Software (good/bad, what you use, free options, Q&A)

[User.45]

VB isn't nearly stout enough / feature rich to accomodate my VM needs, poor graphic performance, missing several key features, as well as a couple of slick options like Coherence mode in Parallels (which is mostly how I use it).

I've been using Parallels for ~10 years, pretty much non-stop, it's open now in fact, my machine runs 24/7 with that VM open (current uptime is ~76 days). I occasionally do a quick re-review of alternatives, though mostly the only other real commercial product in this space (VMWare).

In terms of pricing, I upgrade Parallels every 2 years at the very most, and I almost always score a deal through Parallels direct, or some kind of software bundle where I buy (and sell off the rest), or buy it from some who bought a bundle but didn't want Parallels.

I'm using the non-subscription model, mine will continue to function. I have an extra license sitting here I picked up for $10 from someone on MR, my last license was $20, I'm into it for about $30-40 over 3-4 years, and I've used it to bill, well, A LOT The cost is so trivial for my business, I would save more money by not printing ... and I print about once every 2 months and that's an Amazon return label

I run a shitty Java app (I know...) every 3 months and the rare DosBox thing. That's it.

I'm surrounded by PCs, if I need more I fire up a PC. Research stuff run on Linux/MacOS natively. Nota lot of missing out on Windows.

 

[DT]

I should disclose that one of my superpowers is generally not having issues with computers/electronics. Call it luck, call it karma ...

I run a shitty Java app (I know...) every 3 months and the rare DosBox thing. That's it.

I'm surrounded by PCs, if I need more I fire up a PC. Research stuff run on Linux/MacOS natively. Nota lot of missing out on Windows.

I'm kind of hoping to move all development work off of Winders™ this year, I mean, in terms of client/desktop tools. I use MacOS: tons of small opensource tools (mostly terminal apps), mobile dev tools (Xcode and MS Visual Code), API tools, browser (for debugging, etc.), even my primary Oracle dev tool (which is also a SJA ), I run on MacOS native, and the actual Oracle instances are up on AWS. MS is making good progress with Visual Studio on MacOS, so all I eventually need to do is move my local IIS and MS-SQL instances to the cloud, get a good solid workflow and I can nuke Windows/Parallels.

Kind of timing that was the release of a higher power M1<something> machine.

 

[User.45]

I should disclose that one of my superpowers is generally not having issues with computers/electronics. Call it luck, call it karma ...



I'm kind of hoping to move all development work off of Winders™ this year, I mean, in terms of client/desktop tools. I use MacOS: tons of small opensource tools (mostly terminal apps), mobile dev tools (Xcode and MS Visual Code), API tools, browser (for debugging, etc.), even my primary Oracle dev tool (which is also a SJA ), I run on MacOS native, and the actual Oracle instances are up on AWS. MS is making good progress with Visual Studio on MacOS, so all I eventually need to do is move my local IIS and MS-SQL instances to the cloud, get a good solid workflow and I can nuke Windows/Parallels.

Kind of timing that was the release of a higher power M1<something> machine.

I'm curious too! Though as you could see, it will take like 3-5 years for my type of software to transition to Mx C/GPUs.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

FastStone Image Viewer ... I can't use a Windows PC without this installed. No other viewer on Windows, Mac, or Linux comes close to this.
Has some decent editing tools built in as well. I just wish the developer was more active and built this for MacOS too. I have the exe saved just incase it's no longer available.

 

[Pumbaa]

Taskwarrior is Free and Open Source Software that manages your TODO list from the command line.

I’ve lost count of how many TODO apps I’ve tried over the years, both paid and free. Taskwarrior is the first one I have been happy with; it is compatible with my workflow. The main flaw for me is the lack of an iOS app. Might just have to code one one of these days if I ever figure out an user experience I would tolerate...

 

[lizkat]

I've used Firefox for so long now that I can barely find my way around Safari. I only found that out though TODAY, having finally become EXASPERATED trying to continue using Firefox until the 1Password developers release a production version of the 1Password extension for MacOS that integrates its lock state with the desktop version of 1Password. As of its most recent production release, it auto locks whenever you quit the browser in MacOS Firefox, with no option to not do that (i.e. regardless of other settings for lockup, like the timer preference). So the only way to get that to quit happening in MacOS using Firefox right now is to use a 1Password beta release, which I do not want to do.

So now I'm in Safari, the 1Password extension of which does not behave that way, thank goodness.

But I now I also realize I'm definitely getting old: everything that is different between Firefox and Safari infuriates me anew today, regardless of whether it's related to extension management, content viewing options, bookmarks, privacy/tracking, yada yada.

Whatever happened to my previous sunny disposition along lines of "Oh, so that's what happens when you do this..." ??! I'm sure I'm talking to myself this afternoon over this mess, and I'm also sure I sound like my great great grandmother when she was trying to figure out how to use an electric steam iron in her old age.

​

But at least for now when using Safari, I can stop cursing at 1Password devs and I am definitely enjoying not having to re-enter my master pw for 1Password after every relaunch of my desktop browser. I quit my browser dozens of times a day and I'm not going to try to unlearn that habit.

And.... since the wizards at 1Password say that they have fixed this aspect of the Firefox 1Password extension for MacOS in a beta release, there's presumably hope on the horizon that I can revert to Firefox pretty soon... i.e., before my brain decides Safari is the only browser I know how to use.

Thanks for letting me vent. And now back to your regular programming... me, I'm off my coffee break now and headed back to raking off the grass that should have been mulched when the guy mowed. It was unbelievably tall grass after everyone around here had waited and waited for sunshine to rediscover us. It's literally almost enough of a mown hayfield now to need baling instead of just raking out!

EDIT: happy camper once again... 1Password released update as of 5/26 that includes Firefox in brower extension integrating lock state of desktop and browser. I guess it didn't hurt me to prowl around Safari for a few days in the meantime. At least I cleaned up some years-old bookmarks by importing the ones from Firefox..

 

[thekev]

VB isn't nearly stout enough / feature rich to accomodate my VM needs, poor graphic performance, missing several key features, as well as a couple of slick options like Coherence mode in Parallels (which is mostly how I use it).

I've been using Parallels for ~10 years, pretty much non-stop, it's open now in fact, my machine runs 24/7 with that VM open (current uptime is ~76 days). I occasionally do a quick re-review of alternatives, though mostly the only other real commercial product in this space (VMWare).

In terms of pricing, I upgrade Parallels every 2 years at the very most, and I almost always score a deal through Parallels direct, or some kind of software bundle where I buy (and sell off the rest), or buy it from some who bought a bundle but didn't want Parallels.

I'm using the non-subscription model, mine will continue to function. I have an extra license sitting here I picked up for $10 from someone on MR, my last license was $20, I'm into it for about $30-40 over 3-4 years, and I've used it to bill, well, A LOT The cost is so trivial for my business, I would save more money by not printing ... and I print about once every 2 months and that's an Amazon return label

Any thoughts on hypervisors for those of us stuck doing Windows development who occasionally need to run Kaeli?

 

[DT]

Any thoughts on hypervisors for those of us stuck doing Windows development who occasionally need to run Kaeli?

I guess I'd score the multi-day trial for the usual suspects and give them a good test drive, assuming you mean Windows on an Intel based Mac. Did you mean Kali? Like the security tech stack?

I'm getting sort of excited about the rumors on the next gen Mx based machines, but that will absolutely mean I need to change my workflow as I have Windows dev needs too. As far as an IDE, I've been knocking around with VS for Mac, it's getting pretty close, really the issues I've had is dealing with the project being run __on__ a Mac, and all the additional config/runtimes needed, I'd rather keep the project "Windows clean".

I already use Oracle from the cloud, I moved it off a local resource a couple of years ago, so my real needs are simply IIS/MSSQL, which I could either run on AWS or Azure, or, if I wanted to keep it local, just rebuild the couple of 4U servers I have, just toss in an inexpensive MB, 16GB RAM a 512GB PCI stick ...

... hmmm, I may do that anyway, I could use some additional servers on this end

 

[thekev]

I guess I'd score the multi-day trial for the usual suspects and give them a good test drive, assuming you mean Windows on an Intel based Mac. Did you mean Kali? Like the security tech stack?

I'm getting sort of excited about the rumors on the next gen Mx based machines, but that will absolutely mean I need to change my workflow as I have Windows dev needs too. As far as an IDE, I've been knocking around with VS for Mac, it's getting pretty close, really the issues I've had is dealing with the project being run __on__ a Mac, and all the additional config/runtimes needed, I'd rather keep the project "Windows clean".

I already use Oracle from the cloud, I moved it off a local resource a couple of years ago, so my real needs are simply IIS/MSSQL, which I could either run on AWS or Azure, or, if I wanted to keep it local, just rebuild the couple of 4U servers I have, just toss in an inexpensive MB, 16GB RAM a 512GB PCI stick ...

... hmmm, I may do that anyway, I could use some additional servers on this end

Yeah I misspelled it, and yeah. I run that (as of very recently, thus forgetting how it's spelled) and either Ubuntu or Debian for non-Windows development. Most of what I do at the moment is Windows, which makes building anything open source quite annoying. Virtualbox is often a bit laggy, even when I assign it tons of ram, and it's a pain configuring its desktop resolution and size. This machine is secondhand and running 64GB of ram, so I can pretty much throw 8-16GB at a single vm.

 

[Renzatic]

Yeah I misspelled it, and yeah. I run that (as of very recently, thus forgetting how it's spelled) and either Ubuntu or Debian for non-Windows development. Most of what I do at the moment is Windows, which makes building anything open source quite annoying. Virtualbox is often a bit laggy, even when I assign it tons of ram, and it's a pain configuring its desktop resolution and size. This machine is secondhand and running 64GB of ram, so I can pretty much throw 8-16GB at a single vm.

Why not just use WSL2?

 

[User.191]

I guess I'd score the multi-day trial for the usual suspects and give them a good test drive, assuming you mean Windows on an Intel based Mac. Did you mean Kali? Like the security tech stack?

I'm getting sort of excited about the rumors on the next gen Mx based machines, but that will absolutely mean I need to change my workflow as I have Windows dev needs too. As far as an IDE, I've been knocking around with VS for Mac, it's getting pretty close, really the issues I've had is dealing with the project being run __on__ a Mac, and all the additional config/runtimes needed, I'd rather keep the project "Windows clean".

I already use Oracle from the cloud, I moved it off a local resource a couple of years ago, so my real needs are simply IIS/MSSQL, which I could either run on AWS or Azure, or, if I wanted to keep it local, just rebuild the couple of 4U servers I have, just toss in an inexpensive MB, 16GB RAM a 512GB PCI stick ...

... hmmm, I may do that anyway, I could use some additional servers on this end

I have a local Docker Sql Server 2019 image that works a treat for me.

 

[SuperMatt]

I use Docker on Mac for web development. Works very well, and other developers are saying it’s working pretty well on M1 Macs too after some initial hiccups.

 

[DT]

I have a local Docker Sql Server 2019 image that works a treat for me.

Yeah, I should probably just use that, I actually have one already setup, I ported over the couple of development DBs, they worked just fine, I mean, the Docker MSSQL is actually running on a *NIX stub, and generally I try to be more exact in terms of matching platforms (this is for pretty mission critical work in the Fed operations sector ...), but it's 99.999% likely to be fine.

In fact, I may look at it again this week, like I said, I kind of don't mind having the extra servers running here (I actually have an 18U server rack in my "equipment closet"), and that does allow me to do an exact environment match (some of this for systems running on extremely secured networks).

 

[DT]

Yeah I misspelled it, and yeah. I run that (as of very recently, thus forgetting how it's spelled) and either Ubuntu or Debian for non-Windows development. Most of what I do at the moment is Windows, which makes building anything open source quite annoying. Virtualbox is often a bit laggy, even when I assign it tons of ram, and it's a pain configuring its desktop resolution and size. This machine is secondhand and running 64GB of ram, so I can pretty much throw 8-16GB at a single vm.

My machine, 2018 Mini, i7, 32GB, runs fantastically well with dozens of native apps and one, occasionally __two__ Windows VMs running. I'm still on Parallels 14, hahaha, and still on 10.14.6 (Mojave) on MacOS. My main VM (my dev Win 10) I actually stuck out on external storage, it's ~115GB and was taking up so much space, and my TB3 external is almost as fast as my internal storage.

What I should do is steal one of the two M1 machines we have, setup VS Mac, Docker, port over a DB, see how it runs.

 

[thekev]

My machine, 2018 Mini, i7, 32GB, runs fantastically well with dozens of native apps and one, occasionally __two__ Windows VMs running. I'm still on Parallels 14, hahaha, and still on 10.14.6 (Mojave) on MacOS. My main VM (my dev Win 10) I actually stuck out on external storage, it's ~115GB and was taking up so much space, and my TB3 external is almost as fast as my internal storage.

What I should do is steal one of the two M1 machines we have, setup VS Mac, Docker, port over a DB, see how it runs.

I would actually like to hear how that runs. I may need to replace a backup machine in the near future. I work remotely these days, so some redundancy is necessary.

 

[User.191]

this is for pretty mission critical work in the Fed operations sector ..

I feel your pain. I did a tour of duty with DHL back in the day when they were based over in San Francisco. Nothing like being yelled at at 2am on a Sunday morning by a ground tech because a system's down and a fully laden 747 can't take off until it's up again...