Mircea Bardac /random_thoughts

I spent a large part of this day updating the Psi Windows Installer, getting it ready for Psi 0.10 release.

If you don’t know, the Windows Installer has been moved to the Psi Darcs Repository (since Psi also switched from CVS to Darcs). The sources can be found here.

For a quick preview on how the new installer will look like, have a look over Psi Wiki: Windows Installer Guide. Graphics were created by our Psi web designer - MRAY - lots of thanks once again for the wonderful contribution.

The installer reached Version 2. The version bump was caused by some implementation improvements I’ve added recently, easing up the work required to package future versions. These 2 improvements include:

• script for building the file list with everything that needs to be installed - NSIS has its own way of defining what files should be installed where; this script takes a Psi archive, unzips it and creates install/uninstall file lists to be used directly by the installer
• script for creating language pack sections - as you probably know, you can include Psi language packs with the installer. The Windows Installer has a feature which makes it particularly interesting: if you select a language for the installer interface, it will be automatically selected from the language pack list - not an exquisite feature, but useful. This script looks in the directory with Psi language packs and automatically generates sections for the language packs in the installer (install/uninstall file lists) and setup functions (for autoselecting the language packs depending on the installer language)

One thing to notice: I wasn’t able to compile the installer script properly with the latest NSIS compiller(v2.10) and I used an older version (v2.03). There a strange incompatibility between the two versions, when it comes to displaying variables put in the Installer section names.

The new version of the Windows Installer will be used by Psi when 0.10 is released.

I was commenting in my last blog entry about Google’s recent aquisition - a company producing a windows only closed client.

Today I woke up and what do I see in the news: Google Talk is out - the IM client from Google supports XMPP… Psi is on the supported IM clients list.

Imagine me… with a big wow on my face… I can imagine everyone else in the Jabber (XMPP) world with a similar reaction…

My flow of thoughts and actions:

• oh…
• new potential users…
• Psi…
• we need a HowTo…
• Kev tolds me Psi 0.10-test1 will be out later today
• we need a HowTo
• where would I put the HowTo…
• in the not yet announced Wiki…
• Kev says the Wiki has a go for today
• we need to keep the icons a secret for 0.10-final
• rearranged the Wiki Main Page
• screenshot session started for the Google Talk HowTo
• Google Talk HowTo Wiki page completed
• Google Talk HowTo Wiki for Psi 0.9.3 completed
• Everything (Psi 0.10-test1, wiki, howtos) is out.
• People started joining Psi groupchat room…
• for the first time in history I’ve used the scroolbar to scrool the userlist
• tons of comments…
• went to bed happy.

I’ve also eaten between the lines there. If it does seem like in a rush, it’s because it was a rush.
We want our users to enjoy the very best of Psi that we offer right now.
Lots of thanks to the great Psi Team who helped carrying out successfully this task.

The event was also covered in Jabber Journal #24.

Do you remember your first two years? I bet you don’t!
Well, I do! And I’m very proud of them.

I remember my first step, my first words… and now, after two years… I still feel like a baby. Lots of things to share, lots of things to learn.

Happy Birthday to me! It’s been 2 years today since I’ve joined the Psi Community.
It brings me great joy remembering all the stuff that happened these 2 years. Psi really grew under my eyes:

• I personally gave birth to the Psi Windows Installer, a pack of NSIS scripts meant to create an easy to use installer for Windows - these scripts turned out to be wonderful starting points for other projects as well
• Two applications started living to help Psi and not only Psi. One of them is FlySpray (currently in use in many projects all over the world) and Unclassified Newsboard - Psi’s future forum backend.
• I got to be Forum Moderator for the wonderful Psi Community
• Michal was also named moderator to support the upcomming flow of users
• Named moderator at the begining, Remko (spike) was “promoted” to Psi developer as recognition of his continuous effors to improve and develop Psi, bringing fresh ideas to the Project
• We got to have a new Lead Developer - Kevin , once Justin (infiniti) stepped out to pursue other goals, focusing more on the development of the XMPP library used by Psi, named Iris.
• Psi shaped really well to adapt to MacOS users’ needs once our devs started using Macs - mainly with the help of Remko
• File transfer got implemented - this is seen by many as one of the greatest achievements of Psi
• Got really really cool User Interface features, all available in the next Psi version (0.10), thanks to our Qt GUI code master - misha.

I can’t be forgetting Hal here, as he bravely stood and organized us, setting us on the right tracks whenever this was needed - a big THANK YOU for him.
Let me not forget all the translators who help spreading Psi around the globe, thus making Jabber a better place for everybody - they also diserve our thanks.

There are definitely many more things to mention, but I don’t have 2 years to do that.
What’s worth mentioning is that we are constantly working on providing a better, improved Psi, both on the application side and on the community side. The next Psi version (0.10), code name “Faces of conversation” (directed by our new Lead Developer Kevin - this sounds like a movie, doesn’t it?), focuses on usability and improving the interaction with the user. It’s release will sync with a website overhaul, bringing a new face to collaboration within the Psi Community.
Psi 0.10 will make this happen. Don’t forget! Be there when this happens! It’s a one time opportunity!

In the end, I’d like to thank you all for being such a wonderful (Internet) Community.
I am really proud of being a two-year-old around you.

Happy birthday to you too!

Two extra command line arguments to complete the patch I sent a few days ago. They were also requested today on the forums.

--gpg=EXEPATH - path to the GnuPG executable
--gpghome=PATH - path to the directory holding the keyrings (similar to the --homedir gpg option)

These options are mostly useful for people carying their GnuPG Keyrings on USB together with Psi.

I’ve also sent this new patch to the psi-devel-maillist for reviewing.

I have finished today an initial version for a Command Line Argument Parser for Psi.
It adds the following possible arguments for Psi.

• --datadir=PATH - overrides PSIDATADIR
• --profile=ProfileName - specifies the profile to be automatically selected from the profiles available in the data dir (not necessarily defined through –datadir=…)
• --profiledir=PATH - this option confilcts with the first option and overrides the 2nd; it describes the directory of the only Profile going to be loaded; switching profiles is forbidden

The main reason for starting this implementation is to make Psi as USB-Stick friendly as possible. As Psi Windows Package maintainer I plan adding some customizations to the installer to allow installing to a USB stick, with full functionality.

The patch is submitted to psi-devel-maillist for reviewing.