Plain Brown Power software, back online

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omega

Cub Lea's Plain Brown Power software (donationware)

http://www.cublea.net/pbp/products.html
http://www.cublea.net/pbp/index.html

The site had vanished for something like two years. It used to be at
featurecreeps.com. When I'd first came across Plain Brown Power, I
managed to get hold of a few products, including several interesting
note-taker programs. The one product where I had the strongest interest,
and for which there is not equivalent, it was the HelpDeco shell. On
that one I'd been sad to discover too late that I'd had a corrupt
download. The site was gone when I returned, and no archive of the
program was available anywhere.

I had various reasons for interest in the site. There were some things
that I liked about the developer's philosophy and style. One main item,
it is that the software is very respectful of the user. Clean & green
on the environment. As well, a lot of emphasis on putting customization
options into the hands of the user. Then it was about the site in general.
Lots of description and screenshots for the products. Then an unusual
item, which is an impressive enhancement... For each of his products,
he makes a page called "Comparable (or better) products in this category."

I'd done a number of searches, during the site's disappearance, scouring
for any remnant, any sign, of Plain Brown Power software. No luck. Until
suddenly today. (From what I read, the site resurrection seems to have
actually taken place actually in June. It might have been that long
since I'd last retried the search, after having coming back empty every
time before.) I'm very glad about the resurrection.

There are many programs there. Looks to be close to a total of 30.
I recommend doing a visit. For the fun of playing with some new toys.
And as well, for those who would, like me, enjoy the website itself.
Reading abundantly detailed descriptions. Taking the virtual tours.
 
omega said:
Cub Lea's Plain Brown Power software (donationware)

http://www.cublea.net/pbp/products.html
http://www.cublea.net/pbp/index.html
Click to expand...
Each program is very well described. Every one that looked interesting was install
only.
Have you located any noinstalls on that site?

A different subject:
Awhile ago, you kindly converted some installs to noinstalls for me. And you
mentioned that your old posts on converting installs had errors. Can you recall
what the errors were?

I am going to convert some of those programs to executables, and hope to use that
info.

Thanks,

Mike Sa
 
ms said:
Have you located any noinstalls on that site?
Click to expand...

No. Unfortunately, they all seem to be Wise installer packagers.
A different subject:
Awhile ago, you kindly converted some installs to noinstalls for me. And you
mentioned that your old posts on converting installs had errors. Can you recall
what the errors were?
Click to expand...

No errors; my comment was that my posts explaining unpacking InstallShield
could have been better written.
I am going to convert some of those programs to executables, and hope to use that
info.
Click to expand...

Related to extracting from which kind of installer? As I concluded in
the message you referred to at top: Where you will get more mileage for
less effort, it is to work with the setup execs that are Inno, using
Innounp for those.

Also, keep use of a good normal unzipper, to work with those setup.exes
which are no more than elf-extracting zip.
 
Also, keep use of a good normal unzipper, to work with those
setup.exes which are no more than elf-extracting zip.
Click to expand...
Or you could install the files, then change the necessary filenames,
and then uninstall them, and then change back what is left. This will
automatically remove any writes to the registry.
Any opinions on doing this?
 
omega said:
No. Unfortunately, they all seem to be Wise installer packagers.



No errors; my comment was that my posts explaining unpacking InstallShield
could have been better written.




Related to extracting from which kind of installer? As I concluded in
the message you referred to at top: Where you will get more mileage for
less effort, it is to work with the setup execs that are Inno, using
Innounp for those.

Also, keep use of a good normal unzipper, to work with those setup.exes
which are no more than elf-extracting zip.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Most of those files are 2-3 years old, and IIRC use the old MS
installer(?). Anything I can "salvage" would be worthwhile.

"elf-extracting zip"- a little early, but it's the season. Those elves get into
everything.

Mike Sa
 
ms said:
omega wrote:

Thanks. Most of those files are 2-3 years old, and IIRC use the old MS
installer(?). Anything I can "salvage" would be worthwhile.

"elf-extracting zip"- a little early, but it's the season. Those elves
get into everything.

Mike Sa
Click to expand...
Nope, I checked in my IZArc file, it is not an elf detector. The search for a
do-all unzipper is neverending, especially an executable.

Mike Sa
 
ms said:
Nope, I checked in my IZArc file, it is not an elf detector. The search for a
do-all unzipper is neverending, especially an executable.
Click to expand...

That is very disappointing. And surprising. What with the way those progs
compete with each other so furiously for the most exhaustive file handling
and feature list -- and yet not even a single one amongst them includes an
elf extractor? :<
 
That is very disappointing. And surprising. What with the way those progs
compete with each other so furiously for the most exhaustive file handling
and feature list -- and yet not even a single one amongst them includes an
elf extractor? :<
Click to expand...

Wel, even if one of them did release a rudimentary elf extractor it
probably wouldn't be fairy good to start with.

--
Regards,
Nicolaas.


- The harm we do is more noticed than any good we do.
 
Mike Mills said:
Or you could install the files, then change the necessary filenames,
and then uninstall them, and then change back what is left. This will
automatically remove any writes to the registry.
Any opinions on doing this?
Click to expand...

I'm glad that folks have done this, as it helps to dispel the illusion
that installers, and their actions, are necessary. In ~95% of the cases
of freeware, the program does all the writes it requires, when it is
launched. Put the number up to ~99%, if user is willing to register the
prog's dlls & ocx's for those progs that don't do that themselves.

As to the tactic of doing an install immediately followed by an uninstall,
for the interest of cleanliness. Often that will indeed give you successful
cleanup of the installer's routines.

Yet, importantly, you will also get failures. The end result of debris
that was not cleaned up. And even damage.

For one example of damage, a report of doing an install-uninstall of a bad
program. <[email protected]>. That uninstaller
wiped out pre-existing libraries from the system directory. And also, in
net result of the installer followed by the uninstaller, there was a massive
change to keys in the HKCR, new ones as uncleaned residue, and pre-existing
ones deleted.

Another example of damage was a program whose uninstall command I tested
about a month ago -- that gave the result of demolishing the entire HKCU
branch. IOW, all software settings (est. average 6mb data on a system
with a good amount of software installed). All right, this particular
case was very unusual. Nevertheless, it illustrates, even if an extreme
case, what level of risk you're making yourself vulnerable to in allowing
these system-wide activities via install and uninstall routines.

(Note, btw, that progammers who aren't so sloppy normally, not when it
comes to writing their program -- they are often sloppy with the scripts
on the installer / uninstaller. They might feel that part as outside of
their quest to make a good program. And too, it's far from the forefront
of their minds, the image of users uninstalling their beloved project.)

The best approach is to use a third-party utility. Monitor the installer's
actions. Then have your utility immediately remove what was done at that
point.

One important exception to the removal. If the installer had snuck the
program's private libraries into your system directory, then preserve
those files, and move them into the program's own folder.

Finally, before first run of a program, use your third-party monitoring
utility (eg TUN) to take a log of the registry keys (and external config
files) that it writes to your system when it is run. Then you can use that
to be able to later uninstall.

Btw, if you found that it was a program that did not successfully run on
your first attempt (due to your not having kept the installer's writes),
and if you've already tried registering its libraries yourself -- then at
that point you can go back and run the installer, to get the writes that
the program was not able to do itself.
 
omega said:
What with the way those progs
compete with each other so furiously for the most exhaustive file handling
and feature list -- and yet not even a single one amongst them includes an
elf extractor? :<
Click to expand...

It is often exceptionaly difficult to extract an elf unless it has a
gnome to go to.
 
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