Question regarding adding plugins and skins to default installation package

[daphatty]

Sub,

I noticed that you're now including (and may have been doing so for quite some time) the enhanced web admin with the standard release of GB-PVR. Do you have any plans to include some or all of the more established plugins that are available for GB-PVR in subsequent releases? Same question goes for "3rd party" skins.

[sub]

Do you have any plans to include some or all of the more established plugins that are available for GB-PVR in subsequent releases?

No, probably not. It just makes producing releases a bit more awkward if I do this.

[daphatty]

Next question...

Would you be opposed to outside groups posting versions of your releases with their plugins already built in? (Like what the MameDev group does for MAME.)

[reboot]

I think the package as it stands, is perfectly fine for anyone using it for the first time.
Too much stuff, and it's just going to be confusing. As a user becomes more proficient, they can then add any plugins, or skins that they like.
For example, I do like the fastfind much better than the stock search, but I don't like Xrecord at all. If a beginner were presented with both the built in search and recording functions, as well as Xrecord and fastfind, they may be confused about which does what, and as they're more or less redundant, keeping it simple seems the best way.

[capone]

It would be wiser for plugin designers to create plugin payloads that combine those that work together or rely on each other. This would remove the issue of plugin version conflicts from happening.

[Darx-starz]

I can see benefits in both sides of the argument.

However, these alltwo frequent releases tend to break the plugins (I feel for Tipstr).

It would be nice to enter a phase of stabilty where no new functionality is added to say a standard build (with the existing range of supported cards) and Alpha to Beta to Release Candidate builds for the new cards.

That way Skin developers get to ply there wares to a release that they know will change little and people who hunker after bleading edge cards can have their own version. There is a risk that the current range of cards could become broken with the push for new card support. Seperating out the 2 streams would allow fast development and stabilty with 2 versions.

Just my tuppence.

[capone]

If sub started including plugins, by default, he would be the one to deal w/ support or problem w/ them. Anything he includes, even if people know it's 3rd party, ends up on his shoulders when it's bunk.

I'm sure he would add the best and most stable if it made sense (as he did w/ web part). It would be one-man-support suicide to take on any more issues than he already does...esp when he does this for what little trickles in as donations.

[Darx-starz]

If sub started including plugins, by default, he would be the one to deal w/ support or problem w/ them. Anything he includes, even if people know it's 3rd party, ends up on his shoulders when it's bunk.

I'm sure he would add the best and most stable if it made sense (as he did w/ web part). It would be one-man-support suicide to take on any more issues than he already does...esp when he does this for what little trickles in as donations.

And that leads to another point. This product needs to go GR and be licenced. That way the finance is there to develop it further. Its certainly good enough. Better than the product offered at F**y