Snappy Driver Installer is dead.

[nlinecomputers]

From @BadPointer

With my great regret I have to inform you that development and support of Snappy Driver Installer is put on indefinite hold due to me quitting the project which leaves the project with no developers.


I would hate it to keep charging you for me doing nothing and therefore I’m closing the fundraising campaign on Patreon at the end of month, so that you won’t be charged on July 1st and in the following months.


I must reassure that my departure wasn’t caused by the failure of the fundraising campaign to reach an arbitrary amount of money. So you shouldn’t feel bad about it.


I would like to thank you all for your support.

I would also like to apologize to all contributors for letting you guys down.


F.A.Q.


Q: What will happen to SDI?

It will continue to work but it won’t be receiving software updates or new driverpacks via its internal torrent client. The current driverpacks will be available for download for as long as there’s at least one seeder. You will still be able to use an outdated version of SDI to install missing drivers or use it to bring PCs online so that they can use Window Update to get other drivers.


SamLab has been making all driverpacks all these years and he is expected to continue releasing them on his website each week, you should be able to download them manually. For your convenience the link to his website was placed more prominent. If you want to download the full package, you should be looking for SamDrivers. Unfortunately I cannot transfer my Patreon campaign to him, so now he has to rely on his own fundraising campaign.


Q: What will happen to the website and groups in social networks?

They’ll remain under control of the same trusted contributors for as long as possible to prevent these assets from falling in the wrong hands.


Q: Is SDI dead?

The software is licensed under GPL which means that it’s Open Source and anyone can pick it up or make a fork. If there’s enough interest, it will be picked it by new developers. However not all forks are made equal and it’s up to users to make sure that the project stays true to GPL in spirit and letter by calling out developers, should they do something shady.

 

[HFultzjr]

You just beat me to it!
Well doesn't that just suck!
One of the best tools I have ever used.
Hope someone picks it up and continues.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Yes, just read the same e-mail. Very sorry to see this, as it's a great utility. Sincere "Thanks!" to BadPointer and best wishes for whatever lies ahead.

 

[TechPJC]

Very sad news, indeed.

 

[Volya]

Such sad news for such a great utility. I still do not understand why the project is dead. I mean if BadPointer has some issues in personal life or something, shouldn't the project be postponed? That's what usually happen when devs have no more time to spend of their projects.
So.. why dead?

 

[sapphirescales]

Oh man, this is terrible! I hope the project continues one way or another somehow. DriverPackSolution is always an option, but their outdated driver packs and their new version which forced you to uncheck 100 boxes so you don't get a bunch of malware installed on the system make the prospects less than appealing. Does anyone know of an alternative other than DriverPackSolution?

 

[nlinecomputers]

Such sad news for such a great utility. I still do not understand why the project is dead. I mean if BadPointer has some issues in personal life or something, shouldn't the project be postponed? That's what usually happen when devs have no more time to spend of their projects.
So.. why dead?

It's dead because no other developers work on the project. Certainly, if BadPointer returns and or others take up developer roles in can be resurrected. It is open source, so anyone can work on it. I wish I was a programmer because I'd love a crack at it.

 

[Volya]

Still I would like to know the reason. If you all remember what happend to TrueCrypt, everything was going fine until one day all coders got up and left. No doubt about it they were threatened. I wonder if this is similar to that, after all this software battled bloated DELL and HP driver installation platforms. Big companies... Hope BadPointer reads this stuff and can offer a last post of explanation.

 

[nlinecomputers]

He probably got a real job and doesn't have time to devote to a hobby project.

 

[fencepost]

Given that in the other thread he was talking about last week kind of sucking because of someone either associated with the adware-laden Driver Pack Solution or someone with a nasty (as in spiteful) lack of socialization going to great lengths to trash SDI and promote DPS, he probably got sick of it and decided he had better things to do with his life like pull out his own toenails.

Edit: Oh wait, that was this thread - the other thread is where he noted that there were changes coming to the driver packs that will break older versions of DPS. In any case, it sounds like a case of drama in that relatively small community, and since @BadPointer wasn't really making any money he certainly wasn't being paid enough to put up with drama and (social) sabotage.

 

[Pacific Blue IT]

Maybe nick shaw could take over developement and possibly integrate it in with d7II

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Maybe nick shaw could take over developement and possibly integrate it in with d7II

Uh, yeah.........Not sure if this is a joke, but if not, he has pretty much fallen off the earth in regards to D7II. I wish he would get active again.

 

[frase]

damn one of the best tools apart from Fabs. DPS=Driver Pollution System; which always sucked.

 

[HFultzjr]

Maybe nick shaw could take over developement and possibly integrate it in with d7II

I would prefer "Fab's" take it over!

 

[Porthos]

I would prefer "Fab's" take it over!

I would like to see @fabs do this as well.

 

[cypress]

Uh, yeah.........Not sure if this is a joke, but if not, he has pretty much fallen off the earth in regards to D7II. I wish he would get active again.

Beat me to the punch on this.

Thank you for everything @BadPointer

Add me to the list of hoping @fabs gets on this lol

 

[nlinecomputers]

Hmm. The facebook page for this is saying this message is fake. @BadPointer please confirm or deny this. Also, check your Patreon Account. You may have been hacked!

 

[BadPointer]

You were talking to Dr.LECTER, not me. He runs the FB group and uploads the torrent on a torrent tracker.
The post on Patreon is legit but there may be a follow up announcement soon, so stay put.

No accounts were hacked during the whole ordeal.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Ok so maybe next time you up and quit you might at least inform your business partners first. He is denying everything and didn't clarify that he is not you. Makes any future with the product look bad.

 

[nlinecomputers]

Oh man, this is terrible! I hope the project continues one way or another somehow. DriverPackSolution is always an option, but their outdated driver packs and their new version which forced you to uncheck 100 boxes so you don't get a bunch of malware installed on the system make the prospects less than appealing. Does anyone know of an alternative other than DriverPackSolution?

You can get to the latest version of SDI and then manually download and add driverpacks. That will work so long as new packs don't require some new detection method. It will grow more ineffective as time goes on but anything built before today will still be updateable. So it's usefulness is still high at least for the short term.