Author Topic: MOGware's FileHamster (Complaint) (Read 30303 times)

Deozaan · « **on:** January 31, 2009, 04:46 PM »

It's been about a month since I did any coding on any projects I had set up with FileHamster to take care of revision history. Today I just started working on one and every time I save any file within the project FileHamster pops up a one second advertisement notification window.

Bad form, MOGware! Time to uninstall FileHamster.

Darwin · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2009, 04:48 PM »

That's odd, Deozaan... Are you running the registered version? I've not seen this behaviour (and have been busy working with Filehamster protected files all month).

Deozaan · « **Reply #2 on:** January 31, 2009, 04:51 PM »

That's odd, Deozaan... Are you running the registered version? I've not seen this behaviour (and have been busy working with Filehamster protected files all month).
-Darwin (January 31, 2009, 04:48 PM)

No. I'm using the free version. It's already been displaying ads for many months (probably a year or more) in the application's main window, and I believe sometimes when updating the software. But these notification window ads popping up every few seconds (because I'm a compulsive file saver) are too much!

tinjaw · « **Reply #3 on:** January 31, 2009, 05:29 PM »

Contact MOG. It *may* just be the way you have set things up. Possibly turning off notification of saves or something might stop that. I don't know. Just guessing.

Deozaan · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2009, 05:35 PM »

Contact MOG. It *may* just be the way you have set things up. Possibly turning off notification of saves or something might stop that. I don't know. Just guessing.
-tinjaw (January 31, 2009, 05:29 PM)

There's an option to suspend notification bubbles but when I check the box it says I can only do that if I purchase FileHamster PLUS.

tomos · « **Reply #5 on:** February 02, 2009, 05:19 AM »

Commenting generally on Filehamster:-

while I'm a big fan of Filehamster,
I find support can be poor and/or very slow - it exists all right so it could be a lot worse!

Personally I would like to see more development on the main programme, specifically re the UI, management of watches (e.g. it would be great to be able to group them in a tree format) and more flexible options.
In fairness they have done some work in directions that dont interest me (team plugin)

All in all though I think it's worth the investment - and I dont know has this been reported elsewhere but

To celebrate the second anniversary of FileHamster all prices have been reduced by 50%.

which makes it 15$ or so, a steal

http://www.mogware.c...downloads/index.html

Shades · « **Reply #6 on:** February 02, 2009, 03:47 PM »

There are several open source version of file versioning systems around for years (CVS and SVN). Better yet, they have proven their worth already for years in the (heavy!) software development industry.

For Windows are also open source/freeware graphical clients and shell extensions available. And most (if not all) of the development tools can already talk directly to those systems as well.

The CVS system I use here spawns 12.000 files a minute from my server through a (100 Mbit/sec) network to my personal system. In my experiences with FileHamster it was never able to do this. So why even bother with a product like FileHamster?

tomos · « **Reply #7 on:** February 03, 2009, 06:36 AM »

So why even bother with a product like FileHamster?
-Shades (February 02, 2009, 03:47 PM)

cause we're not all experts at CVS or SVN ?
cause it's easy ? - Filehamster I mean
cause most FH users are probably (?) working on and backing up one file at a time

Are you saying CVS or SVN are easily accessible? (I know next to nothing about them)

For Windows are also open source/freeware graphical clients and shell extensions available.
-Shades (February 02, 2009, 03:47 PM)

any tips/links there?
thanks..

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2009, 09:02 AM »

I have to confess I went to have a quick look at CVS on reading the post above - the documentation is a bout as clear as mud (and only seems to refer to Linux even though there is a Windows version of CVS).

I agree with tomos MogWare is dead simple to use and is absolutely fine if you just use it on a desktop (rather than a server).

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2009, 10:48 AM »

I'm doing both for my personal projects.

I use SourceGear Vault for typical source control and configuration management stuff. Tomos hit one point about this: an industrial-strength system works better for things that need consistency together, as with labeling and branching.

But I'm using FH for stuff that's atomic and changing over time. This is typically for stuff like files containing test data.

Shades · « **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2009, 07:09 PM »

First of all, I'm definitely no expert but I was under the impression that anybody who makes a living of creating software had (at least) heard of these systems...especially CVS since it is really old (10+ years) and included in any of the big Linux distro's.

SVN:
http://www.tigris.org - it is a site like Sourceforge.
There you will find all the info you need about SVN, including links to the software. Here are the links for the ones who don't like to read (too much

).
Clients: TortoiseSVN (shell) and RapidSVN (application).
Server: VisualSVN

CVS:
As I said, Linux has it and Windows too. For Windows there are also several options.
Clients: WinCVS, CS-RCS
Server: CVSNT

Between the two, I would choose for SVN since it took me 30 minutes to install (if I count the 25 minutes of downloading the software).

There is one side-note, when given the choice always opt for file-based system. CVS is file-based, SVN offers you the choice of using a database-based (default) or file-based system. In the event something goes wrong (crashing hardware or something similar) it is easier to repair a file-based system than one based on a database.

Deozaan · « **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2009, 07:18 PM »

I've heard of them and even tried getting SVN set up a few times, but the barrier to entry has just been too great for me and I end up getting rid of it all and going back to FileHamster.

EDIT: Spelling corrections

tomos · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2009, 02:56 AM »

thanks Shades
It's great to get a couple of pointers
I'd heard of them, even started reading up on one of them a couple of years ago but gave up (think it was CVS, like Carol looked at - "clear as mud" lol)

First of all, I'm definitely no expert but I was under the impression that anybody who makes a living of creating software had (at least) heard of these systems..
-Shades (February 03, 2009, 07:09 PM)

you're forgetting - we're not all coders here (some of us arent even power users

)

fenixproductions · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2009, 04:23 AM »

2tomos
I will recommend you Mercurial.

I've used many CVS/SVN systems in the past and there had been always something that bothered me but I couldn't give straight answer "what". I found Mercurial, been using for a month and must say: it's great. IMHO it has better tools and is easier to handle than TortoiseCVS (or SVN).

So... If you are as whimsical in choosing CVS as me, give it a shot

tomos · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2009, 05:15 AM »

Mercurial, been using for a month and must say: it's great. IMHO it has better tools and is easier to handle than TortoiseCVS (or SVN).
-fenixproductions (February 04, 2009, 04:23 AM)

thanks fenix,

that looks manageable

can you add "comments" to files as you save them or does it work in a different way?

fenixproductions · « **Reply #15 on:** February 04, 2009, 05:45 AM »

can you add "comments" to files as you save them or does it work in a different way?
-tomos (February 04, 2009, 05:15 AM)

It works like other source control systems:
1. create repository with original files,
2. make local copy of it for work,
3. save results and "Commit" changes,
4. provide commit description for one or many files,
5. "Push" your changes from copy to repo.
Note: you can also work on original files and pull changes to copies...

As I have said: it's hard for me to explain why I am using it. The only thing which comes to my mind is how easy it is to create repository: just RMB and "Create repository here", "Add files" and first "Commit". Sound complicated? Maybe. But with other tools I have always had problems with proper server configuration and with Mercurial I don't care.

Additional thing worth to mention is that I am using Total Commander with few plugins enabled and "Files Comments" feature which makes my work easier. Just take a look on screenshot:

MOGware's FileHamster (Complaint)

Hg column - tells me is directory in repo,
C column - tells does comment exist,
"File comment" - built-in TC's feature (I can also see comment text in column but I am rarely using that).

PS.1. There is also very nice tutorial for beginners:
http://www.selenic.c...i/index.cgi/Tutorial

PS.2. I still have the feeling that Mercurial is more actively developped than other systems.

tomos · « **Reply #16 on:** February 04, 2009, 12:02 PM »

hmmm, thanks for all that Fenix

your explanation is very helpful -
the tutorial was a bit over my head
I found this PDF "Distributed revision control with Mercurial" which has a bit more of an introduction
http://hgbook.red-bean.com/hgbook.pdf (or same online: http://hgbook.red-bean.com/hgbook.html)
Neither, unfortunately, clearly explain the basic principles (like most experts they presume you know a certain amount all ready .. in fairness the PDF is quite good that way)

I suspect I'd consider this too much of a learning process considering I'm fairly happy with FileHamster

But I'll chance asking a couple of basic questions (if you do answer you can keep it simple/basic cause as I say I'm unsure if I'd want to invest the time in this now):-

1) Is this correct (roughly!) ? -
The basic idea is that revisions are created locally (automatically when I save files?) and then after a period of time, these revisions are [manually?] synched with another location (or the reverse, originals + revisions in another location and synched to local directory)

2) could I e.g. use Amazon S3 as a location?

3) is there a lot of maintenance work involved?

4) would you say it's flexible - e.g. with FileHamster I can say: "Ignore *.pdf files" or "ignore this folder" or "ignore this file"
4a) Could project location be moved to a different directory - FH has a certain amount of flexibility there - the backups can be easily moved

5) if I had a bunch of projects is it easy to keep track of them

6) Damn, I've forgotten #6 $:-\$

thanks, Tom

fenixproductions · « **Reply #17 on:** February 04, 2009, 12:52 PM »

2tomos

I am still learning this tool so I can't give "high quality" answer for some questions right now.

1) Is this correct (roughly!) ? -
The basic idea is that revisions are created locally (automatically when I save files?) and then after a period of time, these revisions are [manually?] synched with another location (or the reverse, originals + revisions in another location and synched to local directory)
-tomos

Unfortunately there is no automation (yet?) like in FileHamster. You need to create repository and remember about committing changes.
Synchronisation is just a matter of pushing / pulling changes between repository and its copy.

2) could I e.g. use Amazon S3 as a location?
-tomos

I've never heard about Amazon S3. I know that Mercurial can use HTTP or ssh but never tried that.

3) is there a lot of maintenance work involved?
-tomos

You have to know what repos you've got but there might be some tool to make it easier.

4) would you say it's flexible - e.g. with FileHamster I can say: "Ignore *.pdf files" or "ignore this folder" or "ignore this file"
-tomos

When you want to add files to your repo you can only get the list of all of them and ignore them there. Currently there is no wildcards support.

4a) Could project location be moved to a different directory - FH has a certain amount of flexibility there - the backups can be easily moved
-tomos

Only files renaming is supported. I did not try moving sources around.

5) if I had a bunch of projects is it easy to keep track of them
-tomos

The biggest disadvantage is that you have to remember what repositories you've got.

Despite all cons, this project seems to me to have better future. I believe that opened issues will be solved nicely because it is actively developed.

I must say that if you are using FH and has no bigger problems with it, keep with that. There is no need to be in hurry

urlwolf · « **Reply #18 on:** February 04, 2009, 05:57 PM »

I'm pretty familiar with both programs.
They are different beasts.
In mercurial, you have to commit your changes, and name what changed. tortoiseHG pops up a window, etc. It shows a changelog, which is something you don't get with filehamster.

In my opinion, tortoiseHG is head and shoulders better for managing code, or text-based formats. And of course for collaboration.

The advantage of filehamster is the simplicity of it all. I cannot be bothered commiting changes to a word document every time I save it. Filehamster does that fine, though, and doesn't run a diff. It's kind of very primitive, but very efficient.

But I agree the insolence of filehamster popups must be punished. I thought of buying it, but that would be rewarding such an obscene behavior. We don't want this industry to think they have the right to go all blinking and dancing on our own desktop. This is why God invented adMuncher

So filehamster gets no money from me, unless they stop being obnoxious.

Deozaan · « **Reply #19 on:** February 04, 2009, 11:07 PM »

But I agree the insolence of filehamster popups must be punished. I thought of buying it, but that would be rewarding such an obscene behavior. We don't want this industry to think they have the right to go all blinking and dancing on our own desktop. This is why God invented adMuncher

So filehamster gets no money from me, unless they stop being obnoxious.
-urlwolf (February 04, 2009, 05:57 PM)

Agreed. It went from occasionally seeing an advertisement when I opened up the main window to an ad popping up literally every time I saved a file. And as I said, I'm a compulsive saver which means that the ads were coming every few seconds, or at least several times a minute.

Darwin · « **Reply #20 on:** February 05, 2009, 05:00 AM »

This is why God invented adMuncher
-urlwolf (February 04, 2009, 05:57 PM)

God = Murray Hurps, in this case

tomos · « **Reply #21 on:** February 05, 2009, 08:31 AM »

thanks for all the help to get a better understanding (Fenix, urlwolf)

mercurial does sound especially good for collaboration all right

just btw,
from the link I gave above, author talks about different options (SVN Git CVS) and says at the end

1.6.5
... As an example, Subversion is a good choice for working with frequently edited binary files, due to its centralised nature and support for file locking. If you’re averse to the command line, it currently has better GUI support than other free revision control tools. However, its poor merging is a substantial liability for busy projects with overlapping development.

I personally find Mercurial’s properties of simplicity, performance, and good merge support to be a compelling combination that has served me well for several years.

Catherine Sea · « **Reply #22 on:** May 22, 2009, 05:17 AM »

I recommend SCM Anywhere Standalone. It is a SQL Server-based software configuration management (SCM) tool with fully integrated version control, bug tracking and build automation.
http://www.scmsoftwa...ationmanagement.com/

tomos · « **Reply #23 on:** May 22, 2009, 05:33 AM »

... It is a SQL Server-based software configuration management (SCM) tool with fully integrated version control, bug tracking and build automation.
-Catherine Sea (May 22, 2009, 05:17 AM)

could you please state your affiliation to said product (naturally you recommend it - you're paid to)

mouser · « **Reply #24 on:** May 22, 2009, 11:24 AM »

Catherine -- you must state your affiliation with a product whenever you recommend it.