separate folder for _all_ user settings

[rim]

suggest an easy way to specify a separate directory for storage of all customizations including ini-files, button bars, plug-ins, etc.

Background: it is not easy to locate / transfer all personal settings when installing TC on a different machine. Or e.g. to maintain personal settings in a D-drive so restoring an image to your C-drive doesn't destroy those.

[karlchen]

Hi, rim.

suggest an easy way to specify a separate directory for storage of all customizations including ini-files, button bars, plug-ins, etc.

This can be achieved using T.C. 7.04a (and earlier versions) already.

Background: it is not easy to locate / transfer all personal settings when installing TC on a different machine.

It is easy for all those who

+ Read the Fine Manual.
+ search the forum
+ read TC WIKI articles, e.g. Backup of your configuration

Pay extra attention to the following T.C. settings:

+ Folder options which you select during T.C. installation
+ Folders where wincmd.ini and wcx_ftp.ini files are stored
+ "HKCU\Software\Ghisler\total commander" (registry)
+ "HKLM\Software\Ghisler\total commander" (registry)
+ "Buttonbar=<path_to\name of buttonbar>" (wincmd.ini, section [Buttonbar])
+ "pluginbasedir=<fully_qualified_foldername>" (wincmd.ini, section [Configuration])

In a multi-user environment, it all depends on setting up T.C. in a reasonable way from the start. Then backing up and restoring all users' TC environments is pretty straight forward.

HTH,
Karl

[fenix_productions]

2karlchen
You forgot to mention about redirecting INI sections or AlternateUserIni parameter.

2rim
For each (almost all) section you can use additional attribute is the way similar to:

Code: Select all

RedirectSection=%COMMANDER_PATH%\ini\configuration.ini

You can specify the path to your "selection oriented" INI file separately for each part of wincmd.ini.

[rim]

thanks for your quick feed-back.
ok - I agree I could have studied all material better...
But then again - this requires some studying and manual editing of config-files.

My suggestion was to provide an EASY way to do all of that in one go. Currently during installation you can only choose the location of ini files and all other customizations, like button bar and plugins remain where they are unless you start editing config files manually.
I'd like to see the option to specify one folder for all of those at once.

For now I'll use your info an go the manual route.
thnx, Reinder

[karlchen]

But then again - this requires some studying and manual editing of config-files.

This is true for the "RedirectionSection" entries and for the "Pluginbasedir".
This is not true for changing the buttonbar locations. Buttonbars can be selected using the "Configuration" dialogue.

My suggestion was to provide an EASY way to do all of that in one go.

I admit this is not feasible at present.

I'd like to see the option to specify one folder for all of those at once.

This is hardly feasible. You cannot have one button for all of the different items. Unless you set 1 basedir for all subfolders which TC may need and use hardcoded subfolder names for the buttonbar files and for the plugins. I.e. TC would use a predefined subfolder structure. And the user woubld be allowed to modify only where the subfolder structure would be created, but not the structure of the subfolder tree itself.
I am dead sure that if this were implemented the admins of multi-user environments might rejoice, but the users on standalone systems would start complaining that they lost their freedom to put their stuff were they like.

Anyway, thinking of a multi-user environment, all these settings and foldernames would have to be configured once and for all users when TC is being installed. This in turn would require a much more sophisticated installer than we have today. Christian would have to spend much more time on the installer than he does today. I wonder if this is really desirable?

Time will tell whether once upon a time T.C. will have one single boss-key which will perform any job perfectly for us whatever it is.

Cheers,
Karl

[rim]

hi Karl,

I can see your point. And as usual any ignorant user can ask more than any expert can deliver...

Still (one more try...) to clarify the changes that are needed in my view:
Add a 'basedir' as the default folder name. Ini-files contain predefined subfolder names (as is the case today, but now) relative to the basedir. Overrides remain possible via manual editing as it is today.

The installer would only have to support one tick-box: use common installation with common settings or enable user-specific settings (flag to be stored in registry).

In case of a common installation the 'basedir' equals the program-installation dir by default (but that can be changed via manual editing of ini-files).
In case of a user-specific installation any first-time user will be asked to confirm a personal 'basedir' (initial value suggested, user can confirm or override).

Looks simple enough and flexible to me. Is it feasible?

Anyway - if this turns out not to be feasible I'll still be a very satisfied user of this fine software! I feel half blind on any PC without it (the USB-copy is useful for that purpose!).

cheers, Reinder

[karlchen]

Hello, Reinder.

Asking for new (im)possible features is all right. If users had not asked for new features we might still be using T.C. v1.0.

Whether your idea can be implemented or not, whether it would be easy to implement it or not, I really cannot judge. To a large extent this depends on the internal structure of the T.C. source codes. Only Christian will be able to answer that question.

Cheers,
Karl