PodNova User Guide

Table Of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Getting Started
• 2.1. Requirements
• 2.2. Installation
• 2.3. Starting PodNova
• 3. The User Interface
• 3.1. Downloads
• 3.2. Subscriptions
• 3.2.1. The Subscriptions Tab buttons from left to right
• 3.2.2. More controls for Podcasts listed in Subscriptions
• 3.3. Cleanup
• 3.4. Log (optional)
• 4. Setting Preferences
• 4.1. General
• 4.1.1. Location and storage management
• 4.2. Threading
• 4.3. Network settings
• 4.4. Player
• 4.5. Advanced
• 5. Other features
• 5.1. OPML Import / Export
• 5.1.1. Importing an OPML file
• 5.1.2. Exporting an OPML file
• 5.2. Language Change
• 5.3. Update Checks
• 6. Walk-throughs
• 6.1. Subscribing to a Podcast
• 6.2. Downloading Podcast episodes
• 6.2.1. Download most recent episodes
• 6.2.2. Download all episodes you don't have already

1. Introduction

The PodNova Desktop Client is a Podcast receiver which seamlessly integrates with the www.podnova.com website. The www.podnova.com website is a distributed podcast directory. It's maintained by dozens of volunteers from around the world. It features a way to search and subscribe with one click to podcasts.

The PodNova Desktop Client fetches your subscriptions from your free www.podnova.com account and manages the downloads of the podcasts to your computer. You can also use the PodNova Desktop Client to add or remove a podcast or to import an opml file with podcasts links. These mutations are synchronized with your www.podnova.com account.

The PodNova Desktop Client is based on Juice receiver, and is Free Software licensed under the GPL. For details about the license, please see gpl.txt. The PodNova Desktop Client is written in Python, and we provide a build for Windows, MacOSX and Linux.

This User Guide will introduce you to the basics of PodNova, and will help you to better enjoy your experience with it.

2. Getting Started

To begin receiving the Podcast shows of your choice, you need create an free account on www.podnova.com. The next step is to download and install PodNova on your computer. To download the latest version of the PodNova software, please visit the website, at: www.podnova.com

2.1 Requirements

PodNova requires the following in order to work properly in your system. Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements before you install the software.

Software
Operating Systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux(*), OSX
Audio Playback on Windows: Windows Media Player, iTunes or WinAmp
Audio Playback on Linux: XMMS, BMP(*)
Audio Playback on OSX: iTunes

(*)
For Linux, your should have Python2.4 and wxPython2.6 installed on your system.
To support the XMMS player on Linux, you should have the python library PyXMMS installed on your system. You can download PyXMMS from http://people.via.ecp.fr/~flo/index.en.xhtml#PyXMMS
To support the BMP player on Linux, you should have the python libary pybmp installed on your system. You can download pybmp from http://borgforge.net/projects/pybmp/

Hardware
Free Disk Space: 100 MB
RAM: 256 MB

2.2 Installation

2.3 Starting PodNova

3. The User Interface

3.1 Downloads

First Tab from the right is Downloads. Here PodNova lists the various Podcast episodes you may be downloading at any given time. Separate types of information are provided on 6 different columns, while information on each download is grouped in a row. In the Downloads Tab, you can see the Podcast episode's Name, State, Progress, Date, Playlist association and Location on the Internet. In addition, the Tab's Status Bar displays information as to how many downloads are in progress, and the upload/download speed of the files. In the Status Bar of the window, live information on what PodNova is currently doing and what it results to are provided (Such as scanning a number of feeds). You can select items in the Download tab by clicking on them (Select multiple items by holding down the Ctrl or Shift keys), and then Remove or Cancel them with the red "x" and "–" buttons. You can even search the Download List by entering search terms in the available text box next to these buttons and pressing the "Enter" button. Removing a download from the Downloads Tab will not delete the downloaded or partially downloaded file from your computer. To do this you need to use the Cleanup Tab. If you right click on a Download from the list, you will see a pop-up menu with the options to play an Episode in your chosen Player software, remove the download from the list with "Clear selected items", or check any available information on it with "Show Notes".

3.2 Subscriptions

3.2.1 The Subscriptions Tab buttons from left to right

1. "Check for new podcasts". Clicking this first button will tell PodNova to check all the Podcast feeds you have listed (subscribed), for new Podcast Episodes.
2. "Catch-up". Clicking the second button tells PodNova to only download the last new episodes from the Podcast feeds you have subscribed to. This is called "Catch-up" and a pop-up window will ask you whether you want to skip other (previously available, not the latest) episodes you have not downloaded yet permanently or just this once. If you are confident you will never want to change this setting in the future you can check the box next to "Don't ask me again". This will force Catch-up to perform as you prescribed from then on. (You can change this setting at a later time by going to the File / Preferences / General Tab).
3. "Add new feed" is the third button from the left. Click on it when you know the URL address to a Podcast feed you wish to subscribe to. A pop-up window will open, and will prompt you to enter the Feed's URL. Make sure you are connected to the Internet and enter the Feed's URL in the URL box. Then click on the "Save" button. PodNova will check the feed and enter the Title automatically. Optionally check and select in how many days after download episodes should be deleted.
4. "Remove selected feed" is the fourth button from the left (one with the red circle / white x) and it will banish the Feed from your Subscriptions. This means PodNova will not be able to check that Podcast for content again, unless you subscribe to it again! It is important to notice that clicking on an Episode in the lower list and then on the "Remove selected feed" button will delete the Entire Feed and not that particular Episode. You can automatically delete Episodes which are older than any given count of days using the next button (Properties).
5. "Properties" is the fifth button from the left and it will display a pop-up window with information on the selected Feed. If you check the option "Automatically delete episodes more than 14 days old" you can change the number of days PodNova will wait before deleting old Episodes from that Podcast.
6. "Check / download selected feed" is the sixth button from the left, and if you click it PodNova will scan the selected feed for updates and start downloading new Episodes.
7. "Scheduler" is the final button in the series we are discussing and it provides you one-click access to the PodNova Scheduler. The Scheduler gives users a variety of options for setting PodNova to automatically check Feeds for new content and download them, at set times or regular intervals. This means you can either tell PodNova to check for new content at 3 different times during a 24 hour period, or you can set it to check every so on, with options ranging from every 30 minutes to every 12 hours. If you would like to play Podcast shows right after Scheduler has downloaded them, check the available option at File / Preferences... / General Tab.
8. The text box next to the magnifying glass on the Subscriptions Tab, is a dynamic search box. This means that as you enter a word, PodNova will try to match it in Podcast Feeds you are subscribed to and display them in the list below.

3.2.2 More controls for Podcasts listed in Subscriptions

Some of the functions discussed as accessible via the Subscription Tab's buttons are also available if you right click on a Podcast Feed. A pop-up menu will appear, allowing you to Check and download new Episodes from it, Remove it, open the local folder on your computer where content from that Feed is stored at, or even open the Feed's URL with your web browser. In the Episodes listing of a Podcast Feed, if you right click on an episode, another smaller pop-up menu "Show Notes" will appear, allowing you to visit a web page with more information on that particular Episode (such as a related blog post).

3.3 Cleanup

The Cleanup Tab allows you to clean up your system from all the clutter of Podcast shows you've listened to in the past and are now just taking up valuable space. You can select one of the Podcast Feeds you are subscribed to from the "Select a feed" drop-down menu. According to the checked options in the "Look for episodes in" box, PodNova will search for Episodes of that Feed in the "Player library" or / and the "Downloads folder". All Episodes found there will be listed in the available box below. Than you can manually check any Episodes you wish to clean up, or use the "Select all" button and manually uncheck those you wish not to be disturbed by the Cleanup process. You can also check the options "Delete library entries" or / and "Delete files" according to the type of Cleanup (Delete) you wish to perform.

3.5 Log (Optional)

The Log Tab displays technical information about what the PodNova does when it is prompted by the user to perform a task. It can be useful for troubleshooting or trying to establish whether a particular Feed is not functioning as it should. You can delete the contents of the Log Tab by clicking the "Clear" button. The text that displays in the Log Tab's text box, can be Copied and Pasted as you do with any text on your computer. However the contents of the Log Tab are produced automatically by PodNova and text cannot be entered there by the user. Display of the Log Tab among the tabs of the main PodNova window, is optional and can be enabled by checking the available option at File / Preferences... / Advanced (tab) / "Show log tab in application".

4. Setting Preferences

To open the "Preferences" window in PodNova, which allows you to edit / set options for the application, please click on File / Preferences... The "Preferences" window will appear where you will see six different Tabs each containing options for different parts of the PodNova, giving you maximum control over how the application works and how you enjoy your Podcast Receiving experience. In this User Guide, we discuss each Tab and the options it provides the user with. Some of these options you may have been prompted for before, within the PodNova main window. Here you can change or edit them.

4.1 General

The "General" Tab, allows you to set the General option relating to the PodNova application. The check boxes in the upper section of this tab, will make the statements next to them true if they are checked by the user.

There you can opt to have PodNova do the following:

At startup only show PodNova in the system tray
The application stays minimized in a system tray PodNova icon when it is started.

Run a check for new podcasts when the application is started
Have PodNova automatically check within your subscriptions for new content every time it is started.

Play downloads right after they're downloaded
PodNova will automatically call on your chosen Player to start playing a newly downloaded Podcast Episode.

Check for new versions of the application at startup
This will allow PodNova to check if a new version of the application is available for download. This is better left checked as new versions may offer bug fixes and more functions.

Always use PodNova for one-click subscription
Check this if you want PodNova to catch Podcast Feeds available through one-click subscription and it will allow you to subscribe to them with a single click.

Catch-up skips older episodes permanently
If this is checked, every time you run "Catch-up" in the main Subscriptions Tab, any older than the latest available Podcast Episodes you have not downloaded yet will be permanently skipped by PodNova.

Continue running in the background when I close the main window
If this option is checked, every time you close the PodNova window (either by the x button, File / Close window, "Ctrl+w" or "Alt+F4") it will continue to work in the background and stay minimized in an PodNova icon in the system tray. To quit the application you would then need to use File / Quit, Ctrl+q, or right click on the PodNova system tray icon and select "Quit" from the menu. To restore the PodNova window from the system tray, right click on the icon and select "Open PodNova".

4.1.1 Location and storage management

On the lower part of the "General" Preferences Tab, are the "Location and storage management" settings.

There you can set a minimal amount of available space on your hard drive that would trigger PodNova to stop downloading should it ever be reached. This is a nice protective measure against absentmindedly having the free space on your hard drive all taken up by old Podcast Episodes.

Also you can choose the folder into which Podcasts will be downloaded. Remember, PodNova makes new folders automatically for each Podcast you download Episodes from. All these folder and their content will be located where you indicate here. The default option is a wittily named "My Received Podcasts" folder in your "My Documents" folder.

4.2 Threading

The Threading Tab allows you to set a number for:

Maximal threads for feedscanning per session (Available options range between 1 and 16)

Maximal downloads per session (Available options range between 1 and 6)

These setting can be very useful in improving download performance. If your bandwidth allows it you can experiment by changing the defaults and seeing which setting works best for you.

Any changes you make to how multiple downloads are treated should be saved by clicking the "Save" button on the Threading Tab.

4.3 Network settings

On the "Network Settings" Tab you are given the option to use a proxy server with PodNova. To enable this option you must make sure the box next to "Use a proxyserver" is checked and that you enter the full URL address of the proxy server you want to use as well as the port number.

The other available option, in experimental use in PodNova 2.1 is "Coralize URLs". It is aimed at placing URLs in order.

4.4 Player

The "Player" Tab allows the user to pick between iTunes, Windows Media Player, WinAmp, XMMS and BMP for the default Player they want to play and manage synchronization of Podcast Episodes with.

Of course if you want to use one of the listed Players you must first have it installed on your computer. If you want to use a different media manager / player, your best chance is to set the option to "No player" and then PodNova will check with your system for the default media player you are using and use that.

Another option on this tab is for setting track genre options in iTunes. Of course "Podcast" is the recommended setting here.

4.6 Advanced

On the "Advanced" Tab of the "Preferences" window the ability for Power Users to run custom commands after each download is given. The command's code is entered into the text box, and the box next to "Run this command after each download" should be checked in order for it to execute.

Another available option is the "Show log tab in application". The Log Tab in the main PodNova window, offers valuable technical information about how PodNova executes various tasks, and what problems such as a corrupt Feed could be hindering a download. Although ineligible to the uninitiated this Log output is of great use when troubleshooting or seeking expert advice.

5. Other Features

PodNova boasts an easy to use, self explanatory user environment which is under continuous watch for improvements. The more you use PodNova, you will soon realize which of the several paths, keyboard shortcuts, you can use to do something best suits you. Some of the Features not accessible via the PodNova Tabs but only through the top drop-down menus are explained in this section.

5.1 OPML Import / Export

PodNova allows you to import your favorite Podcast Feeds from an OPML file you have stored locally on your computer. Alternatively you can also export your current subscription list on another OPML file for backup purposes, or to use somewhere else.

5.1.1 Importing an OPML File

1. Click on the "File" drop-down menu and select "Import feeds from opml..." (or you can try holding down Ctrl+Shift+o on your keyboard while at the PodNova main window)
2. From the "Select import file" window, locate the OPML file you wish to import to PodNova on your computer, and double click on it (or click once to select and then click on the "Open" button).

PodNova will then import the OPML file you selected.

5.1.2 Exporting an OPML File

1. Click on the "File" drop-down menu and select "Export feeds as opml..."
2. In the "Choose a name for the export file" window, enter the desired name for your OPML file, or keep the default name which makes it easy to identify the file as containing your PodNova subscriptions. Also point to where you want the file to be saved.

PodNova will then export the OPML file of the feeds in your Subscriptions and store it in the location you have designated on your computer.

5.2 Language Change

If you would like to change the User Interface language of PodNova to one of the many (more than 15) different locales available, please do the following:

1. Click on Tools / Select language, and then on the language of your choice.
2. Restart PodNova for the language file to be activated.

5.3 Update Checks

To manually check for a more recent version of the PodNova application to the one you are using, click on the "Help" drop-down menu and then choose "Check for Update..."

Keeping your software applications up to date is vital to maintaining an up to speed, safe and enjoyable computer environment!

6. Walk Throughs

Some people prefer to be guided step by step the first time they use something, such as a software application. In this section of the User Guide you will find a series of walk-throughs to some of the essential functions of the PodNova.

6.1 Subscribing to a Podcast

When you Subscribe to a Podcast with PodNova, it checks for new Episodes on that Podcast and makes it easy to discover and download them.

1. Go the the www.podnova.com site and search or browse the podcast directory.
2. If you have found a postcast you want to subscribe to, click on the PodNova chicklet
3. Start PodNova or, if already started, click on "Check for new Podcasts"
4. Your new podcast will appear in your subscriptions list

That's it, you can now download epsiodes from that podcast.

6.2 Downloading Podcast Episodes

Lets assume you are Subscribed with PodNova on a number of Podcasts and you want to actually get the shows brought to you. What do you do?

The following steps show you how to get the latest or all missed Episodes of a Podcast.

6.2.1 Download most recent episodes

1. Start PodNova
2. Go to the "Subscriptions" tab.
3. Click on the Catch-up button, or press F6 on your keyboard, or select "Tools / Catch-up"
4. In the pop-up window, select the option "Skip this time only" if you want to later be able to download older Episodes from that Podcast with PodNova.
5. Click on the OK button.

That's it! PodNova will automatically check the Podcasts you are Subscribed to for new content and start downloading them. If you don't wish to download new Episodes for all these Podcasts, you can go to the "Downloads" tab, select the undesirable Podcasts and click on the "Cancel selected download".

6.2.2 Download all Episodes you don't have already

From All Podcasts in your Subscriptions

1. Start PodNova
2. Go to the "Subscriptions" tab.
3. Click on the "Check for new podcasts" button.

That's it! PodNova will check all Feeds in your Subscriptions for new content and start downloading them. All content since the last time you downloaded from a Podcast that is still available will be downloaded.

From A Selected Podcast in your Subscriptions

1. Start PodNova
2. Go to the "Subscriptions" tab.
3. Click on the Podcast you want to check from the list, to select it.
4. Click on the "Check / Download selected feed" button.

That's it! PodNova will check that particular Podcast Feed and download any Episodes from it you haven't downloaded already.