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SoCoder -> Showcase Home -> Apps and Utilities

 
HoboBen
Created : 02 March 2008
Edited : 02 May 2020
System : Windows
Language : Cobra

Ellipsis Launcher

No more boot-up traffic jams!

Ellipsis Launcher v0.2 (1.3MB)
Screenshots


Ellipsis Launcher v0.2

Sometimes, you want a program to start every time you turn your computer on. You might always open a web browser first thing, or an MSN chat client, for example.

However, if your anti-virus, firewall, and all your other programs start at the same time, the effect is a traffic jam!

Ellipsis Launcher is designed to relieve that problem - put a shortcut to Ellipsis Launcher in your startup folder instead, and edit Config\Shared\startuplist.bsd with notepad with the names and paths of your favourite programs that you want to launch at startup.

When you next reboot your computer, the programs will start in order, pausing each time.


Includes source.
Coming soon: a GUI tool to make configuring the list easier.


Edit: Forgot to mention - you can also close it by clicking the X if you decide you don't want to open anything after all, which can be handy.

Edit 2: Oh yeah, the RAM bar shows ram free - do you think it should show RAM used instead?

Latest Update

v0.2
  • Added OSX style theme
  • Added Quick Edit batch script (opens notepad with startuplist.bsd)
  • Added several new icons.
  • Edited theme file so that the whole window was click+draggable, not just the titlebar


    v0.1
  • Initial Release

    •  

    Comments
    Sunday, 02 March 2008, 00:46
    Jayenkai
         		That's a nice idea.

    Great stuff Hobo..
    Sunday, 02 March 2008, 06:36
    JL235
         		I REALLY like this idea too, and think it would be far better put on somewhere like SourceForge. I can easily see this on the back of one of those PC Gamer DVDs in the utilities section.

    However I get the impression that Vista has solved most of this problem already. I used the get a 'traffic jam' when XP booted and on the same machine Vista is fine, allowing me to open and run FF usually before AVG kicks in.
    Sunday, 02 March 2008, 09:14
    HoboBen
         		Hmm, I had never thought of going to SourceForge. Thanks for the suggestion - I just submitted it now.

    When I finally finish off coding a proper GUI for Cobra, I've got some bigger plans for this - like for automatic detection of some software, so you can just tick a few check boxes for things like Firefox, Thunderbird, Internet Explorer, Opera, Outlook, MSN, aMSN, etc. and for any other software have a nice graphical file browser rather than faffing around editing a text file. And stuff like selecting the theme from a drop-down box...

    That's assuming I ever finish this GUI!
    Monday, 03 March 2008, 14:00
    Mog
         		Finally, a useful app to relieve the headache of screaming at windows to stop being stupid and run the damn program! I hate turning on my computer and trying to do anything only to realize theres some stupid process mucking up the works behind the scenes (Heres looking at YOU, MSN Messenger)

    Pro stuff, Ben.
    Monday, 03 March 2008, 14:16
    power mousey
         		I'm impressed!

    the John Carmack of Socoder!

    and the John Romero of Cobra.

    dude!, this should be a professional commercial application sold online perhaps but primarily in Best Buy, Target, and even Walmart.
    Charge a good penny for it too.
    Monday, 03 March 2008, 14:45
    Jayenkai
         		"this should be a professional commercial application sold online"
    Yeah.. either that, or .. You know... Something Windows should actually be able to do
    Monday, 03 March 2008, 21:55
    power mousey
         		yeah, you're right Jay.

    But Windows should be actually be able to do...but hasn't after all this time. So where there's a will there's a way and opportunuity too.

    Hobo perhaps you can or even will create a streamlined Windows OS? Call it something like Windows Ostrich.
    Cause all of this time ...the proberbial Ostrich has its head still in the sand.
    Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 01:35
    steve_ancell
         		You never know Ben... Micro-Billy might offer to buy the rights to Ellipsis Launcher, then you would be a multi millionare .
    Tuesday, 04 March 2008, 15:25
    HoboBen
         		Heh, woops, guess I shouldn't have Open Source'd it then

    Anyway, added a new version which has a load more icons (several aim/gaim/aMSN/MSN ones, iexplorer, music, etc)

    It's got a new theme, if you're brave enough to edit the config by hand - Edit Config\Launcher\init.bsd with notepad and on line 13 where it reads "$ opt_theme = Classic" change "Classic" to "OSX"

    I also made a quick batch script to bring up the startup list file in notepad to save you doing it manually.

    Eventually I'll make an automated installer, but you'll have to stick the shortcut into your startup folder yourself still.