Server screen saver issues

[denisg]

i just upgraded to 2.0.5(980) and I'm getting an image of my Server screen saver rather than the iTunes GUI when I select 'show iTunes'

[dnanian]

When you first start netTunes, and the screen saver is 'turned on', you may have to move the cursor over the window to dismiss the screen saver. This should be the same in all versions of netTunes, though... is it not dismissing?

(I've just tried this here, and the screen wakes up and the screen saver dismisses as soon as I connect.)

Is it possible that you have password protection on, or something like that, that would prevent the screen saver from being dismissed?

[denisg]

nothing I'm aware of. I'll got check and see if the server machine is hung up in general. I just had knee surgery, so it takes a bit to get downstairs right now. I don't password protect the screensaver, so that wouldn't be it. The screen that comes up looks like the cropped version of the desktop monitor that iTunes would be covering, so it's probably grabbing the correct dimensions. I'll post again when I can check out the other machine in person.

[dnanian]

OK. This is a new one on me, so please do let me know what you find out.

[denisg]

OK...i figured out the problem -- FAST USER SWITCHING. Unlike Slimserver or Tivo Desktop, looks like the NetTunes server is only in the preference pane when my Admin account is active. Interestingly, the menu bar control play/pause, back/forward work and do control the iTunes instance running under the Admin account - regardless of what account is active. It's the screen display that can't handle a different user being active.

I guess this a disadvantage of the screen re-display approach vs. a web server hitting the iTunes services. This might be an argument for including more functionality in the menu bar, or making that interface a separate window to accomodate more controls. Kind of a fundamental change of approach, but I guess we can only blame Apple for adding a cool feature into OSX.

Once understood, this isn't a huge deal. I wonder if I can automate something that switches back to the Admin account after x minutes of inactivity in any other acccount????

[dnanian]

Yeah, I had hoped when I first heard that FUS was going to be implemented that the UI -- even offscreen -- would be available for 'scraping' simply by changing its coordinates to a special place. Unfortunately, that's not the way it was implemented, and there's not much I've been able to do about it.

Changing the entire approach isn't something I'm likely to do: trying to track all the capabilities of iTunes in a totally separate UI isn't an easy thing, and would always end up disappointing the user, you know? Plus, I'd be constantly reacting to changes and re-implementing things that are available, hoping for things to be in an automation dictionary (from what I can tell in iTunes 4.6, the AirTunes stuff is not available through the object model)... too many problems just to handle FUS, and too many downsides for the regular user!

Note, thought, that we do expose a decent amount of remote functionality in the netTunes apple script dictionary: maybe you could get what you want that way?

[denisg]

I haven't checked out the apple script capabilities yet, but i think understanding how FUS affects functionality is all I need. When I don't see the GUI I'm expecting, I now know that my wife was working on the Cube -- easily resolved. I don't see this as a deal-breaker.

And I appreciate the logic of piggy-backing the iTunes GUI instead of constantly upgrading to catch up with Apples' next big thing! I think that Apples constant innovation makes NetTunes more attractive than some other options (Squeezebox, etc...). Since you're always enabling a remote control of the latest iTunes offering, everything works - protected AAC files, AirTunes, and whatever comes next!

Everything else I've tried is missing at least one key feature of iTunes.

[dnanian]

Well, thanks very much for the kind words! I've been quite happy with the way netTunes has continued to work (and work well) over the years. I know I use it every day!