Install deletes all of my: scripts, moods, aliases, goodness knows what else?

Mitchd

New member
So yesterday I downloaded KoLmafia-22.09.26756.exe and clicked it (windows).

It said 'cleaning up old installation' or something like that. Seems normal, but no it means I'm destroying everything you've ever done.

It churned away for a while and then... when I started Kolmafia it was like a day-one, never played KoL before Kolmafia.

Everything I had done over the years is gone. My scripts, moods, aliases, I don't know what else.

Is this supposed to happen?
It is terrible.
thanks,
mtz
 

fronobulax

Developer
Staff member
If we're talking about the exe that's part of the github release, that's a YAML change away. Jenkins only builds the jar.

I do not know where the user got the exe.

Note the other thread where I document my inability to build an exe from a command line which prevents my ability to change build parameters and verify that the change is an update and not a reinstall.

If the YAML change is a change to stop building the exe I can look at it later today although markup languages are not an area of my strength and yet another markup language would be new ground for me :)
 

Mitchd

New member
But this is why you backed up your KoLmafia settings directory, right?

Spookier than that... I had notepad++ open with the three main script files I use (just QoL stuff, extended `morning`, etc.), and notepad++ said 'This file is no longer on disk, discard from editor?'. Nooooooo!!!! I yelled. So I managed to save the files (about 6 months of fiddling that I'm glad I don't have to rethink).

And, I had an old old Kolmafia in a directory far far away from where the install .exe does it's thing. So I downloaded the latest .jar and ran it from there (I used to need more switches to run the .jar, so that's got easier), and then updated everything. Looks ok I think most of it's back. But yeah very stressful, can we not do that please.

Easy fixes for install?

1. Warn with a popup 'You are about to delete all your KoL configuration files and scripts... back them up' (or similar). Give them a chance to back out and do that.

2. The install script automatically makes a backup of the old stuff, dated, zipped and stored in a backup folder?

It's all a bit dreary that install-script housekeeping stuff I know, don't like it at all myself.
Whatever happened to: `xmkmf ; make all ; a.out` (seg fault :)

Ok, onward,
cheers,
mish
 

fronobulax

Developer
Staff member
I'm glad you recovered.

There is currently a discussion concerning whether we should even offer an exe. The exe build has never gotten a lot of attention and it clearly needs more than it has gotten.

The build tools make it appear to be easy but the problem is because the current build tool builds something that is only designed for a new, fresh installation so it deletes everything that was there. An update, by contrast, would just replace the jar file. One would think the build tool could be configured to a true update but the build tool is not running on my system and a process where I use GitHub to build while I iterate and test had not been tried.

Your suggestions are all what I would have done if I was configuring a Windows installer decades ago but so far I have not figured out how to configure this installer.
 
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