Absolutely Baffling Set Up, Really Need Help

[snaithbert]

While the subsonic iphone app may be great, I'll never know- because the set up is just totally baffling. There is NO support, no help, no instructions, no nothing!

So I download the app, then I download the software. The software installs, I try to register with subsonic, I put in a username and password. It logs me out, asks me to log back and then tells me it's the wrong password (it's not) and won't let me do anything but keep trying to enter the password. No way to go back in, change the password, access the password, access the server- just nothing. Now I have no idea what to do and all the site lets me do is keep entering the username and password and tell me it's wrong, when I know it's not. How utterly frustrating.

And here's another question- how do i CLOSE the subsonic music streamer program on my PC? There doesn't seem to be a way of doing it, short of uninstalling it. I don't want this program running all the time and I want the ability to CLOSE it when I want it turned off. There doesn't seem to be ANY way to turn this thing off?

Any help anyone can provide with this stuff would really be appreciated. I want to love the iphone app but honestly, I'm really disappointed on how little (i.e. zero) time was spent on actually helping users get things set up. A little bit of effort in this department would have gone a long way. Customers shouldn't need to immediately join support forums just to get the actual initial software running.

[Poffa]

I think you got "customers" confused with "users".

If you need support you'll get it mostly from other users. And I guess they would like to know:

- what OS you're running.
- what installation you're using (http://www.subsonic.org/pages/download.jsp).

And the post probably can do with less complaining as it messes up your support topic. Make a distinct complaint topic instead

You'll find instructions here: http://www.subsonic.org/pages/installation.jsp and here: http://www.subsonic.org/pages/documentation.jsp

As for the iPhone apps, you'll find support topics in this forum, but also on their official home pages.

I'm quite sure someone will be able to help you. Subsonic is great.

[snaithbert]

It just seems odd to me when the best source of support for any software comes from other uses and not from the people who provide the software. It's generally not a good sign. Lack of interface between the provider and the users tends to indicate that the provider has no intention of supporting their product, knowing instead that they can rely on their users to do that for them. And while that's a nice thing, user support should never replace actual provider support. Supplement, yes. Replace, no. This is a problem we're seeing more and more now, as software developers begin to understand the cost of actually supporting their products. Typically their investment is in developing their software, not supporting. Sadly this is very much the case with subsonic, or so it seems. It's not unlike building a beautiful house, but adding a lock so secure that no one can open the front door. And it's clear that subsonic has very little interest in providing a key to that door, which forces users to try and climb through the window, etc.

Regardless, the lack of a comprehensive process document that walks new users through the set up process is simply baffling. What little info they provide is basically useless. I've rarely seen a set up that's as trial and error as subsonic. And while the software and the iphone app may work wonderfully, without the ability to actually USE it- it doesn't really matter.

Additionally, if subsonic is going to provide these boards (and if that's ALL they're going to provide) I think I'm going to complain as much as I want. Typically it's the only way to actually force companies to provide support. A complainer gets a lot more attention than someone who just says nothing. Food for thought.

[oeh]

@snaithbert.

If you'd had the time to read a little about the concept of Subsonic before nagging away, you would have found that Subsonic are developed by one
person Sindre Mehus, and the community.
You do not have to pay anything to use Subsonic's basic features.

To me you stand out to be a person who should keep your selves to software
from the big companies, and NOT go on trying community driven projects
such as Subsonic.
Please do not go on nagging and bitching about stuff who are a result of
your own lack in skills and laziness.

[einsteinx2]

@snaithbert:

I was very disheartened to read your review of iSub in the App Store today. You must understand that Subsonic is not a company or a group of people, it is one person -- Sindre. He has put an amazing amount of work into building Subsonic, but he is just one programmer. He is not a big company like Simplify Media or the other media streaming applications. He provides this software for free to use all of the basic web features, and only makes money from user donations to use the API after the 30-day trial period and from web only users donating because they want to support the project. He does not have a team writing documentation for him, so he relies on the community of Subsonic users to help. He is focusing his energy where it is most needed -- on the code.

Subsonic works on a wide variety of platforms, so one comprehensive install document would be very hard to put together. He does provide the basic instructions needed to install and use Subsonic on his website (where I was able to quickly find the answer to one of the questions you posted in this thread), and most other questions can be answered by doing a few searches on the forum or posting with your particular question. I think you'll find that the users are very willing to provide help as long as you provide the specific details to your problem.

iSub is also coded by only one person, me, not a big company. I am not affiliated with Sindre or the development of Subsonic in any way other than the fact that I have created an iPhone client for this software. Also, I provide FULL direct 1-on-1 help to all iSub users via email. Simply email me at support@einsteinx2.com and I can walk you through any issues you may be having. I will also be releasing a series of YouTube videos on various Subsonic topics to enhance the documentation and forum community that already exists. I have just not been able to do that yet as all of my time has been consumed with writing iSub code and with helping users.


Regarding the specific questions that you have asked in this thread:

1. Please be more specific by what you mean by "registering with subsonic." Subsonic is a server that runs on your own computer, it is not a service like Simplify Media. When you first install, the username and password to login are admin and admin. Once you are in you can change user account settings by clicking Settings at the top and clicking Users in the settings page. If you are having trouble using the default admin/admin password, then we can try to help you troubleshoot, but you'll have to tell us what you've tried so we know how to help.

2. You asked how to start and stop Subsonic. Right in the install documentation for Windows on the main subsonic.org page it states:
"It also creates links in the Start Menu: Start > All Programs > Subsonic. From this menu you can start/stop the Subsonic service, open the Subsonic web page, or change basic settings such as which port number Subsonic should use. You can also click on the little yellow submarine tray icon."

[snaithbert]

Look, here's the deal: while I appreciate the fact that Subsonic is run by a very small team of people (if not one person) the bottom line is that getting Subsonic up and running isn't going to be easy for everyone. And while no one's suggesting that the creators of Subsonic need to employ 24 hour phone operators or live online help, they should at least consider putting together a foolproof walkthrough of how to get the software/app up and running. I realize that subsonic runs on multiple platforms, but since that's the case, then I guess multiple documents for each platform would be the way to go. I realize that's work, but the positives would probably far outweigh the negatives. I'm speaking of something with screenshots or even animation, to take novice users from A to Z, so they actually stand a chance of getting Subsonic up and running without having to pull out all their hair in frustration. A link to a user forum simply isn't enough. User forums are wonderful, but they should probably be the LAST resort- not the first. And while it's awesome that you can email the developer directly (and get a response!) it's still not as helpful as info that a user can get their hands on immediately. Because to he honest, customers in need, need immediately. Provide them with the tools to help themselves and they may be able to solve problems BEFORE they become problems. If you put together a foolproof walkthrough of your software/app, a lot of the customers may actually be able to help themselves and not even find it necessary to reach out to other users (except to share their enthusiasm for the product). We WANT to use your product, that's why we paid for it. But please- make it as easy as possible for use to use it. Personally, I don't think that's too much to ask.

Lastly, I'd like to say that I appreciate all the hard work that clearly went into making Subsonic. I had to really struggle to get it working, but now that it's up and running, I see for myself what an excellent, quality made product it is and I'd like to thank the developer for putting the time in. Additionally, I will recommend this product to ANYONE i know who's in the market for such a thing. I'm sorry if I ruffled any feathers here in the forums, that was never my intention. I needed help and I asked for it. Clearly some folks had an issue with the way I asked and for that I'm sorry. Next time I'll try harder to adhere to whatever standards have been established in the forums. But hopefully there won't be a next time and we can all go our separate ways, while using and enjoying subsonic. Thanks for your time.

[snaithbert]

einsteinx2, I changed my review in the app store and gave the app 5 stars. It works well and deserves no less. But in my review, I mentioned the fact that the learning curve for setting up the app could be steep and that people who are not tech savvy should be aware of this. I was quite complimentary but I was also honest. This app/software is not easy for everyone to get running and people should be aware of this. But I also told them that I feel it's worth the work it may take to get it up and running. If I'd read something like that when I first started all this, I would have at least had some idea of what I was in for. In any case, bottom line is my negative review is now a positive review.

[snaithbert]

Oh one last thing- you might want to provide info on how to actually shut down the subsonic server. Not stop it, but CLOSE it entirely. As in make the little yellow submarine go away entirely. It's nice that we can turn the server off, but some folks may way to shut down the thing entirely and I'd like to know how to do that (without having to literally uninstall the software). Thanks for your time.

[aminoacid5]

Hi, I would like to know how you got the server running. I have tried for 2 weeks and got nothing. I am running Windows vista (2 computers) with Belkin router. I started with 2wire router from the local dsl provider, but through this forum, I have heard many faced the same difficulty with 2wire router. So I changed to my Belkin router. But still going no where. I have order a third router (netgear) and see if I can set it up properly. If you can help with regard to setup, I would greatly appreciate your assistance. As Simplify Media is coming to a end for its service, I would still love to stream music on my iphone and subsonic seems like a super replacement for Simplify Media. If you can e-mail me at aminoacid5@hotmail.com, that will be great also!! Thanks in advance!!

[alphawave7]

Oh one last thing- you might want to provide info on how to actually shut down the subsonic server. Not stop it, but CLOSE it entirely. As in make the little yellow submarine go away entirely. It's nice that we can turn the server off, but some folks may way to shut down the thing entirely and I'd like to know how to do that (without having to literally uninstall the software). Thanks for your time.

Windows services are generally stopped via task manager (ctrl-alt-del). The idea behind Subsonic is to have it running all the time, so you can access it anytime, anywhere...ergo, a 'service'.

[mgrant]

Oh one last thing- you might want to provide info on how to actually shut down the subsonic server. Not stop it, but CLOSE it entirely. As in make the little yellow submarine go away entirely. It's nice that we can turn the server off, but some folks may way to shut down the thing entirely and I'd like to know how to do that (without having to literally uninstall the software). Thanks for your time.

The "little yellow submarine" is NOT the main application. It is simply a small tray tool (subsonic-agent.exe) that lets you interact with the service (subsonic.exe). There is no similar counterpart on Linux. I'm not sure about Mac.

On windows, to stop the service you can open the service control manager (Start->Run->services.msc) then find subsonic in the list of services, right click and choose stop. You can also get to the services through the task manager and do the same from there.

If you simply want a simple way to stop both the agent and the service you might consider a batch file. It would look something like this:

Code: Select all

@echo off
REM This batch file will stop the subsonic service and kill the subsonic agent.
net stop subsonic
taskkill /f /im subsonic-agent.exe


to start the service and agent the following batch file could be used:

Code: Select all

@echo off
REM This batch file will start the subsonic service and the subsonic agent.
net start subsonic
%ProgramFiles%\Subsonic\subsonic-agent.exe


Of course, as has been mentioned already, the subsonic service is intended to be running all the time - even when no one is logged-in to windows. The subsonic-agent is only running when a user is logged-in. Neither place a significant drain on system resources so it is probably best to leave them both running all of the time. This is especially important if you make changes to the music folders. The subsonic service will re-index on a daily schedule but not if it's not running.

-mg

[einsteinx2]

Look, here's the deal: while I appreciate the fact that Subsonic is run by a very small team of people (if not one person) the bottom line is that getting Subsonic up and running isn't going to be easy for everyone. And while no one's suggesting that the creators of Subsonic need to employ 24 hour phone operators or live online help, they should at least consider putting together a foolproof walkthrough of how to get the software/app up and running. I realize that subsonic runs on multiple platforms, but since that's the case, then I guess multiple documents for each platform would be the way to go. I realize that's work, but the positives would probably far outweigh the negatives. I'm speaking of something with screenshots or even animation, to take novice users from A to Z, so they actually stand a chance of getting Subsonic up and running without having to pull out all their hair in frustration. A link to a user forum simply isn't enough. User forums are wonderful, but they should probably be the LAST resort- not the first. And while it's awesome that you can email the developer directly (and get a response!) it's still not as helpful as info that a user can get their hands on immediately. Because to he honest, customers in need, need immediately. Provide them with the tools to help themselves and they may be able to solve problems BEFORE they become problems. If you put together a foolproof walkthrough of your software/app, a lot of the customers may actually be able to help themselves and not even find it necessary to reach out to other users (except to share their enthusiasm for the product). We WANT to use your product, that's why we paid for it. But please- make it as easy as possible for use to use it. Personally, I don't think that's too much to ask.

First I want to thank you for revising your review. I'm glad that you are enjoying the iSub/Subsonic combo now that you've got it running and I believe your new review is perfectly accurate so I have no qualms with it.

I'm planning on creating exactly the kind of documentation that you are talking about, I just have to get iSub 2.2 out first as it's taking up all of my free time. I'm actually fairly new to Subsonic myself. I only started using it about a month before I started coding iSub, so I'm definitely not a master at it although I do my best to help. As soon as 2.2 is out the door, I will focus on learning more of the idiosyncrasies of installing Subsonic on the various platforms it supports, and will be putting together videos and documents to help new users. I appreciate the difficulty that setting up Subsonic can pose to some users, especially those with certain hardware setups that are more difficult than others.