On Wed, May 9, 2007 3:50 pm, Sherm Pendley said:

> So, the next version - 1.2 release, preceded by 1.1.x betas - will
> also be licensed under the same terms: GPL or Artistic, your choice.
> I wouldn't have had a problem with a commercial program using CB
> anyway, even before the license change - the LGPL only requires that
> the framework can be easily replaced with a custom version, and the
> structure of an .app bundle makes that a trivial task.
>
> Also, I've been looking at PyGame, and watching how much enthusiasm
> it helps generate around Python. Games could definitely be a "killer
> app" area here.

If you are looking for an app that would get widely used, I've got an idea
that's been on the top of my 'when I have time to program' list for the
past ~2 years...

Macs desperately _need_ a an app to manage third-party software updates. 
Something that you could run periodically to keep software up to date,
avoiding having every seprate program connect to the internet on startup
and check for itself.  (Invariably the wrong time to do an update...)

My basic thought is to create a folder in the 'Application Support'
directory where apps can drop an XML file with their current version, a
link to where update files can be found, and their public key of some
sort.  The update file would just be another XML file with the current
version, and some information on paid/nonpaid, license changes, what's
updated, etc.  Both the update file and the program update itself would be
signed by the company, and the updater app doesn't accept any update that
doesn't have a valid signature.

The program should either be runnable manually or on schedule(s), where it
checks to see if the programs registered with it (by them dropping the
file in the 'Application Support' subfolder) need updating.  Then it can
download, install, or just notify the user.

Using CPAN, this should be a fairly quick project, I think.  But it would
take me a few days just get back up to speed enough on Cocoa to start it,
and I have _no_ spare time.  (I literally don't even have a single
vacation day this year.)  I've got the design in my head, but it could be
ages before I get a chance to write it.  I'd love to pay someone to do it,
but...  Well, I just donated all my spare change to Sherm already.  ;)  I
_do_ have time to discuss though, if people want info.  (I can do that at
work, where I have little to do.  But I can't program outside projects
there.)

Anyway, if people are looking for a 'killer app', I think this could
generate a lot of interest if done well.  And, as long as the end result
is free and open-source (for this, I care that people can use it) I don't
care who programs it.  If no one else is interested, I'll probably do it
eventually, but it'll be years before I have a chance...

Daniel T. Staal

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