I just released iDesk version 1.45. This version fixes some bugs that existed in the previous version and also adds a small number of new features like virtual cursor support, searching for buttons, finding unassigned applications.
Version 1.45 also fixes the problem with increased CPU-usage if second display is activated in header or title-bar. The display of date and time has been optimized completely and iDesk now uses significantly less CPU-power compared to the previous version which should result in longer battery-life.
Important note: due to problems with Symbian's installation application, iDesk now needs to be installed in two steps. Detailed installation instructions can be found in the file "install.txt" in the iDesk package.
You can download iDesk 1.45 from http://www.freepoc.org or http://opldev.broeze.com
Changes in version 1.45:
- Find any button by specifying part of the filename
- Added menu-item to check for new installed applications from menu and select which folder to add them to
- Virtual cursor support (remembered for each folder)
- Added a Notes view dialog to view notes without editing them (easier to read and also prevents accidental modification of notes). Whether notes are opened in View or Edit mode can be set in preferences
- Background color for the area behind the button can now be set in Preferences.
- Added the Application list back in the tools menu
- Modified menu-layout (hopefully easier to work with now)
- Moved used modules to own application directory to prevent them from being uninstalled
- Added option list to Reboot dialog (close apps first, reboot immediately)
- Added option list when deleting a button for a file, note or folder (delete button only, delete button and file)
- Added timer for header updates and optimized header drawing to reduce the CPU-load.
- Folders are now only compacted if modified since last startup
- When deleting a file, folder or note, an existing hotkey definition for this file is also removed
- New format strings for 12/24 hour and am/pm text in header or title
Bugs fixed:
- Header and title were continuously updated even when iDesk was in the background or the case was closed
- When deleting a hotkey from the iDesk hotkeys dialogs, the changes were not saved to file
- Hotkeys for individual Notes didn't work
- Titlebar wasn't updated when time changed
- Header was displayed wrong after tasklist was dismissed
- Some applications (like Presentations) could not be started or produced an error when started from iDesk
- Items in startup folder where not always automatically started
For the complete history of all changes, see the file "changes.txt" in the iDesk package.
Best regards
Arjen
Hi,
I'm having trouble running the latest version of iDesk (V1.45). I recall having similar troubles with the previous version but can't remember what I did to get it going in the end. Below is a list of the steps I followed. I realise I didn't precisely follow the steps in the install.txt file but I already had the OPL runtime and S80UtilsOpx files installed.
1 - Uninstalled iDesk v1.42, keeping all files when asked (as I didn't want to have to manually replace all my buttons and folders)
2 - Installed iDesk1.45
3 - Tried running iDesk but got "Error List box dialog module module not found" message. Then:
"Program Closed
Program: iDesk
Reason Code: CONE
Reason number 14"
4 - Installed "S80UtilsOpx_v1.40.sis" (replacing the previously installed version)
5 - Tried running iDesk again but got "Error List box dialog module module not found" message. Then:
"Program Closed
Program: iDesk
Reason Code: CONE
Reason number 14"
6 - Started to install OPL runtime but it was confirmed that it was already installed (and it was the same version) so cancelled the installation.
7 - Uninstalled iDesk V1.45, leaving only the 'Buttons and folders' file.
8 - Re-installed iDesk V1.45.
9 - Tried running iDesk again but got "Error List box dialog module module not found" message. Then
"Program Closed
Program: iDesk
Reason Code: CONE
Reason number 14"
There is an error in the original iDesk 1.45 installation package. Some files are installed in the wrong place. I didn't notice this myself during the trial installation run, since the correct files were still on my Communicator in the correct folder.
In the mean time I've updated the installation package at both sites. If you downloaded iDesk 1.45 before I posted this message, please download it again. Please follow the instructions in the "install.txt" file for installing. Even if you have S80Utils.opx already installed, you need to reinstall it, since the version that comes with iDesk 1.45 has new functionality.
I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused.
Best regards
Arjen
One more remark:
If you are upgrading from a previous iDesk version and iDesk is automatically started after rebooting your machine, it will also automatically start when you install the latest version.
This could mean that the installation hasn't completely finished yet (the installation program still asks to which Desk folder iDesk needs to be added). So, if iDesk immediately starts after installing, please make sure you switch back to the installation and finish it, otherwise iDesk will be marked as partially installed, even though it was installed completely.
Arjen wrote:If you downloaded iDesk 1.45 before I posted this message, please download it again.
Yeah, I think I must have downloaded it just as you added it. I downloaded it again, just installed it and... it works! Thanks Arjen 😊
Still playing with it. I do seem to have lost some buttons and folders that I had before (despite choosing to keep the 'files & folders' file when uninstalling the previous version). I wonder if it has something to to with me positioning some buttons at the bottom of the screen but the new version initially showing fewer buttons? Just a thought.
By the way, I'm subscribed to several threads including this one and yet I'm not getting emails notifying me of new posts - is it just me?
Ignore the comment about missing buttons and folders. I just hadn't set it to show the maximum number of buttons. I have now and they have re-appeared. My mistake 🙄
Unfortunately, I lost iDesk.
After having uninstalled previous version (1.42 or 1.43 I don't remember), deleted any previous "ini" file related with iDesk, my Communicator says it cannot run the application. After several trials, same result. When trying to unistall it again, there is an error message during uninstall process, I just say "ignore", but at the end some iDesk files are still present in the system/apps folder, to be deleted manually.
I think I did exactly like the "readme" doc says I should do.
I suspect again this programme will run only if installed onto the main memory. Unfortunately, too many applications have this constraint and at the end of the day the MMC card will just be useless.
When I have time, I will try to reinstall the previous version, which was great.
cedesguin wrote:I suspect again this programme will run only if installed onto the main memory.
That's not true. Mine's installed to the memory card and is working fine.
cedesguin: please check if your OPL runtime installation is still correct. Even though it states it is installed, if you accidently delete one of it's files, this is exactly the error message that you would get.
iDesk will run fine whether installed on MMC or internal memory. I have it installed on MMC myself.
Please try reinstalling the OPL runtime first (which is included in the iDesk 1.45 zip file). But, uninstall the runtime first before re-installing it again.
Hope this helps,
Arjen
Probably I did something wrong (nobody is perfect), but.. still not working.
I uninstalled iDesk, OPL runtime and S80utils, then reinstalled them (OPL runtime first, then S80utils then iDesk, all onto the MMC).
Now iDesk IS actually installed, but it says "Error in iDesk\Main, OPX procedure not found" (the missing procedure is not identified). Other OPL applications are working normally.
The only explanation I can think of now is that there is a leftover version of S80Utils.opx on a different drive which is being loaded instead of the latest one. Please check C:\System\OPX and D:\System\OPX for the file S80Utils.opx and delete the one that is oldest. Hopefully this fixes the problem.
Great! It works now (both S80Utils.opx files had the same size, but one was one week older, I deleted it).
There is a big "to-do" now (for me): my old iDesk parameters are deleted. Must rebuild them. Anyway thanks for support and congratulations again.
After using iDesk 1.45 for a few days now, I think I can safely confirm that the battery draining problem has been fixed in this version 😊
andygrunt wrote:After using iDesk 1.45 for a few days now, I think I can safely confirm that the battery draining problem has been fixed in this version 😊
This is true: TaskSpy reports about 5% CPU activity level instead of over 30% with previous version.
This makes iDesk a credible alternative of the "desk" component of PowerDesk.
The 5% activity level is also only when iDesk is running in the foreground and the display of seconds has been switched on in the header. If display of seconds is switched off, the CPU-activity of iDesk is zero (with a small 2 second peak to 5% every minute for updating header information).
Another improvement is that as soon as another application comes into focus or the case of the Communicator is closed, the CPU-activity drops to zero. The previous iDesk version happily continued to update the header even after the case was closed or iDesk was running in the background.
So all in all, I think it's safe to say that the power-consumption problems of iDesk are fixed. Thank you both for confirming it.
Hi,
I got the spurious ''Are you sure you want to exit?" message again (while running iDesk v1.45) and made a point of writing down what I was doing at the time in case it's of use...
I ran 'Control Panel' from iDesk. I uninstalled a piece of software, exited 'Control Panel' and returned to iDesk where it was showing the "Exit iDesk, Are you sure you want to exit?" message.
I tried to reproduce it without uninstalling software (i.e. going into control panel from idesk and exiting again) but it didn't work.
Hope this helps.
Hi Andy
I'll see if I can reproduce it. Thanks for the details. Was the application you wanted to uninstall an OPL application?
Hi,
The application was AquaCalendar which is not an OPL application.
I have the habit of uninstalling the old version of AquaCalendar before installing any new version which may be why I see the iDesk effect pretty regularly.
It's not remotely a big problem but it is a little annoying and I thought you'd like to hear about it in case it suggests a bigger problem.