New version 0.5.0-beta3 is out

[blackwind]

0.5.0-beta3 (2016-08-16)

Fixed bugs:

• Catch errors when adding a plugin #92 (topic2k)
• Gracefully handle all possible plugin load errors #94 (blackwind)
• Continue setup only if user data can be backed up #95 (blackwind)

Another quick beta here, mainly to address a setup "bug" that could, in extremely rare circumstances, result in loss of user data when upgrading from v0.4.1. Even though it's technically the fault of the original developers, I know it'll be me who's run out of town with pitchforks if it happens to someone who doesn't keep backups.

This will hopefully be the last beta for a few weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Why aren't some of my events working?
A: You were using implicit wildcards. A "Play" event, for example, would previously match "X10Mouse.Button.Play" and "MyRemote.Play". In v0.5, you need to use explicit wildcards like "*.Play".

Q: Why are certain Python modules I depend on missing?
A: See #20. TL;DR: You can now use any module you want by installing it yourself.

Q: Why am I getting an error about `AddGrowableCol()`?
A: You're using plugins that haven't yet been updated for v0.5. If you're a regular user, roll back to v0.4.1r1722 for now; if you're a plugin developer, see #35 for info on how to update your plugins. If you need further assistance, post a reply to #35.

[blaher]

0.5.0-beta3 (2016-08-16)


Q: Why aren't some of my events working?
A: You were using implicit wildcards. A "Play" event, for example, would previously match "X10Mouse.Button.Play" and "MyRemote.Play". In v0.5, you need to use explicit wildcards like "*.Play".

This means that every 'Trigger Event' action is now broken because there's a 'Main.' on the front now. Is that intended?

[blackwind]

There was a "Main." on the front before as well -- it just didn't matter if you included it.

[blaher]

Was there? Damn it! Now I have to sort through the timer plugin, and eg app control ones, which don't have 'Main.' on the beginning and differentiate them from the Trigger Event ones.

Ah well, I'm sure there's a good reason for changing it.

Seems to work well so far, thanks.

[blaher]

Anyone else have a permanent 'busy' red EventGhost icon on the taskbar? It's normally green and changes to red only when it gets a remote keypress, etc.

Edit: looks like it's related to the EventGhost Application Control Plugin. When it's monitoring the logs, it looks like it gets in a loop.

[dequi]

Going forward now...I like it!

Have you given any thought on how to address the 'hard to find documentation/tutorials' issue?

What I mean is there is a 'Help' >> 'Help Contents' using an older Microsoft .chm format and when you navigate to 'Help' >> 'Home Page' and choose
documentation the info you get is exactly the same (exact duplicate)

The 'Help' >> 'Wiki' option is not helping you much further, mostly duplicate somewhat older and stale info.

On the Github page the documentation is hidden away in the _build folder,

What is the vision for the future here? Maybe it should addressed in the Help menu of the 0.5.0 version already.

If you want a newbie vision to get the discussion going here it is:

1. Ditch the .chm help file. It is the same info as on the website and including it with the program makes it stale. Most programs nowadays link the F1 help key to an online repository/knowledgebase so link directly to a website. Use a url like: http://help.eventghost.net. This should provide a single launchpad to get started with EventGhost, and make it easy to add other types of resources (or retire some - without program compatibility issues in the future)

2. Clean up the 'Help' menu. Remove the hardcoded references to the mediawiki url and the support forums url from the Help menu but give them a premiere location on http://help.eventghost.net (maybe just the forums as I feel the wiki in it's current form is dead)

3. Start building the http://help.eventghost.net website on the http://eventghost.github.io space but don't use http://eventghost.github.io as a link in the Help menu as you want to keep the options open to move the site in a later stage. Contributing to the site can follow the GitHub filosofy.

some mockups below how it might look. (happy to put in some of my time)

[blackwind]

Welcome to the forum, dequi!

I completely agree that we have a serious, serious documentation problem, and I'm right there with you in terms of wanting to do something about it, but a couple issues stand in our way:

1. First and foremost, everyone involved with the project has different access -- I have access to the Git repo and the developer chatroom, Pako has access to the Git repo and the forum, the forum moderators have access to the forum, the sysadmin has access to the server and one of the domains, the original developer has access to the rest of the domains, and no one has access to everything. I'd like to see that change, but it's largely out of my hands. Until it does, I, personally, won't be able to spearhead any such initiative.
2. Documentation isn't glamorous, and nobody wants to do it -- not the developers, not our non-techy users who post on the forum asking if there's any way they can help with the project, not anyone. Without someone with a passion for this who's willing to keep on top of the latest developments, there probably won't be much movement now or ever. Such is the life of an open source project -- if nobody's paying me, I only want to work on the stuff I enjoy.

If you'd like to lend a hand, the best thing you could do at this stage is go through the documentation in `_build/data/docs`, update anything that needs to be updated, document the new features in v0.5, and send us a pull request at GitHub. Long-term, hopefully we'll one day get to a point where we can make the rest of the changes you've suggested.

[dequi]

Yes, I figured as much. I've been lurking in the forum quite a while now and here is what I as a newbie in the community could gather. It's not complete and might not be accurate in all places, correct me where I'm wrong. As far as I can see current core project members are zian, Pako and you (blackwind), it shouldn't be so difficult to get some things organised.

General

Eventghost was created by Bitmonster(Lars-Peter Voss), but he left the project in February 2010, it is now in the hands of the community
http://www.eventghost.org/forum/viewtop ... 3d8fb6eeb8

- No real project leader or team of core members that make the descisions
- No defined roadmap or action/task list


Domains

Code: Select all

Name               dns-admin                       Registrar                    Cost	              Expires
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
eventghost.net     zian (Ian Wilson)               http://www.domain.com        $45.96/4years        18-01-2018
eventghost.org     Bitmonster(Lars-Peter Voss)     http://www.antagus.de                             07-02-2017
eventghost.com	  Bitmonster(Lars-Peter Voss)     https://www.hetzner.de                            07-02-2017
eventghost.de      Klaus Rothert ???               ???                                               ??-??-????	

Remarks:
- Everyone seems to use the .net but Google prefers the .org in the results
- Only one person that has the 'access' per domain? This issue should be addressed.
- Does jitterjames still have access? Looks like he set up the eventghost.net domain. Is he still involved? (as he retired his AdSense account)


Hosting

Code: Select all

site-admin             Host         Cost              Expires
----------------------------------------------------------------
zian (Ian Wilson)		goDaddy		$107.88/year		??-??-????

Remarks:
- Only one person that has the 'access' to the hosting account? This issue should be addressed.
- Does jitterjames still have access? Looks like he set up the eventghost.net domain. Is he still involved? (as he retired his AdSense account)
- Currently hosts the Website / Documentation / Forum / Wiki.
- Nobody 'really' updates the Website or Wiki.


Income

Code: Select all

Type	          Owner                    Account
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donations	     zian (Ian Wilson)        paypal account = iwilson7 (at) hotmail.com
AdSense	       blackwind                ca-pub-2855227551695939

Development (GitHub)

Code: Select all

Lead     blackwind
         Pako

Contributors	topic2k					

Remarks:
- Communication trough eventghost.slack.com (only 3 users) ?

Documentation / Help

http://www.eventghost.net/forum
Remarks:
- here you'll find the most updated guides for each plugin
- Scattered in different posts over multiple topics and pages
- Tutorials and Guides Topic: it's a good effort but a forum post format might not be the best way.

http://www.eventghost.net/documentation
Remarks:
- stale old information

http://www.eventghost.net/mediawiki
Remarks:
- stale old information

https://github.com/EventGhost/EventGhos ... /data/docs


Forum

Code: Select all

Bitmonster	    Site Admin          abandoned the project?
zian             Site Admin	
jitterjames      Experienced User    abandoned the project?

MODERATORS	

Pako	          Plugin Developer
jonib	         Plugin Developer
Bartman          Plugin Developer
jinxdone         Plugin Developer
stottle          Plugin Developer

Remarks:
- currently the main way collaboration on the project happens

[blackwind]

A largely accurate assessment, except that AdSense goes to zian as well, whom we haven't heard from in months. As far as I know, jitterjames is no longer involved, but only zian would know for sure.

Yep, it's a mess, and I think almost everyone here -- not just the team -- recognizes that. Until the keys to the kingdom are shared with those of us willing to do something about it, though, we'll forever remain at this standstill. It's regrettable, but again, it's out of my hands.

[krambriw]

Also Bartman and Stottle are since long not seen anymore

So what do we need to achieve? Who needs to share what? I suggest we list those and then we contact them about this.

xyz -> shares/adds user/gives access to -> xxx, yyy, zzz

etc

BR Walter

[blackwind]

To accomplish everything we need to accomplish to move the project forward, particularly when it comes to the online plugin repository, I need full access to the server and the domains. I think Pako should have access as well.

I recall reading at one point a set of conditions Bitmonster had for transferring ownership of the rest of the domains, but I can't recall what they are off-hand or where exactly I found them. In any case, I'd like to get that sorted and make .org our primary once again, because, as dequi notes, that's how Google continues to lean.

I'd like to see some more of our trusted, long-time developers like topic2k and you, Walter, become forum moderators, assuming they so desire.

When he eventually nails the contribution guidelines I've set forth in `CONTRIBUTING.md`, I'd like to give topic2k commit access to the Git repo. He's done (and continues to do) some great work for us and deserves to be a proper part of the team like Pako and I -- again, assuming he so desires.

[dequi]

I recall reading at one point a set of conditions Bitmonster had for transferring ownership of the rest of the domains, but I can't recall what they are off-hand or where exactly I found them. In any case, I'd like to get that sorted and make .org our primary once again

http://www.eventghost.org/forum/search. ... bitmonster

Third result down, no specifics just that he would hold on to the domains for a couple of years.

1. I think step one is to get zian in on this discussion, so you can get access to at least the .net domain and server, and that we get some more info on the expiry dates of things. I saw his email address around here so I'll send him an email.

2. Get to some agreement about sharing all the access-keys with in my opinion at least Pako and blackwind as they, seems to me at least, have contributed the most to actual program development.

3. Update the website a bit to indicate some progress/life, doesn't need to be much.

4. Try to get zian (as he led the first transfer) to contact Bitmonster and see if he is willing to release at least the .org domain

Let's get the ball rolling again... it's such a nice piece of software.

anybody got a list of the active plugin developpers? and / or some real life contact info of those who stopped caring, else I get back to analysing the forum

/dequi

[zian]

Yup,
It's kind of a mess.
Always has been I think.

zian ~ listening

[zian]

First thing I would do is start a new topic.
Eventghost... Going Forward? or similar.

Get people involved. Ideas out.

[dequi]

aha, point 1 already accomplished! welcome to the discussion zian.
agreed that we need a separate topic for this, so let head over to...

EventGhost Roadmap: Ambitions and Goals