"Lite" Win Client on *Nix

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 11/05/2010 16:07:45

Trying to see if it worth me taking the "Lite" windows Client and pushing this onto a Unix base,
either by using Wine, or mono develop, or some other method of taking .Net 2 code and easy porting to the target *Nix environment.
As I do not have a unix of any sort (Last time I touched that it was suse back in 99! - enough to put me off !)

So votes / encouragements / comments / alternatives please.

Update:
Addition of just a 7Z file from the 1.1.4 Lite client strain. If someone can copy and run on a machine to see if it displays stuff, and upload a picture.. That would be great..

Edit: 2010-05-11
If you install this via wine, then you will need to modify the shortcut to put mono in the launch shortcut

Seems like I might be shooting myself in the foot, If I want to try and keep the same "Look'n'feel"

Just ran the app through Mono analyzer, and it does like the way in which the file / directory icons are extracted out of the OS, (i.e. if you have a theme and it has icons then the client should reuse them !) but I' have no idea how that would be done for a *Nix installation !
I would have to force the icon image, which then would bypass the theme support that GUI's are supposed to have.

Does anyone now of a generic way of getting the icons used out of a *Nix environment

That does sound interesting.

The best way to get a Unix environment would a be to download a VMware Ubuntu image.
I have been hearing great things about mono for years now, I but never played with it.

Maybe I should look into it to minimize the non-shared components that FlexRAID has between Windows and Linux.

This is not going away,
BUT
neither is it proving easy to "Just Convert" from Windows to something that will look like it was written for the installed OS either (i.e. winforms or Wine on *Nix looks like a crayon drawing etc.)
So the plan is:-
1) Get an install of *Nix in a virtual Environment
2) Use MonoDevelop - It still crashes in 2.2.1 !

!!
3) Use GTK# - Looks like System.Windows.Forms but isn't

4) Take the code from the Windows "Lite" Client and port it over - Aargh
5) Remove the PInvoke stuff and find another way of getting the themed icons from the OS for Drives etc.
6) See if I can talk to an installed FlexRAID.

Smurf-IV wrote:This is not going away,

It might be using these steps read-on

Smurf-IV wrote:1) Get an install of *Nix in a virtual Environment

Oh why do they promise it to be easy.. I've used Ubuntu 9.10, and 10.4 Beta, kUbuntu, and they all refuse to work with the bridged netwrok / Run Slow in VPC, or not work with the Client extensions when used VirtualBox.
I managed to get Mint KDE to work, but then couldnn't find my way round to get anything else onto it.

Smurf-IV wrote:2) Use MonoDevelop - It still crashes in 2.2.1 ! !!

It still crashes, 4 times in the last 15 minutes.
Cannot change the order of panels etc. once in the designer, and does not select the Actions when 1st going onto a "widget" in the designer. When the Code is first opened it does not show the designer bottom buttons, and have to close and reopen them to get enything that is useful. The crash removes all work that has just occurred (i.e. it is a critical application exit)
The packegers do not work (Refused to build !)

Smurf-IV wrote:3) Use GTK# - Looks like System.Windows.Forms but isn't

It does not do MDI, it does not do Drag and drop very well, and seems to have "Funny" naming conventions.
The Auto complete seem to be just about useless, unless you have "Just" built and inserted a single line, otherwise it loses itself.

Smurf-IV wrote:4) Take the code from the Windows "Lite" Client and port it over - Aargh

Why - Because Winforms cannot be used without jumping through several hoops, which I am not in the mood for ! (Especially after the crashes / app exits)

Smurf-IV wrote:5) Remove the PInvoke stuff and find another way of getting the themed icons from the OS for Drives etc.

This was a given so will not complain about that.

Smurf-IV wrote:6) See if I can talk to an installed FlexRAID.

This looks like it is not going to happen as 1.4 is now out, with lot's of new goodies to learn about. - Not a bad thing, but does mean that the 1.3 Client that I was writing, may be dead in the water !

Currently the Sun has come out, and it hasn't rained for a few hours, so perhaps a drive and walk on the shore is required, See if that will clear the rant out of here

LOL! funny...

Don't you love it when they promise you easy and all you get are headaches?

I was going to tell you not to worry about the look and feel that much, but it looks like they are fundamental functional problems with mono when doing a port.
I really think you should focus on getting a good Windows client out and worry about a port later.
I haven't even fully ported the new RAID engines in FlexRAID to Linux yet.

However, sometimes, you have to focus on one thing and get it done the way it should.

FYI, the changes in 1.4 from 1.3 as far as the clients are concerned are minor.
- changes to the view command (omit the "run" portion)
- changes to the restore property (restorePaths changed to restore)
- a new task (fast-expansion)

I'm looking a for a volunteer who can help with the testing of the *Nix version of the "Lite Client".

Basically, I do not have enough knowledge

of the Nix environments and do not have one set up to test (yet that I can use

) , So would like a willing victim who can test a non invasive client to get me up and running with the basic's.
i.e.
* Does it install.

* Can it monitor a a FlexRaid being driven by the existing clients

* Does it produce the correct Command file

* Some help in getting my *Nix up and running

Simple stuff..
Just requires some exchanges via Private Messages and some links (Once I can create a package !!)

Cheers

Did you try one of the VMware Ubuntu appliances?

This is where I usually get my virtual appliances: http://chrysaor.info/?page=images&filter=Ubuntu

That should give you an environment fairly quickly.
Ubuntu is as easy as Windows.

Smurf-IV wrote:I'm looking a for a volunteer who can help with the testing of the *Nix version of the "Lite Client".

I can help test it, I have been thinking about getting some exposure to Mono. I have limited administrative experience with CentOS and Ubuntu, so I can probably help you get a testbed set up.

I currently have a FlexRAID 1.2 installation on CentOS 5.4, which I'm admin-ing with the command client. I'll get the web client installed sometime soon.

My available time is pretty limited right now but I'll try to check my PM inbox once a day and get back to you.

Good luck with the port!

BigChief wrote:
I can help test it, I have been thinking about getting some exposure to Mono. I have limited administrative experience with CentOS and Ubuntu, so I can probably help you get a testbed set up.
I currently have a FlexRAID 1.2 installation on CentOS 5.4, which I'm admin-ing with the command client. I'll get the web client installed sometime soon.
Good luck with the port!

Added file to the first post