RR 11-15-08 ... New Version & News - Page 3

Sonicxtacy02 · 11-18-2008, 09:36 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by quickmic

Hmm... Is this not a antilogy? On one side you say the sources are still available (however this is realized), on the other side you make some kind of "copy protection".
If I have access to the full sourcecode, I could easiely remove the protection and compile it again.
And if you say, it's allowed to me to make some version public (with the conditions in modRoadrunner listed)........you know that I mean.

To make it more clear. I haven't the intention to do a "hack" of the version, but in the past I have published some special-modified versions of rr.

For example. I use for me and some friends a special version of rr with "audiogenie.dll", cause there it is possibility to readout the covers from TAGID directly (and much more features). If offered you (1 or 2 years ago) this version, but you don't want to implement this cause of the used dll.... No problem for me, I created my own version.
For now I have not access to the fully code (as I think), so it will be much more work to implement your published "parts" of the code.
But I will see....

you can do this via plugin .. but your point stands i spose.

guino · 11-18-2008, 10:13 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by quickmic

For example. I use for me and some friends a special version of rr with "audiogenie.dll", cause there it is possibility to readout the covers from TAGID directly (and much more features). If offered you (1 or 2 years ago) this version, but you don't want to implement this cause of the used dll.... No problem for me, I created my own version.
For now I have not access to the fully code (as I think), so it will be much more work to implement your published "parts" of the code.
But I will see....

If you add your code to the sources as an OPTION (meaning: nobody will HAVE to download/use the DLL/feauture unless they want to), then I'll be glad to add it to the main sources no matter what files/applications/hardware it requires. I honestly don't recall what you did back then or even if you sent me any code to add, and if I forgot to add it or didn't have time to add it, I'm sorry, but it wasn't my intention... the only way I would even decline a contribution to the project would be if it was not put in a form of an option/feature, that is, if it 'forcibly' changed the way something works in the previous versions, or if it everyone was forced to download extra files/applications even when not using that feature.

Sal R. · 11-18-2008, 10:24 AM

I can understand that updating every few months can be a hassle, but all in all, how many of use update our music collection? Plug in flash drives to update files and plugins? With RRExtended just around the corner and it's available features, updating RR w/o the need of pulling out your carPC can be turned into a canned operation. Even w/o it, it's really not that big of a deal, is it?

Think of all the support/help guino has provided the community and how little he has asked in return. Think of how much time he has spent updating RR, taking requests and implementing them.

Now he asks for the communities support with his latest project, and to make, currently, 1 compromise regarding RR's functionality and all of a sudden it's "unacceptable?"

Simple as this. If you don't want the usage reminder, then don't upate. And don't come asking for feature requests either.

Chuck · 11-18-2008, 10:48 AM

Maybe instead of having a new skin for expire popup you could just have the “TRACKNAME” Flash this RR is about to expire or something like that and have the trackname not work when it does expires that way the rest of the RR will work.

InfinitiPC · 11-18-2008, 11:06 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by guino

Guys, as I have ALREADY said: I know this is a hassle. As soon as I have a chance, I'll come up with a better alternative other than making it stop running -- I believe a nice reminder screen should be enough.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Guino. I was the first to comment and simply asked that you please reconsider a different measure (such as a splash-screen) to prevent people from installing it commercially. I knew you would support us well as you always have.

Lets drop it now guys. He has his reasons to want to protect. He has decided that stopping all functionality after 4 months is overkill. Let's thank him and move along.

Sonicxtacy02 · 11-18-2008, 11:15 AM

I know this is completely off the current topic.. but is it possible for the next release to officially make the xm and sirius art a .png? I mean the files are .png anyway just renamed to .gif and this causes flash skins not to be able to use them. .pngs are supported in both RR and flash so it should really pose no problems.

blk02si · 11-18-2008, 12:54 PM

Thanks for the new official release and the hard work!

I've been testing the new code with mitch so I had an early teaser of the new functions.

The 4 month expiration is a horrible idea, yet strikingly efficient at what it is designed to prevent!

I don't think i'm going to try this on my production machine for obvious reasons, and I'll give it a shot on my devel machine although I will revert back to the October release to continue skinning for the same obvious reasons.

IMO, The beginning of the end is near when software is purposefully designed to self-destruct. Self destruction does not fit into my "stable software" category!

mitchjs · 11-18-2008, 02:52 PM

sonic, reaname them! and have both the dir

i think its a issue of NON GDI+ systems (pngs not supported)
if there are any people with non GDI+

(Could change code, to allow both file formats)
prob solve the problem right there

Sonicxtacy02 · 11-18-2008, 02:57 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by mitchjs

sonic, reaname them! and have both the dir

i think its a issue of NON GDI+ systems (pngs not supported)
if there are any people with non GDI+

(Could change code, to allow both file formats)
prob solve the problem right there

yea i have been renaming them.. its just an added struggle each time they release new channels... not to mention the fact i'm duplicating the files pretty much.

Valheru · 11-18-2008, 04:01 PM

well seeing as most other people have had they say, I might as well add my twopence worth...

I fully understand that guino may want to protect his software, but, and this is a big BUT ... having a "freeware" project self expire is the begining of the end ... I do believe that it's only a matter of time before Guino stops providing updates and thn we all realise that we have only 4 months of RR left.

If guino wants to move his software to a commercial basis - more power to him, and fair play for creating such a wonderful project, but please don't start hampering and crippling the freewae version that we alll use and love !

guino · 11-18-2008, 07:57 PM

Woofnstuff kindly provided web space to host RR files... for nowI have uploaded the old skins.. if you have an update to a skin or want me to upload a new skin into the site provide me with a screenshot and the file and I'll upload for you..

http://files.joat.co.nz/roadrunner/skins.html

wysocki · 11-18-2008, 09:34 PM

Ok, I'll add my $.02 here. Actually, since I'm in the top 3 donors to Guino I guess I'm adding a bit more than that! But in spite of my comparatively large donation, RR has been the biggest bang for my buck where my carpc is concerned. Since I've spent thousands on hardware without a blink, I can only humbly say, "Thank you, Guino"!

Now, I do appreciate Guino's right to do whatever he wishes with RR. However, I do think this time-bomb approach is not the way to go. Personally, the last time I did any maintenance/update to my RR was back in 2007. The system has worked flawlessly all this time and I saw no need to change things. This new paradigm though would have caused me grief at least three times since then. My carpc is not setup to easily download and install new wares and this procedure would be a significant inconvenience. Add to that the fact that I'm not an early adopter and I like to see new versions tested before I upgrade, if ever, and this version is off my list.

Surely, there can be a more stealthy registration / upgrade process created that ensures that dozens of copies of the download are not installed on multiple machines. I'm not sure that I even want/need to get the latest version for myself right now. But if I have to live with required manual updates, I would develop a script to do this for me, just as the "bad guys" could do to circumvent the system, or they could just run a recent version without the security feature in it.

This change hurts the installed base more than it hurts future software pirates and I urge Guino to reconsider its implementation.

EL CAMINO · 11-18-2008, 10:13 PM

please guys, dont push to much, we already lost some good people, remember CdRsKuLL and his stolen skin, dinasty and the people so desperate to get his flashdeck skin that he just left it,also i haven't seen LS lately hope he is ok, i'll suggest to wait and see how it goes, we are not talking about a simple skin, or a simple plugin, this is the main core, and the main guy, so dont push to much, PLEASE!!, you must understand guino.

blk02si · 11-19-2008, 01:18 AM

I remember Dinasty did the same thing on flashdeck, crippled it severely promising an update,but it never happened. Now all that is left of flashdeck is "coming soon" in all the menu's. I think the reason people are expressing concern, they don't want to see this happen with RR. I don't think anyone has been too harsh here or pushy, we are all just giving our opinions. I don't want my skins used for profit either, and Carwings happens to be included in the newest installer. In my license terms of using the skin the first paragraph reads:

"Skin is for private use only! Any commerical use is prohibited unless approved by the author. Upon installing and using skin you agree not to use the software for advertising, selling, or other profiteering activities including, but not limited to, using the software to sell your hardware. You are free to modify, distribute or add to the code as long as it does not infringe upon the terms above. This skin is distributed as "open source" and all code shall remain open source if you choose to use it in any way.."

This has worked great so far for me. I know the community is growing but it's still a small world and I seriously believe if someone is trying to make money by selling the software, we as the main developers would know pretty quickly. Look at CdR for example, someone breached his agreement and that news spread like wildfire in hours.

I guess what I am saying is that we are an honest crew here. I can understand a public release posted on the internet having a time limit, it makes sense for your protection Guino. What we really need is a private release to people who have made some sort of code contribution to RR that does not have the time limit in place. Developers of RR source, skins, plugin's, etc. should not be burdened with the countdown to meltdown. It's fair in the sense that if you want the no time limit version, you HAVE to make a contribution

brandensin · 11-19-2008, 01:25 AM

First of all, awsome job guino.... and yes yes.. i 100% agree with camino... besides, Mitch's ver. works fine as it is and it has almost everything what people want.. If you want more than that, then use quino's final and update it every 4 month to get the new goodies... I don't know what more people want for their carpc... It already can do more than what 90% users use anyway.. i wouldn't mind using quino's and do the update every 4 month just check out new toys for pleasure...

by the way, i like to keep both quino's final and mitch's final ver. Is Mitch's ver. gone? I can't find the link. could someone post it please?

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