Two new USB installers for Total Commander

[ghisler(Author)]

IMPORTANT: This is BETA software, so please take the necessary precautions!

I have written two new tools for Total Commander for installing the program on an USB stick:

1. tc2usb.exe (20kB): This tool will copy an existing installation of Total Commander to a normal USB stick or other removable device. You can choose to copy settings files and even which plugins you want to copy! The tool will then copy all files, and adjust all the paths to %commander_path% .

2. U3 (see "U3.com") installer package totalcmd.u3p (1.5MB): This package can be used to install Total Commander 6.53 on an U3-compatible USB stick. Please only download this package if you have a special U3 USB stick! This installer also allows to copy TC settings from your harddisk to the stick, including plugins, and adjusts the paths to the special U3 paths. No changes had to be made to totalcmd.exe.
To install TC on the U3 stick, download it, then click on "Install programs" - "Install from My Computer" from the U3 menu, then choose the totalcmd.u3p file.

Please test these tools if you can, and let me know if anything goes wrong and/or if you have any suggestions. For example, I'm still looking for an easy way to launch TC on a non-U3 stick. Please also report any plugins which do NOT work after moving them to the stick.

The installer will copy the plugin directory and all its subdirs, but without any .zip or .rar files. It cannot copy any .ini files belonging to plugins either, because it cannot know their names.

[tbeu]

Regarding tc2usb: If a plugin is more than just one plugin (e.g. CHMDir is both WCX and WDX or MAT-file plugin is WCX, WDX and WLX at the same time) there well be duplicated plugin copies in the target tc plugin directories, i.e. the dirty advantage of multiple plugin interfaces within a single plugin is gone.

What do you think?

tbeu

[sqa_wizard]

If different plugin-types point to the same directory on the source system, this must result in a single directory on the target system too.
Otherwise an individual update results in a mixed (chaotic) configuration.

[Alextp]

The installer will copy the plugin directory and all its subdirs, but without any .zip or .rar files. It cannot copy any .ini files belonging to plugins either, because it cannot know their names.

You should 1) copy entire plugin folders or 2) copy ini-files with name=<pluginname>.ini.
Or - some plugins that require DLLs or INIs will not work.
Also don't forget language files...

[ghisler(Author)]

2tbeu
2sqa_wizard
These are both valid points. I have just released a new version 0.91 of the installer, which will use the same directory for a plugin if it is used by multiple extensions, or contains multiple parts. The first plugin in the list will determine where the files will go.

I have also made the following enhancements:
1. It will create a program starttc.exe which will launch Total Commander in the installed subdir independent from the current drive letter
2. If an existing totalcmd installation is found in the given directory, the installer will offer to just copy plugins, or to reinstall Totalcmd

Please test!

2Alextp
I'm already copying entire plugin folders. The only problem is when the ini files aren't located in the plugin folder, but e.g. in the same folder as wincmd.ini...

[Juergen]

2ghisler(Author)

Good idea to write tools like that, thanks! I'll test tc2usb.exe on Windows 98 soon.

The only problem is when the ini files aren't located in the plugin folder, but e.g. in the same folder as wincmd.ini.

Maybe the tools can look for all files with the extension .ini that are in the same folder as wincmd.ini, and copy them to the folder, where wincmd.ini is on the USB stick. And maybe the tools could/should do the same with .ini files that are in the folder given by PackSetDefaultParams() (or is that always the same folder where wincmd.ini is located?).

Regards, Juergen

[ghisler(Author)]

Well, this is also problematic because the default folder for wincmd.ini is the Windows folder, and other programs probably use this too for their ini files...

[Horst.Epp]

The Mainmenu entry in wincmd.ini is left unchanged

[Juergen]

2ghisler(Author)

Well, this is also problematic because the default folder for wincmd.ini is the Windows folder, and other programs probably use this too for their ini files...

Ooops ... yes of course. I forgot about that, because on my system 'wincmd.ini' is in the same folder as 'Totalcmd.exe'.

Now I've tested 'tc2usb.exe', it works fine on my system (Windows 98). Does 'starttc.exe' do something special, or just launch 'totalcmd.exe'?

I just tried the following: After installing TC on a USB stick in the directory 'H:\totalcmd\', I created a file 'autorun.inf' in the root directory of the USB stick, that contaims the lines:

Code: Select all

[autorun]
OPEN=totalcmd\totalcmd.exe
ICON=totalcmd\totalcmd.exe, 0

After creating the file, I removed the USB stick from the system, and then connected it again. TC did not start automatically (it would probably do so on a CD, though), but when I opened the 'My computer' folder on the Desktop, the H: drive (= USB stick) showed the TC icon, and double clicking on the icon launced the copy of TC on the USB drive. So maybe 'tc2usb.exe' should create a 'autorun.inf' file on the USB stick instead of or additionally to 'starttc.exe'?

Regards, Juergen

[sqa_wizard]

Well, this is also problematic because the default folder for wincmd.ini is the Windows folder

At least you can just copy all INI files of TC program folder ...

[Tilde]

Salut tlm,

Elle existe en francais merci de votre reponse ! super comme plug'ins

Image: http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9403/image13fw.png

Image: http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/33/image29na.png

Image: http://img418.imageshack.us/img418/2116/image35zg.png

[Sir_SiLvA]

Salut tlm,
Elle existe en francais merci de votre reponse ! super comme plug'ins

Can you please post english only in this forum as not very mouch ppl here
can understand french? Or have you gotten in the wrong Thread?

[Alextp]

2ghisler(Author)

Suggestions:
1. You should make it as Wizard: big window (same size for all steps), with big white caption on the top, with buttons "Next >", "< Previous".
Now it looks bad, sorry.
2. Please add field for TC folder name. I want to specify "TC" or "TotalCmd", not "totalcmd".
3. Please name starttc.exe as StartTC.exe or StartTotalcmd.exe.
4. Give names for plugins folders as original names, and copy 1 file only 1 time.
Now it copies my TC folder in about 20 sec (it copies several times, because some plugins are installed in the same folder).

[Clo]

2Sir_SiLvA
Hello !
- I guess it's a mistake from Tilde, I reported to the Mod of that forum, 'cause I can't move it; however, it's quite "on topic"

• Tilde said : "(Does) it exist(s) in French (?) Thanks for your reply.
Great plugin !
- I didn't receive any translation request from Ch. Ghisler yet

  V.G.
Claude
Clo

[Clo]

2Tilde

Bonsoir, Hello !

- Vous ne devez pas poster en Français sur ce forum. Veuillez poster sur le Forum Français avec un lien vers cette rubrique, l'Auteur est tout à fait capable de lire votre message en Français, mais pas tous les autres Membres…
• You ought not post in French in that Forum.
- Please, post in the French Forum, with a link to that thread; the Author is quite able to read your message in French, but all Members can't…

 Kind regards, Cordialement,
Claude
Clo