A new version of the GTK-based music player Rhythmbox has been released, the first major update in over a year.
Rhythmbox 3.4.8 is billed as a ‘minor improvement release’, so there are no shiny new features or (some would say overdue) UI changes to speak of.
But there are plenty of bug fixes and smaller quality enhancements worth knowing about.
Although primarily used to listen and manage local music files, Rhythmbox supports network shares, podcasts, radio streaming, and integration with online services like Magnatune and Last.FM.
In this release, the app includes several podcast improvements, including better handling of episode images. It also adds a “delete file only” to episode downloads. This allows users to delete downloaded files while keeping the episode entry for later re-downloading.
Rhythmbox’s long-broken DAAP server is fixed also. This means users can once again stream and share their local music library with other devices on the local network.
Developers also tweaked the way the Android and MTP split plugins are handled, adds Lenovo to the Android MTP match allowlist, and resolves some issues with phones not being recognised as Android PTP devices.
Rhythmbox 3.4.8 bug fixes include:
- Sync no longer fails to create playlist if a directory doesn’t exist
- Player no longer freezes when it can’t play a file
- Improved accessibility with Orca screen reader
- Pause/Stop button context adjusts for radio stream vs playlist queue
- Updated radio station list with URL stream fixes
- Flatpak and AppData adjustments
In all, a decent update for this iconic audio essential.
So how can you get the update?
Chiefly, by compiling the source code by hand. Not an easy task, but not hard – a fun way to spend an afternoon and learn ‘how the sausage is made‘.
The regular Ubuntu repositories typically don’t backport new versions of apps, so don’t expect to see this update waiting in Software Updater on any supported Ubuntu release.
You can find Rhythmbox on Flathub, uploaded by the developers but, to date, unverified. The latest update will roll out on there in the coming days/weeks. Update – now available (thanks, Mikko!)
It’s also likely a PPA of some sort (unofficial) will appear since Rhythmbox is used by a great many Ubuntu and Linux Mint users.
For more details on this release, source code, and issue tracker you can find Rhythmbox on the GNOME Gitlab.
Cheers Dan!