Comments on: The Engine Driver http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/ Random babblings of a geek. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:04:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.11 by: ebassi http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-415844 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:54:39 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-415844 mmh, you probably missed the huge button called "Add" right below the list of available dictionary sources. it's understandable: what would an "Add" button do, after all. mmh, you probably missed the huge button called “Add” right below the list of available dictionary sources.

it’s understandable: what would an “Add” button do, after all.

]]> by: Sergey http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-415621 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:51:06 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-415621 Hello Emmanuele, I am trying to understand what happened to gnome-dictionary in Ubuntu Heron distro. I used it since Dapper and it was great, especially being able to look up a term in multiple dictionaries at once. In Heron, there is no "Advanced settings" subtree anymore, and adding a dictionary to a source seems impossible. It seems that many of the old bugs you describe here have been brought back, completely killing the usefulness of the app. In the Ubuntu forums people keep asking about this (e.g., http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-705408.html), and it seems that switching to another dict client is the only viable solution. I loved my gnome-dictionary, however, and I do not want to swtich... Thank you, --Sergey Hello Emmanuele,

I am trying to understand what happened to gnome-dictionary in Ubuntu Heron distro. I used it since Dapper and it was great, especially being able to look up a term in multiple dictionaries at once.

In Heron, there is no “Advanced settings” subtree anymore, and adding a dictionary to a source seems impossible. It seems that many of the old bugs you describe here have been brought back, completely killing the usefulness of the app. In the Ubuntu forums people keep asking about this (e.g., http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-705408.html), and it seems that switching to another dict client is the only viable solution.

I loved my gnome-dictionary, however, and I do not want to swtich…

Thank you,

–Sergey

]]> by: Mathieu Blondel http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13094 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:10:05 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13094 emmanuele: With the default configuration (at least under debian), the dictd server is not reachable from the outside. In the "access" section of the config file, you can see "allow localhost" and "allow 127.0.0.1". Access from other hosts is denied. As for adding file sources or not, I guess it is a matter of taste then. But again my take on this is that it will make the application more fuzzy. You will find yourself want to add more and more file sources (you mentioned stardict, what is next ?). I think this job should be delegated to the server. But don't get me wrong. I appreciate your work on gnome-dictionary and GNOME in general. Thanks. emmanuele: With the default configuration (at least under debian), the dictd server is not reachable from the outside. In the “access” section of the config file, you can see “allow localhost” and “allow 127.0.0.1″. Access from other hosts is denied.

As for adding file sources or not, I guess it is a matter of taste then. But again my take on this is that it will make the application more fuzzy. You will find yourself want to add more and more file sources (you mentioned stardict, what is next ?). I think this job should be delegated to the server.

But don’t get me wrong. I appreciate your work on gnome-dictionary and GNOME in general. Thanks.

]]> by: ebassi http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13088 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 09:32:06 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13088 <strong>mathieu</strong>: I don't think shipping a dict server with gnome-dictionary is a good idea: it's a potential security issue, as it opens a network port to the outside; also, it's not a packaging issue, but it's a administration issue. if the dict server worked using a pipe, or unix domain sockets, it could be interesting to launch a local "server" when the dictionary starts, with a timeout for unloading it when not needed anymore. but, all in all, I prefer adding a source with a dict file parser. <strong>khiraly</strong>: the only reference I was able to find was inside the dictd sources; there's a document outlining the format of the index file, which is the only interesting part (the dictionary itself is just a text dump). mathieu: I don’t think shipping a dict server with gnome-dictionary is a good idea: it’s a potential security issue, as it opens a network port to the outside; also, it’s not a packaging issue, but it’s a administration issue. if the dict server worked using a pipe, or unix domain sockets, it could be interesting to launch a local “server” when the dictionary starts, with a timeout for unloading it when not needed anymore. but, all in all, I prefer adding a source with a dict file parser.

khiraly: the only reference I was able to find was inside the dictd sources; there’s a document outlining the format of the index file, which is the only interesting part (the dictionary itself is just a text dump).

]]> by: Mathieu Blondel http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13072 Tue, 28 Nov 2006 02:59:32 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13072 You are right. For some users, it may be difficult to run a local server. But I think that is mainly a packaging issue. We could think of a meta-package that installs gnome-dictionary, dictd (which would be started at boot) and some dictionaries. If it is still too difficult for some users to add new dictionaries, we can think of a GUI for that, which in addition could start/stop the server. You are right. For some users, it may be difficult to run a local server. But I think that is mainly a packaging issue. We could think of a meta-package that installs gnome-dictionary, dictd (which would be started at boot) and some dictionaries. If it is still too difficult for some users to add new dictionaries, we can think of a GUI for that, which in addition could start/stop the server.

]]> by: Khiraly http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13064 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 20:17:39 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13064 Im interesting, where can I find more info about the DICT file format. Any example source somewhere? And what Im looking for: a .xml dictionary file format, which is somehow easy to search through. Im interesting, where can I find more info about the DICT file format. Any example source somewhere?

And what Im looking for:
a .xml dictionary file format, which is somehow easy to search through.

]]> by: Andy Wingo http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13054 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 11:38:37 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13054 I enjoyed this post's title. That is all :) I enjoyed this post’s title. That is all :)

]]> by: ebassi http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13052 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 09:54:44 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13052 <strong>scott</strong>: that is not a "dialog" - it's a page in the side bar; and the matching strategy is something that allow you to get better results inside the speller widget. <strong>mathieu</strong>: I know that there's no "DICT" file format. as for "it's easy to run a server than use a dictionary file" we clearly have two different concepts of "easy". requiring to run a local server is not a good idea - since the user might well not be able to decide what to install on her/his box. as for different sources: I don't really intend to support web services - the problem is that some users want proxy support, and unless you install a SOCKS proxy on your box, you cannot use it; one way to avoid this would be to query via HTTP a service like dict.org. scott: that is not a “dialog” - it’s a page in the side bar; and the matching strategy is something that allow you to get better results inside the speller widget.

mathieu: I know that there’s no “DICT” file format. as for “it’s easy to run a server than use a dictionary file” we clearly have two different concepts of “easy”. requiring to run a local server is not a good idea - since the user might well not be able to decide what to install on her/his box. as for different sources: I don’t really intend to support web services - the problem is that some users want proxy support, and unless you install a SOCKS proxy on your box, you cannot use it; one way to avoid this would be to query via HTTP a service like dict.org.

]]> by: Mathieu Blondel http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13039 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 03:19:24 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13039 There is no such "DICT file format". DICT is the name of a protocol. Its RFC does not say anything about how DICT servers should store their databases. dictd is just one implementation and there exists others. Why parse dictd files ? It is so easy to run a server with those files. As for stardict files, it is very easy to convert them to dictd files (I provide a conversion script with Fantasdic). Adding different sources (servers, files and websites) will make gnome-dictionary more fuzzy. I think you should focus on making gnome-dictionary a DICT client that truly rocks. Just my two cents. Keep on the good work! There is no such “DICT file format”. DICT is the name of a protocol. Its RFC does not say anything about how DICT servers should store their databases. dictd is just one implementation and there exists others.

Why parse dictd files ? It is so easy to run a server with those files. As for stardict files, it is very easy to convert them to dictd files (I provide a conversion script with Fantasdic). Adding different sources (servers, files and websites) will make gnome-dictionary more fuzzy. I think you should focus on making gnome-dictionary a DICT client that truly rocks.

Just my two cents. Keep on the good work!

]]> by: Scott Robinson http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13037 Mon, 27 Nov 2006 02:46:04 +0000 http://log.emmanuelebassi.net/archives/2006/11/the-engine-driver/#comment-13037 Uhh, is that strategies dialog not a parody? I can't imagine anyone outside of a fairly select group of programmers who would even begin to comprehend it. Uhh, is that strategies dialog not a parody?

I can’t imagine anyone outside of a fairly select group of programmers who would even begin to comprehend it.

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