Why there is no available version of AIMP for Linux and macOS?

[Husckler]

This is one of the best music players available for Windows. I cannot understand why it wasn't been ported for these OS'es.

All music players I installed on Linux or macOS, nothing of them have all functions available on AIMP. E.g.

- Variety of themes for the GUI (skins), for the icons, plugins, color changing...
- Equalizer
- Sound effects
- Radios
- Tags
- Audio converter

The closest to it is VLC (which isn't even a real music player), maybe Audacious or Rhythmbox. Not all complete features from AIMP are available on a unique music player.
That's very sad. 

[Artem]

This is one of the best music players available for Windows. I cannot understand why it wasn't been ported for these OS'es.

Why it should be? Windows is most powerful desktop platform.

[Octopuss]

Why it should be? Windows is most powerful desktop platform.

Oh come on.
If you said "most common", that would be much more accurate.
You make it sound like Windows is the best OS ever, which is not necessarily true (not for lots of people anyway).

edit: I am a Windows user

[Artem]

If you said "most common", that would be much more accurate.
You make it sound like Windows is the best OS ever, which is not necessarily true (not for lots of people anyway).

ORLY? So, why "your best" OS still not have "best" software?

[Octopuss]

Read my post again. There is language barrier here it seems.

[1lya]

I want to AIMP for FreeBSD. LOL )))

[vanisk]

I'm a regular Windows user, but occasionally i use L-Ubuntu (in which i installed Aimp through PlayOnLinux/Wine and using it)

[zohozer]

Why it should be? Windows is most powerful desktop platform.

Windows is a dead platform.

Linux is everywhere. From your bellowed Android phone to the server that host this website to Arduino and RaspberryPi, etc.

Microsoft is trying desperately to compete with Linux. They even included the entire Linux subsystem into the latest Windows10 builds.

So it's easier than ever to develop Linux apps on Windows!

P.S. Linux also runs on Samsung phones:

https://youtu.be/ndJl2p4Pb-E

"One device for everything".... and that's running Linux.

[Artem]

1. Android is not Linux.
2. Windows is more popular desktop OS in the world, just know that.
3. Linux is just a kernel. What number of OS based on it? 100? 1000?
4. What reason to develop application for OS for dead platform? All users migrates to mobile world. Desktop is dead.

[S410]

Actually, Android is linux. Ya can even copy a binary file compiled for plain linux ol' linux and it'll work.
Windows is the most popular OS on PCs. On personal devices in general this honor goes to Android, but on all devices (routers, servers, supercomputers, teapots, etc) combined it's actually Linux.
(Who needs to run AIMP on routers, supercomputers and teapots is a question to be answered, but still.)
As a dev myself and a linux user for a couple of months now, i can tell ya, it actually is easier to develop stuff, even "for windows" (by just using libraries that are crossplatform literally everything that doesn't use system APIs becomes crossplatform, so "coding for windows" becomes a simple compiler argument). It's easy to install dependencies needed to compile code for all kinds of platforms and it's possible (and easy) to test them (assuming there's no hardware specific stuff) straight away (using Wine or/and QEMU).

[Artem]

No, Android is not Linux. Android uses Linux kernel to run own environment, but we write the code for the environment not for kernel.

[S410]

I kinda agree that android is not Linux, but just because it's a horrible abomination, not because it's actually not Linux.
This way Debian or Fedora (while being "more linux" than android) aren't linux too, because they use .deb and .rpm packages respectively.
Also, not always. A tool that doesn't require GUIs or App-like behavior (icons, notifications, etc.) can (sometimes) be used "as is", without any modifications.

[nicgentile]

I only joined this forum just to write this.

I believe that its a bad mistake to not have Linux and MacOS support, and please, lets not get into what is a kernel and what is a what. The point is, based on my Linux use (19 years this year), there is at least a potential million users left in the dark. I use Clementine, previously used banshee, Rhythmbox etc. There is absolutely nothing on Linux that can do what AIMP can do. This would be one of the most popular apps out there. If its such a problem releasing for other platforms, then why not release the code, we fork it and take care of our own needs? Shouldn't be too hard, based on my history.

And also, I have to ask, why are there two captcha systems on your forum? Isn't one enough?

[ㅤ𝙆𝙉𝙏𝙍𝙊]

I believe that its a bad mistake to not have Linux and MacOS support

There are not "bad mistakes", there are mistakes alone.

Why not AIMP for both GNU/Linux and macOS? Because Artem doesn't want to. And I think he doesn't want to release the source code either. It's a pity, but we have to deal with this.

[Soolo]

And also, I have to ask, why are there two captcha systems on your forum? Isn't one enough?

even two is not enough

[Rustedwolf]

ORLY? So, why "your best" OS still not have "best" software?

    Milo: If they're so great, how come they're not tearing up the charts, babe?
    Rex: Because you never play them, babe. You suck.

    —from the Airheads movie

Same with your dev team - because you never write it...

[Artem]

Same with your dev team - because you never write it...

I have used these OS and I don't like it. So, I have no idea why I should develop software to OS that I don't like.

[Rustedwolf]

Because it would be a good developer practice? You know, platform independent software, bigger audience, keeping up with the trends or just simple politeness.

I'm not here to say "well you probably used in the old days and now it's different" - it's your decision on what to use. I'm personally using Linux Mint and haven't had that much of the problem with it (all best dev software is available there as well), but if I would develop software just for that platform - that would make me a hypocrite and a bad developer at the same time, since I would lose some of the audience.
 
But if we take for example MacOS... that's a premium software we're talking about, comrade. Most of the "cool kids" (developer rock stars, artists, pro's) use it. The reason you probably don't use it, it really hard to pirate it as most of the eastern Europe / Asia do with Windows software. Since tech-savy Linux users aren't interesting for you, why you don't want to drag the attention of mac users? The only good reason not to develop for Mac would be not having one to test software on it.

[Artem]

Because it would be a good developer practice? You know, platform independent software, bigger audience, keeping up with the trends or just simple politeness.

I don't believe in ideal world. Who will pay for development and support? Why it should be me?

[Rustedwolf]

Why it should be me?

It's your software, close source. Who if not you? In the end you're the one to decide. Don't want to do it? Fine. Just had to say from the start, not making bunch of excuses.

[Artem]

It's your software, close source. Who if not you?

=) Open sources will not solve it - people will not waste their time to re-write Windows-specified code to thier OS for free.

If you want to try to port it I will share sources of player's core for you.

[gumswap]

Guys, stop whinging that the free shit isn't free enough.

[Nakamura]

Ух тыыы, с 2015 года не заходил сюда!!! 5 лет уж прошло. Зашёл сейчас посмотреть какие есть новости, а оказалось, что "воз и ныне там" - нет версии AIMP для Линукса. А жаль... С Windows'ом-то много лет уже не работаем, но на мобильнике AIMP иногда используем.
Если я правильно понял, то и не предвидится версии для Linux пока, да?

[Алексей Долматов]

не предвидится версии для Linux пока, да?

Позиция разработчика однозначна и не раз уже была опубликована. Не нужно ждать AIMP на Linux. Потратьте это время на создание своего плеера для Linux или пообщайтесь с разработчиками уже созданных плееров.
P.S. Это раздел для иностранных пользователей. Есть более подходящие темы:
https://www.aimp.ru/forum/index.php?topic=23881.0
https://www.aimp.ru/forum/index.php?topic=42082.0

[bogy]

I have used these OS and I don't like it. So, I have no idea why I should develop software to OS that I don't like.

Microsoft never liked Linux, they even payed and bought companies (SCO) to do anything they could to stop linux advancing (SCO was the UNIX trademark/license holder back in the day, on which linux is anchored (via the Minix clone linus torvals once wrote))

nowadays, Microsoft still hates Linux, it's one of their biggest threats, especially on the servermarket they feel the heat of linux, also on the embedded market it's all linux... 

Still, microsoft has written quite some linux code, and even has a dedicated linux team nowadays, because it knows it's not important what Microsoft wants, but it's important what it's customers want...   Microsoft has learned that the hard way, very painfully...  in the '90s they were so happy they crushed novell and it's netware, now they were sure they would dominate the server market (except for mainframe), they even laughed at "free" linux-servers, nobody serious would use those... then Dell went Linux for server, then Compaq/HP started using it and soon all major companies had at least a few linux servers...    Today microsoft servers are mainly used to work with the desktops, to have a Domain Controller and have user rights and services for the users, but to the internet it's often nto more then the exchange server (for mail), IIS is mainly not available to the world as LAMP servers do a way better job and are deemed more secure.

if you want or don't want to develop for linux is your choice, just better not regret your choice later on.
for those who really want AIMP on linux; it seems to run fine on WINE, so don't whine about it, it's better to have it run in wine then not at all!

[vladmaster]

...
if you want or don't want to develop for linux is your choice, just better not regret your choice later on.
for those who really want AIMP on linux; it seems to run fine on WINE, so don't whine about it, it's better to have it run in wine then not at all!

Yeah, but the "sound effects" part doesn't work on Linux under WINE... It's one of the best features of AIMP missing on Linux. I think they could release a AppImage, Snap or Flaptak (universal package method). 

[endoplast]

I am delighted that we have this discussion in this forum. This means that there are a few of us crazy people who are not satisfied with GNU/Linux audio players. For most people they are valid but for those of us who have tried AIMP there is no other like it.

It is clear that Windows is the most used system on the planet, but this does not mean that in the future it will be. Maybe the system that could replace it has not been published yet or maybe it will be a variant of the ones we use now and the developers that want to be there will have to port their programs. It is also true that many successful programs are multiplatform.

What I mean is that, looking at it from this point of view, it would be a good option to port AIMP to other operating systems (as has been done with Android). There are lots of people waiting for AIMP to use it on Mac or any GNU/Linux distro.

Maybe a way to make this dream come true would be to reach an agreement with some distro to port it and include it in it. This distro would gain a lot of points for audiophiles and the community would benefit from it.

I currently use AIMP through WINE. It works but some functions give error and even reporting it to the WINE team have not been corrected. That is why I would beg the AIMP developer (I know he has said it is not part of his plans) or developers to port it.

I am not a developer but I would help in any way I can. Thanks in advance.

[Artem]

It is clear that Windows is the most used system on the planet, but this does not mean that in the future it will be.

I heard this argument 20 years ago. But Windows still alive...

What I mean is that, looking at it from this point of view, it would be a good option to port AIMP to other operating systems (as has been done with Android). There are lots of people waiting for AIMP to use it on Mac or any GNU/Linux distro. It works but some functions give error and even reporting it to the WINE team have not been corrected

What about vaunted open source community? Why no one can fix these issues? Are you think that rewrite the app is easier than fix compatibility issues? I think no...
Anyway, general issue of Linux is fragmentation. If you starts development for Linux, you starts development for few OS. I am not fanboy of Linux and I don't want to start this race.

[fluxtion]

=) Open sources will not solve it - people will not waste their time to re-write Windows-specified code to thier OS for free.

If you want to try to port it I will share sources of player's core for you.

Hello, Artem!

I understand your position on porting AIMP. While I don't necessarily agree with it, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't sympathise. On multiple occasions, I've refused to port software I've written to OS X simply because I strongly dislike Apple and OS X (and also because developing for the Apple ecosystem when you aren't involved in the Apple ecosystem in any way is very expensive in both time and money). Ultimately, it's your time and effort that people are asking for, and it's your right to decline the requests for your time and effort.

However, I'd love to create a native Linux port if you're serious about your offer of sharing the source with a dedicated developer. I have professional experience in more than 20 languages - including, crucially, C and C++ - and at least three times as many technologies (e.g. SQL and db admin). I've ported multiple applications to and from Linux and Windows both with POSIX and without.

Anyway, I can create a faithful port that will properly represent the greatness of AIMP, if you'll allow me.

Thanks for creating the best media player on Windows. Personally, I love both Windows and Linux (though not so much what Windows has become since 8/10). I think Windows is a massively over-hated, underrated OS. I've always found it intuitive, powerful, and actually very stable: I've wrecked far fewer Windows boxes than I have Linux ones in my time, and I've got consumer Windows 7 machines in my house that have been powered on for years. But that's beside the point!

Best wishes,
Elliott

ETA: At one point, a few years ago, I considered reverse engineering AIMP to try to port it, but I decided it would just be too much work to reconstruct the whole thing and I was worried about pissing you off by doing it unofficially. I've cracked my own private copies of commercial software with x86 asm for fun before, with simple or moderate levels of DRM protection, but I'm not skilled enough to recreate the entirety of AIMP that way, I don't think!

[Artem]

However, I'd love to create a native Linux port if you're serious about your offer of sharing the source with a dedicated developer. I have professional experience in more than 20 languages -
including, crucially, C and C++ - and at least three times as many technologies (e.g. SQL and db admin). I've ported multiple applications to and from Linux and Windows both with POSIX and without.

I already have tried few ways some times ago:
1. Two developers contact to me and tried to port the core library to Linux, they failed, because architecture and code are optimized to Windows API platform.
2. I have tried to make my code compatible with WINE, but users don't like Wine, they want native port only. Its not a way.

Next, AIMP for Windows is written on Delphi (latest version). So, you will need to re-write it to C++ first, because FreePascal is not compatible with latest version of Delphi.

Another thing that I want to ask you: what reason to port Windows-specific player to another (too different) platform? Why Linux Community does not improve already created native players? Its easier way as I think.

[fluxtion]

I already have tried few ways some times ago:
1. Two developers contact to me and tried to port the core library to Linux, they failed, because architecture and code are optimized to Windows API platform.
2. I have tried to make my code compatible with WINE, but users don't like Wine, they want native port only. Its not a way.

Next, AIMP for Windows is written on Delphi (latest version). So, you will need to re-write it to C++ first, because FreePascal is not compatible with latest version of Delphi.

Another thing that I want to ask you: what reason to port Windows-specific player to another (too different) platform? Why Linux Community does not improve already created native players? Its easier way as I think.

Thanks for replying so quickly.

Yeah, I know AIMP is written in Delphi. I got just far enough into reversing it to figure that out. I don't remember anything else about its architecture though -- this was several years ago.

Without looking at the code, it's hard to say which option is best but I have multiple potential paths in mind for porting (maybe a combination of one or more):
(1) use my CrossVcl/Fmxlinux license and Delphi cross-compilation (depending on whether you use VCL or Firemonkey -- probably FMX)
(2) use my knowledge of Object Pascal and its related dialects to convert the Delphi code into FreePascal/LCL compatible code.
(3) swap out the graphics library for something similar and recreate the theming engine.
(4) (will have to do this regardless of any other steps) convert the WINAPI interactions into Linux/POSIX equivalents.

I'm pretty confident that there's no need for a full rewrite in a different language, but obviously I can't say for certain without seeing the source.

Why not Wine? I get why people don't like relying on Wine. It's the same reason that I'm willing to go to the effort of porting AIMP rather than using Wine. Apps through Wine are less stable, less performant, prone to regressions at a moment's notice, don't take advantage of many Linux features, and don't integrate nicely into the standard filesystem structure (i.e. they're squirrelled away in some ugly imitation of the Windows structure) or Linux standards in general. With a lot of apps on Wine, I constantly feel like I'm just waiting for some bug to appear to ruin the experience and remind me that I'm not actually running the app natively or on Windows.

I must admit that I haven't tested AIMP extensively on Wine. If the best that could be done was to make it work as well as possible on Wine, I would be happy to help with any issues that exist, but I still believe that we can do better and do it natively.

Why AIMP? Well, why is AIMP so popular in the first place? A lot of people, myself included, think it's the best music player on any desktop OS. Porting it should require far less effort than creating something similar from the ground up. In particular, the theming engine and themes are remarkable. Implementing that from scratch in Qt or whatever would be very difficult, especially while retaining compatibility with existing themes. Hell, I'm not convinced that many GUI toolkits/libraries can look as good as AIMP does, regardless of how they're used. It'd potentially require an OpenGL (or similar fundamental graphics API) wrapper rather than a GUI toolkit, and yet you've got something beautiful implemented in a relatively simple language and library combination. That's why AIMP and why I'd like to port it rather than attempt to create something else. Frankly, I have no interest in any other music player because I don't use any other music player, so I wouldn't want to waste my time and talent writing one or writing for one.

[Artem]

Without looking at the code, it's hard to say which option is best but I have multiple potential paths in mind for porting (maybe a combination of one or more):
(1) use my CrossVcl/Fmxlinux license and Delphi cross-compilation (depending on whether you use VCL or Firemonkey -- probably FMX)
(2) use my knowledge of Object Pascal and its related dialects to convert the Delphi code into FreePascal/LCL compatible code.
(3) swap out the graphics library for something similar and recreate the theming engine.
(4) (will have to do this regardless of any other steps) convert the WINAPI interactions into Linux/POSIX equivalents.

1 No, my code based on VCL. AIMP has been published in 2006 (Delphi has no FMX framework at this time). Next, FMX still sux. So, I have no reason to use it. I have no one standard component in the project except TForm. So, you will need to port all UI framework too.

2. FreePascal has no package support, so you will need to re-design shared libraries and standard plugins, because these are package-based now.

3. We have own themes at all, but some graphic effects are accelerated via Direct2D.

4. Like a Wine, so...

Why not Wine? I get why people don't like relying on Wine. It's the same reason that I'm willing to go to the effort of porting AIMP rather than using Wine. Apps through Wine are less stable, less performant, prone to regressions at a moment's notice, don't take advantage of many Linux features, and don't integrate nicely into the standard filesystem structure (i.e. they're squirrelled away in some ugly imitation of the Windows structure) or Linux standards in general. With a lot of apps on Wine, I constantly feel like I'm just waiting for some bug to appear to ruin the experience and remind me that I'm not actually running the app natively or on Windows.

So, As I say, to implement native app you need to re-write and re-design the app, because code that optimized for Windows API cannot work effectively using different API.
For example: in this year Google have closed an access to native file api in Android. I have used 4 months to re-write core of mobile app to migrate to SAF API and use it effectively.

I must admit that I haven't tested AIMP extensively on Wine. If the best that could be done was to make it work as well as possible on Wine, I would be happy to help with any issues that exist, but I still believe that we can do better and do it natively.

I think we cannot do it natively in a reasonable time.

Porting it should require far less effort than creating something similar from the ground up.

Yes, I suggest to improve already existed open source player. It easier that porting Windows-optimized app.

P.S. Anyway, if you want to try yourself, look at archive. This is one of core libraries. Try to make it compatible with FreePascal and Linux API.

[fluxtion]

@Artem I send you a PM a while back about my progress and I've noticed that this forum (maybe SMF in general?) doesn't have notifications for them, so I wanted to make sure you definitely knew about it. Cheers.

[Artem]

I have no idea why, but I skipped your message from Nov 9. I will answer now.

Update: I have answered.

[0r4ng3]

Any updates? Sorry, your conversation got me pretty curious.

[Artem]

Any updates? Sorry, your conversation got me pretty curious.

No news, no updates. You can use Wine to run AIMP on Linux or MacOS.

[0r4ng3]

A pity, but understandable, thank you! And thanks for the great player!

[kelokera]

ORLY? So, why "your best" OS still not have "best" software?

The best of anything is just what fit you better for the task... also, popularity don´t meant the product is better... also! no aimp? no problem! QMMP...

I enjoy AIMP on windows! but the main reason is because I'm almost 50 and Winamp was my go to music player! I dont care about themes... so, no AIMP for linux? then QMMP! lol

[firekeeper]

No news, no updates. You can use Wine to run AIMP on Linux or MacOS.

Well, is not the same, not wine, not bottles... is working, sort of, but is so far from the truth.
Let me tell you something, after a very long experience with windows I'm kind of tired to fight Microsoft policies and all the crap they do to organizations and home users so at least for home I decided to give one more try to Linux after few disappointments in the past.
To my surprise the installation process went very smooth, no hassle with drivers on my old thinkpad, pretty decent software alternatives for home use except one, a big one for me: a decent hi-fi-like audio player.
I've been an aimp fan for years and I remember the first time I installed aimp coming from winamp. What a difference it was, fuctionality, sound quality, vumetters, skins, playlist management man I was thrilled, I tried all blackavp skins in fact I tried over the years all the hi-fi skins and although some of them looked fantastic each one of them had a minus so I started to look allover the net for aimp skins. It was very clear to me that aimp itself is a masterpiece of player, all it needed was a properly designed skin the way I want it hi-fi retro style.
So after few years of search I stumbled across a post on deviantart of a guy called Eddie Drakulas that have made some aimp skins somehow close to what I was searching for. I ask him if he could design me an aimp skin the way I want it - of course not for free. So he agreed and I send him few drawings and several months later he was able to make a fully functional aimp skin tailored for me GXPro Player GoldEX - a slightly different version is still available for download if you're curious. I am using this skin every day since then 5-10 years I cannot even remember, the good thing is that is still working on latest aimp x86 and x64 vers.
My point is whatever player I tried I always compared it with aimp and NONE of them gives me the functionality the sound quality and the feel of a good old 80's reel machine. So for me aimp is the best for years, in fact now I don't even care to test other players since I have my beloved aimp with my precious custom skin.
Reading this forum I'm glad that I'm not the only one feeling that way. People simply love aimp, some for functionality some for crazy designs, some for the nostalgic feeling of the retro hifi analog VU or technics like vumetters doesn't matter, it is loved and I'm kind of sad to see you guys arguing around.
I do understand it was and still is a huge amount of work and if is about the money perhaps we can all rise a certain amount to make this happen.
I use linux mint and I'm telling you aimp-wine-bottles it is not aimp is like an win11 on a pentium1 machine!
Oh and btw I use aimp an my android auto unit as well
Let us know what you need to make it real on linux, please
Regards,