On Stability of XTension

[Owen Rubin]

<2 cents>
Strangely I have done stuck with a very old computer and version for well over three years, I have not updated my computer or Xtension for at least three years! I have a VERY stable old 12" PowerBook (yes, I said PowerBook) that runs a version of the OS that worked well on it way back when (I think 10.6 was the last update) and it runs like a charm! It has nothing else but Xtension and Remote Desktop turned on so I can control it remotely when needed.

So while I have not used more modern features of Xtension, I actually liked the older version of Xtension (I REALLY like pass through in my setup, so STILl use that feature - that should date my version) I am quite happy with a very stable setup. Honestly, I believe the "up time" on that computer is now well over 2 years without a restart. 

</ 2 cents>

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 10, 2013, at 1:24 AM, Brian Williams <brwill at me.com> wrote:
> 
> Wow! I've been reading the discussion of this particular theme, and am left
> wondering if I am interpreting correctly; most importantly, this input from
> Michael:
> 
> Quote:
> 
> " All of this brings up an old saw of mineŠ I've suggested this and still
> believe in it.
> 
> Put XTension on an older Mac.  A Mini ? Settle on an Mac OS that you're
> happy with.  (This can be headless, as even an iPad can VNC to it.) Buy at
> least one identical spare Mac. Maintain a complete set of backup drives.
> Dedicate a closet or corner shelf to it.
> 
> I don't even suggest that you run things like a music server etc on that
> mac. Don't put anything on it that you might want to continue to upgrade.
> 
> And yes, that just perfectly squashes any kind of continuing profit we might
> make, and I know that there are a lot of folks out there who are still
> running XTension for OS9, I'm suggesting itŠ
> 
> The hardware is so much less reliable today.  And the more we reduce the
> 'die size', the greater possibility for anomalous events.
> 
> And I just won't get into the subject of what's happened to the OS.
> 
> Now don't believe for a moment that James and I don't ever have real world
> failures, and we are certain that there are still bugs in the system, but
> we're still here, and very much addicted to our systems :)
> 
> Michael"
> 
> End quote:
> 
> I have been heading in the direction that Michael seems to be advising
> against.
> 
> Yes, I was happy with Xtension running as it had been on an old MacBook
> under an OS about 3 generations old, but then new things started popping,
> like Web Remote. I believe that there have been statements that the latest
> evolutions of Xtension aren't being compiled to necessarily run on older OS,
> hence Build 841 was the end of the line for that older system. To quote:
> 
>>  On 7/31/2013 9:30 AM, James Sentman wrote:
>> What OS version? The web remote requires an Intel processor and while I'm not
> using anything that specifically requires anything newer than 10.5 it may not
> run prior to 10.6. I can't build with earlier compiler versions or settings for
> this unfortunately, it's only supported on newer systems.
> 
> 
> And on
> 
>> On Aug 23, 2013, at 3:02 PM, Brian Williams <brwill at me.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I recall an earlier message regarding the minimum OS X that will support all
> the features of Xtension, and specifically XWebRemote (sic). Where do we stand
> with Build 846? Is 10.5.8 too old?
> 
> 10.5.8 remains an excellent stable platform for XTension, web remote may, or
> may not run on that though. I had no luck with previous builds and had no
> way to go back. An Intel processor is required for web remote though
> XTension itself remains compiled for both PPC and Intel.
> 
> Thanks,
>     James
> 
> End quote:
> 
> I am wanting my iPad to become a significant controller and reporter
> vis-à-vis my home automation, and Web Remote seems the right vehicle for
> that.
> 
> Also, I have extended my Barionet network, adding an R6 and an IO12 to the
> current Barionet 100. These necessitated a couple of minor 'fixes' in
> Xtension, so I am operating on beta Xtension s/w. The changes demand that I
> evolve my host hardware and host software (i.e. Mac OS).
> 
> So, I made a change, and it is everything that Michael seems to recommend
> against. I installed a current-model Mac mini (Mountain Lion) to host
> Xtension, I have made it my iTunes library (Home Sharing), and have hung 4
> external hard drives off it - one to serve as the disk space for iTunes, and
> three to serve as backup (Time Machine) repositories for the Mac mini and a
> couple of Macbooks. I made the full switch over this past weekend, and
> everything seems to be running well. I am running it headless and manage it
> using screen sharing. It is put away in a cabinet, along with its own UPS,
> which serves only the Mac mini and its peripherals.
> 
> This note is not intended to counter anything that Michael wrote, as quoted
> above. I am just sharing my current experiences, and look forward to the
> continuing evolution of Xtension, especially the evolution of Web Remote.
> 
> Regards,  Brian
> 
> 
> 
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