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15051
Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server
« Last post by mouser on December 06, 2010, 11:18 AM »
Well we are going to have to have another fundraiser very soon, so everyone set aside a few bucks for DC please!

Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion..
15052
N.A.N.Y. 2011 / Re: N A N Y 2011 pledge - cursor mover (hider)
« Last post by mouser on December 06, 2010, 10:43 AM »
Great! Welcome to the site Anand!  :Thmbsup: :Thmbsup:
15053
Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server
« Last post by mouser on December 06, 2010, 10:42 AM »
So it costs roughly $400/month to run the dc servers

Yep.  actually about $500 a month when you include server administration costs.. which let's us give gothic (DC server admin) some money for taking such good care of the servers, installing stuff, setting up new servers and user accounts, updating software and watching for security issues, and most importantly be available when something goes really wrong.

The important thing to say is that it's only because people continue to support the site with their donations that we are able to afford these servers, which keep the site fast and allow us to provide web space for member coders, etc.  Some of you may remember the days in 2005 when we were on a $20/month shared hosting server and things could get SLLOOOWWWW...  Thankfully those days are long gone.

So once again thank you to all who have donated and whose donations make the site possible  :up:
15054
Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server
« Last post by mouser on December 06, 2010, 10:27 AM »
My great fear with using a separate blog system (as we did early on in DC existence when we had regular "columnists") is that the different sources of content (forum posts, blogs) are pretty walled-off from one another and it creates a very weird schizophrenic situation where it's hard to know what should go where and who is seeing what.

Don't forget that we already have a homebrew "blog" system in place for Tech News and other "featured" items.. it's basically a simple system i created to let me elevate forum posts to blog entries in different categories.

It doesn't have many of the bells and whistle's of a proper blog software, but it has one *huge* advantage for us, in that it avoids duplicate content and helps to unify the blog and forum content.  This is really one of the great unresolved issues of internet content management in my view (and we have discussed this before), namely the issue of exposing content in different ways for different purposes and users.

As an example of the homebrew blog interface to featured forum posts here see:

15055
Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?
« Last post by mouser on December 06, 2010, 08:55 AM »
Just finishing up "23 Problems in Systems Neuroscience":
book.jpg

I had really high hopes for it from the table of contents -- looked like it was going to be a collection of high-level chapters laying out fundamental questions that as of yet are unsolved.. But the chapters almost all seemed to fall short.  I wouldn't really recommend it.
15056
Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server
« Last post by mouser on December 06, 2010, 08:16 AM »
Specs:
Intel Xeon Quad Core Dual Processor (Xeon-Harpertown 5430-Quadcore 2.66GHz) [same as before]
8gb ram [used to have 4gb]
dual sata 500gb drives in raid configuration [used to have dual 250gb not in raid]
1000mbs uplink [same as before]
3000gb bandwidth [i think our previous plan was 2000gb]
Vmware ESX Operating System [used to be CentOs]

Note that while we used to have separate main server and much smaller member server, now we are moving everything to one server and using virtual machines.
15057
Screenshot Captor / Re: Can't install - "not a valid Win32 application" message
« Last post by mouser on December 05, 2010, 10:33 PM »
glad to hear that solved it.. wish i knew why the problem happens to people in the first place.
15058
Screenshot Captor / Re: Can't install - "not a valid Win32 application" message
« Last post by mouser on December 05, 2010, 09:46 PM »
Welcome to the site Allan.

That vexing and confusing error happens when, believe it or not, the download did not complete.
To exacerbate the trickiness, often when you get that message your normal web browser will refuse to redownload the file and serve up the same partially downloaded file when you retry to download.

The surefire easiest fix is to use a different web browser and redownload the program.  So if you normally use firefox, try google chrome or vice versa, etc.
15059
Official Announcements / Re: Preparing for a new master DonationCoder server
« Last post by mouser on December 05, 2010, 01:19 PM »
Gothic has been hard at work configuring the new server.. and that's exciting even though it may not appear very different once we switch over to it.

But it seems to me that it might be time for a re-imagining of the DonationCoder.com website.

I'm not talking about the forum itself, i'm talking about the rest of the static pages on the site, which are currently static html.

I'm thinking we might move to a proper CMS.

Should we have a little redesign competition to see what ideas people can come up with for the new look?
15060
Developer's Corner / Article: Paid developers power the Linux kernel
« Last post by mouser on December 05, 2010, 10:14 AM »
I was surprised by this.. not good or bad, just surprising and very interesting.

According to the report, the top 10 contributors, including the groups "unknown" and "none" make up nearly 70 percent of the total contributions to the kernel. Even if one assumes that all of the "unknown" contributors were working on their own time, more than 70 percent of all kernel development is still done by developers who are being paid for their work.. That Linux is primarily developed by paid developers should come as no surprise considering that Linux enables many companies--hardware, software, and online services--to be more competitive in their markets and to find new ways to generate revenue.



from SlashDot Post
15061
nice find  :Thmbsup:
15062
Screenshot Captor / Re: Flaged as Trojan by Trend Micro
« Last post by mouser on December 05, 2010, 09:10 AM »
that's exactly right.. and this this is file that lazy antivirus programs tend to falsely flag as dangerous when they do this.
it's a false positive, a false alarm.

thatnks for letting us know -- if anyone has a trend micro install, please report it to them as a false positive.
15063
stephen that's mean.
no reason a long time lurker shouldn't qualify i think.

just think of it as you motivated someone to sign up and join the forum!
15064
Anyone who wants to make their installer force a program to exit during installation and uninstallation so that it can be replaced (or uninstalled) may find this useful.  The example is for Inno Setup, but any installer that can run a dll should be able to use it.  Why this feature isn't built into Inno Setup i'll never understand.  The Inno Setup sample itself may provide useful to people wondering how to do this with Inno Setup.

It's based on code Eugene Polonsky from: http://www.codeproje...ads/killprocess.aspx

Sorry that i haven't written any helpful instructions yet, but the example should make it pretty clear how to use it.  Just ask quesitons and i'm happy to advise.
15065
Living Room / Re: What books are you reading?
« Last post by mouser on December 04, 2010, 06:24 PM »
The reviews of this sounded good enough to make me read it, and i rarely read fiction:
http://www.amazon.co...Kadrey/dp/0061976261

Sandman Slim.. provides biting humor, an over-the-top antihero and a rich stew of metaphoric language in this testosterone- and adrenaline-charged noir thriller. James Stark spent 11 years killing monsters in Lucifer's arena for the entertainment of fallen angels, but now he's back in seedy, magic-riddled L.A., trying to avenge his girlfriend's murder and hunt down Mason Faim, the black magician responsible for getting him sent downtown. He meets with some initial success, beheading second-rate magician Kasabian (whose head becomes Stark's smart-mouthed sidekick), but he can't find Faim. Instead he encounters Homeland Security agents, a near-psychotic angel and some odd nonhuman, nonangelic beings called the kissi. Darkly atmospheric settings, such as a posh gentlemen's club where angels are tortured in an attempt to bring about Armageddon, bring this violent fantasy into sharp, compelling focus.

Review
“If Simon R. Green wrote an episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter, it would read much like Sandman Slim – violent, vivid, non-stop action of the supernatural kind. I couldn’t put it down.” (Charlaine Harris )

“The most hard-boiled piece of supernatural fiction I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. … all confident and energetic and fresh and angry. I loved this book and all its screwed-up people.” (Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother )

“The best B movie I’ve read in at least twenty years. An addictively satisfying, deeply amusing, dirty-ass masterpiece, Sandman Slim swerves hell-bent through our culture’s impacted gridlock of genres…it’s like watching Sergio Leone and Clive Barker co-direct from a script by Jim Thompson and S. Clay Wilson.” (William Gibson )

“Sarcastic, irreverent and ridiculously enjoyable riff on the Urban Fantasy genre. … a lot like a mosh pit -- rough, exuberant, unpredictable -- and a heck of a lot of fun.” (Miami Herald )

“Nicotine and octane in equal parts might come close to the high-energy buzz from Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim. Crisp world building, recognizable and fully-realized characters, and a refreshingly unique storytelling style make for an absorbing read.Sandman Slim is my kind of hero.” (Kim Harrison )

“Paced like greased lightning (watch out for friction burns on your turning finger), blend the movie-ish delights of tough guy noir and such smart-mouthgore-fests as “Reanimator” and “Army of Darkness”, seasoned by soupcons of Gaimanian romanticism and Koontzian sentiment.” (Booklist )


It wasn't bad.
15066
Some people prefer the traditional NANY mug design.. that will be available as an alternative:
15067
Ok I will try to package this up better with a readme, but in the effort of getting this out now, i'm uploading now.

This zip includes a sample inno setup script along with closeapp2.dll, a 50k utility that can be used with installers to force a running program to exit before installation and after uninstallation, in order to avoid problems with replacing files in use.

The closeapp2.dll can also send windows messages to a target application, useful for things like signaling an app to unload and reload plugins during installation/uninstallation (FARR uses this technique).

Download here:
https://www.donation...eApp_InstallTest.zip

You will see 2 versions of the inno setup script; one is traditional and one is for if you do not pack your setup files inside the installer itself (i use this to manually pack my installation files in a self-extracting zip file).

The inno script is a tiny bit hairy because of the tricky case of uninstalling something and needing to signal plugin reloading after normal inno uninstallation processes complete.

The important part of the INNO script is the complete
section, and the one [files] line regarding closeapp2.dll.
15068
Find And Run Robot / Re: Settings not being saved
« Last post by mouser on December 03, 2010, 11:49 PM »
edit your configdir.ini file and tell it to store the settings in the current directory or set the portable flag to true.
15069
Special Edition Newsletter for December 3rd, 2010
"NANY EVE"





1. Special Edition Newsletter NANY EVE 2011

Four years ago at DonationCoder.com we tried an experiment where we invited programmers who hang out at the site to release a brand new freeware utility to share with the world, to be released on the first day of the new year.

Dubbed NANY (New Apps for the New Year), this experiment has become a yearly tradition on the site, and represents the playful and generous spirit of the site and the people who visit it.  The event celebrates the joy of programming and is open to coders of any ability, whether they are regular members of the site or not.  All participants receive a mug featuring our beloved bird/duck mascot Cody -- there are no winners or losers.

This year we are broadening the event, reducing the complexity and rules whilst providing the same encouragement to software authors of all types and backgrounds to successfully complete the NANY 2011 challenge. You can form a team to work on the one project, you can re-write one of your old applications, publish an online web service script, you can write a plug-in for another program: you can almost do whatever you like as long as it's new, yours and free.

I hope you will join us in celebrating this year's NANY event, by stopping by and saying hello and checking out the new programs.

And if you are a programmer, stop by and pledge to release a new program -- you still have 30 days left to code something!!

You can read more about the NANY event here: https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=22721.0

-Mouser


2. Official Status Update from Perry Mowbray

This year, like last year, we are lucky to have DC member Perry Mowbray volunteering his time to help organize the NANY entries and coordinate the event.  What follows is Perry's summary of the state of the NANY submissions as of December 2nd:

To date we've had 27 Pledges (in alphabetical order):


3. Teasers: Feedback Required

Teasers are a way for the NANY Entrants to give prospective users the opportunity to play with an early build and hopefully get some valuable feedback for the development.
  • WhirlyWord - cross-platform puzzle game
    A small Java puzzler
  • Help ecaradec decide which app to code
    Ecaradec has posted a poll to help determine what should be done for this year's event!
  • Cautomaton
    Automating actions that are hidden away in the context menu of a file.
  • List Numberer
    Quickly number a text list in various ways.
  • Ten Timer
    Ten, easy-to-use timers in one window.
  • Webcam Diary
    Mouser decided on this application based on a Poll -- now he's asking for feedback on what features users want in a Webcam Recording/Diary Utility. Now is the perfect opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this application's development!
  • DCDisplay
    DCDisplay will be a replacement for CDisplay (which hasn't been worked on for years).
  • Scion Character Manager
    An electronic character sheet for a RPG called Scion that tracks character stats, calculates dice pools for all the basic actions, and allows the user to add their own actions, weapons, purviews, knacks, and rules that get auto calculated.
  • TaskDaddy
    TaskDaddy takes a single line of input from you and turns it into an Outlook task without having to open the full interface of Outlook. It's intended to be a quick way to input tasks. It is inspired by Bob Menke's Add Task script, written in VBScript. It works as both a GUI and a command line tool. DaddyDave also has a Features Poll to get user feedback on Future / Missing features.
  • NetLaunch (Now with GUI!)
    Netlaunch is a program to launch applications based on Network status.   It functions in both Agent (GUI) and command-line form.
  • Auspex - a Windows Productivity App
    Auspex will present the busy PC user with several enhanced input features: Replacements, Completions, Corrections, Runs and the Big Clipper.
  • ContactFX 0.0.2.0
    A versatile Addressbook and Contacts editor with FARR integration.


4. Are you a Coder just itching to get in on the act?

We've had specific requests for an enterprising entrant who's keen to fulfil someone else's dream. If you're keen to participate but are looking for an idea why not check these out and contact the author for more details?


5. Volunteers

Anyone can get involved with the NANY event by offering their talents to the hard working entrants to help with the ancillary aspects of their entries. Volunteering on NANY projects is a great way for everyone to get involved with the Event, coders and non-coders alike!

We also have some great tools to give-away to help you get the job done:

Add your name to the list and get involved over in this thread: NANY 2011 :: Calling All Volunteers and Entrants wanting a hand

If you can help with the following specific requests please get in touch with the Entrant directly (and let me know if you want to take advantage of the software give-away):


6. Final Words
I am again amazed at the talent and generosity and of DC's very own nudone who has again contributed this year's NANY Image:
nany-2011-mug-01-small.png

This is the image that will be put onto the very special, rare and sought after NANY Mugs that will be awarded to all successful NANY Entrants (If you're a coder that's just gone green.. there's still time to enter your Pledge and submit your Entry before the New Year).

It's wonderful to see the NANY Board grow and flourish with this year's Pledges, Teasers and Releases! NANY is a unique event where the generosity and skill of our coders is balanced by the enthusiasm and support of our members, which is what makes this celebratory event so special: Thank you to all the coders and users alike who continue to contribute to make this such a special community event.

-Perry Mowbray
15070
Best File/Folder Compare Tool / Re: Ultra compare
« Last post by mouser on December 03, 2010, 10:05 PM »
i remember a Word compare tool but dont remember the name.. there should be something for excel files too.. looking forward to what members recommend.
15071
For those considering purchasing with discount, don't forget this link to a mini-review written by a dc member:
https://www.donation...ndex.php?topic=24541

And if you won a copy don't hesitate to add info to that thread.
15072
v1.44.01 -  Dec 2nd, 2010
  • [Feature] Now includes minimal built-in update checking even if DcUpdater tool not installed.
  • [BugFix] Using {sendkeys} method was not handling shift properly.
  • [Feature] Hold Ctrl+Shift while selecting an item in quick paste menu to move that item to your Favorites group.
15073
Find And Run Robot / Re: searching for multiple files
« Last post by mouser on December 02, 2010, 07:25 PM »
It's not possible in FARR and not likely to be..

I think the correct answer to your coworker is that they shouldn't stop using Effective File Search to search for documents.

FARR isn't really meant to replace general purpose file/document finders.  It is meant to very quickly find and launch applications and let you customize a wide variety of additional super-quick-efficient search-like actions.

Show them this video screencast, and if they don't see a use for FARR after watching it, then they are too far gone to save :)
15074
What is the 4-5 line alphanumeric string DC emailed me?

thats your registration key, i passed it along from e2 developer -- sorry i didn't explain better.
15075
Adventures of Baby Cody / Re: Baby Cody arrives in Berlin, Germany
« Last post by mouser on December 02, 2010, 05:19 PM »
i see baby cody got his medal for visiting the military with Josh, and has some kind of tracking ankle bracelet now too..
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