Peertube has been updated to version 8.1.3 today. Also, this week Nodebb was updated to version 4.9.1. With this latest version, we have been experimenting with the federalization of the forum but it is very fragile so for now we will stay as we are.

Regarding the museum, it is now possible to download files individually, some CDROMs of Windows 95 and 98 have been added to expand the types of media we have and several improvements/corrections have been made to the search engine and file explorer. In addition, the indexing of extractable files has been completed. We have about 4.5 million files of which, just over half a million have been processed to extract their media (images, videos, midi, etc). This means that the files of all the magazine CDROMs are already processed and the extracted ones and the new media (Windows 95/98) are left. From now on, the development of the museum will take a back seat and will only receive minor changes and new content.

Regarding the network infrastructure, OVH has messed it up with billing issues and we have been without VPS for two or three days already (despite having paid until January 2027). I have a lot to say about this, but I will summarize it a lot: I have never seen a technical service so brutally incompetent, and I have no problem saying that because the negligence is of epic proportions. As soon as I have the opportunity (either because they return the money of the months not consumed or because the contracted services end), I will run away from there. So at the moment and until they solve the problem, all traffic is going directly through my ISP.

The proof of concept for the fourth (and final) phase of the file browser is implemented. The idea here, more than adding pure functionality, was to be able to demonstrate if this was possible. And it is possible!

It consists of being able to run executables from the browser. The system automatically detects the type of executable and launches it in MS-DOS 6.22 or Windows 95/98. In addition, something else related to all this has been wanted to be tested that for the moment is limited to some formats of images and sounds: being able to visualize the files in native software. For the moment, gifs/jpegs can be seen in Internet Explorer 3/4 and BMPs in Windows 95 Paint and the three formats in Imaging. In addition,.wav can be listened to in the Windows sound recorder.

Some examples (to hear sound, you have to click on the emulation screen):

Example 0: Demo of Tomb Raider II Gold
Example 1: Demo of Theme Hospital for DOS
Example 2: Demo of Theme Hospital for Windows 95.
Example 3: Demo of International Rally Championship (- to brake, key to the right of the Ñ to accelerate, z/x to turn):
Example 4: Demo of Duken Nukem 3D (do not select sound card because they did not include the audio files and it fails)
Example 5: Demo of Epic MegaPinball.

The Windows 95 emulations also come in two flavors: with 32-bit and 8-bit color depth, so that you can experiment with palettes in images and improve compatibility in software. In this way, you have Windows 95 at 8 and 32 bits and Windows 98 SE at 32 bits, so you have several ways in case of finding incompatibilities.

Example 5: Jpeg image from Internet Explorer 3/4
Example 6: Bmp image from MS Paint
Example 7: Sound from the Windows 95 sound recorder

In the previous version of the museum, it was possible to emulate some MS-DOS programs, but there was a very strong condition: the program had to be contained in a.zip and that implied preparing individual emulations, which was extremely costly in time. Now, thanks to HLFSv2 (Hardlimit File System!), the flexibility is absolute and each file can be handled individually, wherever it is and at an amazing speed. And that without counting that it breaks the MS-DOS limit and expands, in theory, to any x86 system (there are still kilometers of fabric to cut here). With this, we have already surpassed the functionality of the previous version by far and as far as I know, we are the only ones who can run programs this way.

This topic is still green and will be polished very little by little: for example, from MS-DOS and Windows 98 it is not possible to read from cylinder 1024 of the disk (you will find read errors in very large folders: >500MB): if this happens to you with Windows 98, use 95. In addition, the virtual drive only supports files in 8.3 format and other issues.

In another order of things, from the file browser, it is already possible to search for files. Searches are in the complete file system until a specific medium/disk is visited. From there, searches are narrowed down to the medium or directory recursively. The search, unlike multimedia, orders by number of repetitions, that is, the most popular files appear first. A selection of "media" is also added in the search itself.

With this, I am already satisfied and this season of intense development of the museum closes. From now until the end of the month, changes will be consolidated and documented and there will be no major new features (beyond small fixes).

The museum, as a platform, is already defined.

Now the big thing will come from the content, regardless of the fact that there is much room for improvement in everything.

PS: The indexing of the media is 33%, so in another two weeks, practically everything will be.

Let's see if you publish an entry even if it's just a tease

The instance of PeerTube also has a number of creators who contribute quality on par with some modest YouTube channels, and one should give a try to periodically watching their TL local.

@cobito said in 2024 Summary and Statistics:

All of this is wishful thinking and good intentions, but they are not empty promises, and it is something I would really like to be able to do.

It is not easy to have time for everything. So the intention is appreciated in the same way.

Thanks for everything, @cobito, because the whole thing looks great. And also inviting the most "classic" users of hardlimit to use other applications of the Hardlimit ecosystem. I am very active on Mastodon, where I have been for 4 years among other instances and that of Hardlimit, and I usually toote (this is what tweeting on Twitter is called) news, my live streams, links, opinions very off the cuff, etc... In short, LONG LIVE HARDLIMIT!

Where can I buy this shirt?

@defaultuser said in Tempest drivers positive for bad reputation.:

@cobito said in Tempest drivers positive for bad reputation.:

Another thing is that they were caught doing the fool and either the source or the certificate they use are tainted.

There I was, I'm not used to brands releasing unsigned drivers, maybe it could be because it's a "smaller" brand.
But the case is that software that comes out with a new version unsigned, Norton usually says there is potential risk because it is "unknown" and "still little used" but if the source has good precedents it allows you to decide.
This one however, Norton already marks the portal as "doubtful" and also directly deletes the file during installation, despite having scanned it with a negative result.

In short, apart from the negative note for publishing unsigned drivers without any info (nor version), it also seems rather that their reputation is below average.

Salu2.

PD:
It turns out I had a previous version saved, lucky me.

You're absolutely right Cobito... these are things I will never understand, although it's a matter of reputation.

The discover content section has received an update that has reduced the waiting time by an order of magnitude.

In addition, you can now listen to MIDIs and mods directly from the lists without having to access the file. On the other hand, animated gifs are also displayed in the lists without having to click on them.

The full screen video theme is still being investigated.

@cobito hardlimit forever
I'm glad that hardlimit is increasing in visits and collaborations.
And that the "old guard" continues to be here, it seems like a lie how time passes...
More than one was studying when he entered this great house and now he will even have grandchildren .
Regards

Account created.

I also had a plasma that I wasn't ashamed of, one of those early ones that came out of the white label that could be bought for 1000 euros, it broke recently with twenty-something, and even though the cat got tired of urinating on the screen and even made a subtle border that doesn't go away.
It worked so well that I didn't want to change it, and recently I was told that they changed it because it had already fallen (I'm not there anymore) but I don't know if it was an excuse because things were already good

The mobiles have been passed down to family and things like that, I only keep the second to last one that's being used as a router, and my first smartphone (galaxy 1) that now I look at and it seems like a toy bought at the kiosk for a kid jjj

My experience (community)
I used a cheap office chair for about 15 years, I changed the wheels and little else, the truth is that it needed to be reupholstered again (it was disgusting) but out of laziness I bought a newskill kitsune.
It is comfortable and adjustable, it comes with a lumbar cushion and a neck cushion.
Cons, for my taste the lumbar is small and the neck one is too big.
It is made of simple faux leather and the joint of the front seams of the backrest have been marked (peeled) by sticking it to the cover of my desk.
Otherwise it is almost perfect.
It costs about 140 on Amazon.
I use it all weekends for 3 hours in a row and then another 3 hours after lunch.
I have no "temperature" problem in summer or winter, I don't have air conditioning.
At work the technical office people (10 hours a day) use Ikea chairs with mesh backrests.
They are ugly ugly.
But none of them complain about comfort issues.
What I do dislike and a lot about both (I had to assemble them all) is the anchoring of the pneumatic piston at the bottom (with the spider of the legs) which is by simple gravity, it doesn't have fixing screws.
And that must generate play in the long run.
Regards

Great work from you, @cobito and let's see if we can all contribute our bit to generate more traffic and activity. I will certainly apply it to myself first, we'll see if I can fulfill it. Although the important thing is that this continues and we are all at home.

Best regards and Happy New Year!!