New version of DRM removal tools ("DeDRM")

[Aleron Ives]

How would they know how many people use which version? Surely they must realise that if the current stable version doesn't work, that people will notice and update to the beta version that does.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

How would they know how many people use which version? Surely they must realise that if the current stable version doesn't work, that people will notice and update to the beta version that does.

Ofc Amazon can't tell how many people use what. It's just my guess that they don't much care, as long as the regular version can't remove their newer DRM. As I said, I could be wrong. But it's a bit telling that they updated their DRM several times right after the regular plugin acquired the ability to remove DRM from KFX files, and they didn't after the beta version with that ability was released.

As to masses of people updating to the beta version... I doubt that. Many people have trouble finding and downloading even the regular version from GitHub, let alone the beta. Personally I think an average user will just give up when they can't get their regular version to work. They're not likely to be even aware that the beta version with the ability to handle KFX exists. I only know because I read all DRM threads here on MR. How many people do that?

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I only know because I read all DRM threads here on MR. How many people do that?

There's also at least a few people who read the threads, but still don't know. I've mostly stopped keeping up with them because of that.

[lkmiller]

I think it is intentional on noDRM's part to keep 10.0.9 as "pre-release". If you want the absolute latest when any change to the code happens, there is an alpha auto-release.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

I think it is intentional on noDRM's part to keep 10.0.9 as "pre-release". If you want the absolute latest when any change to the code happens, there is an alpha auto-release.

it could also be that there's no new code to make it 10.1.0.

[Martinoptic]

But there was a change to master 3 months ago, so there is some new code from when the prerelease was made available.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Most people have no idea what a tar.gz is or what they should do with it. Everyone knows what a zip is.

Though tar files without the gz are 10 years older than zip files (1979 vs 1989). Tar formats are officially on Windows since 2018 and were probably available from 3rd parties decades earlier.

I'm not convinced that most Windows / Mac / iOS / Android / Chromebook users know what a computer zip file is.

And even here many new members don't realise an epub (and its 1998 predecessor) is simply a renamed zip with rules as to what should be in it.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I'm not convinced that most Windows / Mac / iOS / Android / Chromebook users know what a computer zip file is.

Neither am I. If they did, they'd configure their browsers to not auto-expand them after downloading. Windows also doesn't help by allowing users to open them in a file explorer just like they were any other folder. They're not, and they shouldn't be treated as such.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Neither am I. If they did, they'd configure their browsers to not auto-expand them after downloading. Windows also doesn't help by allowing users to open them in a file explorer just like they were any other folder. They're not, and they shouldn't be treated as such.

I disagree. That metaphor works well for probably better than 80% of typical people's use of archive files. (The most common exception being installs). And Windows/desktop metaphors are inappropriate for some percentage of almost everything anyway. I still spend too much of my time explaining to users the difference between a file and a shortcut on their desktop.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

But there was a change to master 3 months ago, so there is some new code from when the prerelease was made available.

Sorry, but incorrect. The beta was released December 21, 2023. The 3 month old code was put out in December 2023 before the beta was made available. Some of the code was committed on the 21st of December and some before.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ApK

I disagree. That metaphor works well for probably better than 80% of typical people's use of archive files. (The most common exception being installs). And Windows/desktop metaphors are inappropriate for some percentage of almost everything anyway. I still spend too much of my time explaining to users the difference between a file and a shortcut on their desktop.

It's not a metaphor. It's MS adding features to Explorer instead of fixing bugs. It doesn't help usability. But obviously MS now shares your opinion. They didn't use to do it this way.
Also some versions of Explorer break zip format files when the user treats them as if they are folders/directories because that's what Explorer is doing.

Also shortcuts are not just on the desktop. They can be anywhere and historically they had great big arrow on the icon if it was user created.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Sorry, but incorrect. The beta was released December 21, 2023. The 3 month old code was put out in December 2023 before the beta was made available. Some of the code was commuted on the 21st of December and some before.

You are also incorrect. There are multiple releases all with the same 10.0.9 version number.

The beta release on the Releases page for DeDRM was produced on August 2, 2023. However there is a newer alpha release, last updated on December 21 with additional changes. They are both version 10.0.9.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by ApK

That metaphor works well for probably better than 80% of typical people's use of archive files. (The most common exception being installs). And Windows/desktop metaphors are inappropriate for some percentage of almost everything anyway. I still spend too much of my time explaining to users the difference between a file and a shortcut on their desktop.

I'm afraid I don't understand the use of the word "metaphor" here.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm afraid I don't understand the use of the word "metaphor" here.

The metaphor of "desktop", "folder" and such, underlying most windows-like desktop operating environments. It is the standard term, IIRC.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics...sktop-metaphor

So extending the common folder metaphor to "zip compressed folders" seems appropriate to me considering how they are most commonly used.
ApK

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jhowell

You are also incorrect. There are multiple releases all with the same 10.0.9 version number.

The beta release on the Releases page for DeDRM was produced on August 2, 2023. However there is a newer alpha release, last updated on December 21 with additional changes. They are both version 10.0.9.

The newer release incorporates the existing code. There is no code not in the current 10.0.9.