progress status

By +theblazingangel
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Angelico_Payne

Posted
Posted

Just a quicky : when I nlite pacthes fixes and updates into windows install files, is there a specific order i must use or some updates i dont integrate at all? I ask this because i see that AP follows a script that defines in which order the updates are installed

Rising Star

PsiMoon314

Posted
Posted

Hi,

Personally if I had been aware in February that APXP would next be released in May (hopefully) then I would have made an effort to update AP XP February myself, at least for my own use.

Perhaps in future if major changes and updates are planned some thought should be given to keeping the current release updated, even if it' just updates installers only.

It would help to keep the pressure of the project for the new version to be released quickly (with the quality issues that can introduce) and keep the project ticking over. This would also help in the event that the new version does have issues and problems as the older version can be used in the interim.

Please don't take this as a criticism but as a constructive comment for the future :)

If there is likely to be an further significant delay can someone from the team please just be honest and let us have a realistic release date?

I can then make some effort in getting XP Feb updated in the interim.

Kind Regards

Simon

Mentor

kimsland

Posted
Posted

It wasn't known that it would take this long.

The AP team have announced this many times, and agreed that in retrospect things would have been different.

So far the AP team have done an amazing job of letting us know when they can of progress, but due to difficulty in this new version and new programming cannot conclusively give an exact date/time. Only to say that they are at the end and close to upload.

Now's the time not to gripe by anyone. And to leave the team in finalizing, without comments many comments back.

Neowinian

Mercz

Posted
Posted
It wasn't known that it would take this long.

The AP team have announced this many times, and agreed that in retrospect things would have been different.

So far the AP team have done an amazing job of letting us know when they can of progress, but due to difficulty in this new version and new programming cannot conclusively give an exact date/time. Only to say that they are at the end and close to upload.

Now's the time not to gripe by anyone. And to leave the team in finalizing, without comments many comments back.

Part of the problem is being a product of your own success. Having started out small, and growing into something useful and hugely popular, expectations rise and tend to stay high. But the smallness in many aspects remains. It's quite amazing someone hasn't picked up people in the AP team and the product for commercial reasons (even MS themselves).

I myself would have kept the old AP line going in a dual production with the new, but then it still is a product of love and we aren't paying.

Rising Star

PsiMoon314

Posted
Posted

Hi,

Now's the time not to gripe by anyone. And to leave the team in finalizing, without comments many comments back.

Perhaps you should actually READ what I posted, as clearly you didn't, rather than just assuming I was griping.

I would draw you attention specifically to the paragraph that reads:

"Please don't take this as a criticism but as a constructive comment for the future"

and take it as it was intended.

Simon

Veteran

TheTempestSonata

Posted
Posted
whys that? need help?

nope. Just that I work away from home this week coming up... In about 4 hours, I'll be at work for a week straight, sleeping there too. Sure, I can get it while I'm there, burn it on disc, and bring it home with me.... but I wont be home until Thursday. :(

oh wellz. I love the AP team, so I'm not going to complain. My cheapo router hates active X, and it takes about 3-4 hours just to get the updates through Microsoft, and sometimes LONGER, cuz I normally download with AX at around 3kb/s and under, thus I LOVE AP with all my heart and soul.

Keep up the good work guys :)

Grand Master

+theblazingangel MVC

Posted
  • Author
  • MVC
Posted (edited)

Okay, time for another status check. I know i said it would be done by today (sunday) but it's slipped again slightly, partly because my brothers keep making so much damn noise i can't concentrate and won't shut the hell up, partly because this last feature that i thought should be easy became the most complicated piece of code in the entire script due to the fact i had to build in a tracking system to prevent a potential infinite loop which may have resulted in a system crash...

however, do not fear, i've worked my ass off today and it's 99% complete, all i have to do is add a couple of error checks for failed file creation and optimise something.

** the script will be complete TOMORROW **, it's 4:45am here and i can't concentrate any further to do the last little bit tonight, so i'm off to bed.

so, plan:

- tomorrow: finish up last little bits to the script; compile the releases; do a little final testing; start the upload process

- end of tomorrow or tuesday the upload will be complete, ben can get a copy and send off those long overdue cd/dvd's, and the releases can spread to other mirrors

- late on tuesday or sometime wednesday release to public

then i can get on with other things, no, not normal life, these: update documentation; create new translation packs; redesign website content; update software website running on; finish install script for new QMUP releases; work on getting [vista][x64][2k/xp x86/2k3 x86] releases compatible with each other; other things that i'm forgetting.

after that, back to work on the PDMS system (autopatcher sub-project of mine), and non-ap related things.

the work never ends :)

Edited by theblazingangel
Neowinian

MrT0ad

Posted
Posted
then i can get on with other things, no, not normal life, these: update documentation; create new translation packs; redesign website content; update software website running on; finish install script for new QMUP releases; work on getting [vista][x64][2k/xp x86/2k3 x86] releases compatible with each other; other things that i'm forgetting.

after that, back to work on the PDMS system (autopatcher sub-project of mine), and non-ap related things.

the work never ends :)

Hmmm... after reading these lines one would think that normal life is not what you think it is any more.

It's bank holiday Monday. Go help erect a wind farm or something. Get some fresh air. I don't want to read about you in The Sun as "The guy who snapped off and transformed his brothers into living lamp holders".

Sometimes "one last ooomph!" can easily become "The Very Last Oooomph".

Grand Master

Zoom7000

Posted
Posted
Okay, time for another status check. I know i said it would be done by today (sunday) but it's slipped again slightly, partly because my brothers keep making so much damn noise i can't concentrate and won't shut the hell up, partly because this last feature that i thought should be easy became the most complicated piece of code in the entire script due to the fact i had to build in a tracking system to prevent a potential infinite loop which may have resulted in a system crash...

however, do not fear, i've worked my ass off today and it's 99% complete, all i have to do is add a couple of error checks for failed file creation and optimise something.

** the script will be complete TOMORROW **, it's 4:45am here and i can't concentrate any further to do the last little bit tonight, so i'm off to bed.

so, plan:

- tomorrow: finish up last little bits to the script; compile the releases; do a little final testing; start the upload process

- end of tomorrow or tuesday the upload will be complete, ben can get a copy and send off those long overdue cd/dvd's, and the releases can spread to other mirrors

- late on tuesday or sometime wednesday release to public

then i can get on with other things, no, not normal life, these: update documentation; create new translation packs; redesign website content; update software website running on; finish install script for new QMUP releases; work on getting [vista][x64][2k/xp x86/2k3 x86] releases compatible with each other; other things that i'm forgetting.

after that, back to work on the PDMS system (autopatcher sub-project of mine), and non-ap related things.

the work never ends :)

Brilliant stuff mate. Take your time. I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait. :)

Rookie

electronicswhizz

Posted
Posted

I've been waiting quite a long time now to do some serious work on my network, because I want to do it with an up to date version of Autopatcher, which, given the amount of work I have to do, would save me countless hours, which I need for my upcoming exams. Yes, it's been frustrating to see deadlines shifted and hopes falsely raised.

However, having worked on a similar project, I know how these projects work. For the developers, AP is a labour of love...why else do they spend so much time on it? They want it to be out, they want people to be using it. The fact that it isn't means that unexpected issues have arisen, that some tasks have taken longer than expected. The AP team isn't in some under-hand conspiracy to stop us from using it, it's just the way things have worked out. We've all seen the previews - the new version looks fantastic and that's only because of all the hard work that has gone into it (I'm sure blaze wouldn't want to know quite how many hours he's spent on it!).

At first, I was desperate for AP to come out so that I could get my job done at a convenient time. Now I'm desperate for it to come out so that all this pathetic whining can stop (not so much on the forums now, but the comments on the blog make for frustrating reading). Autopatcher is free. Admittedly, many of us rely on it as much, if not more, than many programs we pay for. But please never forget that Autopatcher is a gift, not a right. Feels good to get that off my chest :)

Thank you so much Blaze for all your hard work (sounds like AP is taking over your life!), I'm in no doubt that 5.6 will be well worth the wait :)

Explorer

OldFawkz

Posted
Posted

Re-echo the sentiments above, it has to be a labour of love, doing something like this, and everyone who's done something from home knows what its like to have domestic stuff get in the way, or things go slower than they "ought to" :)

Blaze, everyone, AP team... solid support for the stance taken, and a note that what makes it good is the *communication* that's kept people in the loop and defused most of the stress that would otgherwise have existed in some other projects :)

Hopefully the feedback once it is released will be all you've hoped for :)

I do have one question on the release, at a technical level: -- I gather the May AP release includes modules such as NET3 and WMP11. When these kinds of modules have been put as add-ons or silent installs via programs such as RyansVM, I get the impression they have (possibly) caused some difficulty to get to install 100% correctly by module designers (I gather). I'm not talking about OGA/WGA, here, but just the process of getting of big chunks like that to install as they should.

Was there in fact any problem doing this, in AP? Are they well behaved and install smoothly? Was there any problem getting the major updates like therse to install properly? I'm just curious, given that it looks like it might not have been straightforward in other systems which automate some updates.

Just curious! :)

Grand Master

+theblazingangel MVC

Posted
  • Author
  • MVC
Posted

time for another status check

i said that on monday i would:

- finish up the work i did on sunday (optimise something and add a couple of error checks)

- compile the releases

- briefly test them

- start uploading them

well, the first thing (optimise something) DEFINITELY needed doing, you wouldn't believe how bad it was in it's then present form, as you increased the number of updates in this cache the number of executions would grow exponentially - if there were just 5 updates, 325 executions would have been performed!!! not good!

anyway, after a lot of thought (complicated feature) i completely re-wrote everything that i'd done on sunday :pinch: and it's now working beautifully :)

it's now 6:50am on tuesday and i've been pulling an all nighter to catch up.

the first thing off mondays list is done, the new install script is now complete! :D

i'm now about to pack and test the releases, and then if all is well i'll begin the uploading :)

Explorer

OldFawkz

Posted
Posted

Obviously they'll be as best tested as can be. If you need an extra day and rest to be double sure, then take it!!

But also they'll have been tested as you go. So... what's the risk on this release, given its a complete rewrite? Much risk of problems? I figure it needs to be asked, even though hopefully the answer is "low, and even if any, then minor". But as its system update and security stuff used for roll-out, I figure its good to ask.

On such a major overhaul and rewrite, it would amaze and impress me if it was spot-on perfect 1st time. Although careful code often is pretty darn good.

Any feelings or views on it - appreciated and valued :)

Explorer

OldFawkz

Posted
Posted
i'd consider them to be really low risk ;)

Straight out onto production systems and main desktops, pretty much? :)

I ask since the moment it arrives, I'm heading off to reinstall my main "heavy duty" home PC from scratch. Long overdue :) I'd as soon like avoid the part where I get 3/4 through it only to find the 'patcher had late reports of problems :) hence I figured it's as well to check your view :) after all, AP's run flawless all this time so far, prettty much :)

(If I do have to then, yeah, stuff happens. I'll deal with it. But a view on it never hurts to ask up front :) for likelihood planning etc!)

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