Not many of you will be averse of XMMS or X-Multimedia System, for its bond with Linux Operating System (The Best OS I may add, Critics Welcome). For a long time Linux was supposed to be meant for Geeks, but times changed and a lot of people are turning onto Linux for Entertainment purposes too (BeOS, I may add is worth trying for Entertainment Programmers).
Linux or to say Unix (but for Solaris) was for a long time associated with Network and Time-Critical Programming rather than for other user applications. But the fact is from time unknown Graphic and Sound Applications have been there on UNIX Platforms.
Coming back to XMMS, its an Audio Player much like Winamp available for Windows. It parallels Winamp both in its Interface and the ease of usage. Linux from the time when it came out with Alsa sound engine, has always been better in the Audio department, compared to the most popular flavor among OS. The latest sound engine (forgot its name) makes every other OS go pale in comparison.
It has among others three main windows, one dealing with Main Functionality’s , an Equalizer and a Playlist. All working together as a single unit. Similar to Winamp 2.x version. But the windows sound engine requires you to configure the Equalizers on Winamp to meet Good Audible requirements where as Linux superior Audio engine, does make XMMS equalizer to be used for Optimum Performance from your speaker sets.
XMMS allows you to play CD’s, Wav’s, MP3’s and Ogg-Vorbis files predominantly, for other file formats there are plugins available to be downloaded from the web. A few Visual Plugins are available along with the package but a lot else can be downloaded freely from the web.
XMMS is an Open Source Application, thereby the bugs are corrected as soon as they are found. But as we say No application is Perfect, XMMS has got the habit of crashes, but never takes the system down with it. All you need is to kill the Audio application and Audio engine, restart the application along the Audio Server, and you will have music once again.
XMMS requires you to have the X-Server along with the Audio Server installed. GTK libraries are a must, better if you run it on GNOME Server.
Its the best audio player available for Linux.