killkhan:
Here's a quick-and-dirty version of how to install FSO and Diaspora.
First, a clarification: As newman, Echelon9, and the Diaspora install guide point out, Diaspora is a standalone game that does not require FreeSpace 2 to be installed anywhere. You can just use the executable installers provided by the Diaspora team to get it set up correctly. It'll even create start menu shortcuts and the like for ease of use.
The Diaspora Installer can be found
here (Just scroll down to the "DOWNLOADS" section). There's also a patch a bit further down in the post that you should install as well.
Now, installing FreeSpace Open is rather simple.
1. Run the GoG installer. Tell it to put FS2 into a directory
outside of C:\Program Files\ (Some people use C:\Games\ here). This is recommended because it'll make the process of installing mods much easier.
2.
Install OpenAL. Unzip this archive, and run the installer within.
3.
Install wxLauncher.
4.
Download the FreeSpace Open executables. Unpack this archive and place the files in your FS2 directory.
5. In the FS2 directory, go to the data folder. Check if a folder named "movies" is present. If it isn't, please create it.
6. Copy all .mve files from FreeSpace2\data2 and FreeSpace2\data3 into this newly created folder.
7. Start wxLauncher. Tell it where FS2 is installed, and make any settings required.
These are all the steps required to get a functioning install of FSO, without any mods.