Looking for a web designer

Copied from my post on x-plane.org:

Ben and I are in the process of moving the XSB website to a Content Management System so that I can directly edit the VERY outdated FAQ and other documents. It also will allow me to post new releases without having to take away from Ben's X-plane development time.

The problem is, Ben and I are both programmers, and are absolutely awful as web designers.

So here's your chance to contribute. We're looking for someone who either has experience working with the Drupal content management system, or just has high-quality CSS skills. Additionally the person needs to have good design sense too. Just knowing how to install a web server and MySQL isn't what we're looking for. We're looking for someone who considers themselves an actual web designer and can do crazy things like match colors.

This will likely be a one-time time commitment. That is, once the site is designed and up, there likely won't be anything left for the site designer to do. So it will not require a long-term time commitment. Additionally, we're only talking about a few templates/pages. This is NOT a major design project.

Anyone that's interested, please email me at wade@dogwatchsw.com

http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showtopic=39623

Hope for the Linux Sound Bug

I'm traveling to visit some family next week, and when I return, I should have a spare PC in my possession. My intent is to use that PC to install Linux and hopefully track down the Linux sound bug.

I won't return with the PC until June 11th and it will probably take some time after that to find the bug, but at least there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

Delay in posting Linux test version

So, the promised test version has not yet appeared. I did the required coding, but I've been completely unable to test. With no OpenGL support in my VMWare environment, X-plane is just killing my Ubuntu VM.

If you want, you can download and try:

Linux Test Version

However, to be very clear, I'm not at all confident it will work correctly. If it succeeds, it will create a file called XSBLinSoundDebug.txt in your home directory.

I'm working on some angles to get some sort of real Ubuntu machine setup so I can do actual debugging.

New Windows Temporary "Beep of Death" fix

(Whoops - if you downloaded this patch already and the Connect menu was disabled, download it again - I have corrected the mistake.)

The temporary patch I had out for the "Windows Beep of Death" has expired. A new version is posted at:

Windows Voice Fix

The next regular release of XSB will contain this fix.

Linux test version by the end of the weekend

I was hoping to combine the latest XSB update with the additional Linux sound logging code. However, it's taking longer than I wanted to get the next version out.

It's taking longer because I decided to add an additional preference window for a new setting, which allows the user to specify the width of the text window and chat bar. This is especially handy for those using the Matrox triple-head solution, because X-plane sees that as one screen and thus would stretch the text box all the way across all three screens.

The reason a simple dialog box is taking a bit of time is because it's more complex than you might think. Each coordinate of each element in the dialog box must be specified manually. Try to place some things, compile, launch X-plane, test. Move them a little bit, compile, launch X-plane, test. Wash, rinse repeat.

And of course the biggest time consumer is that real-life things are getting in the way, like my seven-year-old son's baseball season.

However, I know Linux users are tired of waiting, so I'm going to go ahead and put up a private download by the end of the weekend for Linux users. It will contain only additional logging code for sound - no other new features.

So what's up with XSB?

I'm getting ready to release an update for XSB that fixes three things: the "Windows Beep of Death," adds some extra text window controls, and resolves the lack of automatic download of the VATSIM server list.

I've had a fix available for the Windows "Beep of Death" for a while and have been handing it out privately to anyone who needs it.

The VATSIM server list doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's been awfully confusing for new users to download XSB and then have no idea what to put in the server field, so a fix is long overdue.

Additionally, I'm going to be handing out a private update to Linux users who wish to test it that will include additional logging code to try to find the "sound disappears after 30 minutes bug." I know this one has really been annoying the Linux users and I hope I we can find the problem. Linux troubleshooting is particularly difficult for me because I don't have a Linux machine on which to debug - I simply have a VM on which I can build.

I have other features on "The List" which I plan to implement when I have time. Several are big requests of many users, but they take quite a while to implement or have other logistical or legal entanglements which need to be sorted out first.

"The List" (pretty much in the order I think things will happen)

• Setting a reasonable visibility for airports not reporting anything for visibility (currently they get zero visibility)

• Find the reason some users are getting lots of CSL loading errors

• COM2 support

• SELCAL support

• Upper-level wind

• Using the OBJ model for CSLs


This list isn't by any means comprehensive and is always subject to change.

If you want to add additional feature requests, please log in to my bug tracking database, at dogwatchsw.com/mantis