Aaron Spike wrote:
stuart wrote:
Interesting - I assume there are howto's w.r.t. these package'ing utilities?
Certainly there are. I've been using pyinstaller to create EXEs that can run independently from a python installation.
http://pyinstaller.python-hosting.com/
Once you have an EXE you can use something like NSIS to create an installable package. Inkscape uses NSIS to create an installer package for Windows, but I have very little experience with it.
Well, I'm putting this in my important stuff folder.
And it will be difficult to find help because there just aren't that many people with these devices to test it and assist you. I'd love to help, but I just don't have any clue about this sort of equipment.
Aaron Spike
The problem isn't that there are not people w/this type of hardware, it's that they are more likely to know how to run a craft store then to know anything about writing code :-). Don't believe me? Drop in to their yahoo group and read the posts :-) :-).
Yes, I've been on the wishblade forums. Yes, many of the members do not have nearly the level of technical literacy that we take for granted. But what I meant to say is that there is a lack OSS hackers, like you and me, with these devices. And therefore this sort of work is difficult to support in a free software ecosystem.
If we can solve this plotter obsolescence problem, inkscape will pickup dozen if not hundreds of new users.
Be careful what you wish for. I'm less concerned with attracting users and more concerned with attracting contributors.
I would love to see Inkscape provide a foundation for these communities to build useful open software for their purposes. But with out these devices in the hands of developers (or even better users who are inclined to become developers), it becomes a very difficult dream to support. If we can single out individuals with aptitude, desire and machinery and train them, I think it would flourish.
Aaron Spike
Yes, I see your point. I've been monitoring the slimdevices.com lists since they started. Now that Logitec owns them, there are many more [uninformed] posts asking [please] would you make it work like this or [please] build a box like that. (Brackets added to point out the optional portions of such posts and to heighten the level of sarcasm :-).)
On the up side, I was (almost) able to (in Linux) set Vidar's debug option to TRUE, capture his output and sneeker-netted (thumb drive) it to an XP system where I used NotePad to print it to a *generic-USB-printer-driver* "pointing" at the USB device that happened to be a WB100-20 <breath>.
I say almost because it looked like it cut a box, but I have to admit the last two strokes were way off. I don't know where it fell apart. My guess is that either window's notepad or the window's generic driver is blocking some none-printable characters.
...thanks Aaron for your response.