The Moluccas 0.8

Version 0.8 is here. I now called it Moluccas (not to be confused as some kind of mollusca).  It can be grabbed at https://sourceforge.net/projects/tumagcc/files/0.8/

The installer is M08.exe and you can pick up which 7z packages to install (categorized) but at least "base" is mandatory. Put all in the same folder and you're ready to install. There is brief overview of what's inside in each package at the link above. It still lack of documentation though only man included.

Enjoy my biggest OSS Collection with build environment!
All suggestions are welcome.

Main changelog:

- Fixes many typos and silly mistakes when tested in Windows 7
- All executable flagged with LAA
- Simplified startup: run conemu to start (old mode console, no longer supported though possible)
- Isolation: this version use ReactOS's cmd completely so it can be run independently of Windows' cmd.
- Installation speedup: Installer will use all cores (1 core/package)
- Explorer integration is disabled to provide zero host modification during startup (can be enabled by invoke molumenu). But many gui apps still write registry entries especially MFC based one.
- Fix integration with MSVS 2010 or (later?)
- Lots of manual tweaking in GUI apps to make it tight and blend in
- Small fixes in mingw headers and xtraposix libraries

Preparing version 0.8

I knew it will be more belated than previous version, this is getting bigger... Tuma MinGW 0.8 will focus on integration fixes and aim to become more established collection. On gcc side there is very little changes and will be the last with 4.7.x series (barebone 4.8.1 is provided though), originally I want to bundle static gtk libraries, but decided that's not worthy enough (I will put it up separately).

This version will have serious GUI apps addition and I have evaluate dozens of FOSS each weekend to find apps that lean and fast (avoiding .net/java whenever possible). But they're just alternative workflow from commandline counterpart which has considerable advatage. I still not quite done with cleanup so I dumped those in extratool package.

Oh yeah I want to drop the name, I think it's not a problem since it's not popular at all anyway. Candidates: celebes, moluccas or rangrang (the last is meaningful cause I love ants, they are the oldest architect)

I hope could finish it on sunday tomorrow.

Node.js with posix path support

It was Mat Sutcliffe who sent me a patch to compile node.js with mingw last weekend, if I recalled node.js used to be compilable with mingw via scons but apparently they switch to gyp entirely and mingw support became broken since then. I though it was a bit weird to sent it to me, but it turn out the process would involve msys python (needed by gyp to work properly).

The patch itself is a win-win solution as it will build native win32 binary but with support for posix path (MSYS and CYGWIN) via generic mount mechanism. He further explain why he choose mount over cygpath, that is because node.js operate asynchronously so by using mount path would settled once rather repeatedly as with cygpath.

This is binary of node.js 0.10.12 (built as ./configure --gdb --without-etw --without-perfctr)
nodejs-0.10.12.7z
original patch for mingw by Mat -> replace msysmnt with mount
modified patch for mingw-w64
python msys

The functionality is implemented in path.js which is bundled inside the executable. So actually you could modify (if you wish) that part (look for mingwToWindowsPath resolvedPath) with your favorite hex editor if you don't want to recompile. Just make sure you don't add and reduce the string block length. Or if you think mingw is such mundane task feel free to apply patch only to path.js and then compile it with M$VS as usual :-)

How to build with mingw:
1. extract the source file for node.js homepage
2. download python for msys and extract to msys installation
3. download one of appropriate patches (above) put in source tree
3. start mingw, navigate to source tree and apply patch
4. ./configure [your options] (make sure that python for msys is the active one)
5. python tools/gyp_node -f make
6. LINK=g++ make -C out BUILDTYPE=Release V=1

Notes:
- I'm not sure about etw and perfctr whether those compilable with mingw but both don't compile out of box. 
- The download is contain official installation hierarchy with node.exe replaced. Since it's not installer (it make no sense anyway) I'll assume you know what to do next ;-)

Enjoy!

Pinpoint, another approach for presentation

Previously I've tried fluxus for live presentation using a basically game engine + scheme scripting. Due to unresolved issue and the need to learn new language, I'm giving up and looking for much simpler alternative despite I still consider fluxus as a novel apps with no equal alternative.

Pinpoint is small, light and opengl accelerated presentation tool with a kind of magicpoint approach (you write down tagged text representation). It's similar to OSG's Present3D which is between pinpoint and fluxus in term of features, but Present3D require you to write a not-that-readable XML file instead which is nasty without the help of WYSIWYG editor. Pinpoint is simple, it has no advanced timeline/layer like in office software and geared for quick and dirty presentation. Pinpoint also feature extendable transition FX system (powered by clutter) by writing your own FX via loadable json file.

Here you go:

Static build win32, patched to make it more standalone :-)
download: pinpoint and sample+patch

notes:
- to test just drag and drop introduction.pp to pinpoint.exe
- no video support (I'm still figuring out how to build gst-ffmpeg statically) seems played but not rendered by cluttersink
- image support: png, jpg, gif
- basic FX are bundled in the executable, if you make new fx put the json file alongside the executable
- export: pdf only
- pinpoint.exe has console window, pinpointw.exe doesn't
- if you want to compile it yourself, please use gnome libraries released circa 2011 and avoid cairo 1.12.x

see their homepage to learn how to write a presentation file https://live.gnome.org/Pinpoint
Enjoy!

CMD restriction bypass

Alright since I have skipped nearly the whole month, I need to buzz something at least. The tittle isn't that real, I mean I'm bored with black hack stuff at my age anyway, so this one is too obvious, legal and easy too.

How to bypass CMD restriction? Well, by using another compatible cmd of course, like the open source ReactOS (wine?) cmd.exe replacement from the ISO file (version 0.3.14 works with XP and 7). However the problem soon arise when COMSPEC get tangled in the way, for example standard system() call will still use system-wide COMSPEC (not session one). So things like for /f ... ('command') do ... wont work since it will ask blocked system's cmd.exe to launch something a.k.a %windir%\system32\cmd.exe /c bla bla.

I stumble on this case when I use my previous 7z-sfx wrapper for bat files. So I decide to put ReactOS's cmd.exe inside the sfx as workaround.

That also apply to regedit restriction which ReactOS also has the replacement, but of course there is no "such restriction" to just access registry whatsoever.

Make your FFmpeg talk back

Yeah tonight I just realize ffplay can talk lol! ffplay can talk when it have flite capability (see my FFmpeg aoTuV build). It's quite old fashioned and amusing, in ffmpeg it can serve as either for auto narration or as text to speech synth.

Via ffplay just do this:
ffplay -f lavfi flite=text='Whats up Doc?'

Might can be used with zenity as text reader or reminder or whatever fun

SHC 3.8.9 MSYS port

To continue previous post, I actually port shc-3.8.9 quite long time ago for fun. But now I want to see if it can act as a wrapper for shellscript (bash/perl) under plain cmd box. And boom it failed :-))

SHC is actually an encryptor not compiler, with time trial feature (not tested). I don't quite remember anymore how I patched this little tool. But as usual MSYS is lacking this and that so it need bandage or cutoff :)

SHC however does need compiler (msysdev-gcc) to build its decryptor along the launcher itself. I have tested it under bash and it works fine. Under cmd box things are bit vague, it seems like:

decryptor -> look for shell (based on shebang?) -> found, sh launched -> ...WTF?... -> launch new cmd.exe session (again) instead

Hmmm

anyway it works for MSYS :-p

Download: http://osspack32.googlecode.com/files/shc-3.8.9.7z

Note make sure msysdev-gcc is ready and always use the -T option of shc

A Simple BAT to EXE Wrapper

I'm looking for a straightforward way to execute bat file inside bash and vice versa (execute shellscript in cmd box). At first I thinking about an encrypter that store content of batch file as string that later feed into shell invocation. But that's appear to be daunting to me right now :-D

I look around sourceforge and codeplex for existing solution, as expected there are several project based on 7z sfx but all of them (sorry if I missed) popped up new cmd window and can't work when called from PATH environment (aka different Curernt Directory).

So I decide to take 7zip SFX source code and apply some patches:

- To have 3 predefined environment variables replacement at RunProgram:
   %%T=temp directory where bat file extracted (supplied by oficial 7zip)
   %%S=path where sfx module located that is the exe file (similar to 7zsfxmod)
   %%W=path of current directory where sfx called (this is what I need)
- Assign CreateProcess's ApplicationName as COMSPEC environment
- Disabling progress bar, thus no need to set Progress="no"
- Redirect IO and prevent popped up windows as described in SO question here
- Finally, Change the sfx's submodule from gui to console using editbin or postw32 (of freepascal)

And it works :) (for my case)

Here you go:
http://osspack32.googlecode.com/files/7zSDcon.sfx

the patched main.cpp of SFXsetup (CPP) and the example converted bat (my old app Cabit, a Cabinet archiver):
http://osspack32.googlecode.com/files/cabit.exe
it use config file:

;!@Install@!UTF-8!
RunProgram="/c cd /d %%W && %%T\\cabit.bat "
;!@InstallEnd@!

Meaning after extraction run cabit.bat under the corrected working directory. Also note the extra space after the bat filename is important otherwise argument will not passed.
Then as usual do copy /b  7zSDcon.sfx+config.7z+cabit.7z cabit.exe

Unfortunately Igor Pavlov haven't publish the source code of his super small sfx (only 27kb) otherwise it would be neater.

I might gonna make sfxmaker or sort of with PE resource/icon insertion ability. Should be easy using wrc and linkres2exe tools.

To collaborate Tuma MinGW

I'm reflecting on Tuma MinGW future at the moment. I could push another point release for sure, but unlikely reach 1.0 milestone. Few weeks ago a developer offer me a help to turn Tuma MinGW into something like Gentoo, a self construct distro with fully automated updating/rebuild concept which I half heartedly had to reject as it will goes "by developer for developer" way. But the main reason is because I doubt its feasibility. There are many attempt with similar ideas in the past, but most went niche or failed. Me too want to go niche, making it console oriented distro (something that "nicely" oppose the Windows way).

The buildbot,  I used to make buildscript to compile stuff (still for some case) but after see how diverse is build systems under Windows, I'm quite overwhelmed.

My plan is if it goes 1.0 I want to put it like msysgit repo at github, rebranding it with new name (I call it cbonk, english: tadpole) and invite collaboration. But github only offer 1GB of realistic space. Sourceforge IMO is the best at hosting big files (even ISO files) and have rsync too. I once complain at git irc about how git doing initial clone by tarballing and fetch it in plain non-resumable and inefficient http download but they had no answer for that, quite a hell for people like me. Yesterday I tried this "Github for Windows" which turn out to be a "slow motion" application based on .NET which emptied my RAM after about 100 files of 10 MB commit. I'm thinking of distribute Tuma MinGW into several repos with one as base and the rest as module. Does this need a trick?

I realize that it's bad to have repo of binaries especially at this scale maybe I should packed each application as tarball and use spkg to install/remove this way it might fit to the 1GB barrier, or maybe just get rid several compilers? I still have several to do lists to be addressed for 0.8, mostly integration work, going further I want to pimp many things using zenity to make it much friendlier without going GUIsh. hmm... clueless

Another dropbox failed

Ah I'm not learning from past experience to stop using dropbox for crucial files in this blog, look now, many images are goner. >,<

Yeah I finally lose another dropbox account few days ago.

I really wish Google stop their menacing "chrome 'em all" campaign, first blogger's image uploader always fail under Opera browser (otherwise I'd not use dropbox), then translate.google.com behave infinite recursed iframe  under non-chrome browse, then they stop providing pr0n friendly google image too, ok the latter is irrelevant.

But dear Google, I'd never use your browser until it could run under Guest account (or much restricted one if any)! I'm a privacy freak, I'll eliminate all updater (*pointing at google and others) that try to run without my consent, I visit sites with multiple level of proxy (stupid government, they put most of global internet access redirected to Singapore) and I mostly browse in private mode with alias of course. Oh and I avoid "please invade my privacy by default" OS such as Windows 8.

Back to dropbox, I have made backup to several place although wont do it to all files. Sorry