linux while you are at it (ignore GNUstep for the minute).

 

[subsonix]

not sure why i used 'port'... a little out of it when i wrote this.. (actually second question) has any darwin/aqua app actually been successfully ported to linux or bsd?)

The darwin/aqua thing you do is kind of strange. I believe there are darwin projects ported elsewhere, at least there is nothing stopping that from happening. Oh, Webkit is such an example used by Chrome, I think Bonjour is also available on Linux, might be wrong about that though.

 

[Cromulent]

The darwin/aqua thing you do is kind of strange. I believe there are darwin projects ported elsewhere, at least there is nothing stopping that from happening. Oh, Webkit is such an example used by Chrome, I think Bonjour is also available on Linux, might be wrong about that though.

Webkit was originally a Linux app anyway (it was originally KHTML used in Konqueror which Apple forked). Bonjour (technically mDNSresponder) does indeed run on Linux but calling it a Darwin / Aqua app seems a bit odd. It is basically just a standard POSIX / BSD app as far as I am aware. I seriously doubt it uses any Mac only stuff.

 

[subsonix]

Webkit was originally a Linux app anyway (it was originally KHTML used in Konqueror which Apple forked). Bonjour (technically mDNSresponder) does indeed run on Linux but calling it a Darwin / Aqua app seems a bit odd. It is basically just a standard POSIX / BSD app as far as I am aware. I seriously doubt it uses any Mac only stuff.

That doesn't really matter though, as it is open source and significantly has been added to it. iTunes however is not open source. Bonjour is part of Apples zero configuration networking technology there is a video describing it in Apples dev site if you want to find out more. libdispatch is available on freeBSD, I'm not sure about launchd but there was discussions about an Ubuntu port at least.

 

[Blakeasd]

Purchase Crossover Linux.
Download iTunes for Windows.
Install iTunes using Crossover Linux

 

[binaryspazz]

Purchase Crossover Linux.
Download iTunes for Windows.
Install iTunes using Crossover Linux

i'm not worried about running itunes.

I did this with playonlinux iTunes runs great. Syncing with the iphone doesn't work.

The problem with all the WINE resolutions, is that it doesn't seem to allow mounting..

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@Cromulent

what's wrong with wanting to be able to sync my iphone linux? Palm/BB users went out and did the same thing for those devices.


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@subsonix thanks , lots to look over

 

[Blakeasd]

If you want to sync your iPhone with Linux then,
http://www.taranfx.com/sync-iphone-linux

 

[binaryspazz]

If you want to sync your iPhone with Linux then,
http://www.taranfx.com/sync-iphone-linux

good find!

 

[Cromulent]

@Cromulent

what's wrong with wanting to be able to sync my iphone linux? Palm/BB users went out and did the same thing for those devices.

There is nothing wrong with it. It just seems like you are underestimating the task. My suggestion if you are really keen is to work on an already existing implementation of an iPhone syncing app in Linux and make it work properly rather than trying to write your own from scratch.

That doesn't really matter though, as it is open source and significantly has been added to it.

What? You bring it up as an example of a Darwin / Aqua app that has been ported to Linux and when corrected you stated it "doesn't really matter though, as it is open source".

iTunes however is not open source.

Really?

 

[subsonix]

What? You bring it up as an example of a Darwin / Aqua app that has been ported to Linux and when corrected you stated it "doesn't really matter though, as it is open source".

In the context of this thread, it doesn't really matter, it's the nature of open source. That is the key here, anything "aqua" or "app" relates to OS X, the question posed related to, what can be ported, well the open source stuff.