W3bbo
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Posts posted by W3bbo
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Actually, I'm afraid we may have to move the xpize 5 release date to October, potentially November.
Y'see... in August I need to finish redoing my LAN and Active Directory (Thanks to a mistake I made in Q1 2005), then in September I'll be away for 2 weeks on holiday, probably Sicily, and then I'm off to University (Birmingham UK, Computer Science) on the 22nd September. All whilst doing this I need to spend a lot of time on getting my unrelated businesses working and providing a steady stream of income to support my studies.
I think I'll aim for an alpha or beta release in late-September with a solid RTM following extensive testing in November.
Modifications to make it work for Vize should be minimal. I anticipate Vize II in December, more likely January.
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is the project now published?
We're putting off publishing until the last minute (sometime around the 20th August) so we can clean up and get everything ready.
I've just been so bogged down with normal work I'm finding it hard to get the time to work on xpize. But I promise it will be done...eventually.
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I know my English is bad, but anyway, someone who get's my point?
Yes, and you can rest assured what you've proposed we've had in the pipeline for some time now.
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ok, i am almost there...
just one more question, and its the biggest one for me...
that means that only i will alter , or upgrade my pack?
if so, i am in, if not, then forget about it, no hard feelings.
Damian666
That's the very definition of "Unadulterated". It's your intellectual property, not ours. We'd just be distributing it under the agreement we don't modify it.
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which means at first they will stay intact?
just a download mirror and publicity?
damian666
Intact. Always intact. Unadulterated.
As I said, no-ones rights will be infringed.
If enough people ask for it, maybe I'll include support for digital signatures so people know they haven't been altered.
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@happy dude
well, what my concern is, what will happen too the respective owners packs?
because you know... i love making my pack, and what will happen with it if i integrate it in the XPize project?
will it still continue?, or will it just cease to exist?
We will be managing a third-party pack system where people can submit packs of their own and download them separately of XPize from the same website.
Packs which we determine are of high enough quality will be invited to be part of the official releases. At no point will anyone have to surrender any rights for their works. Full attribution will be given.
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well... the vistapack is certainly been based on the XPize source in the past.
But because of the hard maintainability of the first source files, i migrated to a self made patcher system.
so no, i dont think i will include the vistapack in the new upcoming XPize project, sorry.
ofcourse it would be ideal if i could get you guys to drop the vista idea, but hee... its a free world
i just wanted to say that that name is taken.
Good luck with your projects.
Damian666
We're sticking with "Vize" since it's already got good brand recognition and comes up #1 in Google anyway.
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Resignation
in XPize
Just to remind everyone that whilst XPero has "resigned", the project hasn't been discontinued. XPero needs to update the website to reflect the new change in management.
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Long Zheng IM'd me earlier today, he said he's interested in doing a quick interview about the new XPize project. I told him to email me the questions so we can all answer them rather than me speaking for the group.
I'm waiting for HappyDude to be on messenger some time so we can talk this through.
...and conversation logs are available on request.
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The Gameplan
As me and HappyDude are in different time-zones it's been a bit of a problem getting communications sorted. But this is the general plan we've agreed upon:
So far it's been just me and HappyDude having serious discussions about it; other people are welcome to participate, but for the first few days it'll be just me, XPero, and HappyDude sorting through the various project sources, extracting the source code we need, and forming a repository of all the actual content in the XPize and Vize projects (for now, XPize will be the priority, Vize will come later).
- Once we have sorted out the source code from the assets (the resources and stuff) we'll post it all to CodePlex
- Development will then begin in earnest and other people are encouraged to take part. This will require a TFS client, which are available for free download from CodePlex
- After we feel the project has reached a certain level of maturity we will release it as "XPize 5" and XPero has agreed to post it to the website as an official release
- Work will then commence on getting Vize up to code
We will evaluate different features and the rest after the initial "extraction" phase.
Because getting people to do collaborative work on the Internet can be a pain at times, I will assume most of the burden of the work unless other people explicitly take up a role and activly participate. The last thing we want is Internet drama to hover over this project like a cloud of doom.
This should cover us for a month or so when we hope to reach the release stage. I anticipate short turnaround times since most of the work has already been done by XPero.
0 - Once we have sorted out the source code from the assets (the resources and stuff) we'll post it all to CodePlex
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I can add you guys and stuff like that. Just make sure to e-mail me at mannyiceage@yahoo.com (my public e-mail) & pocketgamer5000@yahoo.com (my private e-mail for serious business).
I've emailed you; when d'reckon you'll reply?
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Ah, sorry W3bbo.
Didn't see his source codes on his website. I should get to looking at them now
.So, how to organize this? Who's active, who's not, who's willing, who's going to volunteer? Let's really get this thing going
!!A lot of the content in each archive is duplicated. I'll sort through it later today to remove the cruft and form a single project. I'll then consult XPero on the general architecture (he's on my messenger list), before uploading it all to CodePlex. We can then collaborate with a TFS client (there's one for VS Express, so don't worry if you don't have the full thing).
That cool with everyone?
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Remember, there are three distributions of the XPize source:
There are two links off the main XPize website and another, seperate, download from XPero's skydrive account.
XIS.zip, XPize46SCR, and XPize_SRC.zip
Each has different contents.
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For XPize, I believe it's most important to patch the program up to work flawlessly with Windows XP SP3 and to fix up the UXTheme hack. Maybe some stability improvements, too?
I haven't experienced any stability problems with XPize, except when the occasional Windows Update patch resets the occasional resource file.
Also, for both programs, we should get a NEEDS & WANTS list. Needs should be what needs to be attended to and fixed. Wants are what the users wish for (perhaps features?).Well I'd like to combine everything XPize-related into a single project and installer. Right now I install 3.2 first then the 4.7 Beta so I get all the themes and stuff between them.
The new installer should have everything in it and let users choose between variations on XPize (e.g. the MCE-styled blue one we've come to love or the black one, etc...), with previews, of course.
Should we continue to communicate on the MSFN forums (best choice), or have conversations via IM/PM? I think the forums is best so we can gather and organize information in our own time.In the spirit of transparency and openness, stick to forums.
to W3bbp: Wow, you discovered the Royale Noir theme for istartedsomething ??!! Nicely done !! I just love that theme, and best of all, no hacking necessary .People give me too much credit. I was just the right guy with the right contacts in the right place at the right time.
Also, do you happen to know what's wrong with IStartedSomething blog? I really wish to read Long Zheng's writing again ...Long's been busy on student-related activities, as well as being preoccupied with winning the Imagine Cup competition. Whilst he was busy with this his blog's server (provided for free by a friend of his) went down. He hasn't been on Messenger lately, but he knows the server is down. I reckon he's just waiting for it to be rebuilt; give it a few more days.
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I hate to act unilaterally or anything.... but if everyone's cool, shall I go ahead and create the CodePlex project this weekend, dump everything there, and take it from there?
EDIT: Oh Xpero, I've re-added you to my contact list (using the messenger address I used to talk to you with back in 2005, is it still valid?), are you on it much?
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Am I what you're looking for?
I've been using XPize since (well... just after) the beginning and I've been following it ever since. I am disappointed in XPero's departure, but that doesn't mean the project can't live on.
I know 3 of the 4 main 'C's: C, C++, and C# (but not ObjC... but that's irrelevant
) and I'm familar with the Win32 API.As for project home, I haven't had much of a good experience with Sourceforge lately (and connecting to their CVS can be a b***h at times). Might I recommend CodePlex or Google Code instead?
I'd also love to code in support for XP x64 and first-class support for XP SP3. Whilst my Photoshop and Illustrator skills are "above average" I'm nowhere near the ability required to create new artwork though.
I don't think the project needs a "team" of developers; just one or two would do just fine (too many chefs spoil the soup, so to speak) as it is just a utility program. Personally, I'd like to see the project written in C/C++ since it reduces dependencies on .NET, but I'm easy either way and I think the pragmatic choice is continuing with the current code base (so long as it is a spaghetti pile of anonymous methods, delegates, and fails FxCop spectacularly)
EDIT: And if there's any questioning of my credentials, I'm the guy who leaked Royale Noir to Long Zheng
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Now that the version 6 release of RDP is out, it's covered in Vista-esque livery, which looks totally wrong on Windows XP-based systems.
XPero, can you rig XPize so it replaces the Vista icons with the icons from Windows XP's mstsc.exe 5.1 (WS2003 comes with mstsc.exe 5.2 which has a keychain icon, that one needs XP-izing too)
I don't care for the banner image at the top, but I prefered XPize's interpretation.
Also, Internet Explorer 7-on-XP, like IE6-on-W98 copies over some really bad icons that ruin XP's look-and-feel, can you replace those too?
Thanks
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There is only one theme, the Royale one.
XPIze 3.2 comes with Green, Black, and a lighter blue version of the Royale theme.
I typicaly install 3.2 first then 4.x straight afterwards to get the best of both xpize packs
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Same here, I didn't notice any changes
The XPize website should really explain what these mods do in detail.
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I just installed the latest build of XPize on my tablet PC, and noticed the logo was now yellow?
Aiieee!
First off, yellow is the colour of Windows CE
Secondly, the yellow colour clashes with the blues and "dirt" colors already present
Finally, the yellow colour makes it hard to read the text.
Can you please restore it back to the "XP Professional" blue in the next version?
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!!
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) and I'm familar with the Win32 API.
XPize & Vize Rebirth...
in XPize
Posted · Edited by W3bbo
Thanks for your feedback. I've made note of some of your suggestions, but the goal for Version 5 is just getting a stable codebase (The Anolis Project) with which we can build the project on. We're not planning any major list of changes for Windows XP and Vista just yet. Remember that the main goal of xpize is just to get rid of all the non-XP stuff in XP (be it 95-style icons, Win2K-style wizards, and Windows Vista stuff in Internet Explorer 7).
Many of the features you suggest already exist in software like Stardock's WindowBlinds and Object desktop which is the software people should get if they want to heavily customise their Windows installations, whereas xpize really isn't about customisation as it is about "making Windows XP suck less".
But it's true that xpize has been shipping with various optional extras, like the 1st-party Microsoft visual styles, TaskSwitchXP, and the occasional matching wallpaper and screensaver, but it's clear that xpize's extras are "nicities" independent of the product's main goal.
The Anolis Project is FOSS, so anyone is free to make their own (albeit non-commercial) "patcher pack" and ship it with whatever extras they want. There is also the ability for people to make their own "packages" they can use with the distributed xpize. So if you can't wait for us to implement your changes you could always make your own pack and distribute it.
However, understand that for now I don't want the project to succumb to feature-creep. I'll put my foot down and proclaim "No. Not now. Maybe in the future, but right now our plate is full".
Nothing personal, of course.