[REQ] Linux format space to %20 Sent to play M3U/XFPF playlist [#21892]

[patch]

When exporting playlist so they can be read by a linux system file paths require

• Directory separator forward slash not back slash used in windows

• Space character replaced by %20

Via Tools > Options > Tags & Playlists
I was able to configure MM5 to fix the file separator but not replace spaces in the path with %20
I'm I missing something?

Or was this missed when the backslash correction was re added https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=19773

[Lowlander]

Quick research doesn't show that this is necessary for Linux. In what scenario is this needed?

[Peke]

Space character replaced by %20

Are you in need to have URL ENCODED Paths?

[patch]

In what scenario is this needed?

MediaMonkey does not run on Linux (alpha server version only atm)
Importing playlist from MM5 into rhythmbox https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/rhythmbox creates empty playlist
My quick internet research suggested start by ensuring paths are in linux format in particular the above 2 issues

[Peke]

Hi,
I guess you can use something like https://www.urlencoder.org and then use https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ to correct wrong encodings.

If you make clear steps what needs to be done to make one playlist work then it would be possible to make MM script (if someone picks up to make) and published fro anyone to use.

[Lowlander]

It doesn't seem to be a Linux limitation, but an App limitation, although spaces in filenames does seem to pose some challenges on Linux, which is why _ is often used (you could do this with [FilenameMappings]).

Added feature request as: https://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=21892

[patch]

The challenges are

• My playlists have over 200 entries so manual editing is not ideal

• The file path requires replacing spaces with %20 but other entires such as the track name requires spaces as left. Which prevents use of simple search and replace.

Looks like I will need to keep looking for another solution

[Peke]

The challenges are

• My playlists have over 200 entries so manual editing is not ideal

• The file path requires replacing spaces with %20 but other entires such as the track name requires spaces as left. Which prevents use of simple search and replace.

Looks like I will need to keep looking for another solution

We will certainly investigate, but it is bit strange that in other lines M3U spaces are read correctly, but not within filenames. It almost sound that rhythmbox deliberately omits correct M3U import. Really strange I tried Simple M3U list converted to Linux format (one track in playlist) and it fail to load in all Windows Apps I tested. Hmmmm very interesting problem and will be interesting thing to solve.

[patch]

I looked further and confused my self.
After manually editing a MM5 test playlist to progressively make it more like the rhythmbox test export playlist; I found the rhythmbox exported playlist was unreliable imported into rhythmbox.

I suspect there is something unexpected in my set up, perhaps how I store my music on a NAS without password unification but maybe I'm doing something else wrong.

A brief web search suggest rhythmbox maybe currently be unreliable with .m3u playlist and .pls may work better

Will update if I make any significant progress.

[patch]

Summary no issue in MediaMonkey

Longer answer
I could not get rhythmbox .m3u import to work at all
rhythmbox .pls import works if in file system right click on playlist choose open with other application & choose rhythmbox

btw
I used absolute paths to access my nas with the nas naming seen in linux ie smb://ds920home.local/music/
Spaces in pathname work left as spaces or converted to %20

[Peke]

Hi,
Ok, now you confused me completely is rhythmbox on Windows or on ds920? It is very strange that rhythmbox uses smb:// path structure. Only app I have seen uses that format on windows is KODI.

Do you have example of PLS or even M3U that works?
If Yes please use </> above to paste its content for us to analyze.

[patch]

Sorry for the late response.

• Music files are stored on a Synology NAS (ds920) with read +/- write access depending on user

• On windows I run MM5 and windows seams to like accessing NAS files includig the music files via smb

• Migrating to Linux, and experimenting with ubuntu-25.10 running rhythmbox. NAS music file are mounted in ubuntu

• When running rhythmbox in this environment, rhythmbox appears to like accessing the music via the path smb://ds920home.local/music/

To convert a play list from Windows MM5 to Ubuntu rhythmbox I

• Use MM5 Tools > Options > Tags & Playlists option to use forward slash Directory separator instead of back slash used in windows

• Use a text editor to replace the leading "//ds920home/music/" with "smb://ds920home.local/music/"

• Play lists exported from rhythmbox also replace spaces the path with %20 but when importing play lists this appears to make no difference.

To work around issues with rhythmbox on Ubuntu I

• Use .pls not .m3u files as a rhythmbox bug prevents it form importing .m3u files generated by rhythmbox

• Import the play list into rhythmbox by; in Ubuntu file manager, right click on a playlist, choose open with other application & choose rhythmbox. Draging the play list on to the rhythmbox window or in rhythmbox choosing to import the play list did not work for me.

• Avoid importing large play list (>1200 songs) as doing so crashes rhythmbox

• Which suggest to me rhythmbox is rather flaky for my set up so I'm looking at other alternatives