2018-01-07, 23:33
I've not posted here in a long time, but after reading some of the posts from the last few pages, wanted to offer my 'take' on the situation and offer some assistance if required.
Now I'm not a skinner or a programmer. Last time I wrote any lines of code was back in college about 20 years ago, so I can't help you guys with that. But I do have a working PVR setup using a 'HDHomeRun Connect' set-top box which serves all the systems I have here with TV capabilities should I need it (I don't watch much broadcast TV - It's just there, should I need it). So if you need a beta-tester to test PVR related changes, let me know.
I currently have Aeon Madnox synced via GitHub Desktop directly into my Kodi add-ons folder. I generally run all my setups in 'Portable mode' on a separate drive to the OS as each of my main systems has an SSD as the OS boot drive, and I'm very wary of having anything on those drives that could cause excessive wear on the drive(s) lifetime. Other than that, everything is pretty much 'stock' in terms of setup. I have an optional dual-configuration using advancedsettings.xml files which can be run using local databases (SQLite) and/or remote databases hosted centrally on one of my two NAS devices (MySQL). This gives me the opportunity to run different configurations based on my needs at that point in time. My Library is fairly large, with 45,400 music / audio files, over 1,000 films and over 200 TV-Shows of various types. The sheer size of the collection (And the time required to scrape it) have forced me to move away from MySQL recently because until v18.0 goes prime-time, the performance of the databases, especially for music, falls off a cliff, once your getting up to the amount of content I'm adding.
In terms of the future direction of Madnox, and Mike's own issues, I would say just keep moving forwards. I too have had a few mentally-challenging issues over the past 5 years. 5 years ago I was diagnosed with (and survived) a pretty serious form of cancer. Two months ago I was diagnosed Type-1 diabetic, which comes with it's own set of complications. So while I can't put myself in your shoes Mike, with regards the loss of loved-ones, I can identify with how it feels to constantly be feeling like your fighting an uphill battle. I also have a pet project (unrelated to Kodi) that I've needed to learn new skills for, from the ground up with very little in terms of outside help, and it too has seen some neglect when 'real-life' gets in the way. I know where your at - in a way.
What I'd say to you is that if you had decided to walk away, no-one would of thought any less of you. You took on what was a momentous task in Keeping Aeon Nox / Shednox / Madnox not only 'alive', but also relevant. Kudos to you, Shimi2k, and the rest of the guys for seeing it through. It's primarily because of the 'heart-on-sleeve' mentality of all the team members, the openness exhibited by all, and the willingness to 'get-it-done' which has led us to where we are now.
I would also say however, that if we are going to see all the effort that's been put in by all of you, bear fruit, then efforts ought to be focussed on a single project that does the skin, and Shimi2k's memory justice. Having multiple 'similar' projects going in different (albeit similar) directions is only going to add to end-user confusion, not to mention fragmentation. IMHO, the 'team' ought to get together over some kind of voice comms, and thrash out a direction that ALL of you agree on and work towards. Otherwise both projects run the risk of becoming fragmented, and potentially bogged down due to conflicting interests.
That's just my 2p. Best of luck with the upcoming project, and should you require a tester, be sure and let me know.
Regards,
Dan / Gib.
Now I'm not a skinner or a programmer. Last time I wrote any lines of code was back in college about 20 years ago, so I can't help you guys with that. But I do have a working PVR setup using a 'HDHomeRun Connect' set-top box which serves all the systems I have here with TV capabilities should I need it (I don't watch much broadcast TV - It's just there, should I need it). So if you need a beta-tester to test PVR related changes, let me know.
I currently have Aeon Madnox synced via GitHub Desktop directly into my Kodi add-ons folder. I generally run all my setups in 'Portable mode' on a separate drive to the OS as each of my main systems has an SSD as the OS boot drive, and I'm very wary of having anything on those drives that could cause excessive wear on the drive(s) lifetime. Other than that, everything is pretty much 'stock' in terms of setup. I have an optional dual-configuration using advancedsettings.xml files which can be run using local databases (SQLite) and/or remote databases hosted centrally on one of my two NAS devices (MySQL). This gives me the opportunity to run different configurations based on my needs at that point in time. My Library is fairly large, with 45,400 music / audio files, over 1,000 films and over 200 TV-Shows of various types. The sheer size of the collection (And the time required to scrape it) have forced me to move away from MySQL recently because until v18.0 goes prime-time, the performance of the databases, especially for music, falls off a cliff, once your getting up to the amount of content I'm adding.
In terms of the future direction of Madnox, and Mike's own issues, I would say just keep moving forwards. I too have had a few mentally-challenging issues over the past 5 years. 5 years ago I was diagnosed with (and survived) a pretty serious form of cancer. Two months ago I was diagnosed Type-1 diabetic, which comes with it's own set of complications. So while I can't put myself in your shoes Mike, with regards the loss of loved-ones, I can identify with how it feels to constantly be feeling like your fighting an uphill battle. I also have a pet project (unrelated to Kodi) that I've needed to learn new skills for, from the ground up with very little in terms of outside help, and it too has seen some neglect when 'real-life' gets in the way. I know where your at - in a way.
What I'd say to you is that if you had decided to walk away, no-one would of thought any less of you. You took on what was a momentous task in Keeping Aeon Nox / Shednox / Madnox not only 'alive', but also relevant. Kudos to you, Shimi2k, and the rest of the guys for seeing it through. It's primarily because of the 'heart-on-sleeve' mentality of all the team members, the openness exhibited by all, and the willingness to 'get-it-done' which has led us to where we are now.
I would also say however, that if we are going to see all the effort that's been put in by all of you, bear fruit, then efforts ought to be focussed on a single project that does the skin, and Shimi2k's memory justice. Having multiple 'similar' projects going in different (albeit similar) directions is only going to add to end-user confusion, not to mention fragmentation. IMHO, the 'team' ought to get together over some kind of voice comms, and thrash out a direction that ALL of you agree on and work towards. Otherwise both projects run the risk of becoming fragmented, and potentially bogged down due to conflicting interests.
That's just my 2p. Best of luck with the upcoming project, and should you require a tester, be sure and let me know.
Regards,
Dan / Gib.
