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@snonux snonux released this 02 Mar 19:02
· 83 commits to master since this release
0.7.0
02d3224

Release 0.7.0

Loadbars v0.7.0 Release Notes

Overview

This release focuses on platform compatibility, stability, and a significant internal code simplification. Loadbars now runs reliably on Debian Wheezy, supports TrueType fonts, and benefits from a major refactoring that reduces code complexity and improves maintainability.

New Features

  • TrueType Font (TTF) Support — Text rendering now uses TTF fonts, replacing the previous bitmap font approach for cleaner, more readable on-screen statistics.
  • Debian Wheezy Compatibility — Loadbars now builds and runs on Debian Wheezy, broadening the range of supported Linux distributions.
  • Shell Expansion in Host Arguments — Host arguments now properly support shell expansion (e.g., host{1..5}), making it easier to monitor groups of similarly-named machines.

Improvements

  • More Stable Thread Management — Worker threads no longer terminate abnormally under certain conditions, and thread shutdown is now more graceful. This eliminates occasional crashes when monitoring multiple hosts.
  • Smoother Display Updates — Switched from usleep to SDL::delay for timing, resulting in more consistent frame pacing and lower CPU overhead during rendering.
  • Simplified Codebase — Major internal refactoring reduced Main.pm by roughly 40%, removed the HelpDispatch module entirely, and streamlined shared state handling. This makes future development easier and reduces the bug surface.
  • Updated Default Window Size — The default window dimensions have been adjusted for better visibility on modern displays.
  • Updated Documentation — Man page, help text, and user documentation have been refreshed to reflect all current options and behavior.

Breaking Changes

  • Bundled bitmap fonts removed — TTF fonts are now required. Ensure libsdl-ttf-perl (or equivalent) is installed.
  • Help dispatch changes — The internal help module was removed and consolidated. No user-visible command changes, but custom integrations relying on Loadbars::HelpDispatch will need updating.

Packaging

  • Debian packages have been updated and tested against Wheezy.
  • A profiling Makefile target has been added for developers.
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