Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: lempkee on March 19, 2003, 11:25:15 AM
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ok i have an idea here, and atleast I would really love to see something like it.
1. make a website or FTP with all libs/devs/l etc files around.
2. make a VERSIOn client and a download (auto?) client (in the same app)
3. Then it will instantly tell , hey you have a old version of ppc.library , do you want to download the new one?
(this system should also not be over protective on the grounds of replacing files, it could do a simple Rename old to #?.library_OLD to prevent from a total crash if the lib/system file doesnt work.
why aint there such a thing for amigaos? , i guess there is ALOT of people who would like such an tool/app.
good idea or bad idea? , surely such an db would require alot of work and dayly updates in the start atleast.
would this go under legal or are there some issues? (piracy wise).
its about time we get such a thing..., that applies for everything really.
a website only wouldnt help too much, as i'd like the download tool aswell.
cheers
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Such a site would be great, but it would require the approval from the authors of all libraries.
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@Lempkee:
:-( It's a clever idea, and it has merit, but for my personal taste, it reminds me too much of Microsoft's behavior.
:pissed: Windows and Internet Explorer will do that without being asked, and I bend too much of my will as it is, trying to get them to STOP.
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whabang: is that the libs/c/devs/l/etc policy? , ie authors must know?.. that doesnt sound too good now that its so..... long ago... hmm
Quixote: no not really , i know what you are saying and i dont want it to be like how M$ are doing it , what i am saying is an auto updater if you want, ie you can configure it to save to sYS: and place the file where it should (rename OLD file) or you could save it to a normal download path... BUT the main thing here is to have a server with all latest libs etc and all dev versions and cpu versions and then when you log onto the site with the client you will version all files or just selected ones and select how to update , either by a normal update or a normal download.
no need to be negative so early if you ask me, as this is iMHO something that aMIGA should have.
but if whabang is right about what he said, then i think this would be impossible.
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@ lempkee,
Sounds like a great idea, but copyright issues will definitely get in the way.
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AAAAAAARGH , i dont understand why or how this could be a prob, but then again i understand what piracy does....
so i guess this idea will go directly to the bin then ,(
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There was already such a website, it was called:
www.amigasystem.org
It died back in 1999, was running since 1996.
Here is an archive of the site:
amigasystem.org (http://web.archive.org/web/20000303124933/http://www.amigasystem.org/)
Skippy
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@lempkee
Actually, most suchlibraries are on Aminet. Perhaps it would be possible to download all the files from there...
Of course this would require constant maintenance of the library list and manual installation ( perhaps that can be taken care of aswell ).
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It's easy to have this function in Windows or MacOSX because they're basically the only ones providing updates for the OS (some Linux dists fall into this category too). Most people's AmigaOS setup today consists of software from so many third party developers it isn't even funny.
Maybe something centralized could be added to OS4 since this is a joint effort anyway - but it should be optional! IMHO it's okay with online updates if you start the program yourself and decide what to update. The updates also need a better description than the ones on for example Windows Update.
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Of course this would require constant maintenance of the library list and manual installation ( perhaps that can be taken care of aswell ).
I think auto installation/upgrade was the general idea :-)
The problem with Windows Update is that it has a habit of doing withs without asking - BADNAUGHTYBAD!
This tool would have to be something that *could* run on its own and auto update, but not by default. By default it should ask the user before it did anything.
The library list would have to be maintained, yes, but that would be true of any such tool - but it should be up to the author of the library / dos driver / MCC class etc to do that, not the maintainer of the list.
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ok lets run this once more as it seems some people have missunderstood me..
1. Files Must be locally on the website/ftp (to prevent junk versions to arrive,or hacks (illegal ones..ie virus's etc)
2. The tool is an option, its not like if u have it installed it will auto update everything without you knowing so, and download/update is optional , the main point is ... to know if an update has been made , and where you can get it and to make it very simple you can get it within the same gui.
3. linking to aminet aint really something i would think of, look at how many mirrors that is dead... ;(
and a final footnote must be that the database + files are constantly checked .
i will help , i can even think of good enough bandwidth to hold such an site , no prob if i must do everything myself , but most of all i need to know if i am dooing anything illegal by doing so, and in the start i would need help to know whats the newst versions etc.
anyway i think its a very good idea, and once its a known site i think it will be pretty widely used, and could ofcourse hold moRphos and OS4 files etc.
hope i made it clear now , its not like i am asking people here to do it for me, but i would need help doing it, atleast in the start.
cheers
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look at how many mirrors that is dead
I doubt the SUNET mirror (http://ftp.sunet.se/~aminet) will go anywhere in the nearest future...
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This sounds like a fairly good idea, but not essential. How many times has everybody installed a new program with the "latest" library just to find that everything else crashes under it. MUI classes are a typical example. How many people found after installing IBrowse 2.3 that YAM X.Latest was unusable? I had to go back in time and use an older version of YAM to satisfy IBrowse's taste for MUI classes. The point i'm making is that having the latest versions for the sake of it is often frought with problems.
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That is a good idea. In terms of the legailty of it, aslong as you have the authers permissions to put it up on the site then I can't see why it would be any more illegal then the auther putting it up on Aminet.
The program would be best to sit in the background as a comodity or something, and only pop up when it is aware of you library etc being out of date. It then gives you the option to ignore it and carry on without the update, or download and install it. It should also make backups of the old libaraies incase the new one is a bit buggy or what ever.
Just my 2c worth!
JS
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lurkist: errmm well if you read up you will see that it will hold a DB , and that means in short - comments on update, if problems has occured , etc.
btw when i installed ib2.3 i had no probs with my yam 2.4 , but then again maybe i am using very old libs and mui stuff, hence i dont know really and thats why we should consider such an idea to be a reality very soon (of a system files website)
whabang: ok , i will keep that in mind, but what about all the stuff thats not on AMINET ? , there is heaps of stuff not there, and theese websites die as often as i say cheese and bread :p
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jumpship: exactly!! , thats what i am talking about, you should even be able to not be notifyed if you like, and just start the prog up occasionally.
cheers
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Great idea! :-)
Nothing more annoying than chasing up that much need Lib for your out of date one or that very rare Lib
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@whabang
http://ftp.sunet.se/~aminet/recent.html
It's empty!
No uploads at all the latest 7 days?
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Sunet would get it's recent files from Paderborn, and Paderborn has not had recent files added to it recently (sic). :-)
Perhaps there is a problem that as yet has not been spoken of in public.
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Well I can do it, *if* the programmers want to support it. The best Idea is simple an archive (using a lib i did for example) -
taglist.library_1.4.lha
- which would have the simple contents -
taglist.library
taglist.library_020
taglist.library_040
taglist.readme
etc
Use the readme as you would in aminet, I can grab the website from that, the filename use *must* be observed (so people can rollback versions), and no other files would be allowed in the archives, that way people know exactly what they're getting. If a library (ie, certain mcc's) requires other ones, then they are permitted to be in the same one.
I can easily script the validation into my website (php), and do it so people can upload aka aminet, or pgp sign the archives, and have their pgp signature on file here, so it can automatically put it onto the site...
Pretty easy, just needs a client (arexx someone?) - and enough support ;-)
Oh, and it should be used for updates *only*, not for people getting the libraries in the first place, who knows what support files will be missing...
And as an extra - might be nice to keep an archive of dev files for these things - make it easier for us coders to find the includes and autodocs we need... ;-)
Robin
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@billsey
I've had a lot of trouble with Aminet lately. Not being able to reach any mirror at all sometimes, no new files seems to get added etc. Perhaps it's about to go under. That would be devastating for the Amiga scene :-(