Author Topic: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate  (Read 33670 times)

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Offline CaptJosh

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
Aren't the fred command line options pretty much the same as the the options for FS2O?
« Last Edit: June 26, 2006, 04:16:14 pm by CaptJosh »
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Offline karajorma

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
They are but they are a bain in the arse to use compared with the ease of use of the launcher.

That said I don't think we're going to be seeing FRED functions added to the launcher.
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Offline ARSPR

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
To SCP crew: I think you should create a sticky thread with current Launcher v5.4. It would help new users to find it more easily.
IF YOU HAVE TROUBLES WITH FS2:
  • Please, please, please, READ and UNDERSTAND the sticky threads in FreeSpace & FreeSpace Open Support board.
    A lot of people are willing to help you, but, as anyone can understand, seeing the very same "issues" repeated again and again can become quite depressing. Please, spend a bit of time trying to solve the issue by yourself.
    (Lobo deserves a monument).
  • Then, if you aren't still able to solve your issue, feel free to ask for help in that same board.
    FYI, most of the troubles are caused by wrong mod installations which lead to either missing data or undesired cross-effects between them. Always follow the mod installation instructions and keep a clean FS2 installation as explained in the sticky threads. Two additional links about how the game handles game data:
  • If you think that you've discovered a bug, mantis it.
    Provide as much info as you can, and try to narrow it down. A lonely "FS2 doesn't work" is not a good report.

Whoever Hanlon was: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Albert Einstein: Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.

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Offline taylor

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
To SCP crew: I think you should create a sticky thread with current Launcher v5.4. It would help new users to find it more easily.
I'm still not sure that there won't be a couple more changes.  What's there can be considered official, but apparently there is some error handling issues going on, if I can find out exactly what they are, and I want to try and address those with a 5.4.1 or something in the near future.

 

Offline RoniXt

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
Actually, maybe you should just include the Launcher in your build releases.

 

Offline ARSPR

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
I'm still not sure that there won't be a couple more changes.  What's there can be considered official, but apparently there is some error handling issues going on, if I can find out exactly what they are, and I want to try and address those with a 5.4.1 or something in the near future.

Nevertheless, till we get official 5.4, your current version is much better than 5.3 so you could create:

+ A sticky "CVS Launcher" like "CVS builds".

Or

+ A normal thread but with a clear name ("Launcher v5.4 RC1" or whatever like "3.6.9. RC xxx")

Or

+ As RoniXt has said, put the link inside the first post of 3.6.9. RCxxx (like alpha patches).

(I was just thinking in how a new member in HLP would find it in the easiest possible way, and "Launcher test build (for current Launcher)" thread name or digging in RC2 thread is not a friendly way).
IF YOU HAVE TROUBLES WITH FS2:
  • Please, please, please, READ and UNDERSTAND the sticky threads in FreeSpace & FreeSpace Open Support board.
    A lot of people are willing to help you, but, as anyone can understand, seeing the very same "issues" repeated again and again can become quite depressing. Please, spend a bit of time trying to solve the issue by yourself.
    (Lobo deserves a monument).
  • Then, if you aren't still able to solve your issue, feel free to ask for help in that same board.
    FYI, most of the troubles are caused by wrong mod installations which lead to either missing data or undesired cross-effects between them. Always follow the mod installation instructions and keep a clean FS2 installation as explained in the sticky threads. Two additional links about how the game handles game data:
  • If you think that you've discovered a bug, mantis it.
    Provide as much info as you can, and try to narrow it down. A lonely "FS2 doesn't work" is not a good report.

Whoever Hanlon was: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Albert Einstein: Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.

Dell Dimension 9200 - Vista 32-bit Ultimate
Core 2 Quad Q6600 @2.4GHz - RAM 2 GB DDR2
nvidia 8800 GTX - Integrated Sigmatel Audio

 

Offline MetalDestroyer

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
Wow. It's been a while I didn't come here for new build or whatever update. I can't wait to test those news stuff this evening.

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Launcher test build (for current Launcher)
Renaming the thread isn't a bad idea. I've noticed people miss it a couple of times
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Offline Tolwyn

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
Okay, I have a question as to how the launcher now stores the FSO configuration. As up till now I have been using 5.2, which wrote configuration information directly into registry. It was useful, because it offered an easy way to preconfigure the game by adding the Volition/Freespace2 string into the target registry. But how does it work now? I have noticed the new configuration file (but it also includes the absolute path to the exe, so I can include it into the installer).
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Offline taylor

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
It writes the video/sound/etc. config to the registry as normal.  The cmdline options end up in data/cmdline_fso.cfg, and that file can be used on any system.  It is handled directly by the game so once that file has options in it you don't need to use the launcher again except to change settings.  The launcher6.ini file is only useful to the launcher, and other than giving the path to the exe to use, it's pretty much just redundant info and the game totally ignores it.

(NOTE: data/cmdline_fso.cfg does not work out of a VP, it must be a plain file on the filesystem)

 

Offline Tolwyn

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
okay, so, the installer would have to

a) write registry string as usual (does it have to include the command line options now?)
b) install cmdline_fso.cfg to data\.. on the target system
Wing Commander Saga: A Legend Is Reborn | WingCenter
 
Tolwyn’s reputation for risk taking with other people’s lives was considered  to understate the facts. The admiral’s willingness to sacrifice anyone or anything to achieve his objectives had long been lauded in the popular press. He was “the man who got things done”.- Colonel Blair

No errors, no random CTDs, just pure fun and proof of why getting hit with missiles is a bad thing.
-WC Saga's beta tester


Report Wing Commander Saga bugs with Mantis

 

Offline taylor

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
The registry doesn't contain cmdline options now, or at least they aren't used, that was a launcher-only thing.  And depending on what build you use (3.6.9 for instance) the sound and video registry settings should be defaulted if they don't exist.  If there is no video entry in the registry then the game defaults to OpenGL 640x480 at 16-bit color.  The sound will be OpenAL by default (even when both DS and OpenAL are supported in the same build later on) and will pick the safest sound device by default.  The input (joysticks) is the only thing that isn't quite handled automatically, though the new input code I've been working on should take care of that.  So, the launcher would/should only be needed if you wanted to change the default settings.  Otherwise the game shouldn't need it.

In regards to "b", correct.  The only thing to note would be that the launcher can and will make modifications to that file, so you can't really consider any options in there as something that won't ever change.  It's a good place to get in your initial defaults at least however, and an easy initial troubleshooting point for you if end users have issues after using the launcher.

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
You should also include a launcher6.ini file though for this reason. The second someone opens the launcher and presses OK everything in cmdline_fso.cfg will be rewritten to whatever the launcher has in it. And unless they've altered anything that will be the launcher defaults.

That's only going to affect windows platforms (and only then until we have Taylor's launcher to do things the right way) but it could cause you a fair few support problems unless you include it.
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Offline Tolwyn

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
yeah, that'S the point: all checkboxes are blank. But on the other hand: will the ini file work, if the exe file is not in the default dir?
Wing Commander Saga: A Legend Is Reborn | WingCenter
 
Tolwyn’s reputation for risk taking with other people’s lives was considered  to understate the facts. The admiral’s willingness to sacrifice anyone or anything to achieve his objectives had long been lauded in the popular press. He was “the man who got things done”.- Colonel Blair

No errors, no random CTDs, just pure fun and proof of why getting hit with missiles is a bad thing.
-WC Saga's beta tester


Report Wing Commander Saga bugs with Mantis

 

Offline taylor

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
It should be reading options from cmdline_fso.cfg if any exist.  If it doesn't then I'll fix it so that it does.

And I can do something about the exe name too, just have it use the filename itself if the path is different.  So long as the exe is in the same directory as the launcher then that would work without issue.

 

Offline CP5670

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
Quote
The sound will be OpenAL by default (even when both DS and OpenAL are supported in the same build later on) and will pick the safest sound device by default.

Does Directsound still work? I have been having a number of music-related problems for a while now and am guessing that it's related to OpenAL in some way.

 

Offline taylor

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
Does Directsound still work? I have been having a number of music-related problems for a while now and am guessing that it's related to OpenAL in some way.
It doesn't by default, but if you build yourself then you can build it without OpenAL and use the old DS code instead.

I've been working on new code to enhance the sound system and it will be able to use either OpenAL or DirectSound, by the users choice, in the same build.  Right now you get one or the other, but can't have both.

 

Offline CP5670

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
Cool, do you think that will be implemented in 3.6.9? Otherwise I can just try making my own build.

Creative released a new driver recently that I was hoping would fix the issues I've been getting with the music not playing (as it lists OpenAL 1.1 hardware support as one of the new features), but it hasn't helped any.

 

Offline taylor

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Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
Cool, do you think that will be implemented in 3.6.9?
Nope, not a chance.  :)

 
Re: Launcher 5.4 Release Candidate
Wow, I did download the Launcher and play the game. No freezes, no low performance. __Thanks at the developer ;)

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