Open Mod Manager

[DroptheHammer]

On 5/16/2022 at 5:50 PM, sedenion said:

To avoid user to download the wrong version, you should remove the undesired entries from the repository. The repository editor provided with OMM is far more advanced than the OvGME one, it allow  to open an existing repository XML file, to add, remove and edit entries individually, then save a modified version.

Another, more advanced method, is to create a meta-package with proper dependencies to all proper packages versions to be downloaded. This way, assuming you properly edit meta-package dependencies, you can tell people to download the metapackage, this will download (then install) only the desired packages, in order to satisfy the dependencies.

 

I would argue this is less advanced. as now a user still has 40th Livery Pack - phoenix _ 1.9.0512.zip  installed and had no idea it should be gone. How would OMM know to remove that one and replace with 40th Livery Pack - phoenix _ 2.0.0529.zip  if I removed all prior entries from the repo?  With OVGME it flags all versions older than a certain version code (in metadata, not file name) and works great for this. 

Maybe i'm missing something?

Metapackages might be a better answer, but how will I not end up with junk on the end user side? do I tell them to just clear their own local repo first? I dont want to replace from 1.9 to 2.0 on some subpackage and they still have 1.9 hanging around on their system.

Edited June 1, 2022 by DroptheHammer

[sedenion]

On 6/1/2022 at 6:18 AM, DroptheHammer said:

I would argue this is less advanced. as now a user still has 40th Livery Pack - phoenix _ 1.9.0512.zip  installed and had no idea it should be gone. How would OMM know to remove that one and replace with 40th Livery Pack - phoenix _ 2.0.0529.zip  if I removed all prior entries from the repo?  With OVGME it flags all versions older than a certain version code (in metadata, not file name) and works great for this.

First, if you properly name your packages, the version of these packages will be properly parsed. So, to begin, you should name your packages as follow, the 'v' make all the difference:

• 40th Livery Pack - phoenix _ v1.9.0512.zip
• 40th Livery Pack - phoenix _ v2.0.0529.zip

If package version is properly parsed, OMM compares packages versions between library and those available in repositories, if package with a newer version is available in the repository, it is signaled by a small orange star icon, so the user know this is a new version of a package. From there, user can either:

• Download the package: The new package is downloaded, the old package is not deleted.
• Upgrade the package: The new package is downloaded, the old package is (default) renamed with .old extension (it become invisible in software) or moved to trash.

If user double-click on the repository package (instead of explicitely choose download or upgrade from menu or button), the software prompts a message box to ask user if it want to keep the old version. and HERE is a small bug, the displayed message is wrong, and user should read "do you want to remove the old package" instead of "do you want to keep the old package" (my bad, I just catch it while testing it myself). Anyway, this is not dramatic si the file is not definitely deleted.

(EDIT: you can download the latest 1.0.1 version which fix this bug)

I hope this is now clearer.

 

On 6/1/2022 at 6:18 AM, DroptheHammer said:

Metapackages might be a better answer, but how will I not end up with junk on the end user side? do I tell them to just clear their own local repo first? I dont want to replace from 1.9 to 2.0 on some subpackage and they still have 1.9 hanging around on their system.

 

Before considering metapackages, you can tell your users to change the default behavior of package upgrade process : Edit > Target Location Properties > Network repository tab > On package upgrade: Move older version to recycle bin. This will prevent user to have to manually clean their library folder each time they upgrade a package. This is probably what is the closest to the OvGME behavior. Anyway, I think user are tall enough to organize their Mod library folder and clean if required...

Edited June 2, 2022 by sedenion

[DroptheHammer]

Thanks, this reply is excellent!   I’ll give this a go over the summer and see if we can migrate to this. Appreciate your hard work on this and your detailed reply. 

[RayBurge]

Went to the new mod manager but im having issues trying to find a repository to use, i have google drive and Microsoft SharePoint

[Captain Orso]

6 hours ago, RayBurge said:

Went to the new mod manager but im having issues trying to find a repository to use, i have google drive and Microsoft SharePoint

You don't need a networked repository. Networked repositories are only for sharing mods between more than one user and having one person managing them.

If you are using OMM only locally, you simply add a Library Folder--where the packaged mods are stored.

[RayBurge]

thank you, I have 25 people i will be managing mods for

If possible I would like to use discord with whomever to assist me in this. I have a xml but im not a coder and doing this just at a whim could be bad IMO. and time consuming.

[sedenion]

5 hours ago, RayBurge said:

thank you, I have 25 people i will be managing mods for

If possible I would like to use discord with whomever to assist me in this. I have a xml but im not a coder and doing this just at a whim could be bad IMO. and time consuming.

Please explain what you want to do exactly. If you want to provide/host a repository, you need a web (HTTP) server, or at least, a website you manage where you can provide public access for package download and so on.

[RayBurge]

Yes I would like to manage but none I have spoken too are managers them selves so it’s tough. Finding a site to do the job as well I have no clue. 

[sedenion]

2 minutes ago, RayBurge said:

Yes I would like to manage but none I have spoken too are managers them selves so it’s tough. Finding a site to do the job as well I have no clue. 

If you want to host/manage a repository, you need a web (HTTP) server, where you can put files for download. In other words, you need a website where you can provide files to download. There many ways to have a website, from personal hosting provided by your internet provider (if it provide such service), to paid VPS dedicated servers, some solutions are suitable, other, not. Anyway, "How to have and manage a web site" is a question on itself, which is not the topic of this thread and one can not provide you a short answer for that.

[RayBurge]

Thank you all I was looking for was some clarity and the limitations thanks for the time. 

[RayBurge]

Is there a way to get past some not installing while others do i get cannot install or overwriting files I would like to use the m all that i have. For example the a-29,a-4. I get only one or the other can be installed. thanks for the reply.

[sedenion]

46 minutes ago, RayBurge said:

Is there a way to get past some not installing while others do i get cannot install or overwriting files I would like to use the m all that i have. For example the a-29,a-4. I get only one or the other can be installed. thanks for the reply.

In any case, except you cancel operation, all files are installed. The manager only warns you that installed files will overwrite previously modified files. Manager will also create kind of backup dependency tree to keep ability to properly restore initial files. You can disable the warnings in the Target Location's properties. If you have problems installing two mods simultaneously, with one conflicting with another, this is up to the mod designer to prevent that if possible. OMM only installs  - in a safe way - files of the mods, it is not responsible of how the mod is working.

[RayBurge]

Ok Ill try again the big red X's next to them was my concern. If its not me the mods then that's different and thanks again.

Edited July 14, 2022 by RayBurge

[Fulgrim]

Hi @sedenion, I managed to install and configure, but when installed mods on the Saved Games I get an overwrite alert (attached).

What's worse, even when I only install one mod and get the green check, it doesn't show on DCS.

Thanks.

[Captain Orso]

476Range Targets, Civil Aircraft Mod, Hercules, and possibly many more, are mods you install into 'c:\Users\YOU\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta' ONCE. That's it. Once the files are there, there is nothing else for you to do but enjoy. There fore they have no reason to be in OMM.

The only things you might have on OMM to implement into '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta' would be mods to those modules. For example, I have the A-4 installed in to my '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta', and modified the '..\Input\Joystick\default.lua' file, and this I do with OMM. But the A-4 installation itself resides inside my '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta' and is never changed, unless an update comes.

[sedenion]

20 hours ago, Fulgrim said:

Hi @sedenion, I managed to install and configure, but when installed mods on the Saved Games I get an overwrite alert (attached).

Yes, OMM warns you that each mods are writing/creating and overwriting the sames files... this warning is not blocking, you can continue. The reason this does not work in DCS is out of range of OMM, this may be because mods are not properly designed, and I guess your problem come from the fact that your mods are not designed to be "ready-to-install" via a Mod Manager, so the result is a wrong folder tree (bad installation) in the targer folder...

Edited July 16, 2022 by sedenion

[MAXsenna]

476Range Targets, Civil Aircraft Mod, Hercules, and possibly many more, are mods you install into 'c:\Users\YOU\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta' ONCE. That's it. Once the files are there, there is nothing else for you to do but enjoy. There fore they have no reason to be in OMM.
The only things you might have on OMM to implement into '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta' would be mods to those modules. For example, I have the A-4 installed in to my '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta', and modified the '..\Input\Joystick\default.lua' file, and this I do with OMM. But the A-4 installation itself resides inside my '..\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta' and is never changed, unless an update comes.

I agree in the sense that mods in Saved Games don't conflict with core, usually. But like we saw the MB-339 prevented DCS to start a couple of updates back. The Hercules mod also had some issues with other mods a while ago.
So, for me it's just easier to make packages for everything, in case something gets broken, and for portability.
Cheers!


Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

[Captain Orso]

If a mod installed into ..\Saved Games causes an issue with DCS in general, renaming its installation base folder name, by adding an '_' (underscore) to the front of the name, will solve that.

Of example, some servers will not allow you to log-in to them if you have the T45 installed. Renaming the installation folder from '..\VNAO_T45' to '..\_VNAO_T45' soles that.

Of course, the T45 is then not available to fly in DCS SP or on other servers.

[MAXsenna]

Totally true. But it's easier for me this way. Don't have to open Explorer and browse to any folder. 

[Captain Orso]

Total Commander, <Ctrl><D> to open a customizable list of target folders.

Also provides left and right folder-views, making it easy to Drag-n-Drop™ (copy and move) from one folder to another.

Been using it literally for decades.

[MAXsenna]

HAHA! Right you win. Stopped using that one back in 95 or so.

Cheers!

[Captain Orso]

3 hours ago, MAXsenna said:

HAHA! Right you win. Stopped using that one back in 95 or so.

Cheers!

Whaaa?!.... Way back when it was Windows Commander?!

It matured considerably since then. In fact there hasn't been a update in years. It's already reached perfection 

I couldn't live without it. If how much I use TC = 100, then how much I use Windows Explorer = 0.15, and only when some weird context setting doesn't carry over to TC.

[MAXsenna]

1 hour ago, Captain Orso said:

Whaaa?!.... Way back when it was Windows Commander?!

It matured considerably since then. In fact there hasn't been a update in years. It's already reached perfection 

I couldn't live without it. If how much I use TC = 100, then how much I use Windows Explorer = 0.15, and only when some weird context setting doesn't carry over to TC.

Yup! Had in both DOS and Win3.xx 
Of course I used in Win95/95/NT4.0
When Win2K/XP came around I found other alternatives that was better for me. 
My Explorer is heavily modified with extensions though. And I use other stuff for automation etc.

Anyway! The point is, the beauty of IT, is that everything can be done in multiple ways, and one uses the tools needed. It all comes down to religion in a sense too. Hehe

[Captain Orso]

Yup. I use Cygwin and WinMerge for a bunch of stuff, like scripting and comparing DCS files with my mods after DCS updates.

I even have some bash scripts integrated into TC for making backups of files I'm editing.

[Habu_69]

Another strong proponent of the great little utility Total Commander here. Best little file manager out there.