I should probably do more testing before I report (and also read the manual thoroughly). However, from first launch I have experienced around six crashes, and I’m just about to send you the crash log files.
The problem may be due to something that I have done (or not done), rather than an application fault. From first launch, the application appeared to search ok, but then crashed before search completion. During the search, I was using the scroll bar in the ‘Pages’ view to scroll down the list of hits immediately prior to the first crash. I made two subsequent launches of DA, and experienced two more crashes roughly mid-way through the search.
After deleting the preferences file, DA appeared to be ok again, but crashed after I opened and closed a ‘web page view’ window during the search. Finally, I decided to leave the search running without any further interaction from me, but it crashed after 174 pages. I then relaunched DA (without deleting the preferences), and using exactly the same search string, the search completed (over 700 pages) without crashing.
G4 Mac
OS 10.2.6
1.5 Gb ram
600k Broadband internet connection.
If I manage to solve the problem or discover something that I was doing wrong, then obviously I will report back.
Could you provide us the preference file (com.devon-technologies.agent.plist), the used search term and a crash log? That would be really helpful - thanks!
(As we’ve been scanning more than 100.000 pages during the last days without any problems).
Since the original crashes when DEVONagent was first installed, the application seems to have settled down and has not crashed since. In fact, it now appears very stable :)
Should any further problems occur, I’ll attempt to duplicate it and send the crash logs etc…but touch wood, this was just a glitch.
I can reproduce crashes when foreign characters are on a site DEVONagent has to display (browser). I did a search for ‘Filemaker’ and one site in the results was -believe so- a swedish site
since I have my doubts for the corresponing site, I won’t publish it here - have it stored in the ‘archive’ of DEVONagent
Since the first spate of crashes, I had no trouble but now I run DA this morning and two consecutive crashes occured mid-way through the search. I think at this stage, I also need to investigate any applications running in the background which may interfere with DA and cause the crashes.
Perhaps by pure coincidence, my second crash coincided with an e-mail announcement that markus had responded to this thread. I use a utility called ‘LiSA’ which checks I have any e-mail every 8 seconds. There was no such announcement to coincide with previous crashes though. I also had Safari open at the same time as the search (with four Safari browser windows open).
I will have to do some more investigating, and will send in the crash log, DA preferences and a list of what else was running at the time of the crashes.
The thread handling of v1.0b1 is a little bit buggy and this might cause random crashes (especially as beta 1 uses way too many threads under some circumstances). But beta 2 will come next week (including new plugins, new operators, new filters, simple RSS support and a slightly revised GUI).
Finally, there’s one bug we can’t fix - sometimes Apple’s WebKit crashes (just like Safari ;D)
while complaining (at this time, on other lists/forums) about support from other companies, I’d like to say THANK YOU very much for Your effort and support! This is the ‘spirit’ that makes me believe in a application.
will pay for DEVONagent (downloaded it two days ago after using DEVONthink for a couple of weeks)
ein ganz grosses DANKE-SCHOEN aus der Schweiz!
(‘a ‘big’ thank-you from switzerland’)
A software forum such as this with direct liaison with the developer is unbeatable IMHO. Too many software companies develop software with features that they think customers want, almost on a take it or leave it basis, then offer virtually no support at all.
*The customer needs to be kept informed.
*The customer needs the confidence that if something goes wrong, then it will be fixed asap.
*The customer likes to feel that they can influence the decision making process.
*The customer likes to be given what they ask for (within reason of course).
*The customer is impressed to see a developer responding to posts outside normal working hours.
*The customer is re-assured when they can communicate directly with the developer.
*The customer likes to feel they are getting personal attention.
Mr. Grunenberg and DEVONtechnologies satisfy all these criteria as far as I’m concerned.
Heck, I’m satisfied just knowing whether or not some feature I’ve requested might even be considered; I’d rather be told "no" than be kept waiting and wondering. Closure is important to me on support-related issues.
DA has been crashing on me a bit too frequently as well. But this may be due more to the feature, reintroduced with Panther, of frequent crashing, just like in the good old days of OS 9 - it’s happend more often with all applications since I upgraded.
DEVONagent 1.0.1 (coming next week) will only fix a few minor bugs as Panther & WebKit bugs are the most likely reasons for crashes to date. But nonetheless DA 1.0.1 seems to be very stable so far.
:-[I have been using DEVONagent for a few weeks on a trial basis, and found it great. I was about ready to buy it, when it started crashing in the middle of a search. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
