Ste Packaging

I’ve just added and/or updated the following application packages for the iPhone & iPod Touch:

1.  [upd] MobileScrobbler (1.0.4) [Handle unicode characters in song info; Enable queueing of songs when logged out of Last.fm; Smaller status bar icon to reduce clutter]

-ste

I’ve just added and/or updated the following application packages for the iPhone & iPod Touch:

1. [upd] weDict (0.5) [see my review notes, below]

weDict review notes:

• It appears that you now can, and must, select the installed dictionaries that weDict will search in.
• Until you select at least one dictionary, it says it can’t find anything you search for, and therefore appears as though it doesn’t work.
• If you want to search in all installed dictionaries, you must select each and every one. Thankfully, you only have to do this once, as your selection choices are saved.
• To select the dictionaries, press the “i” in the upper right-hand corner of the application (I find it hard to press, myself - sort of pressing it’s right edge seems to work best for me - YMMV). This will display a page that lists all the installed dictionaries. Select each one you want to search in and press the “Done” button when you are finished. There really should be a “Select All” button, in my opinion.
• Pressing the speaker symbol doesn’t pronounce the words, as I still don’t provide the needed sound files. They are just too big (the package is 113MB and expands to 211MB on the iPhone).
• I’m told there’s a 0.6.1 version available, but the developer hasn’t yet provided that to me, so perhaps it’s not quite ready yet. Once I have it (or a later version), you’ll have it.
• To make the keyboard appear and disappear, press the magnifying lens object in the left-hand side of the text entry field.

-ste

I’ve just added and/or updated the following application packages for the iPhone & iPod Touch:

1. [upd] MobileRSS (2.0) [adds ability to download feeds in the background]
2. [new] MobileScrobbler (1.02b) [Sends the title, artist, and album of the songs you play on your iPhone to the Last.fm social music website.]
3. [upd] MobileRSS (2.0) [updated contact info]
4. [upd] AFPd (0.2) [improved/clarified the setting of the Service Name]
5. [upd] UIctl (0.32) [crash problem fixed; see here, here and here for details]
6. [upd] redLight (0.2) [go here for details]
7. [new] Make It Mine (0.01) [set a fake carrier; go here for details]
8. [upd] Make It Mine (0.01) [updated contact info]
9. [new] xriPhone (0.5) [Resolve i-names and i-numbers.]
10. [upd] XLaunch (0.18) [go here for details]
11. [upd] MobileScrobbler (1.0.3) [bug fixes]
12. [upd] ScreenShot (1.2.1) [”Fixes bugs for saving to the camera roll and adds email functionality.”]
13. [new] iSpit (1.0) [”Tiny and fast http server to browse and download files from your iPhone using your favorite browser.”]
14. [new] Guitar Tuner (1.0) [”Very basic but free Guitar Tuner for default 6 string guitar tuning.”]

-ste

I’ve just added and/or updated the following application packages for the iPhone & iPod Touch:

1. [new] AFPd (0.1) [AFP server with preferences GUI.] [see notes below]
2. [upd] Phiberglass (1.7) [more icons]
3. [upd] BlackJainDim (1.9) [more icons]
4. [upd] PlainJainDim (1.9) [more icons]
5. [upd] PlainJain (1.9) [more icons]
6. [upd] Mystique (1.2) [more icons and alternative docks]
7. [new] iNewsGroup (0.0.5) [USENET netnews reader]
8. [new] Japanese-English (0.01) [Four Japanese-English flashcard sets for the iStudy application.]
9. [upd] Navizon (1.1.4) [no notes provided]
10. [upd] SMSD (0.03) [adds ability to forwardSMS messages]

AFPd notes:

• Not for 1.0.2 firmware.
• Not tested on the iPod Touch   UPDATE: it’s reported to work ok on the iPod Touch.
• If you previously manually installed the AFP service from Core’s site, please uninstall it, as it will conflict with this package.
• If you installed the AFP package from the “Shai’s Apps” repository, you must remove it first. Please note that they have a bug in their uninstall script: they remove all of /opt instead of only removing the /opt/iphone/afp directory. This will not affect most people, but be aware that some packages do install files under /opt and this will delete their files out from under them.
• Run the application once, to turn it on.
• To change the name your iPhone’s AFP service is advertised as, edit the “Service Name” field and press return.
• Setting “Server Active” to “Off” also sets “Broadcast Active” to “Off” and disables its toggle.
• Setting “Server Active” to “On” re-enables the “Broadcast Active” toggle, which you may then set to “On”, if you wish.
• Setting “Broadcast Active” to “On” means that you can simply browse to your iPhone by it’s AFP Service Name, on your Mac and don’t have to remember your iPhone’s IP address.
• Connect to it using the credentials “root” and whatever you changed your iPhone’s root password to. You did change it, right?

-ste

Many people are under the mistaken belief that I personally write all of the applications I host. They also think I create the themes and tweaks and dictionaries and so on, that you can find in my repository. I don’t. If I did, I’d be some super programmer and graphic artist and would most likely be employed right now. This mis-perception is quite understandable though, as my name and contact info was on every single package in my repository. That’s because earlier versions of Installer.app only allowed one person’s contact info on an application and if you didn’t specify it, it defaulted to the contact info for the repository. Starting with Installer.app 3.0, I can have two sets of contact info per package, so I have started adding the contact info for the people who actually make these things, so that they get the credit they deserve (not to mention all the emailed help requests).

So, just what is it that I actually do? Pretty much everything except write/create them:

• I make sure the package is zipped up correctly (files distributed in the right directories; highest compression level used)
• I make sure file permissions are correct
• I make sure files are installed in the correct place, following established standards
• I remove extra, unnecessary files
• I make sure the developer has used a proper package identifier
• I write each package’s plist file, so that it installs/updates/uninstalls correctly
• I generate an MD5 checksum on every package, so you know it hasn’t been tampered with
• I test new apps for proper basic functionality
• I provide the developer feedback on bugs I encounter
• I provide the developer with enhancement/feature suggestions
• I pass along community feedback to the developer
• I try to keep my cats off of the keyboard
• I run this blog
• I run the main repository site
• I run the mirrored servers you download the packages from
• I gather and process logs
• I answer emailed help requests
• I answer help requests in IRC
• I help others to set up their own repositories
• I help other repository maintainers solve their package install/update/uninstall issues
• I act as an unofficial helpdesk for Nullriver’s Installer.app, since they seemingly can’t be bothered to support it
• I write HOW-TOs
• I pay to provide these packages to you
• I try to find a way to recoup my expenses and make a living off of this (or to at least supplement it)

I’m sure there’s more, but I can’t think of it, off the top of my head. I couldn’t do any of this though, if it weren’t for all the talented people who create the stuff I make available to you. My hat’s off to them. :)

-ste