Ubuntu – How to Enable Ubuntu KDE Dolphin to Preview Audio Thumbnails

16.04dolphinkdekubuntu

I've noticed that Ubuntu 16.04 running KDE's Dolphin file manager is not able to preview audio thumbnails for some reason. I'm not certain why, and I've checked the Configure Dolphin -> General -> Previews -> File Types, and Audio is not listed as a supported type (It doesn't appear at all) Is there some way I can fix this? I interact with audio and am religious about tagging them with pictures and it kind of sucks not being able to see the thumbnails.

Note: I've seen https://www.linux-apps.com/content/show.php?content=114885, but a lot of people were saying that it didn't work, and it doesn't appear to be the same version of KDE that I'm running.

Edit 0: After following the cmake instructions, I got this error wen trying to run make:
make command

Best Answer

KDE preview thumbnail

The KDE applications can show a thumbnail for a file if there is a thumb creator plugin installed for the file type. After installation the plugin need to be enabled from the application settings.

KDE Frameworks 5 / Plasma 5 / Applications

Current KDE is released as three projects: Frameworks, Plasma and KDE Application. Release schedules: https://community.kde.org/Schedules

Application and the Framework version can be looked at the application help. With the Dolphin: Dolphin > Control > Help > About Dolphin:

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Audio thumbnailers

KDE4: https://www.linux-apps.com/content/show.php?content=114885

KF5 (KDE Frameworks 5):

A build example with the Debian based: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?t=32568&page=5&p=390275&viewfull=1#post390275

Copy of the build/installation example:

Downloading the audiothumbs-frameworks-master.zip

audiothumbs-frameworks: https://github.com/eplightning/audiothumbs-frameworks

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Unpacking the audiothumbs-frameworks-master.zip

Installing build dependencies:

  • build-essential
  • cmake
  • extra-cmake-modules
  • kio-dev
  • libflac++-dev
  • libtag1-dev

Compiling and installing:

Generic commands:

mkdir -p builddir
cd builddir && cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$(kf5-config --prefix) -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DKDE_INSTALL_USE_QT_SYS_PATHS=ON
make
sudo make install

Example:

$ mkdir -p builddir


$ cd builddir && cmake .. -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$(kf5-config --prefix) -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DKDE_INSTALL_USE_QT_SYS_PATHS=ON
-- The C compiler identification is GNU 5.4.0
-- The CXX compiler identification is GNU 5.4.0
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc
-- Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc -- works
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Detecting C compile features
-- Detecting C compile features - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++
-- Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++ -- works
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- Detecting CXX compile features
-- Detecting CXX compile features - done
-- Looking for __GLIBC__
-- Looking for __GLIBC__ - found
-- Performing Test _OFFT_IS_64BIT
-- Performing Test _OFFT_IS_64BIT - Success
-- TagLib found: -L/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu -ltag
-- FLAC++ found: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libFLAC++.so;/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libFLAC.so
-- Performing Test FLAC_STREAMMETADATA_OPERATOR_FOUND
-- Performing Test FLAC_STREAMMETADATA_OPERATOR_FOUND - Success
-- Performing Test FLAC_METADATA_PICTURE_FOUND
-- Performing Test FLAC_METADATA_PICTURE_FOUND - Success
-- Configuring done
-- Generating done
-- Build files have been written to: /home/rog131/tmp/audiothumbs-frameworks-master/builddir


$ make
Scanning dependencies of target AudioThumbs_automoc
[ 25%] Automatic moc for target AudioThumbs
Generating moc_AudioThumbs.cpp
[ 25%] Built target AudioThumbs_automoc
Scanning dependencies of target AudioThumbs
[ 50%] Building CXX object src/CMakeFiles/AudioThumbs.dir/AudioThumbs.cpp.o
[ 75%] Building CXX object src/CMakeFiles/AudioThumbs.dir/AudioThumbs_automoc.cpp.o
[100%] Linking CXX shared module AudioThumbs.so
[100%] Built target AudioThumbs

$ sudo make install                                                                  
[ 25%] Automatic moc for target AudioThumbs
[ 25%] Built target AudioThumbs_automoc
[100%] Built target AudioThumbs
Install the project...
-- Install configuration: "Release"
-- Installing: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/qt5/plugins/AudioThumbs.so
-- Installing: /usr/share/kservices5/AudioThumbs.desktop

Part of the official KDE release:

The audio thumbnailer is released as part of the KDE Applications 17.04 or later: https://git.reviewboard.kde.org/r/129985/ .

Audio thumbnailer is part of the kio-extras. Ubuntu packages: https://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=kio-extras&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all

Possible backported packages

Kubuntu is offering backports: http://www.kubuntu.org -> http://www.kubuntu.org/news/

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