Update: Amarok 2.2 (code name “sunjammer”) was just released. You still can use the instruction below to build amarok 2.2, just download the appropriate source (i.e amarok.2.2.0.tar.bz2)
Yes, amarok 2.2 is just outside the door. Yes, the latest Amarok will be included in Karmic, due next month. But if you are among the impatients and had been salivating to try the cool features of the latest amarok what is your option? Can you try latest amarok in Jaunty? Sure you can. Of course, you have to build it yourself (I didn’t find any ubuntu packages in PPA, yet). Some compiling wouldn’t hurt, right? Basically I followed mamarok’s instructions (one of the core amarok developers) found here.
I used updated Jaunty with KDE 4.3.1 using repo from jaunty-backports and kubuntu-ppa experimental.
First, you need to have build-essentials and kde and mysql developement packages and qtscriptgenerator. You may also add other packages, especially when builing amarok, for example libgpod or liblastfm. These are optional since you can build amarok without them. The needed packages will be spit out by cmake.
Then you need to build the latest taglib, at least version 1.6, because now amarok need it, instead of the version 1.5-3 currently in Jaunty. Get it here. After you download it, then extract the source, make separate build directory, cmake, and make install.
$ tar zxvf taglib-1.6.tar.gz
$ cd taglib-1.6/
$ mkdir build, cd build
$ cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=`kde-config –prefix` -DWITH_ASF=On -DWITH_MP4=On ..
$ sudo make install
Second, you need to build the latest taglib-extras, version 1.0.1, because amarok also require this and the version in Jaunty is only version 0.1.2. Download it from here, extract and make the package using cmake.
$ tar zxvf taglib-extras-1.0.1.tar.gz
$ cd taglib-extras-1.0.1/
$ mkdir build, cd build
$ cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=`kde-config –prefix`..
$ sudo make install
I found that I need to remove the existing libtag1c2a and libtag-extras0. Consequently, I also lost libtunepimp5, and ki3d and ktorrent, and k3b. To remedy this, I made debian packages of taglib 1.6 and taglib-extras 1.0.1 using checkinstall and name the package as libtag1c2a and libtag-extra0, just like the previous version available in Jaunty repo. It solved the dependency problems and I could install back k3b, ktorrent and kid3. (I know there is a better way of doing packaging, not using checkinstall that is, that would solved the problem more graciously, suggestions?).
Then, download amarok source package from here, extract the source, cmake and make install:
$ tar xjvf amarok.2.1.90.tar.bz2
$ cd amarok-2.1.90/
$ mkdir build, cd build
$ cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=`kde-config –prefix`..
$ sudo make install
…….Enjoy your Amarok 2.2 rc1!
Update: And this is the the official Amarok 2.2 fresh from the oven…Rock your world!
