Is it possible to download MuseSound without Musehub

• Dec 18, 2022 - 09:50

MuseHub was initially announced as an help to download the huge MuseSound files, allowing restart of partial download after internet interruption, download of partial update instead of a full new file when a part of MuseSound was changed, and that kind of things.
But is there a way to download MuseSound "the old way", just starting the download of the huge file(s) and restarting ourselves if the download is interrupted mid-way?
If not, why? Is there a technical reason that would make "just downloading" process insufficient to make it work? If there is no technical reason and the files are just not available on the official web site without using MuseHub, suppose somebody makes these files available on the internet for direct download without MuseHub, would that be a license violation?


Comments

In reply to by oMrSmith

As in: Impossible due to technical reasons in the code (e.g., uses outside libraries not in public domain), or: In principle possible, but not provided for by MuseScore (second question of OP if I understand correctly)?

In reply to by user2442

They want you to install this closed source mystery app Muse Hub, that will launch at startup and turn your computer into a bittorrent server, and who knows what else.

And the hook they have to get you to do it is these sounds, so you are not allowed to install them in any other way.

In reply to by user2442

I don't know, if the Muse Hub is closed source but I do wonder
why it exists. The upgrade or update system could
have also been integrated into MuseScore itself. A good example
for that would be Studio One from Presonus: No Client,
- personally I don't like clients at all -, no dongle...

In reply to by Rickard H

Found the following topic about Muse Hub and bit torrent: https://musescore.org/en/node/338244.

Jojo-Schmitz' reply to report it is positive and encouraging, but I still am getting really nervous now.

Assuming this is correct and indeed due to actions from Muse Hub: intentional or not, how can a thing like that end up in the software? If not malicious but happened "by accident" (can that be??), how can I be sure nothing else is messing with my system? How can I be sure there is no hidden agenda, with the organization making Muse Hub or with some personnel in it?

I don't want to sound paranoid, but a formal statement from MuseScore, with an explanation how this could happen (if it indeed happened), would be called for in my opinion.

In reply to by user2442

They seem to be pushing very hard for people to install this. It is the default option for downloading MuseScore on their home page, and it is the only way to install the new sounds.

Surely they wouldn't be pushing so hard for this if there wasn't some hidden gain in it for them?

In reply to by Rickard H

Gain they don't tell you about is one thing, but messing with your internet connections, and what else?, is in a whole different ball park in my opinion. It is certainly not in good faith, and I wonder if it is legal at all in your/mine jurisdiction.

Disclaimer: if I have misunderstood, I apologize.

In reply to by user2442

No one is forcing you all to download anything. Isn't it just possible that the Hub is a way to keep MS4 updated without you having to do anything. It doesn't have to start at system start up. It doesn't have to do anything. Oh, except load MuseSounds. 14 gigs that I think the developers were trying to help you with. Because most users are more used to a few hundred MB max. Fonts for some other programs start at 35 GB and go up. Way up. Plus you can close it if you want. Unless, of course, it secretly stays open, like YouTube, and messes with your system. The sounds are big files that take some time to down load. Wouldn't it be nice if they could load in the background.

What about those of us with Mac OS 10.15? Hub will not install. SOL? I have Musescore installed but would really like the new sounds.

Please, I want to use musesounds in musescore 4 in Mojave 10.14.3. I believe is only a problem of compiling a version for old mac os... or am I wrong?

Why doesn't someone provide the torrent link and we download it ourselves? It shouldn't be difficult to find what it is right?

At least on Windows, even with the "use your internet to help others" setting or whatever turned off, the service still runs in the background. Not only that, it won't let you stop it. The only way I've found to disable it is to use the registry to manually set the state to disabled. If I remember correctly (it's been a while), it continues to run in the background even after uninstalling the main Muse Hub app.

If the setting truly disables the torrent functionality as it suggests, the service has ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to run in the background for any reason (unless you actually have Muse Hub open). So why does it?

Even if it isn't malware, it certainly feels like it.

This is a pity. I can't bring myself to install Hub for the sounds. I'd love to try out the new guitars but...not worth it. Even disabling the hub at startup isn't okay. I don't trust it to stay that way or still be a vulnerability (maybe a little paranoia there but...I've read about stranger things). Given that Hub must be installed to use the sounds is a deal breaker. It's not important enough to me to allow a dubious app/service. Glad this thread covered the details. Very helpful.

In reply to by androo

Then you haven't read this thread. The HUB must be installed to download the sounds. That's it. Then you can turn it off or delete it. You don't need it to use the sounds. Once you turn off all the sliders and scroll to the bottom and hit "quit" you are done until you start it up again sometime later to check for updates. The supposed bit-torrent problem seems to be mostly a Linux thing. Honestly, you are in more danger logging into FaceBook.

In reply to by bobjp

I read it alright, thanks, and some others:
https://musescore.org/en/node/338244
There is some confusion in the forums about whether uninstalling Hub makes the Sounds "inactive" or unusable. OS seems to be part of the equation. My point is that I'm not putting it on my PC as it is, and I'd much prefer getting the sounds outside of that tool. I'm grateful to MuseScore for what it is, but Hub is poorly implemented and I've already un-installed it after it was first put out and I have no desire to see it back until it's improved. Same can be said about FaceBook, which I why I deleted my account 5 years ago. I practice safe Hex.

In reply to by androo

In Windows, at least, deleting the HUB does not make Muse sounds inactive. I've done it. I've been in on many threads about it. There's a lot of talk about hackers using the torrent to attack your computer. Much talk about what Could happen. But Never any proof. Ever. I get, better to be safe than sorry. But in that case, better to not go on the internet at all.
I remember when the experts where saying to leave your computer on most of the time. You might wear out the power button if you turn off the computer when you aren't using it. Wait, isn't that what the power button is for? Besides there are programs that don't like to wake up from sleep mode.
The point is that I spent hours and days monitoring the port in question. Because if hackers didn't know about that avenue before, they sure do now. Thank you very much. I never saw any activity. I need evidence.
FaceBook has been demonstrated to have problems. There is evidence.

I have successfully testing the following on Windows:
1. Install MuseHub on a computer and download the sounds you require
2. Grab the MuseHub and MuseSampler folders out of c:\ProgramData
3. Grab the MuseSamplerCoreLib.dll out of C:\Windows\System32
4. Copy those folders and the dll over to the same locations on the target computer.

MuseScore will now recognize the MuseSounds samples and be able to use them on the target computer. I know this isn't exactly installing the sounds without MuseHub, but this works for deployment to school labs or computers with slow/no networks, etc.

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