Release Notes

Windows and Linux

• FixedIn a window with several videos, a cell could freeze on one frame and stay there until you chose Next from its menu. Anemone now moves a frozen cell on to its next video after about ten seconds, or starts the video again if the cell is set to loop.

Linux

Nothing you would notice changed in this version.

Windows and Linux

• ImprovedTrial and subscription licenses now carry their end date inside the signed license, so Anemone checks it even when it can't reach the licensing server. Once a license has ended, Anemone asks you to connect to the internet to renew it. Perpetual licenses still work offline.
• ImprovedA license that was activated by an older version has 14 days from the first time it is used offline with this one before Anemone asks you to connect to the internet once, so it can pick up its end date. Connecting at any point in that time is enough.

Windows 8.7.9.20.240 · Linux 8.7.9.20.241 · Earlier builds that day: 8.7.9.20.230, 8.7.9.20.231, 8.7.9.20.232, 8.7.9.20.236

• NewThe old Slideshow Flipper layout is back, as Flipper — Auto. It changes the grid to suit the pictures coming up: a 2x2 grid for landscape photos, a row of three for portrait ones.
• NewA Default stretch setting decides how pictures and video fill each new cell. Right-click a cell to change just that one.
• NewSettings has a Test Backend button. It plays a short test clip and tells you whether the media backend can decode video, so a black window can explain itself.
• ImprovedSlideshows of big photos no longer freeze. Pictures are decoded in the background, one change ahead, at the size they are shown; a grid of 12-megapixel photos used to lock the whole app up for about a second every time the cells changed. Picking the next file is much faster with large folders, too.
• ImprovedGo and QuickStart are switched on and off together, a button that is off now looks off, and when playback can't start Anemone says why.
• ImprovedLinux Updating from inside the app shows what it is doing while it installs and restarts, and tells you afterwards whether it worked.
• ImprovedLinux Updating now replaces the installation instead of unpacking on top of it, so files an older version shipped are no longer left behind.
• ImprovedLinux The download is smaller: Anemone uses the VLC your distribution provides instead of carrying its own copy of the plugins.
• ImprovedLinux install.sh installs into ~/.local/share/anemone and adds an anemone command, which is what the README always described.
• FixedIn the free demo, the VLC backend couldn't open playback windows (“Failed to create window 1”) in 8.7.9.17.207 and 8.7.9.19.208. The Qt backend and licensed use weren't affected.
• FixedPhotos taken on a phone showed on their side, and were counted as landscape when they are really portrait. Anemone now reads the orientation the camera recorded.
• FixedWith the VLC backend, Fill cropped the picture, and the crop didn't follow the window when it was resized. The Settings window squashed its panels together instead of scrolling.
• FixedWith the Cut transition, every other picture in a slideshow came up black.
• FixedA slideshow could show the same picture in two cells at once, and using Previous could take a picture out of rotation for the rest of the session.
• FixedWindows With the VLC backend chosen, most videos (H.264 in MP4 or MKV files) played as a black window with the sound running, in 8.7.9.20.231 and 8.7.9.20.236. Anemone now checks that VLC can decode video before it opens playback windows and plays with the Qt backend when it can't, and Settings says when that is happening. The Qt backend, which is the default, wasn't affected.
• FixedWindows The uninstaller is signed by SquareEye Software, like the rest of the app. It was the one file that wasn't, so removing Anemone brought up an “Unknown publisher” prompt, and Smart App Control could refuse to run it.
• FixedLinux Closing a playback window while the pointer was on its edge could leave the resize arrow as the cursor over the rest of Anemone until it was restarted.
• FixedLinux VLC video stayed black on Debian 13, and on any install that had been updated in place from a version before 8.7.9.19.208. Anemone now keeps its own libraries to itself, and clears the leftover ones as it starts.
• FixedLinux Firefox saved the download as .tar.tar, because the file was served as a plain tar archive rather than a compressed one.

Windows has 8.7.9.20.240 and Linux 8.7.9.20.241, and both now have everything above that applies to them. The signed uninstaller arrived in 8.7.9.20.236, the Go and QuickStart change in 8.7.9.20.236 on Windows and 8.7.9.20.241 on Linux, and the VLC backend fix in 8.7.9.20.240.

Windows and Linux

• FixedLinux With the VLC backend, video stayed black on current distributions such as Ubuntu 26.04. Anemone no longer ships its own copy of the VA-API library (libva), which clashed with the system's video codecs. The default Qt backend wasn't affected.

Updating on Linux: this version didn't delete the old files, so an install updated in place kept its copy of libva and VLC video stayed black. 8.7.9.20.232 clears those leftovers as it starts, so updating again is all it takes.

No changes for Windows in this version.

Windows and Linux

• FixedThe corner watermark now shows up in recordings made with window capture, such as OBS Window Capture. Before, it was visible on screen but missing from the recording.

Windows and Linux · Earlier builds that day: 8.7.9.16.199, 8.7.9.16.200, 8.7.9.16.202, 8.7.9.16.204

• NewPaid licenses can turn the corner watermark on, for example to credit Anemone Player on a stream. Tick “Show the Anemone Player watermark” in Settings.
• NewNew window size presets in the Play Order panel: Quarter Screen, Third Screen Width, Half Screen Width and a fixed 1920x1080. They replace the 25%, 50% and 75% sizes.
• FixedExiting with a large layout (21 cells, for example) could take long enough for Windows to report Anemone as not responding and end it. Playback windows now close one step at a time, with a small progress window.
• FixedThe same could happen when closing a single playback window, whether from the right-click menu, with Alt+F4 or from the taskbar.

Windows and Linux

• NewA speaker badge marks the cell that's playing sound, for as long as it's unmuted.
• ImprovedPressing Go again now replaces the open playback windows instead of opening another set alongside them, where every set kept playing at once. The current windows keep playing until the new ones are ready.
• FixedAfter pressing Go more than once, unmuting a cell in one window could later unmute the matching cell in another window.

Windows 8.7.8.22.196 · Linux 8.7.8.22.194 · Earlier builds that day: 8.7.8.22.190, 8.7.8.22.192, 8.7.8.22.193, 8.7.8.22.195

• FixedWindows The VLC playback backend is now included. Earlier Windows versions left it out, so choosing VLC in Settings didn't work.
• FixedIf VLC can't be loaded, Anemone now falls back to the built-in Qt backend instead of stopping with an error when you press Go.
• FixedLinux Test Backend now tells you to install VLC when it's missing, instead of showing a cryptic error.
• FixedWindows The app and all its components are now code-signed, not just the installer. On PCs that enforce Windows Application Control policies, Anemone was blocked from starting.

Windows and Linux

• NewAnemone now notices when it stops responding for more than 20 seconds, and can offer to send a report about it. As with crash reports, nothing is sent unless you choose to send it.
• ImprovedCrash reports now record when the crash happened.
• ImprovedIf you choose to send a crash report while you're offline, Anemone keeps it and sends it on a later launch, without asking again.

Windows and Linux · Earlier build that day: 8.7.8.16.184

• NewCrash reports. If Anemone closes unexpectedly, it offers to send a report the next time it starts. You see the whole report first, your account name and home folder are removed automatically, and nothing is sent unless you press Send report.
• NewWindows If a graphics driver crashes Anemone while it opens a playback window, the next launch switches to software rendering automatically. Linux has had this since March.

Windows 8.7.8.12.182 · Linux 8.7.8.12.183 · Earlier build that day: 8.7.8.12.181

• FixedLinux Computers with an empty machine ID, such as some live USB sessions and freshly imaged systems, all shared a single free-demo allowance. Each one now gets its own.

Windows and Linux

No changes to the app. From this version on, every Linux build is test-launched on a clean system before it's published.

Windows 8.7.7.28.178 · Linux 8.7.7.28.179

• ImprovedStricter offline license checks. If Anemone can't verify your license offline, it asks you to connect to the internet once to refresh it.
• FixedLinux Anemone could fail to start on a fresh Ubuntu 22.04 install because system libraries were missing. The download now includes all the libraries Qt needs to open its windows.

Windows and Linux · Earlier builds that day: 8.7.7.25.170, 8.7.7.25.171

• FixedIn 8.7.7.25.170 and 8.7.7.25.171, pressing Go in the free demo didn't start playback.

Windows and Linux

• ImprovedA redesigned update window shows your current and new version, the download's progress, and any error in place with a Retry button. On Windows, if you decline the administrator prompt, you can retry the install without downloading again.

Windows and Linux

• FixedLinux Cancelling a folder scan could crash Anemone.
• FixedThe folder scan window's text was unreadable in the light theme, and file names scrolled past too quickly to read.
• FixedClicking Close just as a scan finished threw away its results.

Windows and Linux

• ImprovedThe license window no longer freezes while it contacts the license server. It shows that it's working, and gives a clear message if the server can't be reached.
• FixedThe right-click menu on video cells didn't open at all in 8.7.7.12.164.

Windows and Linux · Anemone Player 8.7

• NewFree demo: use Anemone Player for 30 sessions with no signup. Demo playback carries a small corner watermark, and a free trial or a license removes it.
• NewLifetime licenses are verified on your own computer, so they keep working offline, permanently.
• NewThe main window, About and Settings show who the license belongs to.

Known issue: the right-click menu on video cells doesn't open in this version. Fixed in 8.7.7.13.166.

Windows and Linux · Earlier builds that day: 8.6.7.10.157, 8.6.7.10.158, 8.6.7.10.159, 8.6.7.10.160

• ImprovedFavourite is now a toggle. It shows when the current file is already in Favourites, and unticking it removes the file.
• ImprovedThe Stretch Media menu marks the mode in use.
• ImprovedChanging the slideshow interval in Settings now also applies to windows that are already open.
• FixedClosing a playback window didn't fully close it: media kept playing in the background and the on-screen controls could stay behind.
• FixedWindows Update notifications never appeared.
• FixedWindows Clicking Update downloaded the new version, then closed Anemone without installing it. The installer now asks for administrator permission and runs.
• FixedLinux The updater downloaded new versions but never installed them.
• FixedThe Update button no longer spills out of the title bar.

Updating from an earlier version: the fixes are in the updater itself, so earlier versions can't update themselves to this one. Download and install it once by hand, and updates work automatically after that.

Windows and Linux · Earlier build that day: 8.6.4.1.153

• ImprovedFaster startup with the VLC backend. VLC now loads once and is shared by every window, rebuilds its plugin cache when it's out of date (after a VLC update, for example), and warms up during the splash screen.
• ImprovedErrors while opening playback windows are now shown instead of failing silently.
• FixedOpening a playback window with the VLC backend could crash in 8.6.3.31.150.
• FixedWindows With the Qt backend, many H.264 videos played as a black screen.

Windows and Linux · Earlier build that day: 8.6.3.31.148

• NewResize Grips: turn them on from a playback window's right-click menu to show a handle in each corner for resizing. Handy on Linux with the VLC backend, where the video can swallow edge drags.
• ImprovedThe video seek bar has a visible handle and a coloured progress track.
• FixedThe slideshow interval setting was ignored: slides always changed every 5 seconds.
• FixedLinux A template saved without typing “.json” couldn't be loaded. The extension is now added for you.

Windows and Linux · Earlier Linux builds that day: 8.6.3.28.142, 8.6.3.28.144

• NewLinux An update.sh script is included for updating from the terminal.
• FixedLinux Crashes when opening a playback window with some graphics drivers. If drawing a window crashes Anemone, the next launch switches to software rendering.
• FixedThe update check could be cut short before it finished, so no update was offered.

Windows and Linux

• ImprovedWindows The installer is now digitally signed, so Windows shows a verified publisher when you run it.

Windows and Linux

• NewImage slideshow windows get the same right-click menu as video windows, including Next, Previous, Full Screen, File Location and Open File.
• FixedLinux Mute and unmute could affect the wrong cell.
• FixedWith the Qt backend, changing media could set off a run of skipped videos.
• FixedA cell that had just started playing could be skipped too soon, sometimes leaving the same video in two cells.
• FixedLinux The resize cursor now appears at the edge of a playing video.

Windows and Linux

• NewSwap two cells: hold Ctrl and drag one cell onto another. Each video carries on from where it was.
• NewPress Esc to leave full screen.
• NewChoose where each window opens (which screen, what size, or full screen) in the Play Order panel. Your choices are saved with your templates.
• FixedUpdate checks silently failed in installed versions.

Windows and Linux · Earlier builds that day: 8.6.3.19.128, 8.6.3.19.129

• New“Include filenames in log” in Settings: untick it to keep file names out of Anemone's diagnostic log.
• NewLinux The download now includes an uninstall script and a README with install steps for popular distributions.
• FixedLinux Crashes when opening playback windows on Wayland desktops, and when closing Anemone.
• FixedLinux The resize cursor flickered and disappeared at window edges. The area you can grab is wider now, too.
• FixedNumber boxes in Settings and the layout window were missing their arrows.
• FixedThe Go button didn't fill the width of the footer.

Windows and Linux · Earlier builds that day: 8.6.3.18.103, 8.6.3.18.105, 8.6.3.18.106, 8.6.3.18.113, 8.6.3.18.114

• NewAutomatic updates: Anemone checks for a new version when it starts, and can download and install it for you.
• NewA splash screen while Anemone starts.
• NewClose Window in the right-click menu closes one playback window without quitting Anemone.
• NewResize playback windows by dragging their edges and corners.
• NewVideos start muted. Tick “Start video windows unmuted” in Settings to change that.
• NewSet Grid remembers your last rows and columns, and shows them in the layout list.
• NewCustom layouts: put a layout file in the layouts folder and it appears in the list.
• NewA license can be active on up to two computers at the same time. Closing Anemone frees its place.
• NewLinux Run install.sh to add Anemone to your applications menu.
• ImprovedNo file plays in two cells at once, and every file is shown once before any repeats.
• ImprovedThe Loop and Mute menu items show whether they're on.
• ImprovedThe default slideshow interval is now 10 seconds.
• FixedThe About window showed the wrong version in installed copies.
• FixedSet Grid's preview didn't update when you used the up arrow or typed a number.
• FixedLinux Drop-down lists needed click-and-hold to pick an item.

Windows 8.6.3.17.96 · Linux 8.6.3.17.101 · Earlier builds that day: 8.6.3.17.1, 8.6.3.17.92

The first public release of Anemone Player.

• NewPlay videos and images in several windows at once, across one screen or many, each window with its own layout.
• New15 built-in layouts, from a simple 2 × 2 grid to wide walls of 28 cells, plus Set Grid for any number of rows and columns.
• NewImage slideshows with crossfade or cut transitions. The next image loads in the background.
• NewPlay in random order or in order, and choose videos, images or both, in landscape or portrait.
• NewRight-click a cell to pause, skip, loop, mute, change how media is stretched, go full screen or open the file.
• NewFavourites: copy the file on screen to a Favourites folder. Turn it on in Settings.
• NewSave and load your whole setup as a template.
• NewDark and light themes.
• NewA warning when a layout asks for more simultaneous 4K video than your graphics card can decode.
• NewActivate a license or start a free trial from inside the app.