In November 2011, I started Leavins Software as a sole proprietorship, and I registered a ficticious business name. I had every intention of making it a sustainable full-time business. But I was unable to do so, and I started thinking of Leavins Software as a hobby project starting sometime in 2012.
The name "Leavins Software" is up for renewal at the end of 2016, so I will let the name lapse.
This site will still be home to the software that I make in my spare time. The software will come from Dustin Leavins instead of a business name.
]]>That's right! Leavins Inventory Manager, a painless invoicing, customer, & inventory management system is now free to use for everyone. And it's absolutely ad-free and DRM-free!
To download Leavins Inventory Manager for your Windows PC, just click here:
Today also marks the release of a new version LIM. This is the first new version in 2 years, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy using it.
]]>I forgot about CIB Collection Manager because I never used it. Up until recently, I rarely used any of the programs that I made; they're not things that I need. But I used CIB recently, and I decided to make some improvements to it and make it into something I wanted to use. v0.9 contains the first batch of those improvements. I've added a few keyboard shortcuts and a few other tweaks to improve the item-adding process.
]]>Around 7:00 (all times Central) this morning, I took the server running Leavins-Software.com offline to perform a server update. I planned for it to be a one-step process: update the server's operating system from Debian 6 to Debian 7. Just a few commands and everything should work right, correct?
Well, I had to replace the server and redo the SSL certificate that makes secure access possible.
The operating system upgrade required upgrading the server software I use. And during this setup problems, I hit some serious problems.
First, some incompatibilities between my home computer and the server prevented a necessary PostgreSQL upgrade. It took me a while, but I resolved that issue. Only to run into a memory issue. The Leavins-Software.com server had very modest specifications, and it ran out of memory during a necessary cluster update. The system was left in an 'in-between' state where I could no longer run the outdated database software and I could not run the newest copy.
I decided to switch hosts and create a new server. If you're reading this blog, it's working! Server setup was finished around 12:35 (noon), meaning that Leavins-Software.com was offline for over five hours. I know that mine is a low-traffic site (especially on Sundays), but I still want people to know about the outage.
No data was lost. I do nightly database backups and regularly save this backup on-site in multiple locations.
]]>OpenSSL is a piece of software used by many web sites to provide secure web site access to users. It had a flaw which allowed anyone (who knew how) to read the server's memory. Everything passes through a server's memory, including server security data and personal data (like passwords and security questions.)
Heartbleed is a major bug with its own website that you can go to for more information: Heartbleed Bug.
No, Leavins-Software.com was not affected by Heartbleed. As of this writing, Leavins-Software.com runs on a server using Debian Linux 6. Even though the current version of Debian is 7, they still support 6. To make a long story short, the server was running an older, unaffected version of OpenSSL.
I take security very seriously, but it took me a while to realize the value of informing concerned parties that Heartbleed was a non-issue for Leavins Software. If something goes bad, what to do is obvious: tell people. But if something doesn't go bad, what should you do?
It dawned on me this morning that, if we're talking about a serious, well-known security flaw like Heartbleed, you should still tell people about it.
]]>With that in mind, I'd like to announce Leavins Inventory Manager v2.0. It's still an easy-to-use business management system, and it's still a desktop application that does not collect your inventory and customer data on a remote server. Since January (when I launched version 1.14), I've made so many changes to the program that I just had to give it the version number of 2.0
Most programs and services don't bother making a distinction between version numbers. What version of Facebook do you use? Whatever is on their servers at the moment. Mobile apps and web browsers often auto-update without you noticing it.
So, why make a kind-of-a-deal about v2.0? Leavins Inventory Manager was built with a throwback mentality. Back to the time where cell phones just had voice calls and text messaging, and where version numbers DO matter because functionality can change drastically for a new 'major version' (as they're called). And there have been many tweaks to Leavins Inventory Manager's interface: some things were removed, and others were reworked.
Well, that and Leavins Inventory Manager v2.0 is the first version that is incompatible with Windows XP
Next month (April 2014), Microsoft will stop supporting XP for most consumers. That means that most people who are still using computers running Windows XP won't have access to:
Windows XP also doesn't have access to something that was used in making the new Leavins Inventory Manager update: Microsoft .NET v4.5.
Why has Microsoft decided not to support Windows XP any more? Beats me! I think that the official word is that "XP is old and hard to continue supporting" but I don't know. I'm just going with the flow.
It seems like now is a good time to discontinue support for Leavins Inventory Manager in Windows XP. I mean, if the company who makes it isn't going to support it, and the latest and greatest tools don't work with it, why not?
I probably won't work on Leavins Inventory Manager for a while. I haven't thought of any new features to add for the program. But never say never!
]]>My time spent as a full-time owner of Leavins Software was quite memorable. I'm proud of what I did by myself these last few years. But the business never became profitable. I'm looking forward to taking all that I've learned at Leavins Software and applying it at my new job.
I plan to continue releasing software updates for existing Leavins Software products. There might be some new products too. It's just going to take a little longer than before.
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Calculator & Scratch Sheet is a simple calculator. Its built-in scratch sheet allows you to quickly take notes and share measurements to other apps. The app is priced at $0.99 USD and contains no ads.
March 2, 2014 Update: Calculator & Scratch Sheet is now available for all regions (in English).
(Trademark note: Android is a trademark of Google Inc.)
]]>I'm pleased to announce an upcoming product in the Leavins Software family. It's a mobile app, and I hope that it's the first of many mobile solutions from Leavins Software.
Calculator & Scratch Sheet is a simple calculator (& scratch sheet) for Android™ devices. You can quickly calculate measurements and share them via email, Twitter, Facebook, and many other services. It's Android™-only for the moment. An iOS (iPhone and iPad) version might happen in the future.
(Trademark note: Android is a trademark of Google Inc.)
]]>This tutorial covers adding comics, video games, and collectibles to a want list.
When you are adding a video game, comic book issue, or collectible to CIB Collection Manager, you are given the choice of putting that item on your want list. Leavins Software provides tutorials on adding comics to CIB and adding video games to CIB, so if you're new to CIB, please use those guides if you need assistance with adding an item.
Each 'add' page has a drop-down labeled 'Status'. By default, this says 'Have', meaning that the item you are adding is part of your collection. Here is a list of the other options:
Click on the drop-down, select 'want', and save. The item is now part of your want list.
At the top of the comic publisher screen, the game system screen, and the collectibles category screen, this is a large drop-down labeled 'Status'. Click this drop-down and select 'Want' to view all items on your want list for that publisher, system, or category.
For comic books, it just shows titles with 'want list' entries in them. Currently, you need to 'Edit' each series to see what issues (or volumes) are on your want list.
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