[TC 11.50] PluginBaseDir automatically changed

[jonathanpoulin]

Ok, I managed to find a way to reproduce the bug where PluginBaseDir is changed by TC automatically, which is a wrong behaviour IMO. I am using TC 11.50 64 bit.

1. Use that clean wincmd.ini:

   Code: Select all

   [Configuration]
   PluginBaseDir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\plugins\
   UseNewDefFont=1
   SetEncoding=дц.do.not.remove
   firstmnu=2810
   FirstTimeIconLib=0
   FirstTime=0
   SeparateTree=0
   PanelsVertical=0
   [FileSystemPlugins64]
   $checksum$=3014672
   [ButtonbarCache]
   IconDll_default.bar=
   IconDll_vertical.bar=
   [left]
   path=c:\
   ViewMode=10001
   activepanelcolor=-1
   activepanelcolor2=-1
   activepanelcolordark=-1
   activepanelcolordark2=-1
   ShowAllDetails=1
   SpecialView=0
   show=1
   sortorder=0
   negative Sortorder=0
   [right]
   path=c:\
   ViewMode=10001
   activepanelcolor=-1
   activepanelcolor2=-1
   activepanelcolordark=-1
   activepanelcolordark2=-1
   ShowAllDetails=1
   SpecialView=0
   show=1
   sortorder=0
   negative Sortorder=0
   [RightHistory]
   0=c:\	#0
   [LeftHistory]
   0=c:\	#0
   

2. Start TC
3. First, install* Lister plugin Imagine 1.1.6
4. THEN, install* Lister plugin CudaLister 1.8.4.0
5. AND THEN, install* Lister plugin HexViewer 1.1.1.1 Beta
6. Validate in wincmd.ini file that PluginBaseDir was changed to %COMMANDER_PATH%\plugins\wlx\ automatically using any text editor

*IMPORTANT Using the automatic method and without overwriting file (before, I deleted all the content in %COMMANDER_PATH%\plugins\)

[tuska]

It's great that you were able to reproduce the problem.

Just out of interest:
- Why Imagine 1.1.6? There is now version v1.7.3 (Jan 04 2025).
- What values are noted in the “PlugInst.inf” file for version 1.1.6?
  Type=
  DefaultDir=

[jonathanpoulin]

It's great that you were able to reproduce the problem.

I edited my previous post. I don't think this is related to the choice of plugins. The problem occurs when installing the third lister plugin. TC can be restarted between installation and the problem occurs anyway. Can you try to reproduce it with the same plugins, then with other ones?

Why Imagine 1.1.6? There is now version v1.7.3 (Jan 04 2025).

I was not aware of that version. I am always going to https://totalcmd.net/ for my plugins. So, that site is not up-to-date? Here is the page: https://totalcmd.net/plugring/imagine.html.

- What values are noted in the “PlugInst.inf” file for version 1.1.6?
  Type=
  DefaultDir=

Type=wlx
DefaultDir=Plugins\wlx\Imagine

[tuska]

2jonathanpoulin
Thank you for your reply.

For the latest updates on the “Imagine” plugin, I use the website linked above.

I regularly update plugins, e.g. from Imagine, MediaInfo, TCSumatraPDF, TCIrfanView, xPDFSearch, etc.
The problem you describe has never occurred to me.

Nevertheless, I will try to reproduce your problem later (... installing the third lister plugin ...).

[jonathanpoulin]

2jonathanpoulin
For the latest updates on the “Imagine” plugin, I use the website linked above.

I knew this link but did not realized the version was updated there compared to the one on https://totalcmd.net/. Thanks!

Nevertheless, I will try to reproduce your problem later (... installing the third lister plugin ...).

Yes, please do so and let me know the result from your side.

[tuska]

*IMPORTANT Using the automatic method and without overwriting file
(before, I deleted all the content in %COMMANDER_PATH%\plugins\)

If in doubt, I use a TC_clean.ini without such content.

I tested as follows:

1. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini started and TC immediately closed again
2. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted and added pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins in the [Configuration] section
3. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed and immediately started again
4. wdx_dirsizecalc_2.22.zip installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc
5. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
6. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
7. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
8. Imagine_1.7.3_x64_Unicode_Full_4.1.2025.zip installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\Imagine
9. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
10. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
11. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
12. wlx_TCIrfanView_1.16.7z installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView
13. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
14. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
15. --------- After 3 installed plugins, I can't find ANY error! -------------
16. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
17. wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF
18. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
19. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
20. --------- After 4 installed plugins, I can't find ANY error! -------------
21. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
22. wlx_SVGView_1.4.zip installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\SVGView (Install to... default path)
23. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
24. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
25. --------- After 5 installed plugins (3 wlx plug-ins one after the other), I can't find ANY error! -------------
26. End of Test

TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - after 5 plug-in installations....

Code: Select all

[Configuration]
UseNewDefFont=1
SetEncoding=äö.do.not.remove
firstmnu=2938
FirstTimeIconLib=0
FirstTime=0
SeparateTree=0
PanelsVertical=0
pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins
FirstTimeUnpack=0
[ButtonbarCache]
IconDll_default.bar=
IconDll_vertical.bar=
[FileSystemPlugins64]
$checksum$=3014672
[left]
path=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\SVGView\
ViewMode=10001
activepanelcolor=-1
activepanelcolor2=-1
activepanelcolordark=-1
activepanelcolordark2=-1
ShowAllDetails=1
SpecialView=0
show=1
sortorder=0
negative Sortorder=0
[right]
path=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\Downloads\
ViewMode=10001
activepanelcolor=-1
activepanelcolor2=-1
activepanelcolordark=-1
activepanelcolordark2=-1
ShowAllDetails=1
SpecialView=0
show=1
sortorder=0
negative Sortorder=0
[ContentPlugins]
0=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc\DirSizeCalc.wdx
[Command line history]
0=cd C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\SVGView\
1=cd C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Fileinfo\
2=cd C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\Downloads\
3=cd C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\Downloads\
[ListerPlugins]
0=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Imagine.wlx
1=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\IrfanView.wlx
2=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.wlx
3=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\SVGView\SVGView.wlx
[RightHistory]
0=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\Downloads\
1=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\Downloads\wlx_TCIrfanView_1.16.7z/
2=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\Downloads\	#16,wlx_TCIrfanView_1.16.7z
3=c:\
[LeftHistory]
0=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\SVGView\wlx_SVGView_1.4.zip/	#0
1=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\SVGView\	#7,wlx_SVGView_1.4.zip
2=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Fileinfo\
3=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Fileinfo\wlx_fileinfo223.zip/
4=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Fileinfo\	#12,wlx_fileinfo223.zip
5=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\Downloads\
6=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\Downloads\wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z/
7=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\Downloads\	#6,wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z
8=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Download\
9=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Download\Imagine_1.7.3_x64_Unicode_Full_4.1.2025.zip/
10=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Download\	#16,Imagine_1.7.3_x64_Unicode_Full_4.1.2025.zip
11=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\	#2,Download
12=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc\
13=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc\wdx_dirsizecalc_2.22.zip/
14=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc\	#16,wdx_dirsizecalc_2.22.zip
15=c:\

[Dalai]

I've seen random changes to PluginBaseDir in the past, too. "Random" in this context means "probably during plugin installation", but I don't closely watch PluginBaseDir all the time. But sometimes when I checked, PluginBaseDir was set to %COMMANDER_PATH% instead of %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find out what exactly triggers that change, let alone find a reliable way to reproduce it, so no way for me to write a (proper) bug report.

Usually I have plugins installed in %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins and I install plugins in Plugins\<plugin-name> instead of Plugins\<plugin-type>\<plugin-name>.

[tuska]

Here is another successful test.

Installing and removing plugins - name, path

wlx_TCIrfanView_1.16.7z
C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\Downloads

wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z
C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\Downloads

wlx_SVGView_1.4.zip
C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\SVGView

wdx_dirsizecalc_2.22.zip
C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc

1. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini started and TC immediately closed again
2. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted and added pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins in the [Configuration] section
3. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed and immediately started again
4. wlx_TCIrfanView_1.16.7z installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView
5. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
6. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
7. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
8. wlx_TCIrfanView_1.16.7z removed and TC closed
9. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
10. wlx_TCIrfanView_1.16.7z installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView
11. wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF
12. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
13. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
14. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
15. wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z removed and TC closed
16. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
17. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
18. wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF
19. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
20. wlx_SVGView_1.4.zip installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\SVGView (Install to: ... default path)
    Plug-ins installed up to this point:
    %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\IrfanView.wlx
    %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.wlx
    %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\SVGView\SVGView.wlx
21. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
22. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
23. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
24. wlx_SVGView_1.4.zip removed and TC closed
25. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
26. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
27. wlx_SVGView_1.4.zip installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\SVGView (Install to: ... default path)
28. wdx_dirsizecalc_2.22.zip installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc (Install to: ... default path)
29. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini closed
30. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
31. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
32. wdx_dirsizecalc_2.22.zip removed and TC closed
33. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
34. TC with TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini restarted
35. wdx_dirsizecalc_2.22.zip installed -> %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc (Install to: ... default path)
36. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked in editor: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
    Plug-ins installed up to this point:
    %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCIrfanView\IrfanView.wlx
    %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\TCSumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.wlx
    %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\SVGView\SVGView.wlx
    %COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wdx\DirSizeCalc\DirSizeCalc.wdx
37. wlx_TCSumatraPDF_1.16.7z removed and TC closed
38. TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini - Section [Configuration] checked: pluginbasedir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins -> OK
39. --------------------------------------- I can't find ANY error! ---------------------------------------
40. End of Test

Maybe it is a certain plugin that causes a change in the wincmd.ini file...

[ghisler(Author)]

Thanks for all your tests! As some of you have noticed, the problem happens when a plugin with more than one plugin type in the plugin directory is already installed, like the Imagine plugin.

Total Commander tries to distinguish two types of plugin installations:
1. An old one where all plugins were installed under the same directory, e.g. plugins\PluginName1\, plugins\PluginName2\ etc.
2. The new one where each plugin type had its own subdirectory, e.g. plugins\wlx\ListerPluginName1\, plugins\wdx\ContentPluginName1\ etc.

This detection fails when a directory like "PluginName1" contains more than one plugin type.
The solution would be to ignore directories which contain more than one plugin type. In a worst case scenario with all plugin dirs containing more than one type, this would be detected as case two.

[tuska]

2jonathanpoulin
I have just tested this example of yours.

These 3 plugins were installed one after the other
(in between, I checked both the installation path and the TC_clean.ini regarding PluginBaseDir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins):

1. wlx: Imagine_1.7.3_x64_Unicode_Full_4.1.2025.zip
2. wlx_cudalister_1.8.5.1.zip     (–-> CudaLister 1.8.5.2 - 10.1.2025 available)
3. wlx_HexViewer_1.1.1.1_Beta.7z

I couldn't find ANY mistakes here either.

TC_clean_11.50_x64.ini

Code: Select all

[Configuration]
UseNewDefFont=1
SetEncoding=äö.do.not.remove
firstmnu=2618
FirstTimeIconLib=0
FirstTime=0
SeparateTree=0
PanelsVertical=0
PluginBaseDir=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins
FirstTimeUnpack=0
[ButtonbarCache]
IconDll_default.bar=
IconDll_vertical.bar=
[FileSystemPlugins64]
$checksum$=3014672
[left]
path=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\HexViewer\Downloads\
ViewMode=10001
activepanelcolor=-1
activepanelcolor2=-1
activepanelcolordark=-1
activepanelcolordark2=-1
ShowAllDetails=1
SpecialView=0
show=1
sortorder=0
negative Sortorder=0
[right]
path=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Wlx2Explorer\Plugins\wlx_cudalister\
ViewMode=10001
activepanelcolor=-1
activepanelcolor2=-1
activepanelcolordark=-1
activepanelcolordark2=-1
ShowAllDetails=1
SpecialView=0
show=1
sortorder=0
negative Sortorder=0
[ListerPlugins]
0=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Imagine.wlx
1=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\CudaLister\cudalister.wlx
2=%COMMANDER_PATH%\Plugins\wlx\HexViewer\HexViewer.wlx
[RightHistory]
0=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Wlx2Explorer\Plugins\wlx_cudalister\	#0
1=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Wlx2Explorer\Plugins\wlx_cudalister\wlx_cudalister_1.8.4.0.zip/
2=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Wlx2Explorer\Plugins\wlx_cudalister\	#7,wlx_cudalister_1.8.4.0.zip
3=c:\
[LeftHistory]
0=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\HexViewer\Downloads\wlx_HexViewer_1.1.1.1_Beta.7z/	#0
1=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\HexViewer\Downloads\	#01,wlx_HexViewer_1.1.1.1_Beta.7z
2=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Download\
3=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Download\Imagine_1.7.3_x64_Unicode_Full_4.1.2025.zip/
4=C:\totalcmd\Plugins\wlx\Imagine\Download\	#016,Imagine_1.7.3_x64_Unicode_Full_4.1.2025.zip
5=c:\

[ghisler(Author)]

This should be fixed in 11.51 RC1, please test it!

pluginbasedir in wincmd.ini could be set incorrectly when a previously installed plugin contains more than one plugin type (e.g. lister and content) in the same directory

Please note that nothing was changed when PluginBaseDir already points to a subidr like %COMMANDER_PATH%\plugins\wlx\

[ghisler(Author)]

Can someone test this with the plugins and instructions in this post, please?

[Gral]

I'm late to this discussion but I see that it won't go without me . I've known this bug for many years but it wasn't a problem for me as I almost always use manual installation. The PluginBaseDir key doesn't even need to exist in the ini file for the bug to occur.

For example:
Copy the WLX file with it's directory to the WDX subdirectory and try to automatically install any WLX plugin - the path suggested by TC contains the WDX directory.
Now delete the previously copied directory with the WLX file and try again - bug will not occur, That's all.
TC scans subdirectories in alphabetically or, i as guess rather NTFS unsorted order.
So this is probably reason for bug:

Plugin installation doesn't just take PluginBasedir and puts the plugin there - it looks for plugins of similar type and then tries to put the new plugin there too. For example, I have content plugins in PluginBasedir\content\pluginname, and installing a new content plugin will suggest to put it under "content" too. However, this should not change PluginBasedir itself.

So in this example and scheme of subdirectories (content/filesystem/lister/packer) already installed CONTENT plugins in CONTENT subdirectory doesn't causes the bug during instal new CONTENT plugin.

Note: new, clean INI is not enough to avoid bug, if you use the same directory of TC that contains plugins subdirectory

P.S. One more thing: the help file does not specify a default value for PluginBaseDir, and "%COMMANDER_PATH%\plugins" is given there only as an example, but on first run and first installation of a plugin just this path is used

[ghisler(Author)]

Copy the WLX file with it's directory to the WDX subdirectory and try to automatically install any WLX plugin - the path suggested by TC contains the WDX directory.

This isn't a bug! If a WLX only plugin is located in a directory called WDX, then TC assumes that the user WANTS to put WLX plugins there.

[Gral]

Copy the WLX file with it's directory to the WDX subdirectory and try to automatically install any WLX plugin - the path suggested by TC contains the WDX directory.

This isn't a bug! If a WLX only plugin is located in a directory called WDX, then TC assumes that the user WANTS to put WLX plugins there.

You don't understand - just this assumption is wrong (in fact it is itself a bug) especially because it does not work in the way you describe: there is about 80 wdx plugins (in subdirectories) under WDX directory and about 130 wlx plugins (in subdirectories) under WLX directory and just ONE wlx plugin under WDX subdirectory, what causes TC to assumes to WDX is right place for lister plugins. On the other hand one or more WDX plugins under WLX directory don't change anything - TC does not assume that the correct directory for WDX is WLX! Why? Where is the logic here? Have you even tried this? And where in my previous post you read this "only" ???