ourTunes

OurTunes is still under heavy development, check back often for updates


Download ourTunes v1.3.3 (Mac or PC)

Download ourTunes v1.3.3 (windows executable)

Download ourTunes v1.3.3 (with source)

New in version 1.3.3
  • More consistent UI
  • The "Play" button works again
  • Slightly better memory management
  • Some tweeks for faster searching
  • You can now pause connecting

Important ourTunes info:

  • If ourTunes can see hosts, but the connection status says "Failed", this is most likely because of the iTunes 7. Apple changed the authentication protocol used to connect to iTunes, so that ourTunes no longer works. We're working on this now, and hope to have a fix soon.
  • If ourTunes doesn't see any hosts, make sure you're not on a wireless network, that seems to give it some trouble. If that doesn't fix it, we're sorry, we're working on it.
  • You need to be on a network with other people who have iTunes sharing turned on for ourTunes to be at all useful
  • The search box is not enabled unless ourTunes sees at least one host
  • As for updates ... we're swamped with work this quarter and probably won't be updating OT until mid-december ... this means passworded hosts are on hold for now .. We're also going to be really bad about responding to emails .. sorry, sorry
  • If you want to look at the ourTunes source, download the .jar and unzip it, either with the "jar" program that comes bundled with java, or rename it to a .zip and just use a standard unzip program. All the source files are in there.
ourTunes has now hit over 3,000,000 downloads -- woo!
If you like it -- give us beer money, we're broke college students
Support This Project

if something's broken, you can email us (We're going to be really bad about responding, though)


How to run ourTunes in Windows:

Download the latest ourtunes package -- Do not try to unzip it. It is a JAR file -- a JAR file is a zip file of precompiled java classes that will run when the JRE is properly installed.
If the file shows up as a zipped folder in windows -- install or reinstall the JRE from java.sun.com
After the JRE is installed, the icon for the jar file should be a wordpad icon (silly, I know), and it should be runnable simply by double-clicking on the file.

How to run ourTunes in OS X:

Just double-click the .jar file, it should just work -- OS X includes a java runtime environment.


Download Ourtunes v1.3.1

New in version 1.3.1

Download Ourtunes v1.3

New in version 1.3

Download Ourtunes v1.2.1

You'll need a recent JRE from Sun

FAQ

I. General

1) What is ourTunes?
ourTunes is the continuation of several open source projects designed to allow you to browse and download from other people's iTunes Music Shares?

2) Isn't this just another java based iTunes client?
A long itme ago, we started hacking on One2OhMyGod, which was a simple swing-based itunes client that implemented 4.1 authorization. Then apple came out wiht iTunes 4.5 and broke that. The liboppendaap project cracked the authentication, and some fine folks on the east coast forked One2OhMyGod into AppleRecords, which was basically just One2+4.5 authentication.
We then hacked that code beyond recognition. What ourTunes does differently is that it connects to every visible host, gets thier music library listing, and then disconnects. You are presented with a searchable, sortable list of every song from your local itunes shares, and from there you can play MP3 files, and download MP3 and AAC files.

3) Is this a Peer to Peer (P2P) program? Aren't those things created by Satan to steal Christmas from Baby Jesus?
It's not "really" a peer-to-peer program, because it doesn't allow you the opportunity to share any files or music.

4) Why am I not seeing any hosts? Is the whole internet dead?
There probably aren't any people on your network sharing iTunes music. ourTunes only allows you to view connections within your networks "subnet" (often the building you are currently in, maybe a little bit more). If you are running ourTunes from home, I'm sorry to say but you'll probably be pretty disappointed. It's really only a viable program where there are lots of people living on a fast network with good taste in music (*cough* college campus *cough*).

5) Why can't I download songs from the internet?
ourTunes isn't that type of program. It's designed to only function within your local network. This is partially a design constraint of Apple's iTunes program, and partially a decision on our part. ourTunes is not meant to be Kazaa. It's only useful for exchanging music with people close by, who you more than likely know.

6) I hate what you are doing. I hate you. I hate your cat. (and other variants thereof)
Well, you are certainly entitled to your own opinions. We enjoy receiving emails and will probably answer them if you take the time to explain your viewpoint.

7) You're going to destroy all the good things that Apple has done for the world!
Very unlikely.

8) Can it download protected content from ITMS?
No. And we're not interested in implementing this.

II. Installation

1) How do I install ourTunes?
You just download it and run the .JAR file that is saved. ourTunes doesn't need a fancy installation program, and we figured you didn't want to have to click "Yes" another twenty times or so. ourTunes will create a tiny settings file to remember your download directory, but that's about it.

2) What the hell is this JAR file?
It's a java executable file. If you have the latest version of the Java Runtime Environment (available here), double clicking it should cause it to open just like a normal program.

3) What is the Java Runtime Environment (JRE)?
The JRE, or Java Runtime Environment, is the program you need to run Java programs on your computer. Downloading and installing the JRE (available here) is a good thing to do anyway, because it will allow you to run all Java applications.

4) What's with the stupid looking icon? Sun apparently couldn't be troubled to make an "icon" for their jar files. If you want to send us a better icon (in small icon-like format), we'll see about including it in future releases.

III. Use

1) How do I use this program?
Open it.
The check the "Hosts" tab and you can chart the progress as ourTunes connects to people on your network. If your hosts tab is empty, give it a few seconds to start picking up network traffic. If nothing continue to show up, there is probably no one on your network with iTunes. If you feel this is very strongly not the case (such as you have an open copy of iTunes 4.6 and you see 10 people with shared music), drop us a line at ourTunes12@yahoo.com

2) Okay, so now I see REALLY_BIG_NUMBER of songs, what do I do? Well you can now start searching for music by title/artist/album and downloading them. As you download items, they should being to populate your "Queue" tab so you can chart the download progress.

3) Why isn't it working?!?
Try closing it and reopening ourTunes. Sometimes it just hangs up, because it is still in "Beta", meaning it is still full of bugs. We're constantly discovering/eliminating new bugs, but we're not perfect. If you could send us as much information about the crash (what happened, what you were doing at the time, what type of system you are running, stuff like that), we might be able to eliminate the bug you are experiencing faster.

4) I don't understand how to work this program!
Our apologies there. We're actively working on improving the UI, but for the time being I would just suggest playing around with it a bit. There are less than 10 buttons all together in the entire program, just start clicking them. It won't make your computer explode, we promise.

5) I can't see my own share!
Good! That's a feature, not a bug, so you don't go "Wow! This person has exactly my taste in music!" and then download your library off yourself. If you really want to change this behavior, look in the code for isLocalHost();

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