mpi for version 0.8? (1 Viewer)

[kkendall]

Hi Fforde,
Relax, I don't critisise your plugin, it is one of the best (if not THE best) plugins for MP there is. Don't look at advise as an attack to your plugin. Because I think it's such a great plugin, I just want more people to enjoy it. And in my opinion the best way to reach that is the new MPEI. As you can see (The Inside Scoop Vol 1-1: MediaPortal 1.1.0 Release), the developers of MP see this the same way:

11. What feature of MP 1.1.0 are you most excited about and what is so special about it?

I am most excited about the revised MediaPortal Extensions Installer (MPEI) Dukus has created to allow our users to install new community plugins and skins with ease. The new version now provides skin designers and plugin developers with a lot more freedom to customize their installation. This will hopefully make the MediaPortal Extensions Installer become "THE" distribution tool for community plugin developers and skin designers, so users only have to use one method for all skins and plugins.

Dir asked if MPI allows you to check for updates in the GUI. This is not possible, and it is not even possible to do this in the MediaPortal Config either. You have to manually launch a third program that will check for updates.

It is already possible in the Mediaportal Config and I too hope the new MPEI will get a GUI section within MediaPortal. I haven't checked it out yet though so I'm not sure it will feature in the new MPEI.

What frustrates me the most is I am just repeating much of what I have already explained above. Have you even read through this thread? Actually don't answer that. Because I am frankly not at all interested in having this conversation again. I feel I have made it abundantly clear why we do not use MPI. If and when features are added to MediaPortal to better integrate MPI plugins we will switch to it. As it is now, MPI is simply an inferior installation package with MediaPortal branding.

...I started the thread, so yes, I read all your posts. Like you explained your position in this, I explained mine. I hoped to convince you, that is why people have discussions
I hope the new MPEI will bring you what you want from an installerpackage so installing and updating plugins for MP will become more standardised and therefore more and more people (also the PC-noobs ) can enjoy your great plugin (and others).

 

[fforde]

Sorry for being so terse with my previous post. I think I must have been having a bad day.

As for MPI or MPEI we will I am sure eventually move to it when things are further integrated into the MediaPortal experience.

 

[kkendall]

Hi fforde!
I'm still enjoying your plugin every day (well...only when I have time to watch a movie offcourse )
Did you take a look at the all new MPEI? I think it's great, really easy to use for all users and integrated into the MP GUI, just like you wanted!

 

[fforde]

We would definitely like to use MPEI but we are waiting for it to be included with a stable version of MediaPortal. Because we currently support MediaPortal 1.0.2 (the last stable release) we can not yet go with MPEI as our exclusive installer. As soon as MediaPortal 1.1 Final is released we will switch to MPEI.

EDIT: Just to be clear I think the choice of installer is all about creating as best a user experience as possible. I think in the past an MPI installer did not provide this. I however think the work Dukus has done with MPEI is very very encouraging and while integration with MediaPortal is not at the level I'd really like to see it, it is much improved. So once MPEI is supported by a stable release of MediaPortal we will look into it and if it's possible to create a better experience for the user by using it (I suspect it will be) then we will probably switch to it.