DISCUSSION: Power to the users - part 2
 

This thread is to discuss the article titled: Power to the users - part 2

Don't waste your time reading this article it is promoting a product Runtime Revolution. You can actually download a timed trial version too. :(

getgui is much easier and it is released under the GPL.

Free Stuff
 

Thanks for the link to getgui. Better than dialog I think although the point about these tools is that they work on a console only interface.

I tried to get it to do what the Storyboard project does, but I really don't have the skills, being just an informed Nix end user.

If you look at the Runtime Revolution project it displays, moves, and removes pictures in a layout, shows an animation of the layout, and adds and plays associated sounds. In addition it manages stores of work files, layouts and animations on visual display windows so you can see what you are deleting or archiving.

I wrote it to help literacy students create simple audio visual presentations which they can write about to help with their language skills, and to help those with little language skills express themselves in sound and picture. I use Tuxpaint and a simple sound recorder for those with little PC skills although I include the GIMP and Audacity for the others.

The main criteria is that the program has to be extensible by an informed Linux Newbie, which is why I chose the RunRev IDE as it is for non programmers like me, can do all the multimedia stuff, as well as web and database functions and most importantly seamlessly interfaces with the shell.

Apart from the target users, the point is to show newbies that with only naive scripting skills, something quite wonderful can be created.

Runtime Revolution is in the process of releasing a FREE version for Linux very soon, so you won't have to pay the small amount they ask for this product.

Maybe you can let us know how to achieve the Storyboard with getgui in friendly competition with my version.

Kind regards
Stomfi

Perhaps my reply was a bit harsh, I apologize for that. Your program does seem interesting and I'm sure it can run circles around getgui. I read the article expecting to read a tutorial on script writing with some GUI tricks thrown in the mix. My reply was based on my feeling misled by the description of the article.

Power to the Users. Shell Scripting & GUI interfacing for Desktop Users. by Stomfi © 2005 Part 2

Anyone writing programs for linux is OK in my book. Sorry again, and keep up the good work.

Thanks /bin/bash. I realise Runtime Revolution is proprietary, even though it creates freely distributable binary runtimes, which is not the main aim of FSF, but I think that partly due to my efforts, they are going to release a free version for Linux, and the more people who find out how easy it is for non programmers (It is compatible with the Apple Metacard program) the better chance we've got of them or someone else creating a GPLed equivalent.

I've got a version of the application running with another shell/RunRev program called 'SCOOL which I've combined with the Dyne2 Live CD. I wish I had some where to host it, but not being truly OSS it's difficult to find a free site.

There is a tutorial by me in the Feb 06 issue of LinuxFormat on customising Dyne1 and the DVD contains version 1.0.0 of 'SCOOL with all the shell scripts, RunRev development files, binary runtime et al, which you can disect to see how clever and simple combining RunRev with Bash can be.

RunRev is a real hackers environment just like Bash, which is why I like it.

Regards from down under,
Stomfi