Mighty Box (formerly JQuicksilver) alpha version

[IMYojimbo]

mightyBox is a free and open source keystroke launching application inspired by, and very similar to, Quicksilver (OSX). It is developed using the Java language, and targeted to run on both Linux and Windows platforms. It allows users to use the keyboard to rapidly perform tasks such as launching applications, manipulating files and data, running scripts or sending e-mail. Although it is a complex application, it is centered around a very simple three-panel interface, called the "command window": the user performs complex tasks using simple, configurable key-combinations.

mightyBox is currently in alpha stages, but has only been in development for 2 months and has been coded from scratch in java by me. as you can easily see from the video and screenshots, even in its young state it has come a very long way.

reply to this thread or post to the google group with any ideas, suggestions, feedback. we can't wait to hear it!

p.s.: this project was previously named "jquicksilver". we are currently replacing all occurrences of the old temporary name with the new name.

HomePage - http://www.eyalw.com

Google Code - http://code.google.com/p/mighty-box/

Google Groups - http://groups.google.com/group/MightyBox

Video - http://www.eyalw.com/drupal/node/43

Screenshots - http://www.eyalw.com/drupal/image/tid/2

{{EDIT}}

OOOpppss.

sorry guys,

the last version was published with a major bug in it.

i just uploaded the new version

the bug caused a lot of installed programs not to be found while searching

{{UPDATE}}

Whats up ppl?

Just posting some screenshot of MightyBox

RunMe is just a launcher, but MightyBox is so much more then that. it could do so much more. here is a small preview screen cast:

http://www.eyalw.com/drupal/node/43

[mps69]

Just downloaded and a just starting playing with it, after having to install an updated Java.

First i will say it look good and run just like the Mac version, nice and responsive.

Now the bits I'm worried about. One word "heavy", for me it's sitting about 57k when the javaw is running.

I have also noticed your using the same icons as the "real" QS, I've got ask have you ask for their permission to use these.

I'll keep playing with it, but I'm also keeping an eye on DOMercury - Ditch The Mouse

It's good to see you guys are trying to get a version of QS to work within Windows.

[IMYojimbo]

You are totally right about the icons. I have actually already replaced them with free Tango icons.

(go Tango)

hmm...

never heard of DOMercury before. just checked it out...

it looks less mature then MightyBox, to me.

mightyBox already have a full supoort for plugins, also looks much better. also behaves and feels exactly like the honorable QS.

also MB support a lot of features i think DOMercury does not. like raw text subjects, and FS navigation.

please read about the control keys:

http://code.google.com/p/mighty-box/wiki/B...UseInstructions

for ppl who never used QS, or even for ppl who did, the control aren't trivial and intuitive.

[Ojalord]

What about the resource usage? I've always distrusted Java apps because the java vm always used to eat up my resources,

And I tried to use it yesterday (around 15 hours ago, I think) and it didn't run. Some error ehen I ran the .bat file.

[dreadnaut]

as a long time keyboard-launcher user, here's my two cents

It looks good, it's quite fast but not blazing, although resource consumption is definitely high - Java and .NET programs, they both usually share these characteristics and problems, and that's why I usually don't even try them.

This has potential, but there's a limit that is quite important for me: integration. Being written in java, how do you retrieve an application or shortcut icon? How do you interface with other application (e.g. winamp integration)?

Sorry, but that's no-no for me. I'd probably use MightyBox on linux though, where similar programs are quite rough at the moment, or their installation is very painful, and integration should be easier.

[matonga]

Just some "tips":

Both Java and .NET programs use something called "garbage collector". This means they don't free up resources until there is almost no ram available. Then these programs will suddenly start to free up a lot of ram which was not being used.

The bad part of this is that maybe another program didn't want to run because of the little available memory.

This kind of thing of garbage collection should be an operative system characteristic, not a .net framework / java vm one. This would allow the os to show garbage collected ram as free ram.

To give integration with the os to a java application, you need native libraries ("jni"). This is what HotKeyListener.dll and jRegistryKey.dll do, however I suspect these ones are MS Windows dependant and don't have Linux/Unix/Mac OS/etc. equivalents... ok, I'm just supposing that.

In Google Code, Mighty Box is released as "GNU General Public License v3", so... oh oh, I hadn't read the "MightyBox is Going Open Source!" article in that same page

[IMYojimbo]

dreadnaut:

How do MB retrieve an application icon. she doesn't!

I don't really wanna stretch a 48x48 icon to 128x128 anyway...

The plan is to have a repository of icons online and then MB will just download the icons it sees appropriate for your installed software. otherwise we wont be able to enjoy 128x128 icons. and for programs it doesn't recognize, it will use some generic executable icon.

now, about MB written in Java, and what that means when it comes to integration.

as far as im concerned application plugins are usually exported in the form of DLLs. Java can interface with DLLs too, just like any other program. it follows some rules defined by JNI (Java Native Interface) and its very doable.

matonga:

I have been developing in Java for 5 years now, and I am more than familiar with the GC. However, I don't think you are. You mentioned Java doesn't free resources until none of them are left. that is not true, and doesn't even make sense. besides the fact that Java GC does free resources by itself, I can also free them myself if i wish to gain something more efficient maybe. or alternately trigger the GC operation instead.

as to the matter of the native libs MB uses. Of course there are Linux equivalents. I'm not talking about something ready, but i can easily write the same functional libs for Linux. There are all sorts of project going on that allow me to interface with native libs directly from Java code.

besides, not all plugins require native stuff. most of them can be written in pure Java. and linux and Windows could share most of the plugins.

I written a plugin for facebook. and pure java libraries exists for the following services (and for many more):

Del.icio.us, all Google Data services: Google Translate, YouTube, Bloglines, Twitter

Facebook , Digg Gmail Friendster.

hmm image effects resizing/formatting. and what have you...

both Linux and Windows could benefit from most plugins. since they are cross platform.

ppl who didn't manage to get MightyBox started, that means you don't have the latest Java Virtual Machine installed. (Java 6 update 3)

You can download it from http://Java.com

I know 60 mb of ram, which JVM takes is a lot proportionally for a program like MB.

but I believe Java will be fixing these stuff soon, and enhancing performance.

[dreadnaut]

How do MB retrieve an application icon. she doesn't!

I know, don't worry. I didn't know about the JNI, so I take back that part of my argument.

I don't really wanna stretch a 48x48 icon to 128x128 anyway...

The plan is to have a repository of icons online and then MB will just download the icons it sees appropriate for your installed software. otherwise we wont be able to enjoy 128x128 icons. and for programs it doesn't recognize, it will use some generic executable icon.

And I'd have to set up all the icons for all the programs I write or that do not have an icon. Got no time for that, sorry. And external high-quality icons just go with the problem of resource consumption and speed.

I'm not saying MightyBox is not a good program, I used it and appreciated it, just it's not the program for me - size, speed, and partially integration. Anyway, good work!

[IMYojimbo]

I know, don't worry. I didn't know about the JNI, so I take back that part of my argument.

And I'd have to set up all the icons for all the programs I write or that do not have an icon. Got no time for that, sorry. And external high-quality icons just go with the problem of resource consumption and speed.

I'm not saying MightyBox is not a good program, I used it and appreciated it, just it's not the program for me - size, speed, and partially integration. Anyway, good work!

"external high-quality icons just go with the problem of resource consumption and speed"

?

With no offence, are you a programmer? I dont think so, because you would know otherwise that that stuff you just wrote are horribly wrong...

what u call external icons dont take more resources then "internal" system icons. they are both icons to Java. both needs to be rendered the same way, and both painted on a screen the same way.

[dreadnaut]

I'll explain myself better, not to be misread

program not running, a directory full of 128x128 icons that have to be downloaded needs more resources than no directory of icons that does not need to be downloaded. Where by resources I mean space on disk, bandwith and time to download, and user time if that was not to be 100% transparent.

Then again at runtime, loading 128x128 icons and scaling them down for the small list needs more resources (as in space and time) than loading 48x48 icons and not scaling them down or up.

I'm actually worse than a programmer, I'm a computer scientist, so I tend to be more picky :-p

[IMYojimbo]

I can see..

but common, how about we just go to the command line...

You are weighting "space on disk" (which is almost not even a factor these days) against an eye candy look...

Are we on Aqua-soft forums or what?

why try to copy Mac look with "external" apps, which defently slows down pc, and accomulate resources...

By following your course of thinking we might as well be using dos...

not downloading anything, not using any graphic user interface, no icons, no nothing...

Space on disk is not a factor anymore. especially when we are talking about 2-3 MBs.

and download is just one time and takes less then 30 seconds, and is done automatically for you.

so common...

[dreadnaut]

hahaha, now you make me sound like a prehistoric kind of nerd I like eye-candy, as long as it gives me a consistant interface and it doesn't take me too much time to set up.

I really think MightyBox would be great on Linux, were icons are all there ready to be used. They would be the same icons shown everywhere else in the system, and MB would blend perfectly in.

The moment I have to download icons on windows, if that's automatic I'm pretty sure they won't look the same as the other icons that are around (if I don't spend time changing them) and they will be "additional" icons, in respect to those already in the application.

let's hope for a better JVM to come, in the meanwhile I'd just stay with other eye-candy launchers that use my 48x48 icons, and wait for linux support ;-)

now, I feel like I pulled this thread OT enough, so I apologize with everyone else. Give this program a shot, it's worth it just to know what could come out when it's fully developed, a complete QS clone!

[Ojalord]

dreadnaut:

ppl who didn't manage to get MightyBox started, that means you don't have the latest Java Virtual Machine installed. (Java 6 update 3)

You can download it from http://Java.com

I know 60 mb of ram, which JVM takes is a lot proportionally for a program like MB.

but I believe Java will be fixing these stuff soon, and enhancing performance.

I have Java version 6 update 3 installed. It's not running,

If I run the bat, it says "error accessing the java file...jpr-boot.jar"

If I run jpr-boot.jar, the error log that comes is attached.

jpf-boot-error.txt

[IMYojimbo]

Don't run jpr-boot.jar ...

running other files will just throw unrelated exceptions/errors.

open the command line, run the bat using the command line.

it will then print the error, just copy it and paste it to this post. so ill see whats wrong.

this thing always happens to ppl who don't have the latest Java installed, are u sure u got the lastest version?

verify it here:

http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp

[Ojalord]

Yes I have, I checked.

Here's what that site says to me:

Verified Java Version

Congratulations!

You have the recommended Java installed (Version 6 Update 3)

And the pic of what happens when I run the batch from cmd prompt is attached.

[IMYojimbo]

just copy it and paste it to this post. so ill see whats wrong.

[Ojalord]

I'm using XP x64, if that's any help.

[IMYojimbo]

hmm... I don't think thats what causing it... since Java is cross plat.

can u paste the error u get when u run the bat file (from the command line) ?

[Ojalord]

As you can see in that pic, there is no error other than than dialog box.

[Björn]

Any news on this. Just redicovered and it´s great.

[Nibbler336]

Interesting application.

The bat file doesn't work for 64 bits OS (Vista). I had to put the path for javaw.

in "Start Mighty Box.bat"

START C:WindowsSysWOW64javaw -jar libjpf-boot.jar

But, there's still a problem. Quicksilver launched fine but it can't find my applications (firefox, itunes...). Some ideas?

Furthermore, QS take to much time to launch.

[Björn]

Most applications are only found, when they are in the startmenu.

[devrexster]

Interesting application.

Furthermore, QS take to much time to launch.

Thats because of the java runtime

@IMYojimbo

will it be difficult for u to do a .net version or even better if u can avoid any runtimes-thing altogether I prefer not to use a runtime both as an user and a programmer. I am just suggesting .... and more so since u need speed in this app

[Nibbler336]

Most applications are only found, when they are in the startmenu.

hum ok... but it doesn't work for me. IMYojimbo, is it due to the use of 64bits OS??

Thats because of the java runtime

ok, could it be done by another way, as devrexster suggest? --> I really appreciate this kind of tool, it will be fun to get it without latence