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Recaller

Revision as of 13:54, 15 June 2010

Overview

Recaller is a widget(for the Maemo desktop) which allows your N900 to record all kind of audio ("Rec-All" :-) Starting with version 2.0, it has the following features:

• Auto-recording of GSM calls
• Useable as dictaphone
• Record device audio (e.g. FM or internet radio, game sounds)
• Configurable Save Folder
• Autonaming of files (including call partner number)

PLEASE donate if recaller is useful to you. Donations give me motivation, encouragement and happiness (plus pocket money :-)

Help

If there is no big red button on the desktop after installing the widget, simply reboot your phone.

Please use the settings mode of the Desktop to configure recaller to your needs. You can change the following settings:

• Save folder location (where recaller puts its recordings)
• Audio source when manually recording (with Autorec enabled, recaller will automatically switch to Phone or Bluetooth recording mode) (I have found this to be the opposite, what you set here is what autorec will use, otherwise manual will use system [DaveQB])
• File Format (AAC is available on all phones, is compact and clear, playback on most computers possible, but uses high CPU. Other available formats [FLAC, WAV] might not work for everybody or use too much storage).
• Autorec automatically starts the recording of GSM calls (in- and outgoing)
• Show reminders puts up a banner every 30 seconds to remind you of an ongoing recording). Icon on desktop also changes to green when a recording is ongoing.

Screenshot

Not much to see, just a big red "REC" icon on the desktop.

Authors

• Main author: Tom Waelti
• Thanks to various pymaemo and gstreamer gurus :-)

ChangeLog

The current changelog is available through the package viewer.

• 2.0.0: All your wishes come true. GSM autorecording, larger icon, better status display, configurable save folder and encoding format. Uses the SHAD framework.
• 0.4.0: Simple version, no config options, available in Extras

Roadmap

High priority

• Address book name for the recorded phone calls files.

Low priority

• Other codecs
• Improved auto-record timings
• Auto-record for other voice protocolls

Wishlist

Use this space to add possible feature wishes:

• WISH (YOUR NAME)
• Please make it not only as a widget, but also as a standard app. - E.g. as an applet that can be accessed from Settings. It really bothers me on the desktop, and we don't want nosy people to play with it and eventually mess up with the settings. This way you can solve the problem with two widgets on the desktop (the standard app may record calls, while the widget may serve us as a dictaphone). (silkworm)
• To phone call history list: link o the recording in cases where the call was recorded. (raatikka)
• Incoming/Outcoming icon for the recorded phone calls files.
• Hide all notifications. (epilido)
• Allow hidden folder structure E.g. files to be stored in .recordings (epilido)
• Different widget icon according to mode chosen. I keep one icon for recording calls, one for dictaphone. E.g. you could use the current icon, but overlaying "c", "d" or "s" for widget configured for calls, dictaphone or system.
• hide recorded calls from media player
• customizable icon size

Bugs

Use this paragraph to report possible bugs. If you encounter a problem with the widget, please remove/delete it from the Home screen, then open X-Term and launch the widget manually by typing:

python2.5 /usr/lib/hildon-desktop/recaller.py

You can now see some output from the widget. Now switch to the Home screen and work with the widget - you can then control the output in X-Term and report any errors visible.

New/Unconfirmed

• Autorec is not working, when FLAC is selected as codec (WAV not tested, AAC is working)(v2.0.0-7) (ek-zwo)
• Autorec records only the other caller voice when set to 'system'. If set to 'phone', my voice is also recorded, but barely hearable, however it also records all ambiental sounds (touching the pone, walking, closing a door etc.) In this case, autorec continues to record for a few seconds after the other caller hangs up.(v2.0.0-7) (silkworm)
• Recaller freezes when call is answered via blue tooth and the proximity sensor is covered:

adder name=theAdder ! nokiaaccenc bitrate=128000 output-form t=1 ! filesink location=/home/user/*********.aac. pulsesrc device=sink.hw1.monitor! queue name=q1 ! theAdder. pulsesrc device=source.hw1 ! queue name=q2 ! theAdder.

Confirmed in 2.0.0-7

• Setting does not display new selected "record-folder" location. Only after restart of settings dialog the new location is displayed (v.2.0.0-7) (ek-zwo)
• Recording fails when the save folder contains a space (e.g. /user/MyDocs/My recordings/)
• Auto-registration of GSM calls do not work with anonymous call. Please try running from X-Term and report any errors - I'm unable to test this :-) (twaelti)
• Recording fails with on-hold call: the first call records correctly, however, if a second call comes in and is answered, the recording stops for all calls. I don't know if it's possible to save the second call on its own file, but not being able to save the call even on the same file should be a bug.(v2.0.0-7) (vinnie)

• It makes two files of one and the same phone conversation (if widget is added to more than one desktop - something you sholdn't do but is possible because of a bug in a config file of recaller)
• at one occasion 2 (auto)recordings of one phone call were created (1 call, but 2 recording files - 2nd starts 3s earlier and ends 2s earlier according to file name) (v2.0.0-7) (ek-zwo)

• I'm connected with my N900 to a Swedish operator through a commercial switchboard called Centrex. Centrex sends callerid with stars '*' in them. Like this: +46887326863*180. This makes recaller not able to write to file. I did a quick hack to fix it (I think). Here's the patch.

--- recaller.py.old     2010-04-25 18:23:12.000000000 +0200
+++ recaller.py 2010-04-25 18:23:59.320022067 +0200
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import string
 import time
 import gconf
+import re
 
 import dbus
 
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
 dbus.mainloop.glib.DBusGMainLoop(set_as_default=True)
 dbus.mainloop.glib.threads_init()
 
+
 APP_NAME = APP_TITLE.lower()
 LOGO = '/opt/tomch.com/%s/%s_64.png' % (APP_NAME, APP_NAME)
 GCONFPATH = "/apps/Maemo/tomch.com/%s" % APP_NAME
@@ -266,6 +268,8 @@
         finalName = os.path.join(self.folder,"Rec_%s-%s.%s" % (self.startTime, time.strftime("%H%M%S"),self.fileformat.lower()))
       else:
         finalName = os.path.join(self.folder,"Rec_%s_%s-%s.%s" % (self.caller,self.startTime,time.strftime("%H%M%S"),self.fileformat.lower()))
+      nostar = re.compile( '(\*)')
+      finalName = nostar.sub( '_ext', finalName)
       self.log(finalName)
       os.rename(self.fileName, finalName)
       self.isStopped=True

(Bengt Gördén)

Invalid

• Sound recorded from FM receiver has echo on playback To record from the FM radio, you must select SYSTEM as source, otherwise (DICTAPHONE) the mic will also record...

• Various problems of the Maemo file manager:
• Unable to rename recording files. After I rename them and save, they remain with the original name in the file browser. Only if I open them in media player, I see the new name.
• Unable to rename recording...(2): xterm also shows the new filenames (ek-zwo)
• Unable to rename recording...(3): It is probably a problem of the filemanager ? After a reboot of the phone only some (not all!) recordings show the new name. (Renamed files "A","B","C" to "A","B1","C1", display after reboot "A","B","C1") (ek-zwo at ovi.com)

Resolved

• Doesn't install unless dpkg --force-all due to trying to overwrite /usr/share/icons/48x48/hildon/mclock.png (NORMAN) Solved in 2.0.0-2
• Config dialog doesn't pop up yet (NORMAN)) Solved in 2.0.0-2
• In 2.0.0-2 I am able to record as a dictaphone just one time. The next time the icon stays red and recording is not possible. (fmonera at gmail)
• Package doesn't list/install dependencies. I installed the -devel version and got "ImportError: No module named gconf" (viraptor at gmail) Fixed in later builds (twaelti)