Application: DeskSkin Portable (De-supported)
Category: Utilities
Description: DeskSkin Portable is a Windows desktop overlay that is specifically designed to work with John T Haller's PortableApps Platform.
DeskSkin includes built-in links to :
- the Portable Documents folder in your USB drive
- the Root of your USB drive
- My Computer on the host system
- My Documents on the host system for the current user
- Printers and Faxes on the host system for the current user
- Control Panel on the host system
It also has a realtime Date/Time clock.
DeskSkin does not interact with the host system's desktop, and you can switch back and forth between them.
DeskSkin is easily skinnable by replacing the background.jpg and the icon *.gif files.
Users with some knowledge of HTML/CSS and vbscript can customize the app, adding new links, changing the style, even adding interactive scripts. Read the help file for some ideas...
NOTE:
This is my first app written from scratch!
Download DeskSkin Portable 0.1 Beta Test 1 [1.8MB download / 2.0MB installed]
(MD5: 6AA723A3A3A4A8A848F64942ADE23630)
Release Notes:
Beta Test 1 (2008-03-04): Initial release
NOTE: I'm de-supporting this app:
(2010-05-08): Application no longer being developed by me.
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I like it.
I don't really like the theme but it is easy to change.
The help file is great too.
Thanks for this.
Arnaud
I haven’t had much time to play around with this yet but so bare it looks good.
What might be a nice feature would be to make scalable icons for the desktop
Perhaps an option similar to “desktop properties” on the host where we can resize, change the theme / wallpaper. It would be nice to do these without needing to rescript the HTML file.
Thanks for the work,
Pretty cool. I can't wait to see what you do with it in the future.
Arnaud: I'm not real fond of the pic, but I spent more time on the development. Besides, an ugly background encourages people to skin it!
There are a couple more pix in the theme directory.
BTW, making the help file took as long as coding the app!
bmguida: As for scaling the icon, you don't need to rescript the HTML, just go into the CSS and change the width for the .link and .link img tags.
So far the only icon image types I've used are gif and ico. It doesn't work with vector, so extreme scaling looks blocky.
I will try in the future to add a style switcher function - it works with HTML and CSS and java, so it will probably work here.
Here's a real nice example of a style switchable page; click where it says "Change Theme"
http://www.mariusroosendaal.com/
In the meantime, I can add a link to open the CSS file for editing.
There's also a way to make your desktop image "stretch" instead of tiling, but that's also for a later release.
Thanks for the encouragement!
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
I'm only good at html, lol. I know html like the back of my hand, I can understand javascript, but when it comes to CSS i'm junk. Please tell me the stretch script i'm dying 2 know it.
"Welcome to the Internet, where men are men, women are men, and children are the FBI."
--Matthew Tam
"It is better to take what is not yours, than leave it there, neglected..."
--Mark Twain
The launcher that is in the PortableApps menu does not launch DeckSkins Portable. I can go to the containing folder and use the .exe to start it or go further and start the .hta file itself. Thought I should let you know something was up.
Probably due to the new Platform's requirements.
Edit: The new platform is more strict in reading the APPINFO.INI file.
Until I figure out exactly what's wrong, just rename the appinfo.ini file to something else, and it should launch OK.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
It's because you named it wrong within the ini. In the INI you named it Start=DeskSkinPortable.exe. Your problem is your launcher is named "DeskSkin Portable.exe". Delete the space and you'll be fine.
Release Team Member
I'll fix it with the next update. I've got a few new ideas, but I won't be able to hit it for about a month.
Meanwhile, I'll update the main post with your fix.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
This is GRATE! I love it! I really like that you made it in HTML app format so it is almost 100% customizable!
The only problem is that when I tried to remove the clock, it just messed up the entire desktop!
To be honest, I haven't worked on this in a while. The new platform format actually allows for directly launching HTA files.
To remove the clock, you need to remove the script which drives it and the div that displays it.
Remove this:
'Subroutine to Real time clock Sub Window_OnLoad window.resizeTo screen.availWidth,screen.availHeight window.moveTo myVBSClock iTimerID = window.setInterval("myVBSClock", 1200) End Sub Sub myVBSClock myTime.innerText = time() myDate.innerText = date() End suband this:
I'll try to update it to the latest paf format as soon as I can.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
But this looked like a useful application for a lot of people. Since my own attempt at this, litestep portable, didn't take off, i thought this looked interesting.
But, enough talk. I've rewritten your application in javascript, put the css and scripting in external files, and implemented a very little bit of theming, although it is nowhere near polished yet. You can download the new file (in zip, i don't have time to put it in a paf right now) here. The excellent readme is out of date now, but the scripting files contain comments. The clock has been removed (although it can easily be added again). Also, the columns have been removed, icons are positioned from left to right automatically, and if the resolution changes, they will re-wrap. The right-click menu has been removed (didn't do much, anyway), and a context menu has been added, although it doesn't do anything yet.
[Link removed by mod Tim, see below]
I'd rather not have my project changed in this way. When I have the time to work on it again, I will be using CSS to deal with the resolution and icon wrapping issues.
I really don't want it to be a javascript app.
Also, since this is my first app written entirely by me, with my graphics, I want to retain control over it.
Thanks.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
It's not a javascript app now any more than it was a VBScript app before. And the icon wrapping issues have been dealt with using css, the icons automatically wrap on the screen. This new version now supports changing the background with the click on an icon, same with changing themes (although there are only two themes).
And you shouldn't have to worry too much about me taking over the project... i run ubuntu now, and messing around with this requires me booting up my virtual machine. However, messing around with it reminded me of my early days, when i was just learning all this stuff.
If you don't want to go the way i took it, that's fine. I just hope that you can learn something from what i have done. Maybe work from my version, or maybe work from yours, implementing stuff from mine. Personally, i think javascript is the better choice for this, as learning VBScript is really of no value to you (javascript, however, is used by almost the entire Internet, and has a syntax quite similar to almost every popular language - java, php, C, C++ to name a few)
Of course, my version is released open source as well. GPL version 3 or later. If you want to work from it, and learn from it, then you are free to do so. Although i don't think it is required, it would be nice if you mentioned me somewhere ;).
Happy scripting!
[Link removed by mod Tim, see below]
With a small C++ application (source in /DeskSkin), i have made the window so that it no longer rises to the top when it is clicked, and rather stays below, where it should be. However, this application might only work on 32 bit windows, since i have to choose between being compatible with windows xp and below or 64 bit (for the techies, SetWindowLong() vs SetWindowLongPtr()). You might be able to integrate this into the NSIS script, i didn't investigate that further.
Test it out, tell me if anything doesn't work. Specifically, i didn't test running it from the menu (don't have portableapps installed anywhere...).
Oh yeah, almost forgot -- the link
[Link removed by mod Tim, see below]
Some styling improvements, moved the options to the bottom. Completely skinable with alternate stylesheets (see the example "plain" theme i added... can't remember if that was there last time). Overall, just a bit more polish.
Download
[Link removed by mod Tim, see below]
I would like to incorporate some of your ideas, but please do me a favor.
Instead of posting your links on my thread, please send them to me at solanus at ptd dot net.
I will add your name in the credits of the app.
I have asked the mods to remove the links you posted - so that once I update the app, I can host it on its official sourceforge page and post the link in the main thread; and I will also put it in the correct PA.c format.
Thanks,
Solanus.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
Solanus has requested the removal of your links and I have done so.
If you cannot work with Solanus together on this app that is fine.
But this is His Topic and to seem to hijack it with what he sees as competition or uninvited modifications is not fair to him.
Hopefully you two can work together on this, If you two cannot work together please start your own topic and give the app a name which distinguishes it from his.
Thanks for understanding,
Mod Tim
[Note this was done very quickly as an emergency post as I was called from pressing matters, please forgive any lack of grace, Tim]
Things have got to get better, they can't get worse, or can they?
Because then i can just make small changes and commit them (to svn, git, or whatever version control system you want to use), much easier than posting every time i make a small update.
However, i don't know that removing all of the links was necessary... I would think that improving on existing solutions was entirely the nature of open source, and that removing people's ability to improve on open source projects removes any advantages it has over commercial products.
Just my 2c.
There were 2 major things wrong with your links in here.
1) When you start making changes to someone else's project, especially without their approval to do it to their project, typically that would be considered a fork and would need to be renamed. Since it is apparent that you didn't request solanus's permission to make these changes and then publish them under his project's name, you can't use the same name as he does.
2) Even if you had approval, or followed the correct avenues to fork his project, or make it your own, you are NOT to hijack someone else's thread for your own project. That was one major point that Tim Clark made in his post, that you seemed to have skipped over. It is not appropriate, nor is it proper etiquette to hijack someone else's thread, regardless of what for.
-Gizmokid2005
Thanks to everyone who liked this, but I won't be developing this any more.
Why?
It was a nice proof of concept for using HTA files, but I've found a far superior solution.
The newest beta of Cylog Toolbox is so much better than this that I'm using it for my portable desktop.
Kostas has been developing the new version of Toolbox since December 09, and the number of features he's added that are of use to portable apps users has been astounding. I wouldn't be surprised if the final version 3.0 was released soon.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
Hello All;
I did try ToolBox out but in my mind found it was not what I would call a Desktop. It is in my mind a hard to set up moveable box that is on a desktop. It also has to be resized for every difererent PC it is used on.
I think of a desktop as being full screen. Something I could chose the Font and Icon Sizes. I like the thought of having one for PAM something a user could use if they choose to do so. In my thinking it would pick up what is on a person's USB in the PAM directory. Then also the extra items like explore and options which are part of PAM now.
I would also like to be able to add some thngs from my USB that I use that are not in PAM format. The option to include the "EXE" or what ever else may be run.
Future options that would make the PAM Desktop neater could be added as requested if posible.
While I like the thought of a portable Desktop. I have not found one yet. A option for me and perhaps others may be a larger PAM.
Frank D. Hubeny
Moveable: there's an option in the new beta to lock the toolbox in place. You can set it as a global setting or for each individual toolbox.
Fullscreen: you can make the toolbox as large as you'd like, and snap it to the screen edge. The new beta lets you drag the lower right corner to resize, even if the toolbox position is locked - it anchors on the upper right corner.
Resizing for each PC: while it does not auto-resize, if your toolbox is larger than the screen, it just extends off the edges. If it's too small, it's easy enough to drag the corner. It's best to put the icons in the upper right corner, because they don't reposition themselves when you resize.
Also, like the windows desktop, you can select your own image for the background, and stretch, center, fill or tile it.
There are options that are very useful to PA.com users, too. You can create a shortcut to the USB drive to explore it, no matter what the drive letter is.
It fully supports relative paths for all shortcuts.
You can create a shortcut to almost anything, whether a paf.exe, other exe, document, mp3, whatever.
And you can set any shortcut to open with a custom app.
Lots of people here have tried to create a portable desktop, myself included. So far, I haven't found any that IMHO come close to the functionality of the new Toolbox 3. That's why I've stopped work on mine.
If someone comes out with an integrated desktop for PAM that does at least what Toolbox does, I'll definitely check it out, but it's going to take a lot of work by someone with a LOT more skills than me!
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
"(2010-05-08): Application no longer being developed by me." - someone else will develop or nobody will be? Good application, unfortunately never got released
Signature automatically removed for containing links
I'm happy you liked the app. The good thing is, it's really easy to customize how ever you want, so even an inexperienced person could develop it.
I just don't have any time to work on it, and its original intent is being fulfilled by (IMHO) a far superior app.
Also, with the new release team coming, I figured it was time to let them know I'd not be developing it.
I made this half-pony, half-monkey monster to please you.
Okay, I know that this is no longer supported, but I found this really great script that allows you to move the items on your portable desktop and stay there. You can find the script here, because I got it form here. I take no credit for the creation of this script, nor the portable desktop.
okay, heres the link:
http://www.dhtmlgoodies.com/index.html?showDownload=true&whichScript=dra...
Okay, so all I did was put
your portable desktop folder
and put
script type="text/javascript"
var rememberPositionedInCookie = true;
var rememberPosition_cookieName = 'demo';
/script
script type="text/javascript" src="js/dragable-content.js" /script
in the head section.
Just open the hta file with notepad and apply these changes. Please tell if you like!
"Welcome to the Internet, where men are men, women are men, and children are the FBI."
--Matthew Tam
"It is better to take what is not yours, than leave it there, neglected..."
--Mark Twain
Okay, here's a deskportable that I modded. I just added a start menu and movable objects.
Movable objects credit to:
http://www.dhtmlgoodies.com/index.html?showDownload=true&whichScript=dra...
Custun Icons credit to Deleket:
http://www.deleket.com
Mod by Starport592
http://www.starport592.webs.com
download here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?33wl25cmnww
"Welcome to the Internet, where men are men, women are men, and children are the FBI."
--Matthew Tam
"It is better to take what is not yours, than leave it there, neglected..."
--Mark Twain
I think I might develop this app further. I don't know... Maybe, I might. I'll think about it.
"Welcome to the Internet, where men are men, women are men, and children are the FBI."
--Matthew Tam
"It is better to take what is not yours, than leave it there, neglected..."
--Mark Twain
You know what? I think I'll take this app over. I don't think Solonus looks at this post anymore. Oh well, I'm going to have to ask him very nicely to take it over. I also need to ask him what he did to make it appear over everything else. I made a start button but it won't open the menu. Instead it just shows nothing. Oh well. I think I'll just post new updates in the therad, rather than the main page.
"Welcome to the Internet, where men are men, women are men, and children are the FBI."
--Matthew Tam
"It is better to take what is not yours, than leave it there, neglected..."
--Mark Twain
I made an updated version, but the links got removed... Kind of frustrating since he "officially" abandoned it a short time afterwards, and it was already abandoned at the time...
Anyway, if you want to continue work on this, email me. I can send you the modified version. Also, i would advise you create a new thread and name it something different, otherwise you might get fried like me...