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Jerzy Dydak

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Jun 24, 2024, 9:46:21 AMJun 24
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It seems to me that the minimum that needs to be done is removing the requirement of entering the registration number on SuperCard. It does not happen every day that I have to enter it but if I buy a new MacBook, I face it.
That way we can buy some time before we figure out what to do next.
BTW, I still use SuperCard 4.7 even though I bought 4.8 - I simply have no time even to jump to 4.8.
Personally, if I knew I have 2-3 years of using 4.7 on my old Macs (I do not use the Parallel fix), I would do nothing and simply retire expecting Superintelligence to do everything for me.
I am not religious but if anybody wants to organize a pray group for the survival and safety of the SuperCard, I am in.
Jerzy

Jerzy Dydak

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Jun 25, 2024, 1:20:36 PMJun 25
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Question: Does anybody know how the registration of SuperCard is set up?

 I have a 2012 MacBook using El Capitan (OSX 10.11.6) that cannot be upgraded to Mojave. I just checked it and I can use SuperCard on it on and off the internet. However, when I recently bought a backup MacBook 2017 on which I installed Mojave and copied my main MacBook I could not use the SuperCard without reregistering it. Therefore, it seems to me that we can continue using the SuperCard until our computers die. That means the registration does something to the system and is not verified repeatedly via the internet.


I am in contact with LiveCode. They want $440+tax for one year of using LiveCode (6 months ago it was $11/month for basic usage). However, I have so many stacks that are so interconnected that converting them to LiveCode seems quite complicated. If it was a set of 10 stacks with minimal interaction, I’d start working on it yesterday. You cannot use LiveCode offline, it seems. Now we can see what kind of a bargain SuperCard was.

If I had a certainty of my MacBook being in operation for the next 5 years (seems reasonable given my 2012 MacBook works) and no equivalent of EMP (electromagnetic pulse) for the SuperCard, I’d do nothing.

Jerzy

Joe Koomen

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Jun 25, 2024, 1:31:20 PMJun 25
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You should have been sent a serial number that you enter in the app start-up screen after you install and launch it. Just make sure you use the right one for the right version. Each time there’s an update the registration number changes too.

 

Joe

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Jerzy Dydak

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Jun 25, 2024, 1:49:02 PMJun 25
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Yes, I have it (well, both registrations for 4.7 and 4.8). The question is if that registration is validated in real time by the server of the owner of the SuperCard Company or not? If so and the owner disappears then we may have a problem.
It seems to me that the registration is validated in real time and a secret message is sent to my version of the SuperCard. I see no other explanation why it asks for registration if I copy the whole MacBook to another MacBook.
Jerzy

Terence Heaford

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Jun 25, 2024, 2:30:11 PMJun 25
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You could try using the old LiveCode community edition which is version 9.6.3


Regards

Terry

Bill Bowling

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Jun 25, 2024, 4:12:20 PMJun 25
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You can find the free version of live code 9.6 on the internet.

I just set a new legacy machine, have tried installing super card yet.

Bill

On Jun 25, 2024, at 10:49, Jerzy Dydak <jdy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yes, I have it (well, both registrations for 4.7 and 4.8). The question is if that registration is validated in real time by the server of the owner of the SuperCard Company or not? If so and the owner disappears then we may have a problem.

MARK LUCAS

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Jun 26, 2024, 11:16:43 PMJun 26
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The linked AppleScript (Google won't let me post the actual file here) should extract and display any SuperCard 4.8 registration number(s) found on your boot volume:

This should work even if you've copied the /Applications/SuperCard x.xx and /Library/Application Support/SuperCard x.x.x folders from another machine (so SC insists on you re-entering a reg #).

The reg # it returns won't match your original (I can't recover the prefix which contains administrative info used only by Scott, and thus the recovered SN won't be eligible for upgrades or support through Scott), but it should work to activate SuperCard/SuperEdit. I'm afraid that's the best I can do.

It would helpful to know whether this does its job on as many people's systems as possible while I can still remember how it works… ;-)

HTH,
-Mark

Keith Martin

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Jul 3, 2024, 5:41:04 PMJul 3
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Hi Mark,


On 27 Jun 2024, at 04:16, 'MARK LUCAS' via SuperCard Discussion <superca...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

It would helpful to know whether this does its job on as many people's systems as possible while I can still remember how it works… ;-)

On Monterey (macOS 12.7.5) the OS claims the app is damaged and suggests trashing it. I’ll try it later this week on an older machine (a 2012-era iMac that I’m going to try setting up specifically for SC) but I can’t do that at the moment.

k


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MARK LUCAS

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Jul 3, 2024, 6:24:12 PMJul 3
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Hi Keith,

Hmmm. I get the same error when I download it (even though I'm sure I round-tripped it before I posted the link) but if I unzip the actual file from my Dropbox folder that's being shared it works fine. Go figure.

Anyway I tried deleting and re-uploading it, and for now at least a freshly downloaded copy works again.

So not sure what happened there, but thanks for the report!

Please try downloading it again with this link and see if you get any joy.

-Mark

Keith Martin

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Jul 4, 2024, 10:51:05 AMJul 4
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Hi Mark - that works for me, thanks!

Okay, it’s an unsigned app so it takes an extra click or two, and this Mac never had SuperCard installed so it found nothing, but it runs and reports its (lack of) findings.

I’ll try it on an older Mac that I think had SC on it – or I’ll have to go through my old email archive for the reg numbers.

Keith


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MARK LUCAS

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Jul 4, 2024, 11:51:09 AMJul 4
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LOL! Oh god bless you Keith! I was starting to think maybe that first message didn’t go through… ;-)

Anybody else gonna step up? :-P

I’m completely serious that I will totally forget how this works in a week or two at most, at which point if it doesn’t you’re all basically S.O.L. (‘cuz I’m definitely not subjecting myself to the ordeal of figuring out this deliberately mind-numbingly complex and obscure code again).

So seriously, could somebody please test this who actually HAS a serial number for it to try to find?

Thanks,
-Mark

Drs Mark Schonewille

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Jul 4, 2024, 11:54:47 AMJul 4
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I don't know if it helps, but I can tell you it didn't work with SC 7.
Can I still use the SC 7 license that I have on file, or would I need to do run a script to get a working license number?
Mark Schonewille
Economy-x-Talk
KvK 50277553
VAT NL002099948B21
https://ecxtalk.nl
https://www.nt2.nu

Programming LiveCode for the Real Beginner
http://www3.economy-x-talk.com/file.php?node=programming-livecode-for-the-real-beginner
Op 4-7-2024 om 17:50 schreef 'MARK LUCAS' via SuperCard Discussion:
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David Coggeshall

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Jul 4, 2024, 12:52:28 PMJul 4
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Hi Mark,

This works for me on both my iMac and my MacBook Air.

The number has a new prefix - "NEW48".

Cheers,

David Coggeshall
415 387-8760 - Office


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MARK LUCAS

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Jul 4, 2024, 1:38:17 PMJul 4
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Here's a link to a script that should grok 4.7 serial numbers.

Apparently the asshats at Dropbox are screwing with the contents of uploaded zip files and repeatedly breaking the apps I'm uploading, so I renamed this one as a .zap file instead of .zip (which seems to make them mind their own damn business). So you'll have to rename it to unzip it.

Thanks,
-Mark

Keith Martin

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Jul 4, 2024, 2:09:21 PMJul 4
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Ugh! That’s borderline unforgivable of Dropbox. >:(

Okay, the sc48keys app that you sent and that worked but found nothing on my current Mac – also works on my old MacBook (late 2013 model, macOS Mojave 10.14.6).

On that Mac I have SC 4.7 and SC 4.8b9. (WOOHOO!) The sc48keys app found a registration number for 4.8, but after the “NEW48-“ text it listed what looks like gibberish: Tï@Ù and so on, for about 18 or 19 chars. So, good news, sorta? Great for me as I have a working installation of SC on an old but working MBP. :)

I can send you a screen grab of the dialog if it’s any help. I’m not including it here in this public list on the remote chance that it’s decipherable into a valid serial.

The bad news is I unzapped (sorry, unzipped) your script for grokking 4.7 serial numbers, and it does the old ‘broken app’ thing. Sorry. :-/

k


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MARK LUCAS

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Jul 4, 2024, 2:50:31 PMJul 4
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All right it appears the real culprit here is an overly zealous GateKeeper.

If you open the Terminal and run xattr to strip off the 'poison pill' it's attaching to the download, I think it should launch:

xattr -cr <posix_path_to_app>

Just type the first part, then drag the app into the window.

You might still still have to right-click to launch it the first time…

Sorry for the confusion!

I also uploaded it to Google drive, and gave the group access.

If that works better I'll use it going forward, so please let me know whether you get any joy.

As for the b9 SN, yeah Scott had me set up a different SN encoding scheme for the 4.8 betas (I forget why, but he was insistent). So even if I can write something to recover it, I don't think the result will work to activate release builds… :-(

Thanks again,
-Mark

Keith Martin

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Jul 4, 2024, 3:16:07 PMJul 4
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Aha! Yes, it runs now. I’m downstairs and my cat has colonised my lap so right now I can’t go check on the old MBP that has SC installed, but on this machine it reports "No SuperCard 4.8 registration numbers found on this volume.”

k


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Drs Mark Schonewille

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Jul 5, 2024, 7:02:29 AMJul 5
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I'm unable to run the applet. It seems to unzip fine, but when I run it, the OS says I should move it to the trash. I was able to run the version for SC 8, but obviously it didn't find any serial numbers.

Best,

Mark Schonewille
Economy-x-Talk
KvK 50277553
VAT NL002099948B21
https://ecxtalk.nl
https://www.nt2.nu

Programming LiveCode for the Real Beginner
http://www3.economy-x-talk.com/file.php?node=programming-livecode-for-the-real-beginner
Op 4-7-2024 om 19:38 schreef 'MARK LUCAS' via SuperCard Discussion:
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Drs Mark Schonewille

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Jul 5, 2024, 7:18:10 AMJul 5
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When I run your script in Script Editor, it says "A resource wasn't found."
I can see the file it is looking for however, I have no idea what's wrong.

Op 5-7-2024 om 13:02 schreef Drs Mark Schonewille:

Keith Martin

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Jul 5, 2024, 8:52:37 AMJul 5
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Hi Mark,


On 5 Jul 2024, at 12:02, Drs Mark Schonewille <m.scho...@economy-x-talk.com> wrote:

I'm unable to run the applet. It seems to unzip fine, but when I run it, the OS says I should move it to the trash. I was able to run the version for SC 8, but obviously it didn't find any serial numbers.

Mark Lucas’s instructions might help, so it’s worth trying this:

If you open the Terminal and run xattr to strip off the 'poison pill' it's attaching to the download, I think it should launch:

xattr -cr <posix_path_to_app>

Just type the first part, then drag the app into the window.

So for clarity,

1. open Terminal
2. Type “xattr -cr” (without the quotes), followed by a space
3. Drag-drop the applet into the Terminal window and it will add the full path to it
4. Hit the return key

If you still have trouble, try right-clicking (or Control-clicking) the app icon and choosing “Open” from the contextual menu.

Does the applet now open?

k

Drs Mark Schonewille

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Jul 5, 2024, 3:17:17 PMJul 5
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Yep, that actually works! Thanks Keith and Mark!

Mark Schonewille
Economy-x-Talk
KvK 50277553
VAT NL002099948B21
https://ecxtalk.nl
https://www.nt2.nu

Programming LiveCode for the Real Beginner
http://www3.economy-x-talk.com/file.php?node=programming-livecode-for-the-real-beginner
Op 5-7-2024 om 14:52 schreef 'Keith Martin' via SuperCard Discussion:
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Dan Kelleher

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Jul 10, 2024, 1:19:17 AMJul 10
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A Question for David C (see Postscript)
AND
Testing sc48keys.app (ver 6-26-24)
         (NOTE - I missed until now the info about the sc47key.app)
I’m not sure if this app is intended to detect only SuperCard ver 4.8 keys,
And I’m not sure if these keys must be located in a specific context.
The latest version of SC I have is 4.7.3
But here’s what I did:

*** On this MacBook Air, Apple M2, Sonoma 14.5, 
I have on this MacBook a ton of SuperCard Stuff including SCkey Info but no active SuperCard applications,
Because in September/October 2023 I gave up trying to get Supercard to run withinParallels on this MacBook Air.
  • After allowing the MacBook OS to trust the app,
it ran and reported, “No SuperCard registration numbers found on this volume.”

*** On my old MacPro (Mid 2010) (actually built in late 2011 I think), Intel chip, Sierra 10.12.6,
I built a fresh new “Hello World !”  project in SuperEdit 4.73 and ran it into SuperCard 4.73 with the Runtime
Editor Menus loaded -> that worked (slowly)(TechTool Pro finds limits to what it can optimize on this Multiple Hard Drives-Mac),
*I moved the downloaded sc48keys.app from the MacBook Air to the MacPro using a Samsung SSD T5 and 2 different cables. 
  • The MacPro OS trusted the sc48keys.app, opened it, it ran fast and reported,
“No SuperCard registration numbers found on this volume.” (? This ? Volume)
(It did NOT find the sc473key I assume must be in its correct context.)

Anywho, that’s what I found. 

****** I’d gladly pay twice the going rate to get either SuperEdit or SuperCard or both to run on this MacBook Air M2,
within any emulation system, even it it resided on the Samsung SSD T5 external volume - but I didn’t know how to try
setting that up - although it seemed, to me, that external localization was unlikely to make any difference,
(I upgraded to the then current Parallels version last September, after using it for years for necessary windoz bits, 
 but I don’t see it installed here now ?? - I thought it was ?? gettinOld) My only use for it these days was for the SCard possibility.

I will checked out my Parallels situation more. That project ran head first into a brick wall with black apple shapes last fall.
Knocked me out cold. But ya know,: “I can’t go on. I’ll go on.” (Sam Beckett)

Little by slow,
-Dan

NOTE -> I also just saw this from David:
****************************************************************************************************
DAVID WROTE:
************************************************************************************
On Jul 4, 2024, at 12:52 PM, 'David Coggeshall' via SuperCard Discussion <superca...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Hi Mark,

This works for me on both my iMac and my MacBook Air.

The number has a new prefix - "NEW48".

Cheers,

David Coggeshall
415 387-8760 - Office
*************************************************************************************

David,
What Kind of MacBook Air are using (Chip, OS) to run SC 4.81 ?
Little by slow
-Dan











************************************************

David Coggeshall

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Jul 10, 2024, 12:08:06 PMJul 10
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Dan,

My MacBook Air is 2017, running Mojave 10.14.6.

Processor is 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7

Hope that helps,

David Coggeshall
415 387-8760 - Office

MARK LUCAS

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Jul 10, 2024, 7:54:49 PMJul 10
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Hi Gang,

I've just uploaded (then downloaded and tested, and crossed my fingers) new builds of SuperCard 4.83d3 to play with.

This time they should be available to anyone with the link (instead of requiring a group login, which evidently was an issue for some users).

The previous build added (among other things) the ability to easily import compiled AppleScripts into user properties (either via Drag and Drop or a Contextual menu).

This update adds another handy tweak that also should be of interest to AppleScript fans:

- Now if you give a user property a name that ends with .ascr its contents are assumed to be an AppleScript

- When you edit such a property, a few extra items are automatically appended to the contextual popup menu:

— Two allow block commenting/uncommenting (as per the regular SuperCard script editor).

— One checks the syntax of the script, and reports diagnostic info.

— One runs it for testing purposes, and displays the result.

Both the last two items temporarily apply syntax highlighting/formatting to validated scripts in the property (similar to what you'd see in Apple's own Script Editor.app). This 'colorizing' information is transient, and isn't saved with the property.

Please let me know if you have any problems, questions, comments, or suggestions.

Thanks!
-Mark

parttimeprogrammer

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Jul 10, 2024, 9:07:11 PMJul 10
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Thank you Mark! The continued efforts are appreciated. Will give it a testdrive and report oddities if any.

I'm guessing in the present circumstances it's too soon to know whether development of a 64-bit version of SuperCard is a pipedream or a possible future reality?

Best
Henk DeJong

Dan Kelleher

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Jul 11, 2024, 4:22:40 PMJul 11
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Thank you David.
That’s very helpful.
Little by Slow,
-Dan

Edward Wall

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Jul 12, 2024, 2:17:17 PMJul 12
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Mark

Haven’t tried the tweaks yet and some of my scripts, but things seem to be working on High Sierra (although I get the ‘not optimized’ message).

Ed Wall

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Drs Mark Schonewille

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Jul 13, 2024, 6:48:17 AMJul 13
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Mark,

Thank you so much for this new beta.

I have always renewed my license with the release of a new version. I've participated in SC beta testing once, but I had been forgotten and never received a beta. That's a long time ago and it's not important now.

I can imagine that an official build of SC 8 may never be released. Now I wonder, what can I do with the beta? Can I use it in a production environment or will it stop working after a while? If it stops working, would I need a new license to keep using it? Can I still obtain such a license?

Thanks for any info.

Mark Schonewille
Economy-x-Talk
KvK 50277553
VAT NL002099948B21
https://ecxtalk.nl
https://www.nt2.nu

Programming LiveCode for the Real Beginner
http://www3.economy-x-talk.com/file.php?node=programming-livecode-for-the-real-beginner
Op 11-7-2024 om 01:54 schreef 'MARK LUCAS' via SuperCard Discussion:
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MARK LUCAS

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Jul 13, 2024, 3:14:56 PMJul 13
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Hi Mark,

You're welcome!

SuperTalk has an undocumented property called the expirationDate.

In release builds it returns Never.

In development builds and betas, it returns the date the app expires. 

In this series (for no particular reason beyond sheer laziness I suppose) that's set to the end of 2026, but normally (at Scott's direction) they're good for just a few months.

They're Intel-only non-optimized debug builds, so they're slower than release builds but provide more useful info in their (hopefully mythical) crash logs. Otherwise though they should be functionally equivalent to a regular release, and you're free to use them as you will until their date with destiny. In fact the more the merrier! That's how we find bugs...

As I mentioned earlier I recently began messing around running SC 4.82 under the UTM/QEMU emulator in Sonoma on my Mac Studio. This led me to notice a bunch of (mostly minor) stuff that was broken or bent (which AFAICR nobody'd told me about) and to make a short 'wish list' of additional tools I would've loved to have right at hand on the SC/Mojave side of this demented science project. I also stuck in a couple of fun externals I wrote for friends that Scott considered too odd or frivolous to add to Xtend, but which I hope somebody finds useful.

Once that stuff is all tied up nice in a bow, I hope to post a full 'Final Cut' 4.83 release from the 32-bit code base with no expiration date or registration scheme as a sort of In Memoriam for Scott.

I'm still trying to contact his next of kin though, so of course any such plans could still go horribly agley. 

One foot in front of the other.

So, anybody got some feedback yet? FYI I'm probably going to be laid up soon for a while after (minor but temporarily debilitating) surgery, and if possible I'd really like to get this puppy wrapped up before i go under the knife (just in case! =:-O).

Thanks,
-Mark

S

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Jul 13, 2024, 4:20:20 PMJul 13
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I am so sorry for his loss. I will say a prayer for his soul. 
Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 10, 2024, at 7:54 PM, 'MARK LUCAS' via SuperCard Discussion <superca...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Hi Gang,
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MARK LUCAS

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Jul 14, 2024, 2:12:39 PMJul 14
to 'Keith Martin' via SuperCard Discussion
Hi Gang,

LOL! OK please sit down before reading the rest of this… ;-)

FYI, just for grins this morning I’ve been running SuperCard 4.8 in UTM on my iPhone 13 Mini! 

Yeah Apple apparently just finally (and unexpectedly) reversed course and approved it for App Store distribution (though sadly without Just In Time Compilation, which they reportedly consider an unacceptable security hole) so at last you can try it without jailbreaking your iDevice. Once again it’s a free download. Apparently it contains some new user-contributed space voodoo that partially compensates for the JIT ban, which I was eager to try out.

After updating my Mac to the latest UTM version (and figuring out how to connect a Magic Mouse to my phone - aaarrgghhh!) I was pleased to find the setup/pairing pretty seamless and performance surprisingly snappy. Not as fast as on the Mac Studio of course, but I’d love to see it on a new iPad Pro!

SC4.82 on iOS.jpeg

What a world…

-Mark

Bill Bowling

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Jul 15, 2024, 12:20:52 PMJul 15
to 'Mark Lucas' via SuperCard Discussion
Mark,

Can you please expand a bit on the UTM thing.

I see there is an App Store version and I’m guessing a IOS version too. (haven't looked)

How much teeth gnashing is required to get these solutions going and what limitations are there moving data in and out?

Here is what I would want to do …

1. On an iPad.
2. Read a webpage, or an WebArchive of that page. (UTM)
3. Parse it. (UTM)
4. Send a Jason String, From the UTM to a Native APP via an API.

Regards,

Bill B

 

<SC4.82 on iOS.jpeg>

What a world…

-Mark
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MARK LUCAS

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Jul 15, 2024, 2:32:10 PMJul 15