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Portable Mode Fixes - AnalogKid - 2012-03-27

I'm fully au fait with the portable mode of XBMC (which I use) but I'd like to offer two suggestions - one of which might be considered a bug correction:

1) Offer XBMC in a zip format release for portable mode
The current package format is exe only, which of course creates an install log and is not strictly in keeping with 'portable' mode.

2) On a 100% clean Windows 7 install (and one assumes Vista also), XBMC in 'portable' mode will not open due to the missing D3DX9_43.dll. If this dll were shipped with xbmc and placed side by side with xbmc.exe, the portable mode is corrected and it will run fine.

Many thanks


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - serieofilo - 2012-04-01

Hi,

I use portable too and I agree with your comments. Here is what I do:

1 - Setup XBMC under D:\SOFT\PORTABLE\XBMC\Setup (without C++ Runtime and DirectX)
2 - Copy to D:\SOFT\PORTABLE\XBMC\Current
3 - Uninstall XBMC
4 - Start xmbc -p from the Current directory

For DirectX, I usually download the Jun 2010 package and install it. If you don't want to install it, you can copy the necessary DLLs from the package (is a self-extracting) to your program directory and it works very well.

I hope this help.




RE: Portable Mode Fixes - eskro - 2012-04-01

to me, XBMC should only be portable Tongue
everything confined in the same folder!!
thats how apps should be made Smile

that being said, i agree with you AnalogKid on your suggestions! +1
dll's should ship with xbmc and placed side by side with xbmc.exe!


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - AnalogKid - 2012-04-02

(2012-04-01, 22:52)serieofilo Wrote: Hi,

I use portable too and I agree with your comments. Here is what I do:

1 - Setup XBMC under D:\SOFT\PORTABLE\XBMC\Setup (without C++ Runtime and DirectX)
2 - Copy to D:\SOFT\PORTABLE\XBMC\Current
3 - Uninstall XBMC
4 - Start xmbc -p from the Current directory

For DirectX, I usually download the Jun 2010 package and install it. If you don't want to install it, you can copy the necessary DLLs from the package (is a self-extracting) to your program directory and it works very well.

I hope this help.

I already know all this - that's why I'm suggesting the improvement :-)

You should not have to install and uninstall on a portable setup (not even for the very first time). Same for DirectX (although this can be trickier). No installation should be necessary AT ALL (if possible)




RE: Portable Mode Fixes - Jezz_X - 2012-04-02

(2012-04-01, 23:01)eskro Wrote: to me, XBMC should only be portable Tongue
everything confined in the same folder!!
thats how apps should be made Smile

that being said, i agree with you AnalogKid on your suggestions! +1
dll's should ship with xbmc and placed side by side with xbmc.exe!

And the problem with that these days is Multi user logins on the one computer and each wanting their own stuff on it


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - AnalogKid - 2012-04-02

We shouldn't get off topic regarding the pros and cons of portable apps and per user data stores... that's a thread in it's own right! :-)

The issue remains, whilst XBMC offers a portable mode, it makes sense to make it work as well as possible, ergo a) without installation b) including required DirectX components

It simply isn't truly portable if you can't stick it on a USB stick and move it to another PC without 'issues'.

For me, personally, I manage to overcome the problems by hand... it's fairly trivial and well documented above, but I wouldn't expect a novice user to grasp it.




RE: Portable Mode Fixes - sphere - 2012-04-02

While I agree that a portable option in installer (or a .zip download) should be possible, but I guess that "D3DX9_43.dll" is copyrighted.


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - YodaEXE - 2012-04-02

(2012-04-02, 18:25)sphere Wrote: While I agree that a portable option in installer (or a .zip download) should be possible, but I guess that "D3DX9_43.dll" is copyrighted.

This is indeed correct. It violates the agreement to distribute DLL files from DirectX within applications, without including the entire installer.


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - AnalogKid - 2012-04-05

Even with the DirectX distribution issue, it would still be possible to 'make' a portable install having moved the directX files side by side, leaving the end user with the choice to move their 'portable' install to where they will.

But I agree as the OP suggests, it's a dual issue, and one of them (zip) is easy to implement, the DirectX issue slightly more troublesome (although not necessarily insurmountable)


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - Livin - 2012-04-06

Correct me if I'm wrong but I suspect you would be able to build a non-exe packaged version directly from GIT yourself?

That said, I use xbmc in Portable mode strictly for ease of DR and maintenance. The extra few seconds to run the exe is no big deal.

My understanding is a pure portable package, zip/rar, would not work for windo see due to the dependencies. Unless you already have them installed, then it it not truly portable anyway.


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - AnalogKid - 2012-04-07

(2012-04-06, 23:57)Livin Wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong but I suspect you would be able to build a non-exe packaged version directly from GIT yourself?

That said, I use xbmc in Portable mode strictly for ease of DR and maintenance. The extra few seconds to run the exe is no big deal.

My understanding is a pure portable package, zip/rar, would not work for windo see due to the dependencies. Unless you already have them installed, then it it not truly portable anyway.

That's precisely the issue and hence a possible feature request

I work fine in portable mode, the exe issue's not a huge deal for me, but I'm trying to speak on behalf of 'the consumer'. GIT? Building? - forget it... those words aren't in the vocabulary of the man in the street.

The DirectX dependency MAY be a stumbling block, but a 'zip' release for portable users would certainly be a fine improvement (don't forget, not every user had admin rights to even install an app) but a Zip release would work fine (providing DirectX was already on the machine).

Clearly a 2 step issue... step 1 = zip release, step 2 = resolve the DirectX issue


RE: Portable Mode Fixes - Livin - 2012-04-08

(2012-04-07, 00:20)AnalogKid Wrote: ... I'm trying to speak on behalf of 'the consumer'. GIT? Building? - forget it... those words aren't in the vocabulary of the man in the street.

The DirectX dependency MAY be a stumbling block, but a 'zip' release for portable users would certainly be a fine improvement (don't forget, not every user had admin rights to even install an app) but a Zip release would work fine (providing DirectX was already on the machine).

Clearly a 2 step issue... step 1 = zip release, step 2 = resolve the DirectX issue

I'm pretty confused... the average "consumer" will not be using portable mode, or care about a portable install. The number of users of true portable apps is less than 1% of the overall app user base.

And, the big one - to quote JMarshall... "The directx runtimes just plain don't work in the case of not being fully installed. "




RE: Portable Mode Fixes - AnalogKid - 2012-04-17

(2012-04-08, 08:13)Livin Wrote:
(2012-04-07, 00:20)AnalogKid Wrote: ... I'm trying to speak on behalf of 'the consumer'. GIT? Building? - forget it... those words aren't in the vocabulary of the man in the street.

The DirectX dependency MAY be a stumbling block, but a 'zip' release for portable users would certainly be a fine improvement (don't forget, not every user had admin rights to even install an app) but a Zip release would work fine (providing DirectX was already on the machine).

Clearly a 2 step issue... step 1 = zip release, step 2 = resolve the DirectX issue

I'm pretty confused... the average "consumer" will not be using portable mode, or care about a portable install. The number of users of true portable apps is less than 1% of the overall app user base.

And, the big one - to quote JMarshall... "The directx runtimes just plain don't work in the case of not being fully installed. "

XBMC offers 'live' version running from CD catering to an audience that simply doesn't want to install / can't install / wants to try. Should that be tossed as a bad idea too?
Most users don't KNOW what sort of install they have, they just go with the defaults. But quite a few of them wonder how to migrate to another PC, or install their set up on multiple PC's...
It's not about consumers wanting portable apps, it's about them wanting the benefits that portable apps offers them (they just don't know the technology behind it).

Totally agree that the Direct X issue IS a problem. But XBMC WILL run on a virgin Vista or Win 7 installation providing the relevant DLLs are side by side with the app... the issue's how to get them their without breaking any distribution agreement.

OR

You just say "XBMC's for geeks, portable mode isn't really portable, and that's that".





RE: Portable Mode Fixes - Livin - 2012-04-17

(2012-04-17, 14:44)AnalogKid Wrote: Totally agree that the Direct X issue IS a problem. But XBMC WILL run on a virgin Vista or Win 7 installation providing the relevant DLLs are side by side with the app... the issue's how to get them their without breaking any distribution agreement.

You say here XBMC will run on Windows without an install... if that is the case, then I suggest you make a formal feature request. JMarshall has said it will not run, so you should take it up with him directly.

(2012-04-17, 14:44)AnalogKid Wrote: You just say "XBMC's for geeks, portable mode isn't really portable, and that's that".

Nope, not at all... you misunderstand what portable mode is, and its intent. And, non-geeks seem to have no problem running XBMC as designed... there are thousands that do.

If this is something you want, you have 2 choices that might get it done...
1) put in a TRAC feature request and hope/ask/beg/convince a dev to try to do it.
2) find a way to do it yourself and publish.

IMO we have exhausted this convo... I'm out.








RE: Portable Mode Fixes - o.maille - 2012-04-29

I agree a fully portable install would be handy.