PortableApps.com Platform 1.2 Release Candidate 4 (Renaming & Hiding Added)

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March 2, 2009 - 1:01pm

John T. Haller

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PortableApps.com Platform 1.2 Release Candidate 4 (Renaming & Hiding Added)

This has been released. Thanks for testing.
https://portableapps.com/news/2009-03-06_-_platform_1.5

I've just posted a release candidate build of the PortableApps.com Platform 1.2. This is a special release based on the upcoming 1.5 build that was put together sooner for distribution by OpenOffice.org at CeBit this week in Germany. As such, it's kind of an amalgam of 1.1 and 1.5, so it has some of the features of the upcoming 1.5 release but not most of them.

What's new in 1.2:

App Icon Renaming (New in RC3) - You can rename app icons by right-clicking on them within the menu. In the screen that comes up, enter a new name. To easily reset it to the original name, you can leave the field blank and hit OK.
App Icon Hiding (New in RC3) - You can hide an app icon by right-clicking on it within the menu. In the rename window, set the name to a single dash (aka minus sign). You can only unhide by editing the INI at the moment. A full GUI for hiding is coming in the next point release.
Full PAF Support (New in RC3) - The menu now fully utilizes PortableApps.com Format in seeking out applications. All apps in PAF it will get their name and icons from the App\AppInfo files as dictated in the format spec.
App Icon Hover Info (New in RC3) - When you hover over an app icon that is a PortableApps.com Format app, it will give you additional detail about the app including the version (display and package), publisher and main app name in the case of multi-icon apps.
New Theming - The theming engine is now based on PNGs and it has alpha blended rollovers on app icons, folder icons and the eject and exit buttons. It will also use a square menu on Win9x since it doesn't support rounded forms properly.
New Theme - We're debuting a new graphical theme that's a bit richer and darker colorwise as well as shinier. It looks more modern than the old one.
New Folder Icons - New folder icons are placed on the Documents, Music, Video and Pictures folders based on the nuoveXT-2.2_KDE icons
Language Switching - When you switch languages in the menu and then launch one of our apps like Pidgin, GIMP, Notepad++, VLC and others, the app will automatically come up in the language the menu is set to. This will make it easier for end users to use the platform. Any installers started from Options - Install a New App will also automatically come up in the proper language
PNG Personal Picture - You can set a PNG image as your personal picture. The platform will assume it is alpha blended and remove the border. This way you can have your own image blend in perfectly with the theme.
Aspect Wallpapers - The menu will automatically load a wallpaper called portableapps_wallpaper_wide.bmp when the screen is widescreen and portableapps_wallpaper.bmp when it is not, so your wallpaper will look good on any screen you wind up using.
Fade Removed - The fade in and out is now off by default. You can manually edit your PortableAppsMenu.ini file in the PortableApps\PortableApps.com\Data directly and set FadeMenu=true to get it back.
Hide Desktop Icons - You can have the platform hide the PC's desktop icons when running by setting HideDesktopIcons=true in the PortableAppsMenu.ini.
Transparent Menu - You can have the menu appear partially transparent by editing the PortableAppsMenu.ini and setting AlphaBlendMain= to a number between 0 and 255. 255 is opaque. 0 is clear. 200 or higher seems like a good effect.
Multilingual Installer - The platform now has a multilingual installer and will set the appropriate menu language based on your selection during install.
Menu Updated By PortableApps.com Installers - The menu will automatically refresh when you install a new app using a PortableApps.com Installer even if you don't use Options - Install a New App
Use Menu While Installing - When you install a new app by using the Options - Install a New App option, you can continue using the menu and your apps while the install is going on.
Manual Renaming - The renaming function is included in this release but the GUI is disabled. So, you can rename apps by adding a section called [AppsRenamed] to your PortableAppsMenu.ini and then entries in the form: FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe=Firefox Rocks
Manual Hiding - The hiding function is included in this release but the GUI is disabled. So, you can hide app icons by adding a section called [AppsHidden] to your PortableAppsMenu.ini and then entries in the form: thunderbirdportable\thunderbirdportable.exe=true
Run As (Admin) - If you control click on an app icon, you're presented with the Windows Run As dialog so you can select to run it as another user. This is handy for apps like JkDefrag portable and for testing.
Disable App Language Switching (Added in RC2) - You can disable the app language switching by adding a section called [Localization] and then an entry DisableAppLanguageSwitching=true to your PortableAppsMenu.ini
Theme Font Color (Added in RC2) - You can alter a theme's font colors now

If you are upgrading from an unofficial menu or have unofficial themes installed, they may be removed. All users are encouraged to backup their data before installing to be safe.

Download PortableApps.com Platform

Download PortableApps.com Platform 1.2 Release Candidate 4 [1MB download / 1.2MB installed]
MD5: 1c070623ab358577d2795bf64e374bdb

You can also download the source for the platform, backup, restore and installer.

Please download, test and post your feedback!

Thanks,
John

Known Issues

FIXED IN RC4: Rename isn't loaded at start for non-PAF apps
FIXED IN RC4: English Locale file has an extra character (a 2) next to the word Exit
FIXED IN RC4: Polish locale has too long entry in backup (new string in forum)
MITIGATED IN RC4: Rename and About windows can be covered by form if all lose focus and then gain back though less noticeable on About since it is screen centered

Updates
Release Candidate 4: Fixed renaming not persisting between runs of non-PAF apps. Centered rename screen to avoid menu blocking it if loses focus. Fixed Polish and other translations. Added Greek translations. Fixed bug in installer not detecting old menu running.
Release Candidate 3: Add Renaming and Hiding via GUI. Full PortableApps.com Format support. Additional info in app hover popups for PAF apps.
Release Candidate 2: Fixed Polish localization, removed phantom button bringing up Options, theme updates, ability to disable the app language switching

March 2, 2009 - 1:45pm

Bart.S

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Disable Language Switching

Hi John, is there an option to disable the automatic language switching? (I haven't tested it yet)
Paradox, isn't it? I add language switcher code to my apps, but I want to disable this new feature?
Well, I'm an end user and I don't like that all apps launch in the same language, because:

some apps have bad translations, you don't understand the meanings
some apps have good translations, but they don't fit into the menus, buttons,... . So you can't read the whole text
If you work together with people from other countries, it's good to use the same app language. It's easier to explain things when you know the exact name of properties, settings, menus,...
...

Therefore I use some apps in english, some apps in german, ... and I really don't want that the menu overwrites my custom language settings. I think it's bad behavior of the menu if you can't disable the automatic language switching!
And now, hate me again for my counterproductive posts

Thanks for the new platform!

March 2, 2009 - 3:08pm

(Reply to #2) #3

John T. Haller

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Coming

The ability to do that is coming, mainly for developers. We don't have a GUI for it, so I'll probably add it as a manual INI entry.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 5:55pm

(Reply to #3) #4

SilentWalker

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thanks

March 2, 2009 - 2:10pm

José Pedro Arvela

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OMG! OMG!! OMG!!! (passes out)

Wow, seems awsome (based on one second with it opened in WINE ).

I'd like to ask one thing tough:
On PATheme.ini, there is a setting called:

PortableApps.comThemeType=Simple

What is that option? What is it for? Are there complex theme types? What are the differences?

Hope the new platform is bug free (I would be a better bug tester if I had it opened more than a second tough )

But, trying not to seem as useless as I am, I am going to report the following:

The icons alpha bend works fine under WINE;
The same with the personal picture;
The round menu is used in WINE when not emulating 98, causing the pink to appear on the corners, but when using windows 98 emulation, the square menu is used;
EDIT: Oh! I had the same bug as SilentWalker (I think);
And also had a bug that, after opening the Options/Search menu, not clicking a menu item in them would make the hover image not to disappear until hovered in and out again.

Now 1 request:

Support for detecting WINE emulating Windows, so the square menu is used (at least until WINE's transparency problem is solved, maybe I should try to install that unicode layer thingy or something for windows 98 )

Very good work with the release!

Blue is everything.

March 2, 2009 - 3:05pm

(Reply to #5) #6

John T. Haller

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Simple, WINE

The Simple thing is for later. We only do simple themes now. Advanced will support form changes the right way.

I don't think you can detect WINE and the transparency thing is a bug within WINE itself, so nothing we can do.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 2, 2009 - 2:07pm

SilentWalker

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Minor Bug with "Options" and "Search" Button Click

Hey John, love the new menu:) However I have found a minor bug.

When I click the "Options" and/or "Search" button, and then click on the black area just below the "Search" button but above the tip of the arrow, either the "Options" menu or the "Search" menu appears where I clicked.

Look at this link: http://www.box.net/shared/kurkedfjk6

Notice the "Options" menu in its normal position, and then after I click on the black area, instead of disappearing, it moves to where I clicked.

It's not a major bug, some may not even consider it a bug, but it is a bit annoying.

I am running Windows Vista Ultimate.

Anyways, love the work John,
Keep it up:D
Regards,
SilentWalker.

March 2, 2009 - 3:05pm

(Reply to #7) #8

John T. Haller

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Confirmed

I see it, but it doesn't really make sense. It looks like Windows or Delphi is sending something it shouldn't. I'll try and nail it down.

UPDATE: Found it. It's part of a hidden button below that for use by OEMs that isn't properly disabled. It'll be fixed in the next release.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 2, 2009 - 4:41pm

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wow

gonna test it further on...at last...I´m fully impressed...Have to leave and adapt my themes..

After some testing: nearly all functions work, but..
Seems I didn´t quite get the fade function there´s no change when it´s switched between true and false - the menu always hides after clicking an icon, did I miss something?
Shortcuts are disabled except the WinStart+P, ->not of importance, since I stopped using them some time ago

good job..

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisici elit, sed eiusmod tempor incidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis .." Friday Next -
"May The Schwartz be with You!" Yogurt the Yoda

March 2, 2009 - 4:49pm

(Reply to #9) #10

John T. Haller

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Disappears

Fade means whether it just disappears/reappears vs fades in and fades out. To have it stay visible permanently (a non-standard menu behaviour) is another setting... same as 1.1... though I can't recall offhand. Nothing new and not part of the test.

Found it: RemainVisible=true But like I said, not part of this test and no further comment on it is necessary.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 2, 2009 - 5:04pm

(Reply to #10) #11

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Ok,

you´ve opened my eyes -> I think I´ll stick to fade=true

March 2, 2009 - 3:11pm

#12

onestoploser

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As far as I can tell

As far as I can tell everything is working fine (but I haven't tried the options/search thing). I really like the new skin and the new icons are way better than the old ones IMO. Nice job JohnTHaller!

March 2, 2009 - 3:25pm

#13

Oni-Neoxes

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I am loving this new Menu!
especially the icons!
WTG!!!

March 2, 2009 - 3:32pm

#14

MarkoMLM

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Thank You for the RC ...

... and the 'step between'.

So we can show on cebit an actual state of PortableApps.com Suite development.
Its a great goal to had it just in time, thanks again!

Paid for Software more or less?
What You need is OSS!

March 2, 2009 - 3:55pm

#15

Sidewinder

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It's looking awesome John and

It's looking awesome John and when all the GUIs are implemented it's certainly going to be a huge step forward in pretty much all ways.

Also, I much prefer the new structure of the menu and backup parts - having them all together is much cleaner

March 2, 2009 - 8:04pm

#16

gmbudwrench

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Once

installed to my flashdrive, I tried installing several apps. An older version of PNotes, FirefoxPortable and 7zip. The installer hung once the install was completed. I clicked "show details" and it stopped at Refreshing PortableApps.com Menu. The "Back" "Next" and "Cancel" buttons never come up to proceed or cancel the installation. But the apps were installed into menu. I had to use the task manager to close the installation window. This occurred with all three apps. Btw this was installed on an empty flashdrive, no other files or programs were on it. It was clear when I started.

March 2, 2009 - 8:04pm

(Reply to #16) #17

John T. Haller

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What Else

I need a bit more info. Did you have an custom INI options set? Did you have the menu's about window up? how did you install them... running the EXE directly or through Options - Add a new app?

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 2, 2009 - 10:32pm

(Reply to #17) #18

gmbudwrench

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No custom

settings in INI. I extracted it to the flashdrive and installed the apps via the "options - add a new app" button of the menu, like normal. Nothing was open, except for Firefox in my other PortableApps menu on my external hdd. I had just downloaded this and was anxious to try it out. I deleted everything and tried reinstalling it, but adding apps by clicking on the apps themselves and I got the same problem. They found the drive, but something is stopping the install completion.

Edit: Smack self on the forehead...... It conflicts with the other "OPENED" version of the menu. Started from scratch again, but closed everything, and it works with no hang-ups. Install completed. Thanks anyway John.

March 2, 2009 - 8:14pm

#19

m-p-3

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Looks good so far, I'll post

Looks good so far, I'll post back if I get some problems.

March 2, 2009 - 8:26pm

#20

agdurrette

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cool

cool thanks i haven't looked at it much but i like.

"It's just an online installer. It's not going to mug you.", JTH
"The shell is the key to unlock Linux's greatest advantages."

March 2, 2009 - 11:05pm

#21

horusofoz

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Feedback

I upgraded from the Mod 34 so likely some things I think are not working might not part of the official platform (yet) so please be patient with my response.

Buttons: I noticed it seems the only buttons that I only see "pressed" when I click on them are the exit and eject button. This may have just been a feature of the mod but I thought I remembered this in the official platform. That's the folder buttons (documents etc) and the app entries in the menu. Usually when I click on say Firefox it is "pressed" in while I'm clicking on it. Also the exit and eject buttons are are different colours when pressed, exit goes black and eject a dark red.

Icons: I'm using a 1280x1024 resolution so that may have something to do with it but I can't make out the backup and options button icons. Also though obviously an app specific issue I notice my Battle For Wesnoth icon doesn't show well on this menu though it did in mod and pretty sure on PAM 1.1.

Options Menu: I noticed clicking on some random spots beneath the help button in the "menu area" still brought up the options menu in the spot clicked. Might no be a bug but never noticed this before.

Comment: It looks great to me Can't wait to play with 1.5 so I can be welcomed back into the fold of official PAM users without losing any of the functionality I've gotten used to.

Thanks for all your work John

EDIT: Can anyone please confirm if these are bugs in 1.2 RC1?

PortableApps.com Advocate

March 2, 2009 - 11:19pm

(Reply to #21) #22

John T. Haller

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Feature / Bug

The buttons are in a new visual style similar to newer Windows start menu (Vista and 7). They don't have a pressed state. This is by design.

The eject button color in pressed is off and will be fixed.

The backup and options are a box and a switchplate, which are used in other OSes for archives and options respectively. They are distinguishable if you know what they are. If not, it's not a big deal.
https://portableapps.com/temp/PlatformThemePreview.png

The invisible button bringing up the options menu is already discussed earlier in the thread and will be fixed in rc2.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 2, 2009 - 11:49pm

(Reply to #22) #23

horusofoz

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Thanks John :-)

Thanks John

PortableApps.com Advocate

March 2, 2009 - 9:06pm

#24

M_T

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no polish letters!

I see that you are using an old polish menu file!
Please look here and replace the old one:
https://portableapps.com/node/4852

Please be careful of the polish letters (the right codepage!!!)
And tell me if some strings are missing.

M.T

March 2, 2009 - 11:02pm

(Reply to #24) #25

John T. Haller

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It Was

It was based on the 1.1 release and was saved to the proper code page. I went through all 34 to double-check. I'll re-save it for the RC 2.

Also, a subtle note, please report bugs as is without wording like "I see that you are using an old polish menu file!" (aka "I see you screwed up!!")... I did not use an old one... it's a new, updated locale file.

UPDATE: Got it. I did pull one that was originally coded wrong so even though the page was coded right, the characters weren't there. Duh. It'll be fixed in RC2.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 3, 2009 - 6:21pm

(Reply to #25) #26

M_T

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Sorry, that I thought this polish file was old....

....but the PortableApps Menu MOD 34 had the same problem
with the right polish code page till i noticed and corrected it.
So i thought you use the new strings from this "old"
polish file from the MOD 34 with a wrong code page!
Be careful with the right polish code page next time cuz the polish
PA installer file in 0.11.2 was also in the wrong code page without polish letters!
The polish installer of OpenOffice.org 3.0.1 has still this bug.

Now the RC2 version has the right code page.
But i see that some strings are not the same as in the english file.
I corrected the missing strings - now the polish file is equal to the english one!

Please download it here:
http://www.alice-dsl.net/m_t/Polish.txt

Big thanks for this superb tool!!!!
M.T

March 4, 2009 - 11:42am

(Reply to #26) #27

M_T

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missing strings at the end of the installer

I see that there are two strings at the end of the installer
that are not translated. Here is my polish translation:

Launch PortableApps.com Platform
Uruchom PortableApps.com Platform

Set portable homepage to Start.PortableApps.com
Ustaw główną stronę przenośną na Start.PortableApps.com

And the rest of the updated strings you find here:
https://portableapps.com/node/4852

March 5, 2009 - 1:17am

(Reply to #27) #28

M_T

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Exit2

I see the english file has one additional string for exit (but why exit2?)
Please copy this to the polish file:

MENU_TRAY_EXIT=E&xit2   
MENU_OPTIONS_EXIT=&Wyjście

Thanks and as i see the RC3 works fine now!

March 5, 2009 - 1:23am

(Reply to #28) #29

John T. Haller

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Oops

That was me messing with it

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 6, 2009 - 5:02am

(Reply to #29) #30

M_T

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forgot one:

One string is still missing in the polish file in RC4:

MENU_TRAY_EXIT=&Wyjście

March 2, 2009 - 9:52pm

#31

kai.inouye

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Thanks! Will try out

March 2, 2009 - 10:55pm

#32

BradS

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AppsRenamed

Tried AppsRenamed without success.

[DisplayOptions]
LargeFonts=False
Language=English (US)
StartPositionHorizontal=Right
StartPositionVertical=Bottom

[AppsRenamed]
FirefoxPortable\FirefoxPortable.exe=Firefox Rocks

Exited PortableApps.com platform and reloaded. The Menu continued to show the old name "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition"

Brad

March 2, 2009 - 10:59pm

(Reply to #32) #33

John T. Haller

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Double Check

That INI isn't from the 1.2 release. It's a 1.1 menu. So be sure you're using the right one and editing the one in the right place. Also be sure you have the menu in X:\PortableApps\PortableApps.com and Firefox in X:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 3, 2009 - 12:51am

#34

John T. Haller

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1.2 Release Candidate 2

Fixed the Polish localization
Added option to disable app language switching
Removed phantom button on right bring up options window
Added theme font coloring
Added theme free space slide no stretch option

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 3, 2009 - 9:03am

#35

m-p-3

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Very little bug

I've just found one little detail that might be on the update check page.

When I go in Help \ PortableApps.com/Update I get to the following page/URL
1.1.992.0

Upgrade to 1.1 for Free

Your copy of the PortableApps.com Platform is out of date (Version: 1.1.992.0). You can download a free upgrade to version 1.1 from the PortableApps.com Download page.

I told you it was a very small bug

EDIT: Also wondering, is there any way to use a JPEG as the wallpaper instead of a BMP?

For example, I use this wallpaper. The Widescreen version (2560x1600) converted to a BMP weight a hefty 11.7MB, compared to 2.3MB when in JPEG.

I was also wondering if there could be 3 aspect ratio instead of normal and widescreen (4:3, 5:4, 16:10) ? These are the most common ratio I encounter on different systems. Definitely not an high priority, and I could look at the source code and maybe implement it myself.

March 3, 2009 - 9:33am

(Reply to #35) #36

Zach Thibeau

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windows operating systems

windows operating systems tend to use bmp only for wallpaper if I remember correctly

your friendly neighbourhood moderator Zach Thibeau

March 3, 2009 - 4:51pm

(Reply to #36) #37

TStodden

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BMP Preferred, JPEGs Accepted

Windows prefers to use bitmaps (BMP's) for wallpaper, but Windows has been accepting JPEGs since Windows 98. However, it wasn't until Windows XP that it's been taking JPEGs without any "special tweaks" (Active Desktop)... It would even accept GIFs & PNGs, but they're not usually used as wallpaper for quality issues.

It would be great if PAM would include JPEG support for portable wallpapers as well since it balloons a 100 KB 1024 x 768 JPEG graphic into 2.25 MB BMP. It would also save me some processing time as I have to fire up GIMP every time I want to change my portable wallpaper (which I only do once a month).

SUPPLEMENTAL: I was not totally aware how Windows handled this when this was originally posted... but it does seem a bit backwards though...

~TStodden
Game Monkey Likes You!

March 3, 2009 - 5:07pm

(Reply to #37) #38

John T. Haller

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Nope - Once Again...

Read again the other posts on this.

Once again, Windows only supports BMPs. It converts JPGs to BMPs to use. Active Desktop is a moot point as it is off on most PCs and causes issues. We'd have to convert it from JPG to BMP ourselves and then save that big BMP somewhere, which is also an issue.

If you would like to discuss this yet again, please start a new topic in the forums. Further JPG vs BMP posts will be considered off topic and removed as they are cluttering this topic and getting in the way of us actually testing the platform.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 3, 2009 - 10:22am

(Reply to #38) #39

John T. Haller

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Fixed

The update page has been updated to show the proper info.

As Zach said, Windows can only handle BMP files. Even in XP when you select a JPG it first converts it to a BMP and saves it to the local hard drive then uses that as your wallpaper. We may have the platform do that in a later release but it will surprise users when their 2.3MB JPG takes up 14MB total on the drive when converted.

On resolution, it's a bit more complicated than that. 5:4 is in smaller usage (1280x1024 isn't as common anymore). We're looking at:

4:3 - 44.5% of online users (1024x768, 800x600, 1152x864, etc)
16:10 - 36.7% of online users (1280x800, 1440x900, 1680x1050, etc)
5:4 - 12.5% of online users (only 1280x1024 has more than 0.1%)
5:3 - 1.8% of online users (only 1280x768 has more than 0.1%)
16:9 - 1.0% of online users (1280x720, 1600x900, 1920x1080)

So, we may consider adding 5:4 by specifically detecting 1280x1024 which is really the only 5:4 resolution in use (detecting the ratio is more complicated mathematically as there are lots of other resolutions close to the ones mentioned with ~0.5% of users online).

For most purposes 4:3 is close enough to 5:4 as 16:10 is close enough to 16:9 in terms of image stretch, so we may leave it as is. Most folks it's assumed will carry smaller wallpapers to save space and increase startup speed (bigger wallpapers take longer to load off flash drives). Plus, we'd need to come up with a name for the mid-ratio. Maybe portableapps_wallpaper_mid.jpg.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 3, 2009 - 10:48am

(Reply to #39) #40

m-p-3

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Even if Windows has to

Even if Windows has to convert it before using it, would it still be faster than using a BMP file directly from the flash drive?

March 3, 2009 - 11:36am

(Reply to #40) #41

John T. Haller

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Windows Can't

Windows' converter is part of the way you select a wallpaper, so we wouldn't have access to it. We'd have to convert it ourselves in code. Then you're dealing with writing 10MB+ of file to the local hard drive on every launch for large wallpapers. So, for this release, it will be staying as is. If you'd like to suggest an alternative for a later release, please create a new topic in the platform forum.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 3, 2009 - 4:46pm

(Reply to #41) #42

m-p-3

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Thanks for educating me on

Thanks for educating me on this matter, I wasn't too familiar with the wallpaper change process.

March 3, 2009 - 10:06am

#43

LOGAN-Portable

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I had a PortableApps.com

I had a PortableApps.com platform appear in the menu as an item. I think it was because I installed the 1.2RC1 platform while the menu was running. (the PortableAppsMenu folder was still present after install.)

Maybe check if menu 1.1 is already running could be a solution. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the update!

March 3, 2009 - 10:25am

(Reply to #43) #44

John T. Haller

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It does

It does check if both portableappsmenu.exe and portableappsplatform.exe are running in standard places. But if you've manually moved stuff around or are using an unofficial menu, it won't work. Or if you had the test version (those TEST1-6 releases) installed before to PortableApps.com, it left PortableAppsMenu because it assumes you're messing with an unofficial menu mod at the same time and tries to be polite and not kill it. I could just ignore the MODs and have it work right which would save a lot of time and energy.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 3, 2009 - 11:41am

(Reply to #44) #45

crookadile

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rename apps

I am having the same trouble as BradS.
When I rename the apps the names don't change,they stay the same.

EDIT:- Played about with it and managed to do it.

Thanks.

March 4, 2009 - 11:21am

#46

r.brem

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Platform 1.2 RC 2

I have installed just the PortableApps.com Platform 1.2 release Candidate 2. The design is good. Unfortunately, I can rename no applications. Because I have more than 130 portable applications to my USB embroidery one, it would be better for me if one could do categories. This feature does not have the Platform. Themes cannot be also changed.

Sorry for my English, i'm a german people.

Roland Brem
Zwickau, Germany

March 4, 2009 - 3:55pm

#47

solanus

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Any chance

we can get an idea of what features will be in 1.5 that aren't in 1.2?

EDIT: just to let people know what not to expect in this release, and will stop asking for features already planned for 1.5...

I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.

March 4, 2009 - 3:41pm

#48

Simeon

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Cool!

It works awsomely!

Two things:

The Platform.exe could be automatically added to the Platform ini so it isn't listed in the Menu. And it didnt delete my old Menu folder. Is that on purpose?

Great work on this one John!

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

March 4, 2009 - 3:56pm

(Reply to #48) #49

John T. Haller

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Directory

It HAS to be installed to X:\PortableApps\PortableApps.com. Nothing in that directory will be listed.

Your old PortableAppsMenu and PortableAppsBackup directories are deleted unless you had already installed the old test version to PortableApps.com in which case it assumes the PortableAppsMenu directory may be an unofficial mod and leaves it alone. Or if the Menu or Backup are running, which they shouldn't be (it checks).

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 4, 2009 - 4:38pm

(Reply to #49) #50

Simeon

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You're right

It works now as expected. Must have been something with my setup or else. I should test more thoroughly before yelling "bug!".

"What about Love?" - "Overrated. Biochemically no different than eating large quantities of chocolate." - Al Pacino in The Devils Advocate

March 4, 2009 - 4:16pm

#51

Stevoisiak

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I'll stick with PAM mod

I think I'll stick with pam mod untill folders are added. I have WAY too many programs to do without it.

Simplifying daily life through technology

March 4, 2009 - 4:25pm

(Reply to #51) #52

John T. Haller

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Nice

So glad you took the time to post just to say "meh". Yes, people, this is why we work so hard. Thanks so much for playing.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 4, 2009 - 4:59pm

(Reply to #52) #53

scriptdaemon

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Assume good faith.

I don't think he intended to insult the new release, but rather explain that he still wishes for a particular feature to be added. Constructive criticism, if you will.

March 4, 2009 - 5:17pm

(Reply to #53) #54

J Neutron

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And he expressed support

He did say he would be switching away from the PAM Mod once this one got certain features implemented that are already planned, RSN.

Sounds positive to me.

Jim

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

March 5, 2009 - 1:11pm

(Reply to #54) #55

Stevoisiak

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I ment for constructive criticism

I am glad about the new menu. Also, I love that you've added the rename feature. Thats a step in the right direction. Also, nice idea with the info.inf file specifying the name and icon.

Simplifying daily life through technology

March 4, 2009 - 4:42pm

#56

dragonmage

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Can't wait to play with the

Can't wait to play with the new skinning bits. Thanks for all the work guys.

March 4, 2009 - 7:22pm

#57

BradS

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You're Right (of course) AppsRenamed works

I had multiple PortableAppsMenu.ini files and was editing the one from a prior version. The one in X:\PortableApps\PortableApps.com works exactly as promised. Thanks!

Brad

March 5, 2009 - 12:54am

#58

John T. Haller

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RC3: Rename/Hide Apps in Menu, PAF support, more

Release Candidate 3 includes:
- Rename icons via Menu
- Hide icons via Menu (rename to dash/minus sign)
- Full PAF support
- Additional info including version in hover popups
- Updated Polish locale
- Added Polish locale to Backup/Restore

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 1:20am

(Reply to #58) #59

dragonmage

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Would "WOOT!" be too '04 to

Would "WOOT!" be too '04 to use here?

Seriously though, I'm liking this rate of speed

March 5, 2009 - 1:22am

(Reply to #59) #60

TaffinFoxcroft

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cool, this release looks even

cool, this release looks even better.
one minor problem: the old PortableApps.com Back and Restore shows up as some form of PAF error, but it looks like my version was fairly old

But there’s no sense crying over every mistake,
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

March 5, 2009 - 1:24am

(Reply to #60) #61

John T. Haller

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Yeah

The old version had an invalid appinfo setup. So it has some stuff missing from it. The menu, rather than just giving up, tries to show it as best it can so you can use it (if possible) or at least tell what app is broken.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 8:17am

(Reply to #61) #62

onestoploser

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This also happens with Python

This also happens with Python Portable.

March 5, 2009 - 12:57pm

(Reply to #62) #63

John T. Haller

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Confirmed

Python Portable has an invalid AppInfo setup so it will not show properly. This is a Python Portable bug. To demonstrate the correct setup, replace the PythonPortable\App\AppInfo directory with the files in this zip:
https://portableapps.com/temp/PythonPortableFixedAppInfo.zip

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 8:22am

(Reply to #63) #64

onestoploser

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I'm loving the new menu.

I'm loving the new menu. I've been waiting patiently for it, and it doesn't disappoint. I do have a feature request though. In the last menu I used to be able to start about 2-3 apps before it faded, but now as soon as I click on an app the menu minimizes. I start about six apps right off the bat every morning. I'd like to be able to click all of them before the menu minimizes. Maybe have an option for length of time the menu stays open after clicking an app? This isn't really important, but a man can dream.

Thanks for a great job JohnTHaller.

March 5, 2009 - 8:49am

(Reply to #64) #65

J Neutron

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Wrong question

Asking for the faster menu to work slower isn't the right question.

Asking for a program autostart or something like that would be advancing features.

Jim

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

March 5, 2009 - 12:59pm

(Reply to #65) #66

John T. Haller

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Nope

What J Neutron said. This is like the Windows menu. It closes when you launch something. This is the way all menus work by design. If you'd like to be able to manually chose to show/hide it so you can launch multiple apps at a time whenever you want, you can set RemainVisible=true just as you could in 1.1. If you want apps to start automatically, that is coming in the next point release test about 3 days after this goes live.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 2:33pm

(Reply to #66) #67

onestoploser

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Thanks for the info. I'll

Thanks for the info. I'll wait for the next point release so I can start apps automatically.

March 5, 2009 - 11:14am

(Reply to #67) #68

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It´s growing..

some annotations:
rename apps works with all .exe, but the non-PAF apps renamed reappear with their original name on next start though they are listed in the ini as renamed apps...

two exe in the same mainfolder in PAF don´t appear in the list, only the one with the app.info - example: Thunderbird portable plus your "old" addressbook launcher together in one folder -> only TBP is shown, not the one for the addressbook
-> in contrast two non-PAF exe in one folder without app.info are shown in the menu list
a workaround for me is just a bat2exe calling the addressbook put in a new folder under /PortableApps/ so if there´s too much struggling with the code just forget or does it work this way by design?

hide apps works fine

good work -> the gap between Mod funtionalities and those of the official platform is filled step by step besides other new gimmicks like renaming the drive or personal pic

EDIT: as a workaround for the non PAF apps to be renamed I just created a appinfo folder in the right position for each app ( there were only few with long exe names) and now it works

March 5, 2009 - 1:02pm

(Reply to #68) #69

John T. Haller

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Got It

I've confirmed that non-PAF apps are not properly renamed on load. I have it fixed for RC4 which I'll release today.

The extra EXEs not showing is by design. The appinfo.ini is the authority on what to show so everything else will be ignored. I have an update for the Thunderbird Address Book launcher that I can add in that is PAF compliant.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 3:54pm

(Reply to #69) #70

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Fine

so, I´ll wait till it´s done...

EDIT:
with a big bunch of almost eighty apps the menu loading time is now a bit slower than in 1.1 -> I know that R34 Mod has the option of loading from a database;
is anything similar thought of for 1.2 or 1.5 ? At least a switch in the menu ini like [load menu from database=true]should make it. Or is it already implemented as default?

March 5, 2009 - 9:43pm

(Reply to #70) #71

John T. Haller

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Not Yet

PAF apps it doesn't do directory searches or extracting icons from EXEs, it reads the appinfo.ini and reads the ICOs directly.

Non-PAF apps will have a cache in the release closely following this one. It is enabled by default and can be reset by doing Options - Refresh app icons.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 6, 2009 - 8:21am

(Reply to #71) #72

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well,

thanks for the answer

March 5, 2009 - 7:11am

#73

John Bentley

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Cool. I just ran it in wine

Cool. I just ran it in wine today and it looks nice.

cowsay Moo
cowthink 'Dude, why are you staring at me.'

March 5, 2009 - 10:05am

(Reply to #73) #74

crookadile

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Thanks

Thanks for release candidate 3. It makes renaming/hiding .exe's much easier.
I have now ditched Pam Mod R34 and am using the official version again.
Just waiting now for 1.5 for all the extra features.
( Or PAM 2 as it may be called ).

March 5, 2009 - 10:55am

#75

aamiel

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OOo seems to be gone

in 1.2 rc2, I had Open Office and I have hidden all the individual applications leaving only the main laucher. It seems to have disappeared in rc3

Arnaud

March 5, 2009 - 1:03pm

(Reply to #75) #76

John T. Haller

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By Design

This is by design. OpenOffice.org Portable's appinfo.ini says that in a multi-icon display, it is not supposed to show the main launcher. I'm gonna add in the ability to select to show only one icon for multi-icon apps in RC4 which will only show the OO.o main launcher. Would that cover your issue?

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 6, 2009 - 3:55am

(Reply to #76) #77

aamiel

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Thanks

That would be great, although it was working in RC2...

Arnaud

March 6, 2009 - 8:54am

(Reply to #77) #78

John T. Haller

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RC3 = PAF

Support for PortableApps.com Format didn't exist until RC3

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 1:05pm

(Reply to #78) #79

Sidewinder

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Me too

Same for me

March 5, 2009 - 12:42pm

#80

EspaÑaks (not verified)

Old Menu detecting=fails!!

While i installed RC3(no updating) i had the 1.1 opened. the 1.2 didnt recogise it as original, as you said, but it is!!!. Maybe the fact of that i have a pendrive & a HD with the portableapps folder structure influded, because it first wanted to install in the pendrive...

March 5, 2009 - 1:12pm

(Reply to #80) #81

John T. Haller

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Confirmed

It looks like the installer is missing it. I'll have it fixed with RC4.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 1:47pm

#82

Gord Caswell

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Minor Bug

When the sys. tray icon is right-clicked, the exit command is labeled as Exit2. Is this is intentional?

March 5, 2009 - 1:51pm

(Reply to #82) #83

John T. Haller

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See

See "Known Issues" up top.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 4:05pm

#84

Tim Clark

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Rename/Refresh

Sorry if this has been reported already, but could not find it.

Rename "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition" to "FFP"=success

Options-Refresh app Icons restores "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition" to the menu.

Line in PortableAppsMenu.ini still says:
[AppsRenamed]
firefoxportable\firefoxportable.exe=FFP

Closing and restarting menu still yields "Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition"

So it seems to be ignoring the line, even after a restart.

Paths:

I:\PortableApps\PortableApps.com\
I:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable

[Repeatable with fresh .ini ]
Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

March 5, 2009 - 4:29pm

(Reply to #84) #85

J Neutron

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Look up

I really hate this threading!

John confirmed a rename-fail-on-reload report at https://portableapps.com/node/18315#comment-113183

Jim

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

March 5, 2009 - 4:59pm

(Reply to #85) #86

Tim Clark

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Read That ...

Not sure it's the same thing ?

I've confirmed that non-PAF apps are not properly renamed on load ...

It's FFP, can you get any more PAF than FFP ?

Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

March 5, 2009 - 5:33pm

(Reply to #86) #87

J Neutron

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Sorry

Maybe it is a related issue that affects PAF as well as non-PAF?

Jim

neutron1132 (at) usa (dot) com

March 5, 2009 - 9:32pm

(Reply to #87) #88

John T. Haller

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Can not reproduce

I can't reproduce this at all. How do you have this all setup Tim? Where is it installed pathwise (menu and ffp). Which version of FFP and which menu? Also, are you sure you didn't alter FFP at all (say by removing the AppInfo directory to 'save space' which some less informed folks have done).

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

March 5, 2009 - 11:26pm

(Reply to #88) #89

Tim Clark

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Flashdrive: Paths: I:\Portabl

Flashdrive:

Paths:
I:\PortableApps\PortableApps.com\
I:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable

PortableApps.com Platform 1.2 Release Candidate 3

FFP 3.0.5
No files/directories removed

The only things perhaps different are that I copied over my Firefoxportable over from my hard drive:
Old path was:
C:\Documents and Settings\tclark\My Documents\00-Danger-DwnLd-Transport\PORTABLE\FirefoxPortable3
[note the name of the dir on the flash drive is as indicated at the top: I:\PortableApps\FirefoxPortable ]

and I do have a desktop.ini file in there that gives the folder a distinctive but common folder icon:
desktop.ini contents below:
[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
IconIndex=137

(it's the green arrow/triangle pointing right |> )

Tim

Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?

March 5, 2009 - 5:08pm

#90

SilentWalker

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Joined: 2008-11-06 12:23

Unhide OpenOffice.org Portable

Hi John, love the new menu and love the pace;)

However, I have a question about it.

You know how you made the 1.2/1.5 menu (not too sure what it will be named) automatically hide OpenOffice.org Portable? Well I prefer to hide all the other OO.o apps (Writer, Impress, etc.) and just run OpenOffice.org Portable, and then choose from the menu that appears which document I would like to open/make. This makes my menu less cluttered as there is less apps to go through.

So how can I make it show the OpenOffice.org Portable application? It seems as if it is not under the [HiddenApps] of the Data\PortableAppsMenu.ini so I'm guessing that it is hard coded.

March 5, 2009 - 9:31pm

(Reply to #90) #91

John T. Haller

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Once Again

This is the way OpenOffice.org Portable itself presents itself in PortableApps.com Format... it's appinfo.ini says NOT to display it. It is not the menu's fault. You can ask that this be changed in the next OO.o release. And I'm introducing the abilty to set all multilingual apps to display as a single option (which will show the main launcher only) as an INI switch.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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