Pidgin on OS X
Pidgen IM on OS X
The Pidgin IM Client, long used in one form or another (formerly known as Gaim) is now available on OS X. To get Pidgin for OS X, visit Mac Ports and install the MacPorts client, then install the Pidgin program from there. I have had a lot of trouble with many installs from MacPorts since getting my new Intel Mac Book Pro w/Leopard, however the Pidgin install works fine. Once installed, open a terminal and type pidgin & and then hit the return key. I put the & in there to launch Pidgin in it's own process and release it, otherwise it runs linked to the terminal and closing the terminal exits Pidgin. Once you have launched pidgin you will see the X-Windows program open on your dock, then Pidgin is up and running.(if you don't have X-Windows installed, it is optional, then plug in your Leopard DVD and install it from the optional installs)
Pidgin is a great IM client that has been used on Linux for a long time. It is also available for Windows now but I have never tried running it on Windows (I have Trillian for my work laptop). The Pidgin IM client allows you to connect to any IM service with as many accounts as you would like, unlike several other programs that only connect to certain IM services or only allow you to connect with one account per service. The Pidgin client isn't all that pretty since it's running through a Raw X-Windows environment without a nice window manager like KDE, Gnome, Enlightenment, etc., but it's more than functional and I use it fairly often without issues. The only problem is the lack of sounds.
Do I still use other IM clients? Yes, I use Adium on my Macs quite a lot. Adium has a lot of the Pidgin functionality, plus it's own stuff, since it's part Pidgin under the hood. Adium is also an excellent IM client that I highly recommend. It is a lot more polished on OS X than Pidgin is, however I do think it's cool that I can run Pidgin on OS X if I so choose. Kinda weird, but I like having the option. As a long time Linux user as well as OS X user, I like having the ability to run my Linux software on the Mac. Options are a good thing.
So, if you want to try something new, give Pidgin a try. If you want a good, solid IM client with all the famous OS X sweetness, go with Adium and you reap the same benefits as with Pidgin, but it's fun to give Pidgin a run on OS X any, just to do it.
Later,
Remi
2008-03-05 13:53:03
iSweep on Warez Servers... a compliment?
Today while trying to track down listing for iSweep so that I can update them I noticed that a few torrent searches and pay warez sites claim to have full versions of iSweep. Of course, you have to pay to download from them. This leads to the question "is this a compliment?". I mean, these folks are advertising my product (and a very old version at that) as being available from their servers. I guess that these folks found it as valuable as so many others who have written me.
I'm still trying to decide whether or not to be angry about this. I mean, the cost of using those servers doesn't really save you much money over just registering the product, so I'm not TOO worried about it, but it could be a major issue if such is true and it finds it's way out to free sites. Then I would have to take action on it. But for now, it's just an interesting turn of events as far as I'm concerned.
2008-02-15 17:22:22
iSweep Update Available
The new iSweep update is now available. All of the changes have been made and tested. You can download at iSweep.
As always, this update is free to registered users. You will notice several improvements in this addition including faster deletes and backups, listing of failed files, live progress information for deleting and backing up and more. Enjoy the new version.
Remi
2008-02-15 16:58:13
Spam is ridiculous, but sometimes humorous
Spam is a major problem on the internet. It's ridiculous how pervasive spam is. Although spam is that bad, it can sometimes be quite funny as I discovered tonight.
Tonight I was resetting my spam database (spam assassin) since somewhere along the line it got pretty hosed up. I was getting several false positives (it marked non-spam as spam) and a ton of false negatives (spam that isn't being marked as spam). This was causing me major headaches, as you can imagine. Due to this I cleared out my spam database the other day and left my mail program closed to let some e-mails pile up. Tonight I went through all of those e-mails (and there were a ton) and marked the appropriate ones spam and not spam message by message. Here's where the funny started...
As I went through all of this I noticed a lot of interesting things about the spam. First off, there were a LOT of valentines day messages. I won't touch these as they have been malware carriers for years and Mac or not, why take the change *shrugs*. The second thing I noticed was not only that so many people care about the size of my member, but that they call it by so many names. One of the funniest was an e-mail from "ClairSchlongBigger@whoever.." which was oddly unique. Moving on, there were a ton of e-mails with subjects that followed the old psychology rule that if the first and last letters of a word are correct, the juxtaposed letters in the content are still recognized by the human mind when viewed. I had a ton of e-mails that wanted to mkae yuo hppay and sell me v.aigra and such. This is kind of funny in a sardonic soft of way.
Of course, by the time I finished the spam assassin setup I was disgusted with the amount of spam I received again, but it had it's moments. What is truly sad is how many people fall for this kind of thing (the spam ads) and thereby support the spammers and/or the companies employing them. I know that sometimes they look legit but let's face it, someone wanting to give you a free laptop or a bigger c@$k isn't likely to be on the up and up. I do feel sorry for the folks who fall for this, but at the same time I shake my head and wonder where the common sense of the world has gone to.
On a side note, the testing of the iSweep update is going extremely well and if work doesn't flood me (i.e. I'm not working until 0' dark 30 every night) it should be ready sometime in the next 5 days or so.
2008-02-14 20:57:51
iSweep udate in testing phase
The new iSweep update is in testing phase. The few bugs found have been addressed and the slow deletes and backups totally rewritten and we are in the final stage of testing right now. If all goes well this will be a release within the next week or so.
I have broken out the issues that arose which were the delete and backup options. The code that was being used would fail when there was an excessive number of duplicates (when I say excessive I mean several thousand or more). This would also happen when there was a problem with Apple's OSAScript interface which is the only way to modify the iTunes library.
Not only did I totally rewrite the code the deletes, moves, removes from library, etc., I also broke those two options out into their own threads. This keeps the program from going into "Not Responding" mode. That would occasionally cause issues by stopping or slowing down processing. The new threaded model also speeds things up greatly.
Last, but not least, I modified the Progress Bar by making it reflect the the actual percentage of the delete or backup that is running. I also updated the status message so it shows the current number that it is processing, i.e. "Working on file: 72 of 17323". These two items were requested quite often.
This will likely be the final update to iSweep 1.x except for bug fixes. I will be working on iSweep 2 at some point in the near future. iSweep 2 will be programmed for Leopard using the new Obj-C 2.0 language features which are only available on OS 10.5 and above. In this new version I will be rewriting everything to take advantage of Obj-C 2.0 which will improve a lot of things. I will also be adding methods for cleanup and backup of iSweep videos as well as a video search of your hard drive similar to the music search in the current version. I will also have an upgrade available for current users that will cut the cost down.
2008-02-13 09:45:09
Working on iSweep Update Now
I'm back after being sick and working crazy hours with incredible stress. I have been working 12 to 18 hour days, 6 to 7 days a week. This has led to both health issues and inability to keep up with personal development projects. Well, as of a couple of days ago, I'm back to a more manageable schedule of 10 - 12 hour days and mostly 5 to 6 day work weeks. This leaves me with some time to do programming for myself and customers. I will have to find a way to split this time between programming for the Mac and doing animations and scripting for virtual worlds like Second Life, but it should be doable. Wish me luck, LOL.
I'm working on an update to iSweep which should be out in the next couple of weeks, if not sooner. This update will be free to all registered users and will solve all of the complaints (of which there have been very few from registered users) and will also speed up the processes of removing or backing up iTunes Songs. This update will also resolve the issue that sometimes arise when cleaning a huge number of duplicates.
I will be announcing the release here and if I can remember my account information at some of the software site, there as well. I will also be sending out notifications to all registered users for whom I have valid e-mail addresses.
Look for this update soon (unless I get killed at work again, which doesn't look like it's going to happen in the next couple of weeks, as opposed to the last couple of years). I get tired of working 18 plus hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week.
p.s. I lied about moving to .Net here. I decided Python works better and with less overhead and verbosity. I have to use C# and .Net at work on a daily basis which means it would make some sense to convert davtri to C#, but Python is much cleaner to code and runs well on any machine that has an Apache web server.
Also as an aside, I will be working on the site redesign when I get enough free time that isn't committed elsewhere so I can futz around with graphics and design. Redesigns for Davtri.com are always a challenge and a lot of trial and error on graphics and color schemes until I find something I like.
Until later, lassiez les bon temps rouller (let the good times roll)
2008-02-02 16:10:55
It's Alive... is there life there???
It's Alive!
Starting to build speed and momentum
Yes, there is life here at davtri.com and after a very extended sojourn, I'm back and davtri.com is up and we'll never allow it to be neglected again to any real degree, more less the degree I thas been.
What momentum are you talking about?
I'm talking starting to spend some actual time with code. I've spent all of the free time I've been able to get, true free time that is, not that "packing boxes is what I should be doing right now, but I'm not, kind of free time", but my only hour or 2 of free time per night digging into the code of iSweep.
So what have I don so far? Well, at this pin, I've put together enhanced or totally rewritten code for the objects and controllers that handle serial licensing. Why start there, you might ask. We'', there were a couple of nasty items that needed to be, There were also a few memory leaks and while they didn't crash the program, they needed to be fixed and now it is.
What's next?
For an answer to that, start by previewing my previous post where I talk about some of the features I'm looking at adding. I can tell you I will be working with the main changes to the main application controller and the iTunes Library and optimizing as I go. That about covers it for now. Keep watching for more.
None
iSweep Update Coming Soon?
iSweep Update:
Well, I've had several requests to update iSweep, as well as a ton to port it to the MS Windows platform. I'll address both here.
As far as updating iSweep goes, yes, I am going to do that, hopefully in a couple months. My fulltime job has literally had me running almost non-stop. Some days working 18 to 20 hours. I went one week working 24 hours a day for 6 days straight, followed by another 4 days with only 3 hours sleep a day. This isn't very conducive to being able to do things on the side, to say the least.
Ok, now for the really bad news. One of my systems crashed and the hard drive was unrecoverable. A absolute loss. I didn't really think anything of it, as I had multiple backups of most everything. Then, over the last couple of days, as I have been preparing to move, I figured I'd get things together so I'd be ready to work on the iSweep update as soon as I had time. That's how I found out, I don't have the most recent version's source code any more. It was lost on the trashed hard drive. Actually, the only version I still have is version 1.01, so in order to do the update, I am going to have to largely do a re-write. This is going to cause some definite delays.
I was already planning on re-writting the code that accesses the iTunes database, because the last version sent a bulk job into a large AppleScript code. This worked on the vast majority of systems, but on some systems it would fail. I wanted to see about wrapping the DB access into the same access code that handles file moving or deletion and thereby only be sending a single DB modification at a time to a much smaller piece of AppleScript, which should solve the issue on those few systems, as well as speeding things up a bit overall. I also planned on implementing an addition to the progress meter that has a running count of the duplicates being backed up or deleted, as well as a couple other items.
Needless to say, the loss of all the code from version 1.01 to version 1.3.x is very painful, but fear not, I will re-write it and move it forward. This is just going to cause a bigger delay. The one good thing to come out of this is that I've been forced to redo the AppleScript code functions from scratch, which while playing with the other evening, I've managed to optimize to about 1/4 of their original size, when I was doing one entry at a time, and about 1/16th of their current size, where their handling bulk jobs.
So when will it be done? Hopefully early June at the latest. Unfortunately, even though I'm not working 20 hour days, 6 to 7 days a week anymore starting this week, my workload is still huge. I'm the CIO for a corporation, which alone is a major commitment. Add to that the fact that we're migrating all of our core systems to the .Net 2.0 platform from a much older platform and are behind on the project due to many items, I'll still be extremely busy. I also will be handling a full implementation of the Sarabanes-Oxley IT requirements for our company since we are now owned by a publicly held corporation, so now fall under SOX's purview. I have to have that done and ready by the end of the year, and that is a LOT of work to get done, have in place, fully functional and thoroughly tested. But like everything else, I'll get it knocked out somehow or another, if I don't "Allow this job to kill me", as my Sifu/Dr. keeps telling me I am doing. The one other thing is that I'm supposed to be moving in the next few weeks, so I am going to be having to use what little free time I have to pack, sort through donation material, etc, so that I'm ready for the actual move. I really should be at least 1/2 to 2/3 packed already, but the last month hasn't allowed me ANY free time to even attempt this.
iSweep for Windows:
Ok, now for the other item. I have been swamped off and on over the last year to year and a half with requests to port iSweep to the Windows platform. I honestly don't even know if this is truly do-able, becase iTunes only allows access to the iTunes Database via AppleScript, at least on the Mac, so I'll have to do some deep digging and research to see whether or not the COM object provided for Windows allows DB access or whether I can wrap com.interop around the actual executable or something like that, or if maybe, just maybe on Windows, unlike the Mac, if you modify the XML version of the database, that it will update iTunes. This doesn't work on the Mac, you actually have to modify the DB, then either open or close iTunes, and iTunes dumps the DB data into the xml file. I'm hoping maybe on Windows if you change the xml file and then restart iTunes, then the iTunes libraries will be updated. It's a hope anyway.
Well, if I can solve that problem, the problem of being able to modify the database of iTunes on Windows, then yes, I will write a full port of iSweep for the MS Windows platform. I have actually been doing a LOT of coding in C# .Net 2.0 for work, so it won't be that hard for me to do so, as long as I can actually modify the library. It doesn't do a whole lot of good to be able to backup or delete duplicates if iTunes still shows them in the library. That would just be annoying, to say the least.
Well, that being said, if it's doable, I would say to expect a Windows version of iSweep within 4 to 8 weeks, probably closer to 4 to 6, after the update for the Mac. It would be nice to allow Windows users, so many of which have learned to love , or at least use, iTunes for managing their media files (whether due to needing it for their iPods or just because as far as a media management tool, it truly is damn good) to have the option of using iSweep to handle dealing with their duplicates. That and I also wouldn't have to keep letting them down when the send me messages asking if iSweep will run on Windows or if I have a Windows version available or if I'm working on a Windows version that will be out soon. It'll be nice to be able to say, "Yes, just click on the link for iSweep for Windows and you'll be set."
iSweep Additions in the update:
- Optimized iTunes DB access (see above commentary for details)
- Detailed Progress Indicator (again, see above for details)
- Additional Search Options: Artist, Play Time, Sample Rate (bit rate is already there)
- Ability to limit searches to specific media types, i.e. only MP3s, only AACs, both, etc.
- Enhance the search page
- Possibly add the ability to deal with duplicate videos as well, we'll see about that one.
- Add a preference to always backup AAC files, that way you don't accidentaly delete a file you purchased.
- Add an option to always save an AAC over an MP3
- Possibly a few other changes here and there. I'll be reviewing any and all suggestions that are sent in to me.
This will definitely be a major update, to say the least. Depending on the number of tests and revisions it takes to get everything working just right and debugged, both myself and with my testers, this will bring iSweep to either 1.4.x or 1.5.x. That being said, I will be allowing it as a Free Update for registered users. I'm doing this as a way to say "thank you" for supporting me, for all the compliments and feedback, as well as the occassional constructive criticism and because I believe that if you're going to sell software, not only should you be reasonable about the purchase price, you should be reasonable about updates. That being said, this is a major update and if I end up doing another huge one afterwards, and I don't mean little tweaks, additions or adjustments, but major updates and/or additions, that will probably bring iSweep to version 2.x, which will Not be a free update. However, I doubt that a 2.x version will be coming real soon, down the road is likely, but not real soon. I will be sending out an e-mail blast to all registered users when the update is available, letting them know that the update is ready, what the new features are, etc... as well as letting them know that it's a free update to them since they're registered users.
Other News:
The only other major news I have right now is that, around the same time that I release the iSweep update, I will also be releasing an update of the Davtri.com website. It will have a similar look (most likely) and the same general features, but I will be impementing a few additional features as well as moving it to a new, dedicated server that I lease myself and don't have to share with anyone else. I'll also be recoding it in ASP.Net 2.0, which will allow me to not only keep updates rolling quickly, efficiently and with good, tight, clean code. It will also be stable and I won't have to worry about things not functioning when the server gets updated. I've had that problem here more than once, as I had to hack several things on this shared server to get mod_python working and now a few things are NOT working properly, though they're not items the average visitor would notice. That and the fact that .Net has become the biggest part of my day job and C# will be my primary programming language for at least the next 6 months. I haven't been able to spend any time with Python, even though I love it, in the last 18 months or so, and probably won't be doing so again for at least 6 to 9 months. I'll be digging back into obj-c to handle the iSweep updates and future Mac projects, since we still don't have a good, solid, integrated implementation of .Net on the Mac. Mono is making headway, but it just isn't there yet and likely won't be for at least another, I don't know, 9 to 18 months. Afterwards, I'll review Ruby again and see if it's worth looking at Ruby as a replacement for Python or not. I really doubt it, Python is very powerful and much more mature, but time will tell. I'd kill if Python could get more mainstream, I would have forced my programmers to learn that for our new platform rollout, but that just wasn't practical and .Net is.
So, expect to see a modified website, looks wise it'll be similar, but there will be some differences. Function wise it will still have everything, plus additions. I'm looking at adding the ability for registered users being able to retrieve their serials and such, based on their e-mail and a couple other pieces of info, like maybe Last Name and Postal Code or some such. I'll also be tweaking out the blog a bit, probably adding an Atom option to the RSS feed. I'll also be adding some bloody filtering to the contact form to help limit some of the stupid spam robots that are roaming the net ~ sardonic chuckle ~, the maudit lil things are just plain annoying. That's about it, at least for now.
Until later.
None
iSweep Update Coming ?
I received a request via e-mail from a user who wanted to know if I could and would add a feature to iSweep that would allow the application to parse the iTunes DB file and then determine what track entries are in the db that are no longer linked to the file for that entry. Then remove all of those entries. I will be looking into this possibility tomorrow evening when I am at the wife's school. I will also be looking at some APIs for a new application. I also have some enhancements on my to-do list for iBulkMail as well. Busy, busy, busy... That seems to be the story of my life, heh heh.
I am also learning LSL, the Linden Scripting Language used in Second Life. It's interesting, as the documentation for it pretty much bites, but I am making progress. Unfortunately, unlike python, where most functions make sense and work the way one would think based on the name, or good cocoa classes and frameworks where the name makes sense, LSL doesn't always seem to be totally consistent in application. This leads to some sometimes interesting side effects, like your avatar flying 30,000 meters before stopping, when it was the target that was supposed to fly. Or a vehicle the shifts upside down due to a mass issue, heh heh. But with persistance (sometimes a whole lot of it), you can usually figure it out.
None
Finishing final testing on iSweep 1.3
I am finishing the final testing on iSweep 1.3 and so far it's running just fine. If the final tests come out as well as the initial tests, iSweep 1.3 will be released this afternoon. I will send out an update notification to all registered users (as always), update the web site and post updates to version tracker, mac update, etc.
I was informed last night that iSweep had lost it's help menu. Only one person had mentioned this. I don't know how this slipped past us and am surprised that no one else mentioned it. However, that has also been fixed, so iSweep now has help again.