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A couple of U3 apps

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April 13, 2009 - 8:11pm
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qwertymodo
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A couple of U3 apps

I have a Sourceforge project where I have been releasing apps for U3, and I have mentioned it in a few of my posts, but I thought I'd just make a general post here. I have also created an application that will create U3 shortcuts to other portable applications. I know that there are several apps out there already that do this as well (such as SmithTech's), but mine can also "reinstall" the program (really it just moves the files) into the U3 program's directory, so the U3 Launchpad can correctly detect the program's size and uninstallation. As of yet, I only have Pidgin, GIMP, and ZSNES, but I also have several others in the works. I know these are not PA releases, but I use PAF releases as my starting point most of the time (other than ZSNES, I built that one from the ground up). So I guess two things. First off, I just wanted to say hey, I'm doing this, and second I wanted to ask a question of the devs here. I've had John get on me a couple of times for not doing things right, but I really do want to. So my question is, since my launchers are modified from the ones found here, how should I go about giving credit? Also, if anyone sees anything glaringly wrong with what I'm doing, please speak up. I realize there are a lot of "U3 Smart" apps out there that are just half-baked crap, and I want to avoid that entirely. Any comments, criticisms or suggestions?

[Self promotional link removed by moderator JTH]

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April 13, 2009 - 9:17pm
John T. Haller
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Self Promotion

Self promotion is not permitted here, as indicated in the forum guidelines. We make limited exceptions for portable apps that are open source and then you may only make one or two posts per month.

Please note that the self promotion guidelines only apply to portable apps, not U3 apps. The U3 apps forum here is a holdover from when we made a few apps for the U3 platform, but we discontinued them and dropped support quite some time ago. It is not a venue for promotion of U3 apps by 3rd parties.

Also, please note that you are currently violating the GPL as well as SourceForge.net's Terms of Service by posting GPL binaries without the associated source code (for example, if you distribute GIMP in binary form, you must also distribute the source code yourself... linking to the source hosted by someone else is not sufficient).

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

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April 13, 2009 - 10:42pm
(Reply to #2)
qwertymodo
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I do have all source code for

I do have all source code for all apps that I host. It is in the Source Code package. You mentioned that before, and I went and got all of the source code and posted it all. Sorry about the self promotion, I mostly did that for the reason that U3 is something you DON'T do anymore. So, without the promotion, I still have the question of what I should do about giving credit where due. I seem to remember somewhere in the development guidelines something about the format that you expected for the copyright when someone modifies someone else's launcher. As I said, I often start with your PAF launchers and rework them for the other platform, so I really do want to make sure that I'm giving credit where due. I also realize that you do not support these apps, so I don't want to leave PortableApps.com all over them either, because if I screw something up along the way the last thing you want is people coming to complain to you. is why I often post here. I will refrain from self-promotion (and re-read the forum guidelines, as I apparently didn't do so thoroughly enough the last time... sorry). But I definitely am hosting all the source code. I apologize that I am the sort of hands-on learner that doesn't really get it until it's been done wrong Blum

Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.

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April 13, 2009 - 9:20pm
Tim Clark
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I guess I have to be the bad

I guess I have to be the bad guy here Sad
First let me assure you I am speaking as a U3 user and not as a forum moderator.

I will never use a U3 packaged app that was not produced from the creator of the app or downloaded from the U3 site.

As you said, "there are a lot of "U3 Smart" apps out there that are just half-baked crap" and that is if you are lucky Sad

The original idea of U3 was a great one: A safe secure platform that could not be messed with. All the apps would come from official sources so you knew they were secure and worked as they should.

The desire of some well meaning folks, and some not so well meaning ones as well, to hack, personalize, and mess with the platform ruined all of that.

My suggestion would be to let the U3 folks or the app creators package apps for U3. They would be the only ones I would trust.

Just my .02, don't mean to rain on your parade, I'm sure with your skills you could just as easily make apps portable that did not use the U3 platform.

Good Luck in your endeavors.

Tim

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

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April 14, 2009 - 12:10am
(Reply to #4)
qwertymodo
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Well thanks anyway. The

Well thanks anyway. The half-baked crap was the reason I started doing this. Unfortunately, they made it almost TOO easy to do (I admit I produced my fair share of said junk before I realized what I was doing...), and PackageFactory is to blame for a sizeable chunk of it. Yes, I could portablize other apps in PAF... well, if regshot would quit freezing on my Vista machine :(. Don't worry, I don't take this as rain on my parade. But isn't your "suggestion" that the app devs make their own U3 packages about as useful as suggesting they do the same for PAF? Sounds like a great idea, but if they actually did, what would be the point of all of the people developing here?

Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.

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April 14, 2009 - 12:18am
(Reply to #5)
Tim Clark
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This site would have no

This site would have no problem with the developers of apps making their own portable versions, and even in the .paf format [a good portable app does not HAVE to be in the .paf format to make it a good portable app, the .paf format is just for compatibility purposes] . Our devs would then just move on to other apps that don't have portable versions [assuming of course that their licenses permitted such].

Tim

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

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April 14, 2009 - 12:20am
(Reply to #6)
qwertymodo
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Moving on to other apps would

Moving on to other apps would still be working on apps whose own devs didn't make their own portable versions Wink

Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.

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April 14, 2009 - 12:24am
(Reply to #7)
Tim Clark
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Yes, this is true, but before

Yes, this is true, but before they could be "officially" released by this site they would have to go thru through inspection and testing concerning legality, safety, and functionality, all of which are permitted by the open source software guidelines we follow. All of these were intended by the original U3 idea [I'm speaking loosely here], Without the "mother ship" for guidance, direction, and assurance who knows what you might get.

I trust an unmodified U3 drive to do what it was intended to do. I trust officially released U3 apps to be at least safe, functional and legal to use.

By the way, I don't put non-PortableApps.com apps on the PAP/PAM either.
They may work, but I keep my apples and oranges in different baskets. I know that our apps work with our menu. I prefer to remind myself that other apps are different and may not function as expected.

To expect this site to deal with problems with an app they did not create on the menu would be unreasonable, just as expecting the U3 site to deal with problems with an unofficial "U3" app would be unreasonable. But if you call it a U3 app, people WILL do that.

Tim

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

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April 14, 2009 - 12:56am
(Reply to #8)
qwertymodo
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Which is exactly why I have

Which is exactly why I have come here for help when I needed it (or, as the case has been, to have John tell me what I'm doing wrong...). Obviously you will never support the U3 platform. I will even say PA is better that U3 (to state the obvious). But still, your "mothership" can still be very beneficial to me, such as how I never knew I had to host the app source until John first pointed it out to me, or how I am still wrestling with the issue of giving credit without misrepresenting. Sorry for the self-promotion, but these sorts of things are useful for anyone who does anything even remotely similar to this. I realize that there is a certain level of annoyance with things as "off track" as this, but hey, I'm a freshman in college. I got my start at this as a sophomore in high school. Where else does one get this kind of information but in a place like here, where there is a community of people doing just that? So yeah, sorry if I seem like a sore in the side by continually pushing the U3, it's just that, like it or not, people still use it. So either I can dump it and leave those suckers in the dust or try to give them some of the quality that is found here on the system that they use. Obviously the "mothership" over at sandisk is limited to their documentation and VERY LIMITED knowledge base and their laughable excuse for a dev forum. I mean, all of the reasons why the people here don't like U3 are the reasons why I came here in the first place. Obviously that puts me in less than stellar standing, but like I said, I'm not one for learning something by doing it right the first time around. If I did it right, I'd never understand WHY it was right. Kinda like if I'd never worked with U3 I wouldn't ever understand why PA is better. Kinda like a lot of the people who still use it...

Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.

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April 14, 2009 - 1:09am
(Reply to #9)
Tim Clark
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Please understand, if I did

Please understand, if I did not make it clear above.
I use U3, always have, always will till it functions no more.

Loving my Father does not mean hating my Mother.
I was introduced to portableapping by U3, it was U3 that led me here to this site. As much as some here want to dump on it, I don't. Nothing I said earlier should be seen as a negative reflection on U3 itself. It was/is a good idea. But it has been compromised by those that work outside the U3 circle.

I merely state, what I said earlier,
"I will never use a U3 packaged app that was not produced from the creator of the app or downloaded from the U3 site."

Unless it comes from one of those 2 sources, it has no guarantees whatsoever.
U3 is not opensource, it is closed source/proprietary, as it was intended to be and probably should be.

Anyway, I think this horse has been beat, for your purposes the reply from John covers the questions you really seemed to want to know about.

All the best,
Tim

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

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April 14, 2009 - 1:23am
(Reply to #10)
qwertymodo
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for your purposes the reply

for your purposes the reply from John covers the questions you really seemed to want to know about.

Except for the one about how should I give credit when my launchers are modified from the ones found here. Right now I have

"Modified from the (appname)Portable launcher by (author) found at portableapps.com/applink"

right below my copyright. Is this ok, or how should I be doing this? Seeing as I'm getting it from here, here is where I would want to be checking with.

Unless it comes from one of those 2 sources, it has no guarantees whatsoever.

Which is why I have started releasing the launcher source in the U3 package itself, like PA does. I never meant to argue that point, oh well.

Anyway, I think this horse has been beat

Yup

Quamquam omniam nescio, nec nihil scio.

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April 14, 2009 - 1:33am
(Reply to #11)
Tim Clark
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how should I give credit when

how should I give credit when my launchers are modified from the ones found here

Sorry, John will have to answer that one.
I really don't know the answer.

Tim

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

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