On Fri, Oct 31, 2003 at 10:31:58PM -0800, Paul wrote: > I see the installation of Freenet and the configuration of Freenet to > be an area that needs serious attention. > > First, I use Freenet on a Mac, but Mac OS X is not shown anymore as a > compatible OS on the Freenet web site download page. It used to be > there, but not anymore. I know to use the Linux download and > instructions, but the only reason I know that is because the web site > used to state this. A new user will likely not realize this. > > Second, the install process needs to be easier. Yes, installing > Freenet is as simple as copying over a handful of files, but a > single-click install program is very nice. The Mac .pkg format is > simple and effective, and it allows scripts to be included and run > during the installation process.
Care to volunteer? I don't have a Mac to develop a package on. > > Third, configuring Freenet is a major pain. Right now, in order to > copy over my few custom .conf file settings, I have to first fake out > Freenet into thinking that it is running for the first time so it > creates a new .conf file with default settings. Then I bring up both > the new .conf file and the old one in a text editor, and go through > each setting, line by line, an copy over my custom settings into then > new .conf file. Why can't you just copy over the old .conf file? Any settings that haven't been overridden will be commented out and therefore the node will use the default settings. > > If each new update of Freenet would be able to read in the last > version's .conf file, add new options to it, that would be a good > start. There is an option to do this. > > An even better improvement would be a nice GUI tool to edit and > maintain all of Freenet's configuration options. We have thought about doing it via the web interface. We don't want actual GUI code in the main Fred tree. > > Fourth, starting and stopping Freenet is a pain. I have to bring up > the Terminal, and type in a command line to start and stop Freenet. > This is extremely un-Mac-like and you will loose 99% of your > potential users when they see that they HAVE to use the command line > to get Freenet to run. A simple double-clickable icon is what people > want. Well, Mac users are probably 5% of our target market (linux about 30% and the rest windows), probably. It would be nice to have a proper package. > > All of these could easily be done on the Mac with an Applescript > Studio type application. I've seen people write a really good GUI > front-end to command line programs in a matter of days with > Applescript Studio. > > Linux would also benefit from all of the above improvements. > > The first impression of Freenet is the install and configuration > process. Right now this process gives a new user a distinctly > negative impression of Freenet. This impression just gets worse when > they run it for the first time and can't load any sites. But that's a > whole other discussion... > > Paul -- Matthew J Toseland - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Freenet Project Official Codemonkey - http://freenetproject.org/ ICTHUS - Nothing is impossible. Our Boss says so.
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