DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0 is out! Read this post to learn more.

Hi everyone.

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0 has been released!

This is a really big new version, with lots of improvements, bug fixes, and a few new security features. This is probably the biggest update I have ever released for DDRescue-GUI, so there’s plenty to be excited about 🙂

Where can I download DDRescue-GUI?

You can download it by using the bar at the top of this page (Downloads -> DDRescue-GUI), or from launchpad.net. I recommend you update your existing systems for this new release, because I think you’ll like it a lot. See below for screenshots and the changes.

Major Changes

There are a lot of changes, so I’ve split them into sections. Here are the most important changes:

Python 3 and wxPython 4 support!

This is perhaps the biggest change. I’ve wanted to support Python 3 for ages. In fact, pretty much since I started writing DDRescue-GUI back in 2013. There was a problem though, which is that the GUI toolkit I use, wxPython, hasn’t supported Python 3 until January this year (2018), which was a huge problem for me. They had betas out, and I tried to package them for my PPA, but I had little to no success, so I just had to wait. So now, finally, there is Python 3 and wxPython 4 support for all supported platforms:

  • All supported versions of Fedora (27 and higher).
  • Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.
  • macOS (all supported versions).

Yep, the macOS version comes with Python 3, which is awesome, and fixes a fair few UI bugs.

Using the GetDevInfo module.

I released this new module earlier this year, and it is now used by the program instead of having it bundled in a folder like before. This is good because I can fix bugs in GetDevInfo without making a new release for each of my programs that depends on it 🙂

Screenshots

Here are some screenshots on both Linux and macOS.

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0's Main Window (Linux)

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0’s Main Window (Linux)

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0's Settings Window (macOS)

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0’s Settings Window (macOS)

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0's Disk Info Window (Linux)

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0’s Disk Info Window (Linux)

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0 In Action (macOS)

DDRescue-GUI 2.0.0 In Action (macOS)

New Features and improvements

This isn’t a complete list; there are a lot of changes in this release:

  • Better UI integration on macOS, thanks to wxPython 4.
  • A check for updates feature (unobtrusive).
    • I’ve made an effort to make this non-annoying, because lots of these types of things get in the way of using the UI.
    • This is primarily here so I can make people aware of any security fixes or major new versions.
  • Runs as normal user on macOS and Linux now for better security, only escalating privileges when needed.
    • This uses policy kit on Linux, which integrates well, and means the GUI works better on Wayland.
    • This greatly improves startup time and security on macOS.
  • Use of terminal notifier on macOS for native notifications!
  • Various fixes for the output file mounter – faster and more reliable on all platforms.
  • General improvements to security on both platforms.
  • General improvements to the UI clarity on both platforms.
    • There’s a link to the user guide in the menu now.
  • Changes to some terminology used.
  • Improved user guide with clearer font sizing and icons.
  • Developer documentation (incomplete, but will get there over time).

So, while that’s the end of this post, I have quite a few more in the works, so stay tuned.

Hamish

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About Hamish McIntyre-Bhatty

I'm a self-employed software developer working on Free Software projects, as well as studying for my degree with the Open University. Being pedantic when it comes to detail is fortunately useful for both of these things! A strong believer in free software, I have a few pay-for programs available under the GPLv3 and enjoy reporting bugs and helping to improve various open source projects, including volunteering at Wimborne Model Town to work on their river control system.

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