Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Fr4nk

Pages: [1] 2 3
1
Applications / Re: CUPS Discussion
« on: October 23, 2014, 09:03:59 pm »
I don't understand Dougs posting as abusive.

Paul, please re-interpret. ;)

Peace, guys.

2
Applications / Re: About eComStation Pricing
« on: October 20, 2014, 08:21:02 am »
@Doug
Quote
You, and everybody else who has a printer, should try CUPS

I will do but days have only 24 hours. I'm a bit tired of these ports where you have to search around for required packages and where you have to create half unix tree below your hood (correct me if I'm wrong with cups).  An alternative for me is PostScript with ppd import. I hope this will work on new printers as well, and there we have a well fashioned driver model. I know things will not proceed if there are no users reporting bugs.
I'll give it a try some day If I find time.

Quote
I need to ask what: What is wrong with it? I find font rendering to be excellent.

Ok - you are right - topic font rendering is really not on first priority.

Anyway some thought about this:
There is plain font rendering without anti aliasing. I think this works pretty good if you use the right fonts. Especially Warpsans is working really good without anti aliasing and I agree - this is the first choice. I like the grainy view. It is great for the desktop itself and it also saves system resources. Ok on modern computers you will not notice any performance problems with anti aliasing on desktop but its wasting of resources anyway.

But then there is anti aliasing you need for desktop publishing, image editors or html rendering, and sometimes it is bad and sometimes good. And most font rendering with anti aliasing I saw on OS2 is bad compared with other platforms. E.g. aa seems to effect the spacing on characters or the aa is not steady going. Text is showing up like using a bad working diffuser. E.g. on Linux Ubuntu I have much better anti aliasing.

But this might be off topic here since it is application stuff (at least on OS2).

@Alex
Quote
My FT2IFI on Hobbes allows support for OpenType, at least as a beta.  (It doesn't work with all fonts, still trying to debug why that is.)

My PSPRINT driver supports TrueType embedding,

Yes and I appreciate your work. I wasn't able to embed TT fonts into a PDF with your driver yet. My apologize that I didn't wrote a ticket. As soon as I find time I will re-check the latest version. I haven't tested FT2IFI (wasn't aware of it)  - thanks for your tip!


3
Applications / Re: About eComStation Pricing
« on: October 17, 2014, 08:38:33 pm »

This is good. Which are the components? tell me your "wish list" on the "adding things or replacing single components" priority. Which is the specific things that needs to be prioritized? (in your opinion).

Well, I use os/2 (eCS) now for around 20 years. And I have to say my current system, is the best os2 system I ever had during this time.

I'm using a Intel 2700MUD board with DuoCore 2 x 2,1 GHz, onboard graphics and lan.

Here are some details:
http://www.intel.de/content/www/de/de/motherboards/desktop-motherboards/desktop-board-d2700mud.html
http://www.cartft.com/catalog/il/1224

Its a fanless and silent device. I have 4 GB RAM and I use SSD harddisks. Boot time <30sec. USB, LAN and sound is working.

4 GB RAM are more than enough and SSDs are far away from 2 TB limit.


The thing is I used Win and OS2 on one computer years ago and then I also had to choose hardware for both, Win and OS2 or eCS. And this caused trouble. Since some years I just use 2 computers so I'm able to use hardware that doen't need to care about Windows or other systems. And eCS needs no highend hardware I can use a dualcore system with very good performance. For Win/Lin I just use a second computer, but actually I use Win only for some games - I do all work on eCS.


I use eCS on a daily base and I run my business on it.


So at this moment I'm doing pretty fine. Of course there are some things which could be better - and of course there should be a future.

I would like to have better video play support. Holger wrote on os2.org that hes working on bug fixes in Presentation Manager DLLs to make this happen (some VLC problems on multi core systems result from PM bugs and not from VLC itself). Thats damn great. So my first which is a fixed PM and my second thing is a fixed VLC aswell. In general I wish a stable system.


Another thing really bothers me is that I can't read USB sticks (and other devices) if a mate comes around and hes using Win, Lin or Mac. The USB Sticks will be recognized as super floppies and then they don't work without to be partioned and format on os2. There are lot of barriers using USB devices. This should be easier to change data between systems. Same problem for USB mp3 players, cameras, sd cards etc.pp. Generally the combination of USB support and files systems should be much better.

I would also have to better font rendering, better font support with full TrueType and OpenType for usage on screen and print - incl. embedding TT and OT fonts into PDF files using ePDF/Ghostscript. Gostscript supports it but our print system does not (I dont know situation on cups I never - I used it).

A problem I see coming around in near future might be Firefox since the performance of FF is getting slower and slower. This seems to be problem of FF itself and not of the port - FF just tuns into blown software. There are also problems with server scripts and JavaScript. It works ok at this moment (thanks to bitwise) but my computer might be too slow in near future. And new computers leads to new problems. So of course my which is in general good hardware support (a wide field for sure). I don't know what kind of hardware we will have in 5 years so it is hard to say what we need.

Maybe we will need a new TCPIP stack for the next IP, maybe old IPv will be supported aswell.

Other things I would like to have are things on application layer. I would like to have things like DVDFab, a fixed Maul DTP, some missing features at Mesa.


4
Applications / Re: About eComStation Pricing
« on: October 17, 2014, 07:51:14 am »
This is turning into some kind of philosophical discussion. But making plans is one thing, realize things is a completely other thing.

I think the desktop PC will not be replaced. It will stay for all people who wants more than you can do on a small screen and a touch display. Smartphones and tablets are new mainstream platforms and some people will not use Desktop PCs anymore but a lot of people will. Imagine to do DTP on a tablet. I tried to feed my blog in my holidays from a smartphone. Even I had a real external keyboard - it was pain in the neck. Mobile devices lack the comfort and ergonomics you have with a big screen, a mouse and and a keyboard. If mobile devices want to replace PCs they have to be somethings like the Desktop PC.

And I think there are some more possibilities between "being doomed" and "rewrite the whole system".

We can add things. We can replace single components. We can patch some things. We can build bridges and we could use layers.

If we don't get this right there is no need to discuss a rewrite of the whole system.


And Mart no offense but "rewrite the OS and turn it open source" is not an idea - it is a wish - like world peace or to build the Cheops pyramid. Nothing wrong to have this wish. But this is easy. You need ideas to make it happen. Good ideas consider resources or how to get them. Ideas for concrete solutions, how to get money and developers. And this is difficult.

5
Ah ok. This is a bug at Vispro documentation (there are some more bugs like this).

This code
Code: [Select]
rc=VpGetItemValue(window,'CNT_CGI',index)
returns the value of column 2 into "rc", but you don't get the whole data set of one entry into a stem. So don't use "rc.1" just use "rc" for you message box.

But if you need the whole dataset (which means all columns of a selected entry) you need this one:

Code: [Select]
/* Event ~Get Value BTN_GETVALUE, Clicked/selected */
Arg window self

index = VpGetIndex(window, 'CNT_CGI', 'SELECTED', 0)


CALL VpGetItemValue window,'CNT_CGI','DETAILS','COLUMNS.',index

say COLUMNS.0 /*count*/
say COLUMNS.1 /* column 1*/
say COLUMNS.2 /* column 2*/
say COLUMNS.3 /* column 3*/
say COLUMNS.4 /* column 4*/



HTH!
Fr4nk

6
Not sure I can test it at evening but maybe the line

  cgiName = value.1

ist a problem.

Try this:
Code: [Select]
else do
   rc = VpGetItemValue(window, 'CNT_CGI', index)

    message = 'You selected the' rc.1 'CGI entry'
    response = VpMessageBox(window, index, message)
end


7
Applications / Re: About eComStation Pricing
« on: October 14, 2014, 08:18:46 am »
Well good ideas but if you make big plans (like rewrite the whole os) you need to consider the resources! Who should do all that work? It is  Here are only a handful of developers left while on other platforms like Linux are 100.000 of developers and some big companies behind.

So we need to stick to important things and don't start too many construction zones especially where things are working. Focus on things we need today and for next 3 years. I understand your point but it is 20 years too late. You say 'long term' but computers are a moving target. E.g. look at ACPI, it tooks years and it is even not ready and will never be ready as along as hardware changes.

Btw if you want rewrite os2 it would be even easier to write PM/WPS for a *x system and put it on top, like apple did with their system.

8
Applications / Re: About eComStation Pricing
« on: October 13, 2014, 08:36:56 am »
Quote
[...] at least share some ideas of what can we do about the future of the platform.

- set priorities and sort important things
- make it running perfectly on a reference hardware (support a small set of hardware but then perfectly)
- make killer apps (niche apps that don't exist on other platforms)
- get back to stability instead of desktop enhancers
- don't port 1000 (qt) apps and don't test but port 2 apps and make it big
- @developers: make as much as possible software free (Open Source or even freeware)
- @developers.ru don't try to sell mini apps which are better and free on all other platforms for 20 years.
- avoid things like "you can only use this software when you're a member of my club"

If it gets competitive to other platforms you can drew the price of course.

The first things should be to hold last users/2. Even more worse than no new users are less users.

I agree 100%  about squeezing the last guys - this will disperse users.

9
Applications / Re: DBExpert/Mesa?
« on: October 13, 2014, 08:22:18 am »
Maybe it is a problem that Mesa includes licensed code from "Athena Design", and the name itself Mesa is used under license. It could be a lot of effort to check the license or even impossible to get in contact with Athena (I don't know).  A solution would be if it will not be published as open source but transfered to a group of developers. or a community and there it could be maintained and developed.

A good example was the Pronews usenet reader, which turned into charity ware - some guys took the code over and made a very good job to keep it running and extend it.

More important than the license is to keep it alive and actually I wouldn't have a problem even with commercial software if its worth.

But please no club membership like PMMail.

@Martin, maybe you could ask again since the last call is some time ago.


10
Applications / Re: DBExpert/Mesa?
« on: October 12, 2014, 10:51:36 pm »
Hey Denis,

well about Mesa: I wrote some add-ons years ago.

http://www.subsys.de/SmartPak/download/spak11.zip

I think Mesa is close to be a perfect program as long as you don't need an integrated office solution. I still use it for all my things and I think it is the best spread sheet around. Actually I hate all kind of big office suites and blown applications from the deep of my heart since Word 2.0 . And Mesa still works in latest eCS thats what i like on OS2 and eCS (--> continuity), it has a very nice performance and I know only one single bug. It is a nice piece of old school high quality software today don't be created anymore - one of the reasons I still use eCS.

Describe is a little bit outdated, it lacks some features and I think it was always a little bit crazy to use (but it was powerful anyway). Personally I work a lot with editors and plain text since some years and short before my text is going to be printed or PDF'ed I set it in Maul DTP (which has some bugs but I'm able to handle these).

11
Applications / Re: About eComStation Pricing
« on: October 10, 2014, 07:01:20 pm »
Well I have my doubts that there will be new users which will be parts of community (new developers, customers for software etc.) anyway eCS cost 30 $ or even when it would be for free.

If a new user installs eCS he will see that a lot things are not working like on other platforms. Too many standard things are not avi or just to complicated (hell even a USB stick will not work without learning LVM and DFSEE). Nobody will do that what we bone-headed old os2 users are willing to do because we love this platform. There is no advantage in eCS or OS2 above other plaforms anymore other than these things which are relevant for old users only - who wants to run old applications and love the continuity (which are great features but only for us long time users). There are no killer apps anymore. Lot of things are outdated.


I say this beeing OS2 enthusiast and I will be the one who turn the light off (in 20 years or so) ;)

12
Applications / Re: Graphic Work Bench and ImageMagick
« on: October 10, 2014, 08:28:29 am »
Sergey, thanks for you suggestions.

I want to add some points: GWB will not an Image Editor as you might know it. It will be more a frontend for IM.  The most difficult things are selections, at this state GWB will not support it. And I will focus on things PMView can't do, the goal is not to replace PMView but to add new features.. E.g. I will add despeckle filter, frame handling, better PNG support than in PMView and stuff like this.

At the moment it isn't an image viewer so the image on screenshot 2 is just a preview, a kind of thumbnail where you have a quick preview for changes to speed up things. Because apply filters on high resolution files takes a while and before you change a picture itself you should have a quick preview for better performance. Maybe I add a real image viewer with zoom etc.pp later, and then of course this will be another window. ATM you can use an external image like PMView view together with GWB

About the first screenshot with light table I prefer a standard os2 folder detail view and to compare values eg. the width or high I think the columns are great. This does not mean that I'll not add other view-styles aswell - lets see. Actually I have also some limitations on my development environment, e.g the standard container can only show standard icon sizes (max 40x40) with flowed views like on your screenshots. Only the detail view like on my screenshot #1 allows other (bigger) sizes of thumbnails.

At the moment I'll prefer  a nice GUI integration into WPS, e.g it will work with templates and native and standard os2 controls, and as I said the first things will be some basic features and then things PMView is not able todo. It will support some formats PMView does not support, there will be features like editable EXIF informations, and I plan a new system for meta informations (which I want to do decentralized in small and plain info files). The GWB will also include a Rexx interface to allow users to write own filters, and a small script manager.

As I have not much spare time I will do it step by step and feature by feature I don't want to make any promises.  A first download version with basic things will be available next weeks. Stay tuned.

Anyway this project will be Open Source so anyone is welcome to add more and other styles and features.

13
Applications / Re: My lost apps...
« on: October 09, 2014, 12:28:52 pm »
It is possible to get the Rexx code back - also if you have only binary files of a Vispro Rexx project.

I never did it but it is possible. I know that Pillarsoft offered this as a service to do for you. If I remember right this works via tracing (not sure, have to re-check) and you could do it your own. Of course you have to re-create your visual forms, but you can grab the underlying code.

good luck! :)

14
Applications / Re: Graphic Work Bench and ImageMagick
« on: October 09, 2014, 08:56:06 am »
Thanks guys,

I fed Mantis with the first two bugs. Two other bugs I want to re-check twice before bothering the author - maybe this evening.

I will also have a look at Graphic Magick. I would prefer IM because I think this has been tested more by larger community, there a more examples, scripts and solutions on the web, and if it has different syntax I have to rewrite loads of my program. But of course I'll check it out aswell - thanks for the hint. If it has some special features it could be also part of my tools. One of the goals of Graphic Work Bench is to unite different engines under one hood.

15
Applications / Graphic Work Bench and ImageMagick
« on: October 08, 2014, 08:15:07 pm »
Hello,

atm I'm developing a set of tools dealing with graphic files on os2 and ecs.

The first tool is kind of a folder style light table for image files, which displays user sizable thumbnails and file details (unlike the old os2 light table it handles lot more formats and works with large files aswell).

Here is a screenshot:


The second tool is a new settings notebook for graphic files, which display lot of data, and includes bitmap manipulations and edit-functions aswell.

Screenshot:


This is just a first shoot, there will be more notebook pages for other stuff like filters.

The problem is now that there are some bugs in Image Magick and I need help on this side. I'm using IM as back-end.

I  already asked Paul but he has no time to fix these issues. So my question is: can anybody help out and get some things in Image Magick running? I have no skills in C development and I'm busy enough to work on the GUI and WPS integration.


TIA
Frank, subsys.de

PS: there is already a thread at os2.org in German language on os2.org

Pages: [1] 2 3