Release PNDManager


bzar

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Yay, another thread for PNDManager!


Since there have been quite a few backend changes since the last PNDManager release, I need some user testing for the current development version before I upload stuff to the repo. The new release should be generally better in most aspects regarding downloads and syncs. No visible UI changes (except for a few emergent ones), just backend stuff. If you have had problems with downloads, I'd especially like to hear how this version works for you.


Anyway, here's PNDManager 1.2.0.0 beta PNDManager 1.2.0.1b PNDManager 1.2.0.2b.


Later when I get to adding more features I'll post test PNDs here before uploading to the repo.
 
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Checking it out now. Any feature in particular you think needs some focus testing?


At first glance, it seems the ability to launch installed titles no longer works. I'm running Super Zaxxon 5a, full desktop mode.
 
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Confirmed launching installed PNDs from inside PNDManager no longer works. I can see that PNDManager registers the action (both when clicking the button and when hitting enter) because the button changes colour briefly, but nothing else happens and there is nothing added to the pndrun_pndmanager.out file with the attempt. (nor was any .out file created for the application I was trying to launch)


- Neelix
 
Seems like B-ZaR forgot that the paths pndman gives now are relative :p , combine pnd->mount && pnd->path to get full path.


I also suggest removing old libpndman folders if you have any before testing the beta, the databases aren't backwards compatible really.
 
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Looks good so far. launching and downloading both working fine. I seem to be getting a really good transfer rate today too.


Incidentally I don't suppose there's any chance of actually displaying the download rate in kb/sec within PNDManager while downloading?


- Neelix
 
Could do that, have thought about it myself at times. If a simple (bytes downloaded now - bytes downloaded a second ago) / 1s approximation is enough, it could be implemented in a couple of lines of QML. I'll see what I can come up with.
 
Cheers!


Couple of other things I've noticed:

  • If the author line is too long it extends out of its column and overlaps the next column. This can be observed with the entry for Geany in the developer category or Wiimote configurator under Utilities.
  • Installed PNDs seem to no longer show up in the category section which I find quite disconcerting. I'd prefer to see them listed but marked somehow as already being installed.
  • I had the wifi cut out during a download. The progress bar for the download disappeared, but the item was still listed in the downloading section. It did not automatically restart once wifi access was restored and I could see no way to trigger it to resume. Eventually I triggered it to install again, and it restarted from the beginning. I assume this is because resume has been implemented in the back end but not in the front end, but I figured I should mention it anyway.



And now I have a couple of feature requests:

  • Could you display the licence information after the additional information in the application view?
  • Currently the location section in the Installed view only shows which card the PND is installed to. Ideally I'd like to see the full path split across three lines: media, path, filename. eg:
    Media: /media/SDCARDNAME/
    Location: pandora/menu/
    Filename: application.pnd
  • In the same view I'd also like to see an indicator as to whether that PND exists in the repo. (or which repo if any and which version if different.)



- Neelix
 
I tried out the beta (a) of the new verison (not downloaded the newer version yet), and encountered an odd bug where I had a list of files being updated, but the list of PND's to be updated was missing one, so when I selected that to be updated, instead of adding it to the downlad queue, it downloaded first and reset the progress on all of the other files that were in mid-download (although they did download to completion automatically straight afterwards). Then again, I've not really updated too many files at one go before, so this might be the way it always operates? ;)
 
Hi,


I wonder, if there is a feature in PNDManager to update all installed PNDs, for which updates are available, similar to the corresponding feature in PNDStore. Or did I miss it? IMHO this is a very useful feature.


And I have a question:


PNDManager crashes for me after the start, whenever one certain SD card is inserted. The pnd.out file shows that PNDManager crashes while scanning that SD card.


Is there a way to debug that in detail, without deleting every single suspicious file on the SD card and retrying? I mean, something like a debug output, which tells us, which file is the one, which makes PNDManager crash?


Thanks!
 
The upgrade all function is available from the 'Installed' screen. After a successful sync all upgradeable PNDs are listed at the top with a button to upgrade them all.


I'd suggest you try changing the loggingVerbosity setting in appdata/pndmanager/settings.cfg to 3 and then try scanning that card again. Hopefully then the pndrun.out file will be more useful. :)


- Neelix
 
The upgrade all function is available from the 'Installed' screen. After a successful sync all upgradeable PNDs are listed at the top with a button to upgrade them all.

Maybe I am a blockhead, but... I don't see that button!


This is my "Installed" screen, and I have done a sync using the "sync" button in the lower right corner:


pan1sd0_2012-06-05_13-47-45.png

I'd suggest you try changing the loggingVerbosity setting in appdata/pndmanager/settings.cfg to 3 and then try scanning that card again. Hopefully then the pndrun.out file will be more useful. :)

After increasing the verbosity level, the crash doesn't happen anymore. Strange.


I Will keep this under observation and report, as soon as I can come up with news.


Daniel
 
The upgrade all function is available from the 'Installed' screen. After a successful sync all upgradeable PNDs are listed at the top with a button to upgrade them all.

Maybe I am a blockhead, but... I don't see that button!


This is my "Installed" screen, and I have done a sync using the "sync" button in the lower right corner:


View attachment 2934

That suggests that all your PNDs are already up to date. (or have a different unique id to the version in the repo) If there are no updates available the section doesn't show up. Are you sure you have any PNDs that aren't up to date?

After increasing the verbosity level, the crash doesn't happen anymore. Strange.


I Will keep this under observation and report, as soon as I can come up with news.

That seems quite odd. It may be worth checking out the pndrun.out file anyway. If there are any issues with any of the PND files on the card they may still be recorded there. Since installing this beta I discovered one of the PNDs on my card was showing up as having a malformed PXML file. (sdl_ball) Though I must say I haven't tried running the new version without the higher verbosity level, and have not had it crash.


- Neelix
 
That suggests that all your PNDs are already up to date. (or have a different unique id to the version in the repo) If there are no updates available the section doesn't show up. Are you sure you have any PNDs that aren't up to date?

No, I think all my PNDs are up-to-date. At least I updated them a few days ago using PNDStore.


So that explains it. :)


May I suggest that you add an indicator to the "Installed" screen, which lets the user know, that all his installed PNDs are already up-to-date? Preferablly just in the same place where otherwise the button for "Update all packages" (or however it is labeled - I have never seen it yet) is located.

That seems quite odd. It may be worth checking out the pndrun.out file anyway. If there are any issues with any of the PND files on the card they may still be recorded there. Since installing this beta I discovered one of the PNDs on my card was showing up as having a malformed PXML file. (sdl_ball) Though I must say I haven't tried running the new version without the higher verbosity level, and have not had it crash.

Well, skimming the out file, I see a LOT of messages like this:



Code:
/media/DATA/pandora/desktop/alt/._CodecPack.pnd: PXML parse failed: could not find start tag before EOF.


I have a Mac, and put PNDs onto the card using the Mac most of the time, and Mac OS X creates those "._" files for each file it puts onto the card. Very annoying, but - afaik - not avoidable.


Maybe PNDManager should skip all files beginning with "." (hidden files) in general?


Oh, and I see, that PNDManager also scans subdirectories of the PND directores (see output line above: .../desktop/alt/...).


I put the PND in subdirectory "alt", because then it does not appear on the desktop, i.e. is "not installed" then. So I think PNDManager should also not consider PNDs installed, if they are in a subdirectory of desktop/, menu/, apps/...)


Otherwise, I cannot see any suspicious output.


Will try to trigger the crash again tonight.


Daniel
 
  • If the author line is too long it extends out of its column and overlaps the next column. This can be observed with the entry for Geany in the developer category or Wiimote configurator under Utilities.
Roger, will need to crop it.

  • Installed PNDs seem to no longer show up in the category section which I find quite disconcerting. I'd prefer to see them listed but marked somehow as already being installed.
They have shown at some point? Was not my intention, at least.


One reason to this is performance. Generally I'd rather make the delegates (how a single item in a list is displayed) simpler than more complex. Complex delegates are the number one reason for stuttering movement in kinetic scrolling. I have added such an indicator to the search result delegate, since search searches everything, but I'd rather keep it away from the more browse-oriented views.


Another reason is use efficiency. When you browse things from the category view, you're not probably there to find some package you've installed. That would be just plain inefficient. Rather I'd like to fill the screen with information the user is possibly after.

  • I had the wifi cut out during a download. The progress bar for the download disappeared, but the item was still listed in the downloading section. It did not automatically restart once wifi access was restored and I could see no way to trigger it to resume. Eventually I triggered it to install again, and it restarted from the beginning. I assume this is because resume has been implemented in the back end but not in the front end, but I figured I should mention it anyway.
Yup, not supported yet. PNDManager basically gives up when anything goes wrong :)

  • Could you display the licence information after the additional information in the application view?
Possibly. Not a priority though.

  • Currently the location section in the Installed view only shows which card the PND is installed to. Ideally I'd like to see the full path split across three lines: media, path, filename. eg:
    Media: /media/SDCARDNAME/
    Location: pandora/menu/
    Filename: application.pnd
  • In the same view I'd also like to see an indicator as to whether that PND exists in the repo. (or which repo if any and which version if different.)
Yeah, that takes quite a bit of valuable space. What would you take out to make it fit?

I tried out the beta (a) of the new verison (not downloaded the newer version yet), and encountered an odd bug where I had a list of files being updated, but the list of PND's to be updated was missing one, so when I selected that to be updated, instead of adding it to the downlad queue, it downloaded first and reset the progress on all of the other files that were in mid-download (although they did download to completion automatically straight afterwards). Then again, I've not really updated too many files at one go before, so this might be the way it always operates? ;)
That sounds weird. I've done simultaneous download tests quite a few times but haven't bumped into that one. When you say the "list of PND's to be updated was missing one" do you mean it wasn't in the "upgradable" list, but was upgradable through it's package view? I wonder how you got into that state :) .

May I suggest that you add an indicator to the "Installed" screen, which lets the user know, that all his installed PNDs are already up-to-date?
Possible. The current system is based on how it's done in android and meego. I could add some kind of indication that all packages are up-to-date, since the use cases are a bit different.

Code:
/media/DATA/pandora/desktop/alt/._CodecPack.pnd: PXML parse failed: could not find start tag before EOF.


I have a Mac, and put PNDs onto the card using the Mac most of the time, and Mac OS X creates those "._" files for each file it puts onto the card. Very annoying, but - afaik - not avoidable.


Maybe PNDManager should skip all files beginning with "." (hidden files) in general?
Yeah, libpndman probably freaks out on those pnd-but-not-pnd files your mac does. Skipping files/directories starting with a dot could be a good idea in general. I'll pitch this to Cloudef, so he can work it into pndman whenever he feels like it :)

Oh, and I see, that PNDManager also scans subdirectories of the PND directores (see output line above: .../desktop/alt/...).


I put the PND in subdirectory "alt", because then it does not appear on the desktop, i.e. is "not installed" then. So I think PNDManager should also not consider PNDs installed, if they are in a subdirectory of desktop/, menu/, apps/...)
"NOTE: You can actually put subdirectories into those locations above, should you wish to organize your pnd-files somehow within those larger categories. " Pandora wiki, PND, Where do PNDs go
 
I have a Mac, and put PNDs onto the card using the Mac most of the time, and Mac OS X creates those "._" files for each file it puts onto the card. Very annoying, but - afaik - not avoidable.
Maybe PNDManager should skip all files beginning with "." (hidden files) in general?
Skipping dot files can be doable, since it's uncommon to have PND which is hidden. But generally I consider this as a flaw in your file manager or whatever creates those files.

Oh, and I see, that PNDManager also scans subdirectories of the PND directores (see output line above: .../desktop/alt/...).
I put the PND in subdirectory "alt", because then it does not appear on the desktop, i.e. is "not installed" then. So I think PNDManager should also not consider PNDs installed, if they are in a subdirectory of desktop/, menu/, apps/...)
Intended behaviour, not "fixing". It's possible to filter by relative path from front-end though.

I had the wifi cut out during a download. The progress bar for the download disappeared, but the item was still listed in the downloading section. It did not automatically restart once wifi access was restored and I could see no way to trigger it to resume. Eventually I triggered it to install again, and it restarted from the beginning. I assume this is because resume has been implemented in the back end but not in the front end, but I figured I should mention it anyway.
Currently the download resume is automated, if download cuts it will try it again 5 times resuming where it left. However, it won't work if you start the download again. (This is because libpndman uses temporary files which are removed when handle is freed) However, It's not impossible to change how this works.
 
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This list of PNDs to update didn't include one which I knew had been updated, when I clicked into it, it then gave me the option to update it from there. Hope that makes more sense now?(6am starts in work do not contribute to my written elegance sometimes!!)


(null)
 
Skipping dot files can be doable, since it's uncommon to have PND which is hidden. But generally I consider this as a flaw in your file manager or whatever creates those files.

This behavior is not dependent on a specific file manager. It seems ot be a general OS "feature".


There does not seem to be a way to turn off creation of those files by Mac OS. I hoped, that Mac OS X could be convinced not to write these annoying files onto non-HFS+ file systems, but apparently there is no way.


http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-606884.html


Daniel
 
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