Portable Audio & Video Player Linux Compatibility: Sony

Compatibility guides about Linux and portable digital audio/music players manufactured by Sony DiscMan, WalkMan. Reports about running other Unix systems e.g. BSD, Solaris are welcome, too. And don't miss the general resources section at the bottom, containing links to utilities (mostly available under GPL), community efforts, HOWTOs and FAQs. Do you have written an installation or compatibility report yourself? Please submit a new entry.

Sony DiskMan PRD-650	FreeBSD	Japanese
Sony NW E00x	Debian	German
Sony NW E003	Sidux

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Applications

linux-minidisc

The linux-minidisc Wiki is dedicated to collect as much as possible information regarding NetMD/HiMD-hardware in order to get them to work on Linux and *BSD. The orignal software supplied by Sony supports Windows and (for some MiniDisc-models) Mac only. The Microsoft-Windows software SonicStage is bloated, sluggish and annoys its users with a lot of DRM restrictions.

NW-E00x MP3 File Manager

The NW-E00x MP3 File Manager features: import/export MP3 files, downloads MP3s from a podcast directly, manages album on your player without affecting the original MP3 file.

Minidisc Toc Editor

The Minidisc TOC Editor is an editor (Qt) for the minidisc table of contents ((U)TOC). The (U)TOC will be sent to the deck using infrared signals (LIRC). The specific details of the decks are separated in small, exchangable TCL plugins. It uses the commands of the rm-d29m, rm-d10p remote controls. Most modern Sony decks understand them, even if they are shipped with other remotes. It was reported to work with MDS-JE330, MDS-JE530, MDS-JE640 but others should work as well.

Interoperability Bits for the Sony Net- and Hi-MD

This is the start of interoperability software to access the Sony Net- and Hi-MD MiniDisc content. We have to write the software on our own because Sony does only deliver a very crappy Microsoft-Windows-only software called SonicStage^(tm).

GNUnilink

GNUnilink is a PIC adaptor that emulates a Sony Auto CD Multichanger, enabling the AUX input on the rear of suitable Sony car radios. This in turns allows the owner of such a radio to use these inputs for a portable CD or MP3 player. GNUnilink contains an optional serial link between PIC and PC. Button presses can be sent to the PC. The PC can set disk/track numbers/names and provide a real-time counter. Known to work on at least the following units: XR-C450RDS, XR-C850RDS, CDX-C480.

CD Drives/DiscMan

As far as I remember there have been portable CD players (DiscMan), which could be used as an ordinary CD drive together with a PC, e.g. the Sony DiscMan. The Sony CD-ROM Discman PRD-250 is listed as supported in SUPPORTED.CARDS using a SCSI PCMCIA card.

NotMD - MiniDiscs

NotMD is a programme aimed at simplifying the recording of MiniDiscs: the point of NotMD is to mimic as much as possible the behaviour of Sony's NetMD recorders for people that don't have NetMD.

FunkyMD Suite

The FunkyMD Suite aims to provide tools for titling, editing, recording and remote controlling MiniDiscs using a portable MiniDisc recorder such as the Sony MZR-900 and a self- made interface for the parallel port.

Resources

• back to Linux with mobile music players survey
• manufacturer site: Sony
• Linux Mobile Guide - Installing, Maintaining and Tuning of Linux on Mobile Computers
• A Survey of Debian GNU/Linux Packages for Portable Audio and Video Players
• Linux Applications for Portable Music and Video Players
• free music
• free eBooks and AudioBooks
• do-it-yourself Sony portable music and video player upgrading, repairing and modding
• FCC ID: unknown
• A list of hardware , from Portable Audio Players, to PDAs, to mobile (cell) phones to DVD players, that can play Ogg Vorbis files.
• file conversions for portable media players: Ogg Vorbis, MP3s, video