I’ve found help here before, so back again with another Fuze/Ubuntu question. I got my wife a 2GB Sansa Fuze recently. We updated it a month or two ago, and I don’t believe there have been firmware updates since.
I haven’t tried to do anything with music or videos. Just audiobooks. The goal here is pretty simple - once I’ve put an entire audiobook on the Fuze, all my wife needs is a folder name for the entire book, then simple names for each CD within the main folder. So in Ubuntu I create a main folder for the entire audiobook, then useSoundJuicer or RubyRipper to create folders for each CD, then use EasyTag to create a very short tag for all titles within each CD. Move individual CD rips to the main folder, move the main folder to the Sansa.
I hope I explained that OK! Anyway, here’s the problem. The Fuze appears to identify the folders erroneously if you use the shortest route - Music>Audiobooks. The Fuze will list several folders that don’t correspond to the folder names that I set from with in Ubuntu, and it doesn’t list all the folders either. I’m not exactly sure about this, but last time I thought I saw a folder from an audiobook that had been removed several formats back!
However, if I go to Music>Folders>then proceed to internal or external storage>etc. the folders are identified as I would expect them to be.
Anyone know what I’m doing wrong?
EDIT: I just now looked at the Fuze. She showed me something else. I ripped a 23 CD audiobook. DT7-3 thru DT7-23 all show up when navigating the long-handed way, thru Folders>storage>etc. DT7-1 and DT7-2 don’t show up at all. Those two do appear when navigating to Music>Audiobooks. Don’t understand this at all. The rips were all moved over within a “main” folder titled DT7. I would expect them to all show up in one place or another, not for two of them to find their own spot away from the other rips…
Yeah… That’s exactly why I never use tag-based browsing. And it is not an Ubuntu related problem - it happens with the folders created under Windows XP or LinuxMint as well. Sometimes some folders even can’t be seen through folder browsing. I don’t think you are doing anything wrong, it is just SanDisk have other priorities than to employ software developers who would work on software full time.
I have been pinning some hopes on some improvements in folder browsing with the latest update, but it still looks pretty bleak and not promising.
Hi, Etoja -
Thanks for replying. I appreciate the feedback. My wife is willing to roll with the punches if this is the best we can do. Could you please explain what you mean about never using tag-based browsing? I’m really really new to mp3 tagging and media players, so if there’s a simpler method that you would suggest we’d be happy to try it. As far as I’m concerned, we don’t need the mp3 tags at all, I just thought that’s what I was supposed to do.
Hmmm, another odd folder phenomenon. The audiobook in question has roughly 17 tracks per CD. The entire audiobook was 23 CD’s so I labeled each rip DT7-01 thru DT7-23. DT7-10 came over to the Fuze with two copies of each track. Track 1 would show up as “1.mp3” and “Track1.mp3” or something similar. Went back to the Ubuntu PC, sure enough, there was just one of each of the 17 tracks. So I deleted the extra tracks by hand using the Fuze controls.
Is this another odd quirk that just happens sometimes for no particular reason? I’m wondering if I should not bother with EasyTag at all.
Telkwa, the Fuze has two options how to work with the files.
I find the MSC/folder browsing option more convenient to work with audiobooks.
If you go to the system settings and find USB settings it will give you an option to chose between MTP and MSC browsing. I assume you are using MTP browsing which heavily relies on tags. I always use MSC browsing which is mostly folder browsing. I disregard the line saying “audiobooks@” - it is misleading and unreliable. You have to practice and decide for youself which mode is better for you.
To find an audiobook I just click on Music (in MSC mode) - then scroll down to FOLDERS option at the very bottom of the list - chose internal or external memory ( the latter is for the memory card) and you can see the folders with your books or music. I know this path sounds a bit illogical on Fuze, but that’s how they decided to implement folder browsing in this player by hiding it.
There is a little bit which should be taken into consideration. The files and folders uploaded to the Fuze under MTP option wouldn’t be seen under MSC option and vice versa. So in order to see them you have to erase them under the initial mode used to upload them, then switch to the alternative mode you want to use and reupload the folders.
I am not sure why Fuze lacks the direct icon to folder browsing but it is the way it is
