Request: Non-SourceForge binary download mirrors

As I've lost respect for SF due to adware bundling on certain hosted projects and have blacklisted them via hosts, I cannot use the "Download LibreCAD for Windows" link on the homepage.

... and now to go install and configure everything required to get and compile it off github.

Hi,

Please follow our wiki to build it on windows:

http://wiki.librecad.org/index.php/LibreCAD_Installation_from_Source#Building_LibreCAD_2.0_on_Windows

Install the prerequistes in following the wiki, and a building batch file is provided within LibreCAD source.

SolarFlare wrote

As I've lost respect for SF due to adware bundling on certain hosted projects and have blacklisted them via hosts, I cannot use the "Download LibreCAD for Windows" link on the homepage.

... and now to go install and configure everything required to get and compile it off github.

This reminded me of http://www.fosshub.com/

Uploading there could help promote LibreCAD.

Ravas or SolarFlare,

if you see that our installations contain added adware injected by SF please do let me know but as far as I am aware they don't inject adware because it would void any CRC's if project's would provide them so I doubt that this is a SF thing doing that (read on..).

I have been asked to add 'adware' to our packages on several occasions and get some money for each download but I always declined because we do get enough donations to pay for the server's and extra hardware and I also feel at this time the project doesn't need it.

Not that I approve adware in open source packages but please do understand that nothing comes for free and that developer's all over the world do create open source because they like to develop software, and sometimes they like to get that little extra so they can pay the servers, that hardware they need to develop and drink a beer and buy a piza while coding.
And to put that into perspective on how grateful our downloaders are, we get about 1.25cents (give or take) per download in donations. Yes, a simple fart application on Android or iOS is something people pay more money for (well, used to be...).

That said, LibreCAD downloads from SF doesn't contain adware, if it does LET ME KNOW so if you want to have a easy download, remove it from your hosts, issue a download and add SF again. Or compile yourself like said above. If you search around you will also find executables 'in the wild' of the so called 'download sides', but we don't guarantee them to be modified or not.
I don't know fosshub well enough but for us (I speak for myself now) we don't use them because it just adds more work during releases.

Just me cent...

I agree expressly with Ries.

I'm already watching the incidents on sf.net for a while and can conceive decisions to leave sf.net. Here is an article describing what's going on on sf.net: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/06/sourceforge-locked-in-projects-of-fleeing-users-cashed-in-on-malvertising/

In short, there are popular projects on sf.net which are hijacked by sf.net staff, because the original project maintainers abandoned it. The missing option to delete a sf.net project, lead into the takeover by staff.
In case of Gimp for Windows project, the example used in the article, the maintainers left sf.net for a while because of the irritating download buttons which mislead users to download useless and/or malicious software.
sf.net staff later added an adware installer without the consent of the Gimp developers. This takes effect for several other popular OSS projects on sf.net.
It seems that sf.net has realized the signs now and is willing to change the processes.

As LibreCAD project is actively maintained by us, we can confirm, that there is no adware included in the installers. We can't control the adware buttons appearing on the download page, but as the download usually starts automatically, there is no need to click one of the ad buttons.
And I don't know any case where sf.net modified installers of actively maintained projects.

A first look on fosshub.com shows me the same big green download buttons, which are not related to the desired download and lead to the user fleeing on sf.net. I'll risk a second look, with a bit more time, but I guess, that it is not a real option.

Using our librecad.org server for downloads would lead into raise of administration expense and mainly an explosion of server traffic and load. I don't know the limits of our account, but I'm afraid, that this may raise the costs for our server account considerable.

Armin

even oracle would pursue money from adware in their windows Java installer.

Wondering whether github has a feature for binary installers.

If I understand this blogpost https://github.com/blog/1302-goodbye-uploads then not.

Ries

looks like we need checksums for all installers on sf.net

win32 is probably where adwares/spamwares target most, and it's great that Armin has been using checksums for a while.

I will modify the osx building scripts to add checksums as well.

https://github.com/blog/1547-release-your-software

I am confused, but good find!
I checked it, and it does exists...

reminder to self:

http://mirrorbrain.org
https://github.com/etix/mirrorbits

Has http://qt-apps.org/ been considered?

Over the past week or two: whenever I try to download a build from sourceforge it stops sending data at around 99% ...

Let's at least upload the latest stable build somewhere other than sourceforge.

for 2.0.8, we keep installers at the github release page also:

https://github.com/LibreCAD/LibreCAD/releases

ravas wrote

Let's at least upload the latest stable build somewhere other than sourceforge.

Yay! I recommend putting that in the announcement.

I don't know who is responsible, but we are on fosshub now:
http://www.fosshub.com/LibreCAD.html

One interesting thing noted is:

LibreCAD comes equipped with an easy mode. All that you have to do is hover over virtually any feature to receive a detailed explanation of it in a small window.

It would be great if that was true... lol
It sounds like my idea to use http://doc.qt.io/qt-4.8/qaction.html#whatsThis-prop
Am I missing something?