Hey there! With all the recent releases we saw this week, it made me think about some of the most popular as well as fantastic open source applications that we have not yet 'jumped on'. Below I've summarized some of the applications I believe are more of a 'high-priority' in terms of development and believe they should get a lot more attention.
Application: Inkscape
Description: Inkscape is an outstanding vector creation and editing tool. It is used by various commercial, open source, and other projects and groups.
Reasoning: Inkscape is, in my opinion and the opinion of other the best open source vector graphic creation and editing software. We currently have no software in terms of vector editing.
Current Status: Marko had done up a package a while back, and more recently John Bentley took a shot at it as well. There may have been a couple of other people who have released packages, but we need to decide who is doing this for sure, and get some dedicated work on it.
Application: Scribus
Description: Scribus is an advanced desktop publishing program similar to Microsoft Publisher and others.
Reasoning: We currently have the wonderful OpenOffice.org, but it lacks a DTP program. Scribus solves this problem more than perfectly.
Current Status: Last I saw Ryan had this in a pre-release (way back). I know Ryan's been busy lately, so I'd like to see if he's still up for this, otherwise I wanted to see if any other developers are interested in carrying on development of this application.
Application: Blender
Description: Blender is a 3D graphic modeling application. Blender is one of the best in it's field, and has been used by the Blender Foundation (and other projects / groups) to create wonderful creations, including 2 shorts films and a animated game.
Reasoning: Simply put, Blender is a must. It's a fantastic application and one of the best in its field.
Current Status: Geoff is actively developing this although he has stopped with some of his other projects. I believe this application is near prime-time though I haven't had a change to look myself.
Application: Songbird
Description: Songbird is a freakin' awesome media player and library, similar to iTunes.
Reasoning: We have media players, but nothing to hold an entire music library like Songbird does. musikCube has a closed-source sound library, and aTunes is Java. alpha1 has told me that Songbird is to go 1.0 within the next month.
Current Status: Ryan just released a development version rather recently. Although he may drop Scribus, I can see him keeping this for sure and I'm sure he will finish it up come 1.0
Application: Deluge
Description: Deluge is a PyGTK BitTorrent application. Deluge has tons of great features and is a solid client as of 1.0.
Reasoning: Deluge just recently his 1.0. I've seen a few open source BitTorrent clients, but Deluge is simplistic and feature-full.
Current Status: I am working on this one. I put out my last development test a while ago, but I just need to update a couple small applications for release and then Deluge is the next priority before X-Chat.
Application: UltraVNC
Description: UltraVNC is a application that uses the VNC protocol for remote access.
Reasoning: A remote access client would be a fantastic addition, and UltraVNC seems to fit the part. There are a couple other alternative like TightVNC, etc, but UltraVNC seems to be better updated, although I'm willing to listen to alternatives.
Current Status: There may have been one of two attempts at this in the past, but I don't think anything serious.
Application: RapidSVN
Description: RapidSVN is a fantastic SVN client.
Reasoning: A SVN client would be a great addition. However, Chris and upnPAD discovered RapidSVN requires administrator rights. Chris did another subversion client, and me and upnPAD we're looking at TortoiseSVN, but it looks like it too is integrated into Explorer like TortoiseCVS.
Current Status: Besides the client Chris is working on and some past attempts at RapidSVN, there isn't much.
That's pretty much all I have. They get (kinda) lower priority as you go down. X-Chat is kinda a larger priority too, as it's a full-fledged IRC client, but it has a few kinks right now and we're fine with out to IRC capably IM clients as is. If you have any suggestions, let me know.
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coucou
browthing on the Framakey, you will see that the following SW are already ported :
http://www.framakey.org/Portables/PortableInkscape
http://www.framakey.org/Portables/PortableScribus
http://www.framakey.org/Portables/PortableBlender
Those are in french, but I can not imagine it will block the creation of an english version
He meant updating them to the current versions. The present versions are older and reside here: https://portableapps.com/development/test. PS I think this thread may be aimed at the developers here. But anyway, Welcome to PortableApps.com.
I agree with Inkscape (which was in beta test forums before when PortableApps still used self extracting zips) and Blender. These applications are on the top of the Open Source software up there with Openoffice and the Mozilla apps.
I also would like to see SCUMMVM (an virtual machine that plays many old adventure games) and VICE (a bundle of emulators that emulates most of the 8-bit Commodore computers) Both applications are popular in their own right but not as popular withing the PortableApps community. I made a portable version of WinVICE Portable 1.22.0 and ScummVM Portable v0.10.0 a long time ago and these can be found here: http://www.albartus.googlepages.com/portableapps
I also think Hugin (a panorama stitching program) and PTViewer (A java panorama viewer) are useful, I can't show you the results as that would be self promotion
Hugin is also useful to create textures from photos to use for 3D applications (like Blender). Related is FlashPano, but that is just a viewer for pano's for the techsavy because you need to compile it using Adobe Flex (which has a free and an Open Source version available). Again I have a link available showing the result of using FlashPano.
Another application that can be included is NSIS, and I think this might be a high profile app because it's useful for developers.
Other priority issues is to finally make the launcher and installer compatible with freeware and non-FOSS compatible open source applications and allow third parties to finally able to offer their own applications for the PortableApps platform. (Leave the 'must be hosted on PortableApps.com requirement behind for now due to the hosting costs involved). I think opening the PortableApps.com platform this way will see an increase in applications and backlinks to the site.
Also the new versions of the menu should be tested as soon as some progress is made to streamline the development and testing of this and to motivate the developers working on the code. (the 'release early and often' of Open Source has kinda got lost on the PortableApps menu and releasing Alphas and Betas could spearhead the development of the menu toward the point where the MenuMOD's left off.
Finally I would like to see the PortableApps.com Updater finally put to use. This would mean easier updating for every regular user of portable applications and might also include a special Beta updater for beta apps. (This will increase the testing of apps in Beta). My choise would be to integrate it with the PortableApps menu while keeping it as a separate application. (Easier to maintain and update)
I agree with your post, and I do think that Inkscape and Scribus are at the top of the list.
However, it feels like the list of apps and the frequency of new versions is increasing faster than the ability of the developers to keep up.
I admit, I go to PortableFreeware.com and WinPenPack to get the latest versions of software when this site can't keep up. I typically come back here when the versions here catch up.
Inkscape is excellent, but I haven't used the one from here for a long time. The one from WinPenPack works fine.
Scribus - also great. I stopped hoping for it to resume here. However, Quate.net http://www.quate.net/newsnet/read.php?id=31 has been keeping pace with the official releases pretty well with their Portable Scribus.
Sure, they don't use the paf.exe installers, but unzipping them into the right folders in the PA menu directories ain't rocket science.
While there are a fair number of excellent developers here, they're also generally quite young, and as they continue in school, they will have less time to devote to this endeavor.
I don't know the answer, but I honestly don't know how PA can keep up without increasing the number of developers or partnering with other groups.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
I'm currently not sure about Scribus and if anyone really really wants it, you can take it. After I get Songbird out, I'll try and work on this next and move on through all my old apps that I haven't updated.
As for Songbird, I've got that up-to-date with a small test version on my computer for a tiny bug, but I'll wait until 1.0 for that. The advantage of Songbird over everything else is that they are active on IRC (irc://irc.mozilla.org/songbird), which helps out a great deal.
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
I think DigitXP should get to take over Scribus: https://portableapps.com/node/13842
At least, if he still wants to . . .
Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world
He's gone now, and will be for a good bit more.
if john bentley/Marko don't have the time to deal with inkscape, i'm willing to pick it up and support it.
But there’s no sense crying over every mistake,
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
I would work on this but have no use for Inkscape what so ever. GIMP is even to much for me
IF you want though, I'm willing to at least fire is up and try to draw some lines and report what I see . . .
Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world
Inkscape: I really want to take this up, but sadly I don't think that it's practical for me to by myself, as I'll be away from November 17-February 17 in Sri Lanka and India - 3 months. If anyone else thinks otherwise, chip in!
Considering Taffin's willingness to take it, above, maybe we could work on it together? I think that that'd probably be about the best solution.
Subversion clients:
I investigated all SVN clients that I could find, based on Tigris's list of Subversion clients. I've highlighted all the ones which might work...
eSVN: no Windows build, immature
FSVS: command line
KDESvn: not Windows
QSvn: unstable
RapidSVN: stores all settings in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (requires admin access)
RSVN: not a real client, nothing happened for 3 years
SmartSVN: not OSS
subcommander: done
SvnX: not Windows
Syncro SVN client: not OSS
WorkBench: not a user-client
Versions: not OSS, not Windows
ZigVersion: not OSS, not Windows
Desktop integrated plugins are not able to be made portable.
Once Java Portable comes out, and Eclipse Portable comes out, then Subclipse and Subversive will be viable.
If you wish to use my gVim Portable, you could try vcscommand for Vim (CVS/SVN/SVK/git integration plugin) - http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=90 . What's more, it also supports CVS, SVK and git. No warranty from me though, I've never tried it.
The only one which I thought any good at all, but still able to be portable, without waiting for Java Portable, was Subcommander (get my subcommander Portable)
QSvn might have been an option, but I ran it once - and it crashed. Not impressing. All of the other ones either depend on Java, aren't for Windows, can't be portable, are command-line only apps, are broken, or are plugins for not-yet-portable/not-able-to-be-portable/java-based applications.
End result: in reality, subcommander is the only option!
(btw, I hope upnPAD doesn't mind, but it was entirely me that did all the investigations about SVN clients.)
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
you forgot tortiseSVN
Edit: nevermind....that one is desktop integrated
The developer formerly known as ZGitRDun8705
Can we add NSIS to the list? I talked to Zach (H) about it and he's working on it still.
Too many lonely hearts in the real world
Too many bridges you can burn
Too many tables you can't turn
Don't wanna live my life in the real world
I decided to start work on it... I'm done. However due to our ISP slowing our connection down to 28.8Kbps and giving us a dodgy connection apparrently because of a timing mistake in Daylight Savings Time at their end reckoning that we've gone over our monthly limit, I can't upload it until next month - Saturday.
It should all work fine, it does localization (launcher and installer), handles the GTK optionally in a different path, and it's even got the kitchen sink... (a DIY package - vector graphics editor included :P)
The installer is a 35.9MB download, is 88.6MB installed by itself and 110.8MB with other languages (22MB more).
So it's a pity that I can't upload it yet, but I will try to upload it on Saturday.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1