Launch Base Beta Test

[Marshall]

Launch Base

Code:

Version 0.99.100 [2008-03-08]
Bug fixes:
    Fixed bug that prevented any Red Alert 2 mod from being launched if you had The First Decade.
    Fixed bug that caused the first skin in the list to become the default skin if you deleted the default LaunchBase.ini file.
    Fixed bug that caused some disk usage calculations to be one block too high.
    Fixed bug that caused the Play Video dialog to be displayed even if there were no videos available.
    Numerous program optimisations have been made.
Redesigned the way plugins are handled:
    There is now only one list of plugins.
    The list only contains one entry for each unique plugin, regardless of how many versions you have installed.
    For each plugin, the name and version number of the version you have activated will be shown.
    If a plugin is not active, then the name of the most up-to-date version you have installed will be shown along with the text "[Not Active]".
    Clicking on a list entry will display the associated plugin's details (if the plugin is not active then the details of the most up-to-date version you have installed will be displayed).
    If you have more than one version of a plugin available, a drop-down list box will be shown, allowing you to select a version. Selecting a version will display that version's details.
    If the displayed version of a plugin is not active, then the 'Activate' button will be shown, allowing you to activate that version of the plugin.
    If the displayed version of a plugin is active, then the 'Deactivate' button will be shown, allowing you to deactivate that plugin.
    Right-clicking on a list entry will display a menu listing all the installed versions of that plugin, allowing you to select a version to uninstall.
    The liblist.gam file for plugins must now include a flag "PluginID". This will require updates to all existing plugin installers (except in the case of the Terrain Expansion and RockPatch, where existing flags are used to identify these).
    Plugins can no longer specify an update check url - this will always be taken from the Mod Catalogue now.
Options:
    'Show Mod Types' dropdown list replaced with two check boxes; 'Show RA2 Mods' and 'Show YR Mods'.
    'Max Log Size', 'Verbose Log', 'Safety Space' and 'LiveLog Delay' settings are all now controlled from Tools > Options instead of LaunchBase.ini or command line switches. End users should never modify LaunchBase.ini
    'Safety Space' can now only be set in the range 64-4096MB, with a recommended minimum of 128MB.
    'Max Log Size' can now only be set in the range 0-16384KB, with zero representing 'unlimited'.
    'LiveLog Delay' can now only be set in the range 0-99999ms.
Check For Updates:
    New option: 'Automatic Update Check'. Switch this on to have Launch Base automatically check for updates to a mod/tool/plugin before launching/activating it, and ask if you want to download and install the update if one is found.
    New option: 'Only Download Full Installers'. When checking for updates, only full installers will be considered valid - update-only installers will never be downloaded.
    Update Check Files can now specify multiple update-only installers as well as multiple download mirrors for each file. Unfortuantely the structure of the check files has changed to accomodate this and so all existing check files must be updated - see the Help Topics of the latest version of Launch Base Mod Creator for details.
    All installers are now downloaded to the shared Setups directory rather than the mod's own directory. Downloaded installers are now recorded in a new Download History facility available from the Tools menu.
    All changelogs are now downloaded to the shared Setups directory rather than the mod's own directory. Changelogs could potentially build up over time as Launch Base ignores these files once downloaded.
    If you have multiple versions of the same mod installed, Check For Updates will no longer list an update for the legacy versions (this also applies to the new Automatic Update Check feature - a check will not be performed for legacy versions).
    TX and RP prerequisites are now checked based on whether or not you have the ability to set up the neccessary prerequisites, rather than if they are already set up. Like before, this doesn't affect your ability to download the mod.
Other enhancements:
    Launch Base will now display the name of the file that is currently being processed on any 'Please Wait' dialogs.
    Automatic RockPatch will now always install the most up-to-date version that will work with the mod you are launching.
    If a mod or plugin is removed from Launch Base it will automatically be deactivated - you can no longer have an active mod or plugin that isn't installed in Launch Base.
    Active mods/plugins will now have an additional disk usage figure in brackets. The figure in brackets is the disk usage of the active files.
    Tool Parameters text box will now change colour with the selected skin.
    When removing a mod from Launch Base using the right-click menu, Launch Base will automatically remove all known folders and files. The Uninstall section is only consulted when unexpected files are left over. The Uninstall section should no longer include folders - empty folders are automatically removed. If a folder is listed it is assumed that the entire folder should be recursively removed. The Uninstall section no longer requires the Lines= flag. The Uninstall section is only intended for Tools.
    You will no longer be warned about signs of tampering as they are discovered. Tampering should not affect Launch Base as it will automatically deactivate any affected mods/plugins. Tampering will, of course, affect the game outside of Launch Base and could lead to the accidental deletion of mod files, but it is not up to Launch Base to monitor this. Signs of tampering will continue to be reported in the log file and Persistant Mods will automatically be disabled.
    The term "[Un]Install" now explicitly refers to whether something is available in Launch Base.
    The term "[De]Activate" (or 'Launch') now explicitly refers to whether something is active in the game.
    The URLs that Launch Base downloads the Broadcast Message, Mod Catalogue and Launch Base Update Check File from can now be overridden by General flags in LaunchBase.ini, should these files ever be kept on another server.
    Added a timeout setting to all file downloads. When checking for the presence of a remote file, a timeout of 3 seconds is used. When downloading a file, a timeout of 60 seconds is used. This should eliminate the delay when attempting to download the Broadcast Message on Launch Base start (if you were not connected to the Internet).
    Added notification sounds to Launch Base startup and shutdown (can be disabled by turning off Mod Dispaly Sounds).
    Major updates to help topics.

Launch Base Mod Creator

Code:

Version 0.99.100 [2008-03-08]
Changes to support Launch Base's new method of handling plugins, including new 'Plugin ID' combo box.
Fixed bug where closing LB Mod creator with the Help Topics open would cause LB Mod Creator to restart.
Updated help topics.

This draws a line under previous bug reports - at this time I am not aware of any outstanding bugs. If you encounter a bug (previously mentioned or not) then please let me know.

The only actual problem that still remains is the missing DCoder DLL that will eventually allow CSF, BAG and MIX file compiling.

I do have a couple of other things planned for future development and any suggestions are welcome.


To Renegade and gordon-creAtive, please could you spare a few moments to update your skins as you see fit. I have made some crude alterations to the skins which may be sufficient, but in particular the plugin buttons should read "Activate" and "Deactivate" rather than "Install" and "Uninstall". Note that there is no longer a distinction between RA2 and YR plugins.

To gordon-creAtive and Blade, please can you update your update check files for the RPMI and TX respectively, the new structure is explained in the Help Topics of the latest version of Launch Base Mod Creator.

Any questions, let me know!