GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 687831
Pressing "play" should launch the last used media player
Last modified: 2013-03-28 07:57:07 UTC
Many keyboards and laptops come with hard media keys that can be used to play, pause, and skip music. If a media player isn't running, pressing one of these keys with GNOME 3 results in an OSD with a big "not allowed" symbol on it - this is both unfriendly and confusing (see bug 680929). It would be much better to launch the default media player if someone uses one of these keys. Bug 644302 may provide a solution to this, but I didn't want to specify a particular technical solution here.
(In reply to comment #0) > Many keyboards and laptops come with hard media keys that can be used to play, > pause, and skip music. If a media player isn't running, pressing one of these > keys with GNOME 3 results in an OSD with a big "not allowed" symbol on it - > this is both unfriendly and confusing (see bug 680929). Given that I received *1* report about it being confusing, it must not be that much. The icon used is the same one used on DVD players when an action can't be performed. > It would be much better to launch the default media player if someone uses one > of these keys. The music player or the video player? We don't have a "media" player. >Bug 644302 may provide a solution to this, but I didn't want to > specify a particular technical solution here. I don't think it's one bit relevant. There's still nothing to do when the player isn't running.
(In reply to comment #1) > (In reply to comment #0) > > Many keyboards and laptops come with hard media keys that can be used to play, > > pause, and skip music. If a media player isn't running, pressing one of these > > keys with GNOME 3 results in an OSD with a big "not allowed" symbol on it - > > this is both unfriendly and confusing (see bug 680929). > > Given that I received *1* report about it being confusing, it must not be that > much. The icon used is the same one used on DVD players when an action can't be > performed. Whether it's confusing or not, it's unhelpful, and it isn't pleasant behaviour. > > It would be much better to launch the default media player if someone uses one > > of these keys. > > The music player or the video player? We don't have a "media" player. The music app. > >Bug 644302 may provide a solution to this, but I didn't want to > > specify a particular technical solution here. > > I don't think it's one bit relevant. There's still nothing to do when the > player isn't running. OK.
- Rew/Ffwd and others should not do anything (that includes removing the popup) - Play and Play/Pause should by default launch the last used media-player (app_name.desktop should be enough, otherwise look into extending API).
Would it play the last played thing, pick something randomly, something else?
(In reply to comment #4) > Would it play the last played thing, pick something randomly, something else? I would expect it to restart the last session where it left off. This is the same behaviour as on OSX (though it only ever launches iTunes) and iOS (where it remembers the last "player" used, and launches that when you press play or plug it in an audio enabled dock).
If last thing I did is watching a video, I would still want "play" to start rhythmbox.