Subform works fine on Ubuntu; "Official" beta?

#1

As a fellow Electron developer, I decided to snoop around in the Subform app and see if I could get it running on Ubuntu. Turns out it works fine, apart from a couple of cross-platform improvements.*

So, given all the other request (this forum filled up fast!) and your previous statements on gauging the interest, I wouldn't pay too much attention to this just yet, but an additional linux version should be easy to generate. Please have a look at how I do it for https://github.com/kilian/fromscratch which has a packaging script that builds windows, mac and linux artifacts in one go.

* I can help with that: https://blog.avocode.com/blog/4-must-know-tips-for-building-cross-platform-electron-apps

Here's some images to prove it:

Selection_001.png1583x989 336 KB
Selection_002.png1583x989 242 KB
Selection_003.png1583x989 259 KB

#2

We just spent our Kickstarter money on a crack team of lawyers, who will be helicoptering down to your location shortly =P

Re: platform, there's a big difference between the "hello world" app and a reliable production tool.
The work is in the details, and as a team of two people we don't want to overextend ourselves trying to support the huge variety of Linux platforms and quirks.
I'm having nightmares right now just thinking about getting system font metrics and, god help us, trying to print.

Not writing it off forever, but an official Linux build isn't going to happen until we're at $10MM/year revenue and can afford to put 10 nerds in a boiler room to make it work.

#3

Good to hear the money's being put to good use! :stuck_out_tongue:

I think you are severely overestimating how difficult it currently is to deliver working multiplatform software (using Electron). For all intents and purposes Subform behaves fine on Ubuntu (one of the benefits of having the same Chrome renderer regardless of platform). Going through my article should get you most of the way there. And printing? There's an API for that! https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/master/docs/api/web-contents.md#contentsprintoptions

Also, do you accept patches? (goes around the house with lawyer repellent spray)

Regardless I understand your desire to get it right for mac/windows first and any additional platform will be an extra burden however way you look at it. I would love to be able to run this proper on Linux, and I'll remain patient.

#4

I definitely would appreciate minor ubuntu support too, given the stability of the chrome renderer

#5

Many companies support Linux by saying something like "officially unsupported use at your own risk, no guarantees made" but by still providing the software. That makes people much happier than an absolute NO.

#6

That's what Spotify does for their linux client too, I would love that.

#7

I'm not sure how we can "support" Linux by saying that it's "officially unsupported".

I am open to supporting Plan 9, though.

#8

As in you don't have to test it, you don't have to answer support requests for linux bugs, you don't have top keep it updated as frequently as the others. Compile it once, make sure it runs on one computer in one distro, and maybe someday update it again.

#9

We aren't testing, answering support questions, or compiling anything for Linux now, nor will we in the near future.

Nothing personal against Linux, but I can't justify spending time on this from a business perspective.
If a company wants to engage us under a consulting retainer for Linux support, we'd be open to it.
But, aside from that, it's not happening.

#10

You compile a binary, then tell people to 'use at your own risk' :slight_smile:

#11

Yes, that was my exact point. You don't have to do any of that. Just compile it and hand out the executable.