If you’re using the Python-iView PPA, then you should have the update available already. If you’re using Bzr, as always, type the following to get the latest update:

$ bzr pull

Changes in this release include:

• Supports iView version 359. The changes were trivial, but broke compatibility.
• Remove dependence on PyGTK for iview-cli, meaning you don’t need GTK+ installed to use it. This also means warnings aren’t thrown if you run it on a headless system.
• As a free bonus, for you hackers out there, I have thrown in a script called iview.cgi. To use it, read the (simplistic) installation instructions (for what is a simplistic script) in the actual file, but basically the lowdown is this: when the CGI script is active, you can retrieve iView videos over HTTP via a URL like http://localhost/cgi-bin/iview.cgi/730report_10_01_01.flv. As you can see, that would be very handy for integrating into your home media centre and the like. Obviously you need to adjust your web server ACLs to only allow localhost and RFC 1918 addresses to access the script. The script is not designed to be user-friendly — it’s meant to be versatile.
• Just a minor change, but some extra metadata is parsed out of the programme. The frontends don’t make use of it (…yet), but it’s there.
• Another minor change is that set_local_only(False) is set on the iview-gtk save dialog. This lets you save to GVFS locations (e.g. sftp:// or ftp://). Why that is not default in GTK+ I am really not sure.

On a side note, Whirlpool purged all material related to alternative iView access on their wiki and forums this week because they are of the opinion that alternative iView access constitutes bypassing copy protection and is thus illegal.

While I am not a lawyer, and I doubt Whirlpool consulted lawyers to reach that conclusion — and it’s better ask for forgiveness than permission — the fact remains that Python-iView is a project solely for interoperability purposes, not copyright infringement.

I pour my heart and soul into Python-iView not because I enjoy writing software, enjoy reverse engineering copy protection, or anything like that. I write Python-iView because it fulfills a need I have, and I released the software because I know there are fellow power users like me who are in the same situation and would benefit from the software in the same way.

Enjoy the new release, and viva la non mainstream!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4246714624_76febcc67d_z.jpg

…into its original photo description page.

The conversion is done in two (dead easy) stages: (1) fishing the photo ID from the URL with a regexp, and (2) sending you to http://www.flickr.com/photo.gne?id=<id>.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but while the photo description URLs contain the photo ID, they also contain the username which is impossible to reverse engineer from the static photo URL. That’s why I send you to the photo.gne script: it can accept just a photo ID as a parameter, and send you to the right page.

As usual, to update your copy of Python-iView to the latest version, simply run:

$ bzr pull

Highlights from this fix:

• MP4 downloads are now working again, for those of you that have their downloads served from Akamai (i.e. have iView metered). Big mega thanks to Steve Walsh for spending time with me getting this working.
• Pausing and resuming downloads is now supported. You can either pause manually, or if the download crashes for some reason, you’ll be able to resume the download with the click of a button.
  
• Also, for you Ubuntu users, I have created the python-iview PPA just for you. To access the repository, run:

  $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:jeremy-visser/python-iview

  Then, to install the package, simply reload your apt repositories (sudo apt-get update) and install the python-iview and rtmpdump packages (sudo apt-get install python-iview rtmpdump).

However, “Python-iView” is a pretty bland name, and it also looks funny among all the other python-* packages in Debian and Ubuntu (which are supposed to be libraries, while python-iview isn’t just a library).

So, here’s your chance to suggest a new name for Python-iView. Please submit your suggestions in the following box:

While I don’t necessarily need “iView” in the name, it is important it’s instantly recognisable as an iView frontend. Because the original intent of Python-iView was to be a lightweight interface, “iViewMinus” was one name I had in mind (though it’s somewhat tacky).

One other thing to keep in mind is that there are now Boxee and XBMC plugins (with an equally boring and generic name) based on Python-iView. I’ve proposed to Andy that the two plugins get merged upstream as part of Python-iView itself, so a new name that could take that into consideration would be awesome.

So put your thinking cap on. Feel free to suggest any name that pops into your head into the above box. Suggest “Python-iView” if you don’t want me to change the name. You can even vote multiple times. Or discuss in the comments below.

The usual to get the update:

$ bzr pull

Don’t forget, Doctor Who is on iView at midnight this Friday. I’m excited! (What I presume that means is 00:00 on Saturday, but I think I’ll check at 00:00 on Friday just to be sure.)