# Parole

> free software media player

**Wikidata**: [Q1310667](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1310667)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/parole

## Summary
Parole is a free software media player designed for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. It is built on the GStreamer framework and is distributed under the GNU General Public License, allowing users to freely run, study, and modify the software.

## Key Facts
- **Software Class:** Classified as both free software and media player software.
- **Primary Framework:** Based on the GStreamer multimedia framework.
- **Operating System:** Runs on Linux; also available for FreeBSD and OpenBSD.
- **License:** Distributed under the GNU General Public License.
- **Latest Version:** Version 1.0.2, released on April 4, 2019.
- **Technical Dependencies:** Requires GTK (3.2+), GLib (2.32+), D-Bus (.6+), and GStreamer (0.10.24+).
- **Repository:** Primary source code is hosted on GitLab, with mirrors on GitHub and legacy hosting at git.xfce.org.
- **Package Availability:** Maintained in official repositories for Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu, Arch Linux, and Gentoo.

## FAQs
### Q: What is the primary purpose of Parole?
A: Parole is a media player software designed to play audio and video files. It is developed as free software, meaning users have the freedom to run, change, and distribute the program.

### Q: Which operating systems can run Parole?
A: Parole is primarily built for Linux operating systems. However, it is also supported on other Unix-like systems, with official ports available for FreeBSD and OpenBSD.

### Q: What are the system requirements for Parole?
A: To function, Parole requires the GStreamer framework (version 0.10.24 or higher), GTK (3.2 or higher), GLib (2.32 or higher), and D-Bus (.6 or higher).

### Q: Is Parole still being updated?
A: The provided records show a consistent release history starting from 2009, with version 1.0.2 released in April 2019. The project also transitioned its source code repository to GitLab in May 2020 to continue development.

## Why It Matters
Parole serves as a lightweight and accessible media playback solution within the open-source ecosystem. Its significance is rooted in its integration with the Xfce desktop environment's application suite, providing a native media player that adheres to the philosophy of free software. By utilizing the GStreamer backend, it offers a modular approach to media handling, allowing it to support various formats through a standardized framework.

The software's broad availability across nearly every major Linux distribution—including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux—makes it a staple for users seeking a GPL-licensed player that is deeply integrated with their operating system's package management. Furthermore, its portability to BSD systems like FreeBSD and OpenBSD highlights its versatility beyond the Linux kernel. For developers and contributors, the project's transparent history and move to modern collaborative platforms like GitLab ensure that it remains a verifiable and community-accessible tool for multimedia playback.

## Notable For
- **GStreamer Integration:** Leverages the GStreamer framework for its core media processing capabilities.
- **Broad Distribution:** Available as a native package across a wide array of platforms, including Slackware, Gentoo, and various BSD ports.
- **Xfce Ecosystem:** Closely associated with the Xfce project, as evidenced by its documentation hosting and package naming conventions (e.g., `xfce4-parole`).
- **Format Support:** Specifically noted for its ability to read Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) and Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband audio codecs.

## Body

### Technical Specifications
Parole is developed as a media player that relies on several core Linux technologies. Its graphical interface is built using GTK (version 3.2 or higher), and it utilizes GLib (2.32+) for low-level core library support. Communication between software components is handled via D-Bus (.6+). The most critical dependency is GStreamer (0.10.24+), which provides the necessary plugins and pipeline architecture for audio and video decoding.

### Versioning and Development History
The project has a documented history of releases dating back to at least 2009:
*   **Early Releases:** Versions 0.1.90 through 0.1.98 were released in late November 2009.
*   **0.2.0 Series:** Launched in January 2010, with minor updates (0.2.0.1 and 0.2.0.2) following shortly after.
*   **Stable Milestone:** Version 1.0.2 was released on April 4, 2019.

On May 1, 2020, the project officially moved its source code repository from `git.xfce.org` to a GitLab instance (`gitlab.xfce.org`) to modernize its development workflow.

### Distribution and Packaging
Parole is highly accessible due to its inclusion in numerous package repositories:
*   **Linux Distributions:** It is available as a standard package in Debian (stable), Fedora, Ubuntu, and Arch Linux. It is also available in the Arch User Repository (AUR) as `parole-git`.
*   **Source-Based and Specialized Systems:** Gentoo provides it via `media-video/parole`, and it is available for Slackware users through SlackBuilds.
*   **BSD Ports:** The software is ported to FreeBSD as `multimedia/xfce4-parole` and OpenBSD as `x11/xfce4/parole`.

### Supported Formats and Documentation
The player is capable of handling various file formats, specifically including Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) and Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband audio. Official documentation and user manuals are maintained by the Xfce project at `docs.xfce.org`.

## References

1. [Source](https://git.xfce.org/apps/parole/tag/?h=parole-1.0.2)
2. [Release 1.0.2. 2019](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-1.0.2)
3. [Release 0.1.90. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.1.90)
4. [Release 0.1.91. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.1.91)
5. [Release 0.1.95. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.1.95)
6. [Release 0.1.96. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.1.96)
7. [Release 0.1.98. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.1.98)
8. [Release 0.1.99. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.1.99)
9. [Release 0.2.0. 2010](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.2.0)
10. [Release 0.2.0.1. 2010](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.2.0.1)
11. [Release 0.2.0.2. 2010](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.2.0.2)
12. [Release 0.2.0.5. 2011](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.2.0.5)
13. [Release 0.2.0.6. 2011](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.2.0.6)
14. [Release 0.3.0. 2012](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.3.0)
15. [Release 0.3.0.1. 2012](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.3.0.1)
16. [Release 0.3.0.2. 2012](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.3.0.2)
17. [Release 0.3.0.3. 2012](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.3.0.3)
18. [Release 0.4.0. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.4.0)
19. [Release 0.5.0. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.5.0)
20. [Release 0.5.1. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.5.1)
21. [Release 0.5.2. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.5.2)
22. [Release 0.5.3. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.5.3)
23. [Release 0.5.4. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.5.4)
24. [Release 0.5.90. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.5.90)
25. [Release 0.5.91. 2013](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.5.91)
26. [Release 0.6.0. 2014](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.6.0)
27. [Release 0.6.1. 2014](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.6.1)
28. [Release 0.7.0. 2014](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/0.7.0)
29. [Release 0.8.0. 2015](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-0.8.0)
30. [Release 0.8.1. 2015](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-0.8.1)
31. [Release 0.9.0. 2017](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-0.9.0)
32. [Release 0.9.1. 2017](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-0.9.1)
33. [Release 0.9.2. 2017](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-0.9.2)
34. [Release 1.0.0. 2018](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-1.0.0)
35. [Release 1.0.1. 2018](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-1.0.1)
36. [Release 1.90. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/1.90)
37. [Release 1.91. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/1.91)
38. [Release 1.96. 2009](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/1.96)
39. [Release 1.0.3. 2019](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-1.0.3)
40. [Release 1.0.4. 2019](https://github.com/xfce-mirror/parole/releases/tag/parole-1.0.4)
41. [2021](https://gitlab.xfce.org/apps/parole/-/tags/parole-4.16.0)
42. [parole 4.16.0 released. 2021](https://mail.xfce.org/pipermail/xfce-announce/2021-January/000982.html)
43. [2023](https://gitlab.xfce.org/apps/parole/-/tags/parole-4.18.0)
44. [parole-4.18.1 · Tags · Apps / parole · GitLab. 2023](https://gitlab.xfce.org/apps/parole/-/tags/parole-4.18.1)
45. [parole-4.18.2 · Tags · Apps / parole · GitLab. 2024](https://gitlab.xfce.org/apps/parole/-/tags/parole-4.18.2)
46. [parole-4.20.0 · Tags · Apps / parole · GitLab. 2025](https://gitlab.xfce.org/apps/parole/-/tags/parole-4.20.0)
47. [Xfce switches to GitLab. 2020](https://simon.shimmerproject.org/2020/04/30/xfce-switches-to-gitlab/)
48. [Source](https://docs.xfce.org/apps/parole/introduction)