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TI-Nspire / Re: New TI-Nspire emulator: Firebird Emu
« on: November 30, 2015, 07:27:15 am »
Dear @Vogtinator I would like to report a bit issues with the Windows port of the 2nd Beta release of Firebird.
While trying to reposition some of the floating docks, I clicked by mistake on the Close icon ( right beside the Redimension icon ).
Not knowing about the almost "definitive" choice of my closure action, I experimented a bit further, and ended up closing All docks, leaving me only with the LCD display ...
What I hoped at that time, was that after definetively closing Firebird and opening it again, All the standard docks would show up again on a New startup instance, which unfortunately was Not the case, and I ended up with the same previous Missing docks state from my last instance ( when I ended up closing all of them without knowing that action would result in an "almost" definitive choice ... ).
The only way I found to Restore Firebird original Docks state was through Windows Registry Editor, by invoking REGEDIT at the Command Prompt line, and searching for Firebird entries.
Succesfully I located the ndless / nspire_emu entries, and by simply Removing both from the Windows Registry I was able to fully Restore Firebird to its original ( pre-installation ) state.
Another missing feature I think would Help a lot more users would be a little README file, which if actually not included at the zip distribution, at least could be Posted as an additional separate file at the Project page on GitHub and the very first page of this post on Omnimaga.
Concerning the possibility of other users ending up Closing some Docks by mistake ( and not knowing what to do to Restore them on a new instance ), I suggest the inclusion of top Menu entries placed aside from the Emulation, Tools and Flash ones, which would allow a "Permanent" state re-activation mechanism for the Floating docks ( in case they were previously closed ).
Meanwhile before implementing such feature, a paliative would be to start Firebird Interface on Tabs mode, or at least indicate the existence of that option for the naive users on a README file.
The Flash Menu could be improved if it include the option of not only Saving a Flash Image, but also of Loading another previously saved ( or already available one ), without the need of opening the Settings / Nspire tabs and selecting a Flash Image and Boot1 file ( from that tab options ).
Also at the Create Flash Image menu, Boot1 is indicated by a Manuf tag and placed below Boot2 which shows up a bit confusing for the naive user to fully understand that a Boot1 file is required at that point.
A bit more explanations on a README file would let the users know exactly what to provide on each field, with instruction for them how to obtain Boot1 and Boot2 image files from their own physical calculators, by meens of ndless and polydumper.
While trying to Generate a New image file from the Create Flash Image menu, ( with all the required files provided and correctly identified after each selection, except for the provision of Diags which I left None and selected to Boot from Boot2 and Not Diags ), I ended up with an Application Crash on Windows 7 32bits.
The Boot and OS files I provided were the Same ones I succesfully used on Nspiroid [ https://www.omnimaga.org/ti-nspire-projects/nspiroid-ti-nspire-emulator-on-android-(zenfone-5)/30/ ] and kARM-TI [ https://www.omnimaga.org/ti-nspire-projects/karmti-ti-nspire-emulator-with-skin-16585/420/ ] were I succesfully generated the Flash Image files which I Ported to Firebird ( after Not being able to generate a New Flash Image directly from Firebird, due to the reported Windows application Crash ).
Overall my very First impressions on Firebird were very good ones, showing up as a Very Promising Project due mainly to its broad range of covered platforms, with a vast array of implementations, based on a Same common ground, leading its final users to an easier adaption from one platform to another.
The only missing points which deserve a bit more attention by now are an Improved Documentation, by the inclusion of a README file describing in more detail the Boot and Flash Image file creation ( or import ) process, and the "definitive" closure state of floating Docks described on the Windows port, and which I dont know if similar behavior could happen on other platforms like Android ( and where I simply do no know how to Restore the equivalent of a Registry entry on a Android ARM Tablet without root access ).
Thanks very much for All the attention, hoping to have provided Valuable points requiring some attention on future releases of Firebird,
Yours Sincerely,
Prof. Ricardo Duarte
PS: A missing option for the Non developer users would be to allow not only for Firebird to Start Emulation Automatically, but Also allowing the choice of starting with focus on the Keypad window open ( in place of the Serial Monitor actually selected and opened by default ). The inclusion of a simple ( exclusive ) Selection option ( by means of Radio Buttons ) between Keypad and Serial Monitor, would allow for such configuration, leaving both developers and common users the ability to opt for their preferred choice of initialization.
While trying to reposition some of the floating docks, I clicked by mistake on the Close icon ( right beside the Redimension icon ).
Not knowing about the almost "definitive" choice of my closure action, I experimented a bit further, and ended up closing All docks, leaving me only with the LCD display ...
What I hoped at that time, was that after definetively closing Firebird and opening it again, All the standard docks would show up again on a New startup instance, which unfortunately was Not the case, and I ended up with the same previous Missing docks state from my last instance ( when I ended up closing all of them without knowing that action would result in an "almost" definitive choice ... ).
The only way I found to Restore Firebird original Docks state was through Windows Registry Editor, by invoking REGEDIT at the Command Prompt line, and searching for Firebird entries.
Succesfully I located the ndless / nspire_emu entries, and by simply Removing both from the Windows Registry I was able to fully Restore Firebird to its original ( pre-installation ) state.
Another missing feature I think would Help a lot more users would be a little README file, which if actually not included at the zip distribution, at least could be Posted as an additional separate file at the Project page on GitHub and the very first page of this post on Omnimaga.
Concerning the possibility of other users ending up Closing some Docks by mistake ( and not knowing what to do to Restore them on a new instance ), I suggest the inclusion of top Menu entries placed aside from the Emulation, Tools and Flash ones, which would allow a "Permanent" state re-activation mechanism for the Floating docks ( in case they were previously closed ).
Meanwhile before implementing such feature, a paliative would be to start Firebird Interface on Tabs mode, or at least indicate the existence of that option for the naive users on a README file.
The Flash Menu could be improved if it include the option of not only Saving a Flash Image, but also of Loading another previously saved ( or already available one ), without the need of opening the Settings / Nspire tabs and selecting a Flash Image and Boot1 file ( from that tab options ).
Also at the Create Flash Image menu, Boot1 is indicated by a Manuf tag and placed below Boot2 which shows up a bit confusing for the naive user to fully understand that a Boot1 file is required at that point.
A bit more explanations on a README file would let the users know exactly what to provide on each field, with instruction for them how to obtain Boot1 and Boot2 image files from their own physical calculators, by meens of ndless and polydumper.
While trying to Generate a New image file from the Create Flash Image menu, ( with all the required files provided and correctly identified after each selection, except for the provision of Diags which I left None and selected to Boot from Boot2 and Not Diags ), I ended up with an Application Crash on Windows 7 32bits.
The Boot and OS files I provided were the Same ones I succesfully used on Nspiroid [ https://www.omnimaga.org/ti-nspire-projects/nspiroid-ti-nspire-emulator-on-android-(zenfone-5)/30/ ] and kARM-TI [ https://www.omnimaga.org/ti-nspire-projects/karmti-ti-nspire-emulator-with-skin-16585/420/ ] were I succesfully generated the Flash Image files which I Ported to Firebird ( after Not being able to generate a New Flash Image directly from Firebird, due to the reported Windows application Crash ).
Overall my very First impressions on Firebird were very good ones, showing up as a Very Promising Project due mainly to its broad range of covered platforms, with a vast array of implementations, based on a Same common ground, leading its final users to an easier adaption from one platform to another.
The only missing points which deserve a bit more attention by now are an Improved Documentation, by the inclusion of a README file describing in more detail the Boot and Flash Image file creation ( or import ) process, and the "definitive" closure state of floating Docks described on the Windows port, and which I dont know if similar behavior could happen on other platforms like Android ( and where I simply do no know how to Restore the equivalent of a Registry entry on a Android ARM Tablet without root access ).
Thanks very much for All the attention, hoping to have provided Valuable points requiring some attention on future releases of Firebird,
Yours Sincerely,
Prof. Ricardo Duarte
PS: A missing option for the Non developer users would be to allow not only for Firebird to Start Emulation Automatically, but Also allowing the choice of starting with focus on the Keypad window open ( in place of the Serial Monitor actually selected and opened by default ). The inclusion of a simple ( exclusive ) Selection option ( by means of Radio Buttons ) between Keypad and Serial Monitor, would allow for such configuration, leaving both developers and common users the ability to opt for their preferred choice of initialization.