[mjn.mixael]

Install.txt wiki page is (mostly) completed. May need some clarifications, spellchecking, or other fixes.

[Goober5000]

Nicely done.   I'll review it for any such fixes.

[mjn.mixael]

Actually, a clarification would be helpful.  Try starting it via command-line: go to the directory and do "java -jar FreeSpaceOpenInstaller.jar".  Then run it as usual.  Now, after the installer is complete, a) does the window close?  b) does the program return control to the command prompt (i.e. can you type more commands)?  c) is javaw.exe still running in the background?

EDIT: Also, d) could you run "java -version" and tell me what you get?  And e) if javaw.exe persists, then does it still persist if you exit the program on the first screen?  f) on the screen just before installation?  g) if you hit the close button rather than "Finish" on the last screen?

Had to run through a console with admin privileges or the installer complained about not being able to create a temporary folder and couldn't continue. Not sure if this skewed the results or affected the outcome different than just double-clicking on FreeSpaceOpenInstaller.jar (which hasn't ever asked for privileges).

A: Yes
B: Yes
C: No
D: java version "1.7.0_51"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_51-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 24.51-b03, mixed mode, sharing)
E: No*
F: No*
G: No*

*Ran these tests without console or admin privileges... kinda seems like the .jar doesn't have the privilege to kill itself unless the OS says so.

[Goober5000]

Hmm.  So if I understand the situation correctly, javaw.exe only hangs around if you conclude the installation by clicking the Finish button?

[mjn.mixael]

Did some more tests. It concludes properly in all the correct places as long as javaw.exe is started with elevated privileges.

[mjn.mixael]

As for FSOInstaller.com, here's what I'd suggest.

Here's what I changed.

• Replace top.jpg with a new one because it's more updated and actually might help the site feel like it has a header...
• You can keep the metally frames, no one cares. Remove the links to other pages. (Main | Downloads | Submit stuff | Changelog) Can probably remove 'Welcome To FSOInstaller.com as well.
• Clear all the text in the main section. I suggest something like what I wrote on my mock-up version.
• Kill all text on the footer except (c)2006 needs to auto update to the current year.
• The rest is just a WALL OF TEXT that is neither relevant or helpful to getting FSO installed.

I considered including the Wiki links, but the most useful thing there is a list of mods that the installer can install... which is out of date. Not only that, but the installer itself gives the user a list, making the Wiki list redundant. Changelog is overkill. Submitting things is only relevant to modders who are all already here and aren't going to FSOInstaller.com for that information.

Also, what's involved in the 1.2 retail patch? Can we have the installer do that? The installer can already do the cutscenes. Cutting those steps out of "get a proper retail install" would be a good idea.

Code: [Select]

<battuta> also MjnMixael have you considered some kind of gorgeous big splash background
<battuta> an amazing screenshot or some render of yours
<MjnMixael> well, I updated the Arcadia screenshot
<battuta> and it is very nice
<MjnMixael> i've got a pretty rendering of some Shrikes I could drop in [[to replace the diagonal lines]]
<MjnMixael> dunno, I kinda prefer the easy repeatable image.. but that could just be me not wanting to spend much time on it
<battuta> yeah your call. it might be better with the more subdued look. idk, i am not very good at visuals
<MjnMixael> the hard part is that this is a copy/paste job of the original's HTML.. which is outdated and uses some not very flexible methods
<MjnMixael> so, naturally, I made it worse by injecting in snippits of whatever, wherever I needed it... to do anything more fancy, It'd probably be easier to rewrite the whole page from scratch

[karajorma]

One possible suggestion is a Before and After pic. Show people exactly why they want to get the new installer.

[mjn.mixael]

I'm not against that.. but I also don't think that's FSOInstaller.com's purpose. I tried to absolutely minimize and take out everything that wasn't necessary for installing FSO. If we want to use FSOInstaller also to sell FSO to people, then the images make sense. However, I'm betting that the people who end up at that site don't need to be sold.

[Goober5000]

I've copied over MjnMixael's new page to the fsoinstaller.com site.  It looks excellent.

I've also pinged Hellzed about using his expertise to make the Installer operate on the GOG packages.  He's already written the bash script, so if I can code up a way to wrap the installer around InnoExtract, we can use the Installer to actually install FS2.

Also, what's involved in the 1.2 retail patch? Can we have the installer do that? The installer can already do the cutscenes. Cutting those steps out of "get a proper retail install" would be a good idea.

If you mean what does the 1.2 patch do, I think it just updates root_fs2.vp.  I'm not 100% sure though.  I think that either Karajorma or Yarn have worked out the exact steps.

If that's the case, then yes, I could have the installer perform the steps in the 1.2 patch.  I would need a list of steps, and a link to the fully patched versions of the files.

[Fury]

I've copied over MjnMixael's new page to the fsoinstaller.com site.  It looks excellent.

It really does look helluva lot better now. Only small suggestion to add, make the "Java" part of "NOTE: The Installer requires Java 1.5 or newer to run." link to http://java.com/

[niffiwan]

Also, what's involved in the 1.2 retail patch? Can we have the installer do that? The installer can already do the cutscenes. Cutting those steps out of "get a proper retail install" would be a good idea.

If you mean what does the 1.2 patch do, I think it just updates root_fs2.vp.  I'm not 100% sure though.  I think that either Karajorma or Yarn have worked out the exact steps.

If that's the case, then yes, I could have the installer perform the steps in the 1.2 patch.  I would need a list of steps, and a link to the fully patched versions of the files.

Here's a thread about what's in 1.2: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=42854.msg1717242#msg1717242
(read on from that post to get the whole picture)

I should really get around to redoing that install and checking if there are any registry changes being made...

[mjn.mixael]

After figuring out the admin privileges issues.. see PM, I re-ran the tests from a normal command prompt and got the Installer to run fine. Here are the results.

Actually, a clarification would be helpful.  Try starting it via command-line: go to the directory and do "java -jar FreeSpaceOpenInstaller.jar".  Then run it as usual.  Now, after the installer is complete, a) does the window close?  b) does the program return control to the command prompt (i.e. can you type more commands)?  c) is javaw.exe still running in the background?

EDIT: Also, d) could you run "java -version" and tell me what you get?  And e) if javaw.exe persists, then does it still persist if you exit the program on the first screen?  f) on the screen just before installation?  g) if you hit the close button rather than "Finish" on the last screen?

Had to run through a console with admin privileges or the installer complained about not being able to create a temporary folder and couldn't continue. Not sure if this skewed the results or affected the outcome different than just double-clicking on FreeSpaceOpenInstaller.jar (which hasn't ever asked for privileges).

A: Yes
B: No (Command Prompt is stuck at "Page - Install Completed! Ready to move to next page.")
C: Yes
D: java version "1.7.0_51"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.7.0_51-b13)
Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 24.51-b03, mixed mode, sharing)
E: No
F: No
G: No

The only way I was ever able to get control of the command prompt again is to kill the java task manually.

[attachment deleted by an evil time traveler]

[Goober5000]

Thanks to MjnMixael's help, and some dogged persistence, the bug where javaw.exe stuck around after the installer exited should now be fixed.  I've also fixed a few redundancies in the cancellation mechanism, made some things more robust, and enhanced the setup task to patch FreeSpace 2 to version 1.2, following Yarn's and niffiwan's excellent groundwork laid here.

DOWNLOAD (or use your existing Installer to upgrade to the new one; that should work too)

Here's the full list of changes since the last version:

• Fixed the persistent javaw.exe bug
• Fixed some problematic areas in the cancellation mechanism
• All FSO mod options now install OpenAL.dll
• Apply the v1.20 patch if the installation is found to be out of date
• Copy MVE files to data/movies if a GOG installation is detected
• Added a COPY option to complement RENAME and DELETE
• Remember which mods were installed whenever the installer was last run
• Perform case-insensitive checks for existing files, to avoid ending up with both root_fs2.vp and Root_fs2.vp on Linux
• Add friendly new graphics to the stoplight panel, instead of squares, courtesy of either zookeeper or z64555
• The top banner will no longer leave a gap to the right if the parent frame is resized
• Deleting directories now works
• Fixed an error in the routine that checked whether the Installer could write to the destination directory, and added a read check for good measure
• Cleaned up a few things recommended by FindBugs; for example, all mod files are now loaded as UTF-8
• Fixed formatting in some of the fsoinstaller-hosted mod textfiles
• Lots of other tweaks and fixes

At this point, the Installer is at a good enough stage to be out of beta, but before I release version 2.1, I'm going to add the ability to install FS2 from the GOG package files.  This will benefit from Hellzed's work on the bash script to control innoextract, which he has agreed to help me integrate into the installer.

[Mongoose]

Wooo

[Lorric]

Looks like you (and any who helped you) are nearly there...

How long ago was it when you started work on this whole thing?

[Nuke]

doesn't seem to let you install certain things, like scptrackir.dll, it would also be nice to have a few launcher options as well. also was this supposed to install openal? i only mention it because i havent played freespace since my last windows re-install and it didnt seem to prompt me to install it. that could cause a support issue.

other than that the launcher works great.

e:

OpenAL32.dll file was silently copied into the fs2 dir but im still getting that failed to read flag file error (i know how to fix this manually but its still a support issue). i think you need to have it download and launch the installer instead.

[Luis Dias]

omg great progress congrats Goober!

[Goober5000]

Thanks all.

doesn't seem to let you install certain things, like scptrackir.dll

This isn't in the mod repository.  If someone wants to put together a mod text file for this, as described in this thread, I will be happy to add it.

also was this supposed to install openal? i only mention it because i havent played freespace since my last windows re-install and it didnt seem to prompt me to install it. that could cause a support issue.

I'm guessing you didn't read my post?

im still getting that failed to read flag file error (i know how to fix this manually but its still a support issue). i think you need to have it download and launch the installer instead.

I haven't seen that bug in years -- but that bug doesn't arise until you run the launcher, not the installer.

[Nuke]

i did read all your posts in this thread, but there were a lot of them so i read them really fast.

but anyway let me be more clear. the way the installer just puts the openal32.dll in the root of the freespace directory for some reason didnt work for me. the launcher and engine are behaving as if openal is not installed (hence the flag file error). if it didnt work for me then it might not work for other less experienced users (i know how to fix this, but if i install open al then i cant verify that the installer did it right). i kinda think it would be better to have the installer dl and run the openal installer so it installs system level and eliminate any possibility of failure.

This isn't in the mod repository.

didnt know this would be treated as a mod, i always considered it part of the engine.

[Goober5000]

I see what you mean about OpenAL.  Hmm.  I'll have to look into this, because I was under the impression that just copying the file to the directory should work.

EDIT: Oh, this might be a DLL registration problem.  If you run regsvr32 on the OpenAL.dll, does that fix it?  I can add that capability to the installer.


As for TrackIR, it's an add-on to the engine, not a core part.  I found the link in the 3.7.0 release post, so I'll update the repository with that info.