WinMX 3.0 beta testing

[AweShucks]

http://www.winmx.com/beta300/


Finally it is here

[TankGirl]

Now let's see how buggy it is....

- tg

[Stoepsel]

Well,

my experience with WinMX is that it is far more stable than Morpheus.

Since this is the first beta, I wouldn't judge too hard based on it. But it sure will be exciting to put it through its paces. Right now there isn't much to download and try out the multi-sourcing, but that should get better in the coming days.

I feel all antsy already...

Stoepsel - hoping that WinMX puts an end to disappearing downloads

[TankGirl]

Some fresh observations:

First of all: it has been stable so far...

The installation was clear and went smoothly. It's not an upgrade but a separate installation so you will have a blank hotlist, a blank ignore list and - unfortunately - a blank opennap server list when you have it running for the first time.

It seems that you have to feed all OpenNap servers you want to use manually. There is a 'Locate Servers' button which takes your browser to WinMX site... no joy of that.

I had some trouble getting into WPNP but after fiddling with firewall/port settings I got there.

The user interface is the best so far (for WinMX) but there are still some oddities (like chat window gettting nastily hidden behind the main window, takes some searching to get it visible again....). Luckily it is possible to have the hotlist window now docked to the main window.

The only real bug I have encountered so far was that messages from a person kept coming as separate new messages instead of getting directed to an already opened chat window... making chat in this case close to impossible.

But the real question is: what new is there? What happened to multisource downloads?

- tg

[goldie]

[thinker]

Only been waiting 5 mos. ...heh. Glad to see it though, in any stage.

[daddydirt]

Originally posted by TankGirl


But the real question is: what new is there? What happened to multisource downloads?

- tg

multisource is working tg, try the beatles or something

as stoepsel said, "Right now there isn't much to download and try out the multi-sourcing, but that should get better in the coming days."

[Stoepsel]

Originally posted by daddydirt

multisource is working tg, try the beatles or something

as stoepsel said, "Right now there isn't much to download and try out the multi-sourcing, but that should get better in the coming days."

Yep, multi-sourcing has worked for me, even though I had to download crap like Britney Spears to test it

@TankGirl:
Yeah, I noticed some imperfections, too. You already mentioned the OpenNap Server issue. The list is empty and Locate Servers takes you to the WinMX home page.

I had no problem with getting into WPNP. I use ZoneAlarm Pro and let WinMX be a server. Of course, that's like opening the barn door on the firewall, but it worked for me. I guess it's a bit more complicated not to let WinMX act as server. Would that even be possible?

I always thought that the GUI was pretty ugly but designed to get the job done. And the Look-And-Feel of WinMX hasn't changed - still ugly but gets the job done

I haven't chatted yet and didn't use the hotlist. I sent some messages to people and browsed their files. What I like about WinMX in comparison to Morpheus is, that it is better in handling large lists without slowing down or freezing up. I browsed someone's file list with over 1.500 entries and that presented no problem.
BTW, has anyone else noticed that Morpheus hates it when you share/unshare large amounts of files in My Media?

I don't quite understand what WinMX puts in the title bar. There's this section that starts with: "PC: <some number>" followed by 2 more values, can't remember what they were (I'm writing this down from memory). If the PC value stands for number of users logged in, the value was around 5-8 when I was logged in. That was 5-8, not 500-800 or 5.000.000-8.000.000. No wonder that testing multi-sourcing was a bit hard to do. Let's wait a day or 2 for the news to spread.

The file launching isn't implemented yet for your downloads, but they mention that on the bug report page as known issue. I always liked the fact that you could launch an external player directly from WinMX. The Morpheus Theater is a pain. And you can't enqueue songs like in WinMX.

Of course, WinMX now has a totally new way to store incomplete files since they have to deal with multi-sourced partial files. The partial files already have the 'final' extension, no .temp or .dat or something and look like "_IMCOMPLETE_<filename>_<some hex number>". How they keep track of what has been downloaded? No idea. Don't really care either.

That's pretty much what I noticed after an hour or 2 of occasional fiddling.

Any other observations?

Stoepsel

[petriburg]

Browsing in www.zeropaid.com a couple of days ago, I found a so-called tool to simplify the business of loading servers in WinMX.
Called NapMX (pretty original, don't you think), this little program
does all that's claimed for it - it searches and loads all available opennap servers into the WinMx program, and keeps it updated.
Painless!
What is left unsaid in the NapMX installation details is that in most cases, it seems to require you to reboot your computer before it installs itself properly. Other than that its completely straightforward.
So, DL NapMX, install it, and watch it do its magic thing! It found me 3,500+ Elvis files on my first "test" (vix WinMX, of course).

[napho]

It connected instantly, didn't crash and downloaded well...all you can expect from a beta. Good start.

[Stoepsel]

Originally posted by petriburg
So, DL NapMX, install it, and watch it do its magic thing! It found me 3,500+ Elvis files on my first "test" (vix WinMX, of course).

But does NapMX work for the new 3.0 Beta1?

I'll try that as soon as I get home.

Stay tuned,
Stoepsel

[TankGirl]

Some further observations:

- I have had one crash so far, not too bad for a fresh beta

- WPNP connection seems to be somewhat unstable, dropping me off quite easily after which it is hard to get it. Most likely firewall-related, might also have something to do with the mixed population of 2.6 & 3.0 clients.

Stoepsel:
I had no problem with getting into WPNP. I use ZoneAlarm Pro and let WinMX be a server. Of course, that's like opening the barn door on the firewall, but it worked for me. I guess it's a bit more complicated not to let WinMX act as server. Would that even be possible?

All p2p proggies I have tried starting from Napster have required server rights (in ZoneAlarm) to function properly.

Stoepsel:
I don't quite understand what WinMX puts in the title bar. There's this section that starts with: "PC: <some number>" followed by 2 more values, can't remember what they were (I'm writing this down from memory). If the PC value stands for number of users logged in, the value was around 5-8 when I was logged in. That was 5-8, not 500-800 or 5.000.000-8.000.000. No wonder that testing multi-sourcing was a bit hard to do. Let's wait a day or 2 for the news to spread.

My interpretation: the PC figure tells the number of 'primary connections' when you are acting as a 'supernode' in the WPNP network (your direct connections to other 'supernodes'), SC stands for 'secondary connections' (connections to normal peers).

- tg

[Snarkridden]

A bit harsh to me...


I always thought that the GUI was pretty ugly but designed to get the job done. And the Look-And-Feel of WinMX hasn't changed - still ugly but gets the job done

WinMx has always had a busy display, been able to show filenames, and numerous information about download/upload parameters, user details , and bandwith/queueing facilities, it has always been to top client to me, and I look forward to version 3.0 being more of the same with even better features.

The standard windows presentation is fine by me, with the comprensive colour setting features of both versions, it makes monitoring a dream, which is more than can be said for some of the other mostrosities that I've tried, at least when I fix a column arrangement how I want it, it stays that way, not like some other clients (Morph) that still have not a decent hold on user viewing requirments.

Who the hell wants a screen that resembles some 15 year olds artist representation of a half eaten dinner? Strangled at birth would be best for these monsterous "Skin" freeks, if its a CD player, I want it to look like one, with tactile buttons I can see and press, Creative Labs started it off, with decent looking application screens, even they got taken over by the cranky art student approach... Ok Its my Age showing, maybe, but give me a screen that is easy to use and pleasent to look at, not offensive to the eyes in some gorry colour that detracts from the visibility. WinMx has all the settings needed to do just that.

When the little oddities are sorted, great....!!

Now then the Bugs, so far.... NO AUTO-BUSY retry, an essential feature in todays busy times...

Crashes on trying to column sort an uncompleted search list, as did Morpheus I recall... remedy, be patient ot STOP the search before sorting the list.. (doesn't always happen, but I suspect itsa trying to sort by an empty field, and the error is not getting trapped?, but falling out to a system error, a dead stop one?)

Nothing else glaringly obvious Yet, in three hours of use... OPENNAP servers added by hand, don't forget to use the PORT address if its not 8888 (the default) by adding :3456 after the address (where the numbers are the port number of the server)

I have not tried the NapMx server list or the Trippy one, preferring to test with a few reliable and well known servers first, before letting it loose on all the smaller ones.

WPNP: very quiet, no more than 6 contacts made, sometimes takes 5 minutes to find a connect, and get known about.

Memory leak: Not evident in the few hours run so far, Running Mem-Watcher all the time, never exceded 90megs out of 256.

End of first report/Rant/comment

Snark.

[Stoepsel]

Originally posted by Snarkridden
A bit harsh to me...


I always thought that the GUI was pretty ugly but designed to get the job done. And the Look-And-Feel of WinMX hasn't changed - still ugly but gets the job done

WinMx has always had a busy display, been able to show filenames, and numerous information about download/upload parameters, user details , and bandwith/queueing facilities, it has always been to top client to me, and I look forward to version 3.0 being more of the same with even better features.

Snark,

as I said it gets the job done. It's just that it doesn't look slick.

Microsoft (hope, it's not a no-no to mention them here...) has always done a superb job of making the often terrible, bug-ridden programs look sexy.
WinMX (being far less buggy) lacks this sexy quality. It looks a bit crude. But don't get me wrong. I perfer ugly-but-stable over sexy-but-unreliable any day.

... which is more than can be said for some of the other mostrosities that I've tried, at least when I fix a column arrangement how I want it, it stays that way, not like some other clients (Morph) that still have not a decent hold on user viewing requirments.

Good point, that has always annoyed the hell out of me when it comes to Morph.

Who the hell wants a screen that resembles some 15 year olds artist representation of a half eaten dinner?

We could debate over artsy GUI designs and skins all day. My view is: If the GUI is functional AND stylish then Halleluja.
But there is a tendency to stress stylishness over usabilty nowadays, which is a bad thing, I agree. Developers should concentrate on functionality first, then design (as in layout, not software design).

Now then the Bugs, so far.... NO AUTO-BUSY retry, an essential feature in todays busy times...

Oh yes, a must have! WinMX 2.6 has "Auto Retry". So moving forward, WinMX 3.0 must have "Auto Retry/Resume" and "Search for more sources", "Pause" and so on. Stuff we are used to from Morph.

Stoepsel

[Snarkridden]

Now that is my feeling too... With women..

"I perfer ugly-but-stable over sexy-but-unreliable any day."


Functional & Stable... far better than Sexy & unreliable

Sorry ..... definately OFF TOPIC

Slapped wrist.....

Snark..

[TankGirl]

Un update from WinMX Beta Test Site:

Currently, we are aware of and are working to correct the following issues:

- most web links (help etc...) are currently under construction
- Seeking secondary connection (for non-broadband and firewalled users) to WinMX Peer Net is slow
- absent file launching commands
- wsx files not opening
- Occasional crashing on user disconnect from WinMX Peer Network on program startup
- File transfer window upload and download list not automatically scrolling properly
- Some minor file transfer related issues
- WinMX Peer Net connection acquisition not thoroughly tested, may prevent connection to network in some circumstances
- Windows XP may have compatibility issues which we are currently working on

Please also be aware that while beta testing, there will not be nearly the amount of search results you may be used to seeing in v2.6. This is because v3.0 uses a completely different network structure, and does not communicate with v2.6 users, so the amount of other users available while v3.0 is in testing is much lower. The lower amount of users may also account for some of the connection difficulties that have been happening.

Also, note that multisourced downloads are only possible through the WinMX Peer Network.

- tg

[JohnDoe345]

posted by Stoepsel
But there is a tendency to stress stylishness over usabilty nowadays, which is a bad thing, I agree. Developers should concentrate on functionality first, then design (as in layout, not software design).

I completely agree with you. In fact I even know some people who choose their computers based on the external look rather then the performance and recommendation of past users. That most likely explains why computers have gotten more "cool" looking in the past few years. For software design, I think the layout only needs to be intuitive, rather then pretty looking. I'm sure most of you have used programs that make you go through several confusing steps before being able to do a simple task.

What I mean by that is that some programs are great at allowing most users to figure most of their features without reading the manual. While other programs require you to read the manual in order to just connect or use its basic features. I don't have a problem with reading manuals, but you know that most people won't use a program if they can't figure it out within several minutes. But don't get me wrong I agree with you guys. I definitely would take an ugly reliable stable program over a pretty program that crashes every ten seconds.

Anyhow, now back on topic. I haven't tried 3.0 yet but I'm going to try to when I get the chance. So how small is the selection really? I know right now the purpose isn't to really to use the program for everyday file sharing, but rather to test it and look for bugs. I was just wondering if there are enough files and people using it to "really" test it.

[TankGirl]

Originally posted by JohnDoe345
Anyhow, now back on topic. I haven't tried 3.0 yet but I'm going to try to when I get the chance. So how small is the selection really? I know right now the purpose isn't to really to use the program for everyday file sharing, but rather to test it and look for bugs. I was just wondering if there are enough files and people using it to "really" test it.

Hi John,

on OpenNap side it's of course business as usual but on WPNP side it is still pretty quiet - especially if you are firewalled or on a slow line and cannot therefore 'accept primary connections'. Hardly enough files available to test multisource downloads even with the most common artists. But I guess the situation will get better quite quickly as more people will switch over from earlier versions.

- tg

[JackSpratts]

Originally posted by TankGirl

Also, note that multisourced downloads are only possible through the WinMX Peer Network.

- tg

now that's really too bad.

- js

[Kewbase]

The multi sourced downloads on the WPNPnetwork are not working that well either.

I get searchresults with a + that contain the same file and the same user over and over again.