I guess it's time again to ask for Source Code????

[sdumas]

Hi everyone,

Steve seems to be in full development mode on it next release.

While this is nice, the current version is in dire need of bug repairs, enhancements and some tweakings.

It may not be everyone who wants to move to the next release, considering dot net 3 (using quite a bit of ressources), people using older machines as thin or fat clients that may or may not run the new release, plugins that may or may not work right away, etc.

Since Steve is doing this "for fun" with no plans to market for "real dollars", I don't see any harm for him to release source code for the old current release for the current community to work and improve upon.

It would allow for the community to make sure that this current release continues to live long and prosper and Steve could concentrate on its next release without having to think about supporting a legacy system.

It would be up to the community to support it.

Let's ask Steve to let us work with his framework and bring it forward for the group of us not wanting to move right away to the next release.

The software is not stable enough today for robust use, the thin client is weak and many other areas needs serious improvement.

I have been an avid user of Xlobby for the past many years, and right now I am thinking of switching to something else - what? I don't know, but, I need stability and I need a good client program. With Steve almost gone from this forum, the future of current Xlobby seems bleak at most. If source could be released, I am sure the community could revive it!!!!

Long live to Open Xlobby!!!!

Who's with me?

(or I am stepping on too many toes right now....)

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

Damn it!

Just stop all talk related to this.

Steven just promised to make mission critical fixes to XL2.
Also it appears to me, he has made it pretty clear he is not interested to release the source.

So atleast i took his promise to make urgent fixes, as sign that even though his interest has shifted to XL3, he wont let the XL2 to sink.

I say we should be grateful for current state, and not to appear as if we were desperate to get our hands on mans source every other week.

[sdumas]

Gee, a little on the sensitive side are we...

I just merely expressed an opinion and desire. Steve has stopped being active for a loooong time, he may have changed his tune, who knows. There is no harm in asking and see if others (and maybe Steve himself) see any value in it.

It used to be that we were seeing many builds a day - new features and bug fixes on an almost daily basis.

Now there are months sometimes between fixes. Things like the infamous winamp code (need to use an older version - to make it work), the thin client not being persistent, crashes that happens, etc. that have been there forever

Last exe is from Sept 13 - that's over two months since the last bug fix. The bug list in the forum is not getting shorter.

I am just saying that it could help everyone - he may be willing to share now, again, who knows!

[XioPod]

i'd love to see the source and i'm willing to help debug/develop parts. I have over 4 years of vb.net/c# skills. but opening the source to the community has some down sides.

If you start changing code and I start changing code and steve changes code and everyone else makes changes, how do you know what parts have changed and if they will work together? merging them may take longer then just leting a small team of people work on it.

I've only been using xlobby for a week or so but i've seen several things i'd tweak if i had the source (config screen and skin edit could be more intuitive).

I think giving out the source has great benefits but i wouldn't let everyone submit changes. maybe if the code was moved to something like Source Forge or other source control type site a large team could work on the code.

I'd love to see the code just know how it works I think we could learn a lot from it.

[badubo]

I also think that open source is not the future for xlobby (at least not the near future)

The main drawback of xlobby is in fact the reason of its success : it can handle (too?) many features.
If Steven publishes the source code, everyone having some skills in developement will have the temptation to adapt the code for its particular needs and we will quickly have a bunch of specialized xlobby's clones.

If cooperative developement is requested (but only Steven can decide that) I think that it is better to create a limited staff of developpers (probably 3 or 4, no more) who will have access to the source code.
Using a private CVS server, I think that it should be possible to work this way.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

I just merely expressed an opinion and desire. Steve has stopped being active for a loooong time, he may have changed his tune, who knows. There is no harm in asking and see if others (and maybe Steve himself) see any value in it.

I think one who has not been active, is u. Otherwise u would have knew that this was discussed about week or so ago. Steven didnt make any comment on subject, so it is unlikely his point of view has changed.

[dgemily]

If cooperative developement is requested (but only Steven can decide that) I think that it is better to create a limited staff of developpers (probably 3 or 4, no more) who will have access to the source code.
Using a private CVS server, I think that it should be possible to work this way.

+1

[sdumas]

Badubo - that's a great idea.

+1

As for P3rv3rt B3ar... - not worth a reply I'm sorry.

[Colby]

I think that Steven should release the code to one individual who respects what Xlobby is all about. I think that this person should have experience creating logical and well managed plugins. Someone who is a "teamplayer" and expert in coding. I dont think Steven should release Xlobby to a bunch of wannabe, imitation coder, Xlobby newbies with big mouths and very little to say. I say let Steven do whatever he wants.

[P3rv3rt B3ar]

I say let Steven do whatever he wants.

I could not agree with u more on that (last sentence) Colby, and meanwhile we could as well stop this fruitless speculation, and wish that Steven will be showing the way years to come.

As i see it XL2 is rather mature application, mayby lack of constant new builds just tells that XL2 has evolved from development to upkeep phase on classic waterfall model. As long as steven still will be around to fix mission critical bugs, in my opinion all is well.

[S Pittaway]

Its all pretty irilevent, Ste wont open up the source.... Its his code and he wants to keep it to himeself.

I i was him, i guess that theres a good chance that i would have the same attitude...


I also think some people are underestimating what would be needed if steven DID open up the source to a few people...

For the people involved it would be a major undertaking,

Someone would have to take "ownership" and manage releases, "vet" bug fixes/changes etc. its going to be a shitty borring job and quite hard work... Its also probably the most important roll on something like this.

For the people who do the fixes its a bt better (well less borring) but still a major comitment. If i was passed this at work i would take a few weeks (ie 70+ hours?) just to familiarise myself with the code before i even thought about changing it. Then add on the time to implement fixes, test them etc and it will burn up ALOT of time...

To to it properly you are really talking about taking a part-time job and trying to fit it in with everything else you do. (i am assuming most of the people on here are old enuff to have to work and pay morgages etc )



Having said all that I am sure that if i had the code, and a few weeks to play with it i think i could fix a lot of the outstanding faults (playlist, flac support ect spring to mind), i also think it would be easy to extend the plugin support so poeple can do more by themselves...

I have spent the last 9 years writing user interfaces at the company i work for, i have been using xlobby for ~10 months now, i have my own skin which is tailered to my needs (i do most things via a big plugin i wrote, so its not much use to anyone else, hence its not shared) and i think i have a pretty good grasp of xlobby and how to force it to do what you want ,

Code wise i prefer C++, but squint and C# looks almost the same


I still wouldent fancy managing it all tho

[BaddaBing]

This thread was started as a simple request; If SteveHanna should decide that he no longer wishes to support the current version of XL that he considers making the code available.

As long as Steve doesn't mind spending time on XL I am happy with him in charge of the code. It is his code - nobody is arguing that fact. No one is demanding he give it up now.

But if he does get tired of it then we are asking he please consider posting it, give it to someone he deems suitable or sell it.

Any of these options are preferable to the alternative - XL goes away.

Whether he will or won't - who knows. But it is a relevant request and there is no harm in asking.

[C-moi]

If cooperative developement is requested (but only Steven can decide that) I think that it is better to create a limited staff of developpers (probably 3 or 4, no more) who will have access to the source code.
Using a private CVS server, I think that it should be possible to work this way.

this would be a great solution

i agree with you Baddabing

[PhilB]

I hope Steven is not wasting too much time reading all of this and not coding:)

PB

[dalanik]

If cooperative developement is requested (but only Steven can decide that) I think that it is better to create a limited staff of developpers (probably 3 or 4, no more) who will have access to the source code.
Using a private CVS server, I think that it should be possible to work this way.

+1

+1