Binaries and the future of jinput ?

[Tomas]

Is there an official release of jinput with binaries for win, linux, osx. The binaries page is dead old. We really need to have this thing sorted out so that new user can pick up the lib and use it. A common set of compiled binaries is also quality issue and it will be much easier to trace bugs and issues, it also seems to be the most common topic in this forum.  I think that is time that jinput get the same amount of professional governing as the jogl project.  With just a little care it could so much better.... and maybe even usefull for others.

Or is this project dead or in a deep coma with no one governing its future and who is the maintainer of the jinput home/release page?

// Tomas

[kevglass]

I've just asked Jeff for this, see post below. He's trying to get the OSX contributor to build binaries. 

Maybe a website overhaul is in order also?

Kev

[endolf]

Hi

I'm doing windows and linux builds now.

Endolf

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[Tomas]

I think that there is a need for a complete project overhaul. We need and official releases for all systems and an issue tracker so that it is possible to file and track bugs. Without releases it is almost no point to file a bug report since there are too many variables for the dev team to consider so the bug report is useless. There is also no way for the end user to know which issues he might encounter and need to find a workaround for.

Read the post; A osx binary is just a cure for the symptom and not the disease. The problem is that we always seem to need to get a build from one place or another which is unacceptable from a quality standpoint.

// Tomas

[endolf]

Read the post;

He did

The problem is that we always seem to need to get a build from one place or another which is unacceptable from a quality standpoint.

Which is what Jeff is trying to work on.

Endolf

[kevglass]

Read the post; A osx binary is just a cure for the symptom and not the disease. The problem is that we always seem to need to get a build from one place or another which is unacceptable from a quality standpoint.

I totally agree, however we have to start somewhere and a release of the current binaries and source as a "version 0.1" might be a good place.. thats all I was trying to say.

As to an issue tracker, there is one on the jinput site I believe? (https://jinput.dev.java.net/servlets/ProjectIssues;jsessionid=92A5E6A76F1B835775C3F26D8758129C)

What JInput probably needs more than anything, is attention. This would drive the project into meeting the needs of its users.

Kev

[Tomas]

I totally agree, however we have to start somewhere and a release of the current binaries and source as a "version 0.1" might be a good place.

True. With such a simple move the project would be back on track, but it’s important that 0.1 isn't a one time effort.   And with a release the issue tracker would make sense, as things are now are it just don't.

What JInput probably needs more than anything, is attention.

The developers are probably doing a great job, but the project communication is lousy  at best. There is no way for user to see where this project is going or if its going at all and without that this project will never get the attention in deserves.  If Jeff has started this process then its great..... but it won't make the project fly if there is no long time commitment and clear direction from a end user point of  view.

To all jinput devs: I appreciate all the work you have done and I use jinput daily, it’s just sad to see that project doesn’t get the cred it deserves because lousy communication and release maintenance.


// Tomas

[endolf]

Hi

Ok, new builds uploaded for windows and linux. Unless someone is willing to donate one, I don't have a mac so I can't do builds/testing for that.

There were a couple of bugs in the windows build that I managed to find. For some reason, directx was reporting my USB keyboard as a 'Device', this gets presented as a jinput device rather than a jinput keyboard, and it has 91 buttons (there is a second controller with the rest). a 91 button device hadn't been looked at before, and it blew up.

Anyway, the files section at jinput.dev.java.net has links to the builds and updated coreAPI javadoc.

Endolf

[Tomas]

Great 

[cjcdoomed]

I can do the builds for OS X and send you the binaries?

-CC

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[endolf]

That would be cool.

Thanks

Endolf

[Jeff]

SO...

Lets talk about whats needed and what we can do about it?

At one point in time Sun was handling nightly builds of the core libs.  UNfortunately we lost the
person doing that and none of the remainitgn people has the abndwidth to address it.
Pretty soo nafter losing that person the nightly builds borke and thats not likely to get fixed
or maintaiend at Sun.

SO what was a community can/wil lwe do about it?

I can set up ftp space in my lab at Sun that can be seen from the web but thats about the limit
of the resources i have.  I am *obscenely* busy right now and have a long backlog of
things already tod eal with. I dont think I can take  on too much more here.

Given those limitations, what suggestions are there for putting this thing back "on track" as it were?

[endolf]

Hi

All the time the mails get sent when CVS is updated, I can maintain the windows and linux builds and upload them. Using the links from the files section of jinput.dev.java.net I can put the actual files anywhere. At the moment that happens to be at newdawnsoftware.com, and I have no issue hosting them there, at last count we have 997 gigabytes of spare bandwidth a month . It's the OSX build that I can't do.

Endolf

[kevglass]

I think most people's problems would be resolved if there was a recent binary release for all platforms and the new structure that Endolf has just introduced.

However, JInput could do with being versioned (which you can't currently tell from the "releases") and having some text around it that explain its purpose, how to use it and current limitations. I know we had an effort not long ago to confirm working controllers on the platform but I can't seem to find that information anywhere. It would be extremely nice if this could be automated so users could just add a working entry to the list as and when they use it.

Summary:

- Versioned release for up to date builds on all platforms
- Bug/Issue tracking updated with the current problems and known issues.
- Tutorial/Help information on the API and its limitations and intentions
- A user editable list of known compatible controllers (plus issues with non-working)
- A single site (java.net?) where all of the above is linked to from

I'm happy to have a go at some supporting text if its not already available somewhere (didn't TheBohemian put something together for this?). I could probably do something for a user editable list (though I suspect there are many that could do a much better job).

I guess once the above is sorted out the next step would be to start working on features that people want to use (I know Endolf is keen on force feedback on all platforms).

More than anything, JInput needs a MacOS developer

Kev

[endolf]

- Versioned release for up to date builds on all platforms
- Bug/Issue tracking updated with the current problems and known issues.
- Tutorial/Help information on the API and its limitations and intentions
- A user editable list of known compatible controllers (plus issues with non-working)
- A single site (java.net?) where all of the above is linked to from

The new builds that I'm uploading have the date they were built on the filename, I think that is better in some respects than an arbitrary '1.1' or '1.1.3' type thing.

I try to keep the bug tracker up to date, although to be honest, if I find a bug I fix it and upload it right away. Longer term bugs do go in.

This points to a few threads that have good info in them, but some kind of doc is a good idea.

The Java Games Factory had a list of devices and the status of them, but v3 seems to have lost it all

If JGF data comes back, and we get a doc, then I can always update the project page of jinput. The builds i'm doing are all linked there.

All good points.

Endolf

[swpalmer]

I can also do OS X builds.  But I don't have time to debug stuff.  If all I need to do is run 'ant' on a Mac and send the files somewhere then I will do it for sure.  I would like to get more involved, but sadly I haven't got the time - at least not for a while yet.

[endolf]

Hi

For now that would be good, if you could do a clean checkout and do an ant dist, and then an ant simple_dist that would be cool. If they don't work, just let us know, if they do, if you could mail me the files then I'll deal with the rest.

Cheers

Endolf

[endolf]

Thanks to cjcdoomed there are now OSX builds available, built yesterday from the date stamps on the files.

Endolf

P.S. I'll probably update my webstart demo of jinput soon now we have 3 new builds.

Edit: webstart demo updated, see the webstart thread.

[Tomas]

Now we are talking. Great work guys

[zero]

good news

btw. the webstart demos work great on my notebook, reagardless I boot linux or windows!

[kevglass]

Excellent stuff!

However, is there any fear of a source release to accompany this versioned released?

Kev

[kevglass]

Ack - this is my night for JInput :/ - some of the class files appear to have been compiled with 1.5 without 1.4 compatibility turned on. I'm getting "Unsupported major.minor version 49.0" problems.

Do I now have to use 1.5 for JInput or is this an oversight?

Kev