Ranter or evangelist?

[Michael Schwendt]

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:57:19 -0400 (EDT), gilpel altern org wrote:

> >> If I go to Application, sound and video, the first option,
> >> "Audio Player", opens XMMS.
> >
> > When I've used XMMS, in the past,
> 
> Yup, in the past, you too? We're in the present, you know?

Then don't install it. It doesn't get installed by default.

It's an old Gtk+ application, which has a very few fans left. xmms.org
even calls it "legacy". Several times some developers have started a fork
to replace XMMS with a successor like BMP, XMMS2, Audacious, in some cases
starting with nothing else than a port to Gtk2, in other cases replacing
the implementation gradually. You can find packages for some of them in
the repositories.

> But here, all you receive as an answer is "File a bug report". Hey, wait a
> sec! Doesn't anybody at Fedora use Fedora? How come nobody never noticed
> that Brasero doesn't work or XMMS is a pain? Why should we be writing all
> the time when, apparently, nobody gives a shit?

It may be specific to XMMS. Don't generalise. I don't put my hands into
the fire with regard to the Fedora xmms package maintainer(s), but there's
one thing you should not forget. Every piece of software packaged for
Fedora needs somebody to take care of it in various aspects. The packages
themselves, run-time testing (users can contribute that), finding and
fixing bugs, as well as any upstream development that may be necessary.
Software, which doesn't have any users, who are interested in it and who
are willing to contribute something, may end up in a poor state or in
poorly maintained Fedora packages. In many cases, it is beneficial to
build small teams that give the packages some love - instead of filling
the role of a pure consumer who relies on an arbitrary "packager" to do
everything. So, for example, somebody who wants to use XMMS (and since the
player is an optional download and not mandatory) should consider helping
with some of the package maintenance tasks.

> XMMS doesn't play well with modern hardware and it's
> been this way for years.

Then don't install it. It doesn't get installed by default.
(repeating myself here)

XMMS development has stopped years ago. IIRC, there has been a minor
release in 2007, three years after the previous one, marking the 10th
anniversary of XMMS, but it hasn't moved forward over several years.