Parole 0.4.0 Available - Testers Needed!

Parole 0.4.0 has finally been released, and with it a ton of new features and fixes. Here’s what’s new, and what it should do.

Parole 0.4.0 Available - Testers Needed!

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed compilation bugs #9219 and #9226.
  • Fullscreen controls are now displayed on the proper monitor (bug #9270).
  • Fixed screensaver inhibition (bug #7407).
  • Fixed a bug where Parole would freeze on some subtitles (bug #9194).
  • Fixed a bug where Parole would skip every second ogg-vorbis file in the playlist (bug #9562).

New Features and Fixes

  • File and location history
  • Embedded mode
  • Missing codec detection and installation
  • Custom subtitle loading
  • CD and DVD playlist support
  • DVD navigation
  • New look for audio formats
  • New notification plugin
  • Configuration ported to Xfconf
  • Improved keyboard shortcuts

File and Location History

Recent files are now easily accessible.  “Recent files” has been added to the Media menu.  The “Open Location” dialog has also been greatly improved.  Additionally, history can be easily cleared.

Recent files are now easily accessible and cleared in Parole Media Player.
The Open Location dialog has been cleaned up and made even easier to use.

Embedded Mode

“Embedded Mode” has been a long-requested feature that would trim away bits of the interface for embedding into other applications (e.g. web browsers).  To start Parole in embedded mode, simply use the following command: parole --embedded

A mini-mode Parole Media Player.
A mini-mode Parole Media Player.

Missing Codec Detection and Installation

Another long-requested feature, Parole can now detect if your system is missing a necessary codec, and install it as well.

Parole Media Player can now find and install missing codecs with ease.
Parole Media Player can now find and install missing codecs with ease.

Custom Subtitle Loading

Previously, Parole would only open subtitles that were embedded in video files or that had matching file names.  Now, you can select any subtitle file for Parole to load along with your video.

External subtitle support has been greatly enhanced in 0.4.0
External subtitle support has been greatly enhanced in 0.4.0

CD and DVD Playlist Support

CD and DVD tracks have now been added to the playlist.  This makes it easier than ever to quickly jump to your favorite track or scene.  DVD navigation has also been added to the playlist, so you can move quickly via DVD menus.

DVD navigation in Parole is finally easy!
Quickly jump between DVD chapters in Parole Media Player.

New Look for Audio Formats

This is where Parole gets fancy.  We’ve added a whole new look for audio tracks, showing off a big beautiful album art and track details.  We’re pretty proud of this latest feature, be sure to check it out.

Introducing the new audio box widget!  Enjoy your album art.
Introducing the new audio box widget! Enjoy your album art.

New Notification Plugin

And now that we have album art, we’ve also added it to the newly-introduced notification plugin.  Notifications were previously a part of the tray icon plugin, but since their functionality is separate, it only makes sense for the plugins to be as well.

The new notifications plugin in Parole Media Player.
The new notifications plugin in Parole Media Player.

Configuration Ported to Xfconf

Configuration has moved away from settings files and has been integrated with Xfce Settings.  This means easier deployment of preferred settings and the ability to quickly reset settings if something goes awry.

Parole settings are now stored in the Xfce Settings.
Parole settings are now stored in the Xfce Settings.

Improved Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts have been a big discussion for this release and have been improved significantly.  You’ll find all the shortcuts below.

General

Combination What it does
Ctrl+O Open Dialog
Ctrl+L Open Location Dialog
Ctrl+Q Quit Parole

Playlist

Combination What it does
F9 Show/Hide playlist
Up Navigate Playlist Up
Down Navigate Playlist Down

Playback

Combination What it does
F11 Enter Fullscreen
Escape Exit Fullscreen
Left/Right Seek Media Backwards/Forwards 10 seconds
Ctrl+Left/Right Seek Media Backwards/Forwards 1 minute
0 (zero) Mute Volume
– (minus) Decrease Volume
+ (plus), = (equals) Increase Volume

Where Do I Get It?

Parole’s source code can be downloaded here.  Ubuntu 13.04 users can download it straight from the Ubuntu Software Center.  If you’re running Ubuntu 12.04 or 12.10, Parole can be installed from the Xfce 4.12 PPA below (12.04 users also need the 4.10 PPA).

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xubuntu-dev/xfce-4.12
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install parole

Please test Parole 0.4 and report any bugs you find at the Xfce Bugzilla.  So, what do you think of the latest and greatest Xfce media player?  Let me know in the comments!