MeowBit version 0.5.5204.40235 is out now!

| Version Releases | |

MeowBit250x250

New better version HERE. Fixes previous problem with not resolving .bit with improper JSON. Also:

Pre-Windows 8 local nameserver function now restores DNS to use DHCP if the IP Address is obtained via DHCP
* Setup installs and starts dotBitNs service: More reliable then previous ‘self-install’ method.
* Setup installs Start menu icon
* Fixed System.Net.Http and other .Net framework version compatibility problems
* Automatic configuration of namecoin.config file is less intrusive; preserves comments.
* Namecoin config manager will search running processes to see if a custom data path is configured. <- Thanks Ian Freeman
* Task tray toggle (double click) now works to show window when hidden via minimize
* Settings window: Added some persistent settings:
* Minimize To Tray
* Minimize On Close
* Start Minimized
* Start On Login
* Moved Version info to new tab in settings window
* Remove StartUp shortcut from installer, it was being configured for all users, but new config option is per user.
* In order to have MeowBit autostart, the user will have to explicitly set that in Settings window.
* Start menu folder with Uninstall shortcut.
* dotBitNs Service will now try to detect running Namecoin client and find authorization information from config file
* Any configuration information that is found by the service is now saved so that it can connect to Namecoin client without the need for MeowBit monitor to be running.
* Dot-Bit specification implemented: Empty sub-domain name (“”) may be used to configure the domain. Entries specified here have lower precedence.

MeowBit, now for XP as well as Windows 7 and 8. View Dot-Bit (Namecoin) domains system wide!

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Whee! We now cover all common Windows versions: Windows 7, Windows 8, and XP.

NOTE: THERE IS A SEPARATE INSTALL FOR XP. It is HERE.

If you’re on Windows 7/8, you go HERE.

The MeowBit for XP is a hard fork. We will do tech support for it on our forum, but will not be updating it as often as we update the Windows 7/8 version. We just did a lot of work making an XP version due to user requests. We’ve tested it and it works well on our end.

INSTALLING THE XP VERSION: You will still need the updated Namecoin wallet, and should read the install info for the main version of MeowBit, HERE. It’s mostly the same info, except for this:

Special Information for Meow Bit for Windows XP
IMPORTANT: MeowBit requires upgrades for the .Net Framework which is not included in this installer.…

Most people probably won’t need the update. If you’ve updated Windows XP in the last year, MeowBit should work fine out of the box.

If MeowBit crashes shortly after start-up, it is because these updates are not installed on your system.

The preferred method of obtaining these updates is to use Windows Update on your start menu and Install all Optional Updates for .Net 4.0
Alternatively, the Update 4.0.3 for Microsoft .NET Framework 4, available here:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29053
contains the updates needed to run MeowBit on Windows XP.

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Source code for XP version is here.

MeowBit – Now with Update Alerts Over the Blockchain – a new feature for software

| News, Version Releases | |

As of the latest version of MeowBit (v 0.4.5186.41847, get the latest version HERE), version update notifications are delivered over the blockchain.

(Initial suggestion for this function was posted by Derrick on Namecoin Wiki, here.)

Delivering update notifications over the blockchain is more secure than conventional methods, and as far as we know, it is a first. (Gavin Andresen of the Bitcoin Foundation, Satoshi Nakamoto and theymos each have an alert key to deliver emergency notifications over the blockchain, but it’s only for emergencies and rarely, if ever, used.)

The next version will have an alert balloon, and an MD5 hash. This version, as a proof of concept, has red light/green light indicators. To access these, click the kitty cat icon on the desktop to open the MeowBit Monitor, and click on Settings in the lower left corner of the Monitor window.

clickKittyAndSettings

If you don’t have the Namecoin wallet open or updated (or if you’re not online), you’ll get “Unknown” under “Newest Version”:

latest version unknown

If your wallet is up to date, but your version of MeowBit is not, you’ll get one or two red lights under “Newest Version”:

green red

If your wallet is up to date, and your version of MeowBit the latest, you’ll get two green lights under “Newest Version”:

green green

You may have to close and open the window in this version if an update happens while you have the window open.

Derrick explains:

The p/ spec is here: https://wiki.namecoin.info/index.php?title=Product

There’re some other too on this page: https://wiki.namecoin.info/index.php?title=Category:NEP
The p/ spec probably needs a little work to be more generic, but I whipped it together kind of quickly for publishing version information of MeowBit. In MeowBit on the Version tab of the settings window, it lets you know what the latest version is via the blockchain, and it your version is older it presents a download link. Future work includes automatic downloads of new versions from publishes sources, and verifying the MD5 hash of the files.

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Source code on GitHub, here.

Other changes in latest version of MeowBit, and version history:

## Version History:
* v0.4.5186.41847 : March 14, 2014
* Settings window with logging (dis/en)ablement, available from tool tray context menu
* Open Log Folder, Latest Log File, or Copy Log contents buttons
* Sounds to verify log copy
* Bug Fix: Resolution fail on unexpected domain info format.
* Internal structural improvements of domain resolution
* Fixed repeating Logging dis/enabled messages
* Added README.md (this file)
* Typo in log output “Determining”… Thanks MWD.
* Query product info from blockchain using query api.
* Setting page displays current version, and latest version from blockchain
* Version info on Settings page offers link to download page if out of date.
* Extended default timeout for Namecoin client API calls to 5 seconds
* System status interval extended to 6 seconds (RpcConnectorTimeout * 1.2)

* v0.3.5179.694 : March 7, 2014
* Better windows management via tray icon
* Add help sub menu with website links
* Fix crashed caused by duplicate config keys
* Unmapped sub-domains default to their parent.

* v0.2.0.0 : March 4, 2014
* Initial Release

–Michael W. Dean and Derrick Slopey, THE BEASTLICK INTERNET POLICY COMMISSION outreach team.

 

Better version of MeowBit out now. v 0.3.5179.694

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Howdy kitties!

We’ve been listening to your feedback and doing a lot of beta testing on our own, on many computers. Derrick worked his butt off tonight making an updated version. It works better, and also logs better…that will help us help you if you need help.

(NOTE to users: if you’d installed a previous version, uninstall the old version first. Click on desktop kitty to open MeowBit monitor. Stop Service. Go into system tray. Right-click on kitty, exit MeowBit. Go to Windows Start / Control Panel, Programs and Features / click MeowBit to uninstall. Then you can install new version.)

(Updates from previous version: fixes www./no www. issue. Fixes bug that made some people unable to install. Also has better logging to help us help you.)

(Note to developers: 3/6/14 11:08 PM Wyoming time: the source code on our source page is the last version, Derrick had to go to sleep. We will update the source link tomorrow evening, and put on GitHub with our third roll out.)

New version is at the same download link as the old one, on the Install page, HERE.

If you have questions or issues, please post them on our forum, HERE.

Thank you,

—THE BEASTLICK INTERNET POLICY COMMISSION outreach team.