[NFCB] CDs and Database Cataloguing

[al davis]

On Wednesday 28 May 2008, Sybil Augustine wrote:
> you wrote:
> bar codes???????
>
>
> ????? What are you questioning? 

The ability to automatically get the required info and put in 
into an appropriate database easily.
> .... but we have
> never found software that would easily read and dump it into
> a database. The closest one we found only recognized about
> one in every 20 CDs that we tried, so it's still quicker for
> us to type it in.
You just answered your own question.

> ============
> you wrote:
> There is a script "abcde" (a better CD encoder) that comes
> with some Linux distributions.
>
>
> Can you define "better"--What is actually better about it?

What the letters stand for.  You find all kinds of strange 
things in names.

> And in what form does this script come, what is it called so
> people can find it? Sorry but not everyone knows the details
> of how computer software works and how to find and install
> it. OK, assume we figure that out, and once you have this
> software installed....

Ask your techies.....

It is commonly included with Linux distributions.  It is usually 
a one-liner to install it.  I am running Debian.  I assume it 
is also in Ubuntu.  I haven't looked other places.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABCDE


>
> ================================
> you wrote:
> Just pop in the CD, and it looks up the names in a public
> database, and builds a set of sound files ready to use,
> properly named and organized.
>
>
> I don't believe that's what Curtis is asking here.  It sounds
> like he wants to be able to scan the info and have the
> computer dump it into a database automatically, 

That's why I suggested the "quick hack" below....

> but NOT 
> convert CDs into sound files to use INSTEAD of CDs.  Please
> correct me if I'm wrong, but unless you're planning to get
> rid of the physical CDs you don't need that. 

> Also, what is 
> the "public database" that will look those up?  

As it comes, "http://freedb.freedb.org".
The configuration is automatic.

> In other 
> discussions on this list, some recommendations have been made
> such as CDDB, GraceNotes, etc.  Is there one or more that are
> now considered to be the most useful by anyone who is doing
> this?  In my experience, many CDs that we have are not
> included in these databases so they're not recognized and
> they still need to be typed in by hand [this is why barcode
> scanning is mentioned.] I would think many donated CDs may be
> older, and thus less likely to be included in the databases.

The database is run in an open-source way, with contributions 
from users.  In my experience, most older CD's are there, but 
it is somewhat lacking in the newer indy labels used by local 
musicians.  You won't find them at Amazon either.  Nothing is 
perfect.

> =================================
> you wrote:
> With a quick hack, to exit after looking up  ..  it can
> become that cataloging utility you ask for.
>
> The quick hack .. look at how it works ..  It prints the list
> of cuts, then asks if you want to edit it, then encodes.
>  Grep for the prompt and make it just exit there.  Now you
> have a utility that prints the cut list of any CD you insert.
>
>
> Well, maybe that would be helpful if you can exit after
> looking up and BEFORE building the sound files, if you don't
> want to save them as files and just want to catalog the CD.
> As far as printing the cut list and so on, I don't think
> that's been mentioned as something that was desired, unless
> you're getting rid of the CDs; what WAS mentioned is simply a
> way to read and dump the artist, album title, and label into
> a searchable database so everything doesn't need to be typed
> in by hand.

Ask your techies....

Using open-source software is really pretty easy.  One of the 
benefits is that you can make little hacks like this to make it 
do exactly what you want.  Find a CS or IT college student 
volunteer to do it for you.

If you offer to pay him the $3000 that a commercial product 
would cost, you would be amazed at what can be accomplished, 
and the money stays in the community.

In this case, it is a shell script, and very easy to hack.