Keeping Mafia updated while not losing settings every time.

[Yellowbeard]

Hi all.

I've been using mafia for several months but would still consider myself mostly a novice. I am having some issues and wonder if anyone has advice to offer. Just to be upfront: I have just installed .net7 and adoptium 17.0.5

Issue 1: Every time I install a new version of KOL I lose all settings. This means I lose dark mode, scripts, everything AFAIK. I can't figure out why.

Issue 2: In an attempt to solve issue 1 I tried installing this launcher/auto updater: https://kolmafia.us/threads/kolmafia-launcher-and-auto-updater-for-windows.28092/

However, every time I try to install that it claims that .net isn't installed even though I have installed it, uninstalled it, repaired it, restarted, etc.

Here's what I would love to happen: I'd love to have KOL automatically update to the latest stable build without having to start from scratch every time. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[fronobulax]

If you are on Windows and using an exe build then this is a known issue and exe builds are no longer supported (or made) until the issue is fixed.

This might be a problem with the updater in which case posting https://kolmafia.us/threads/kolmafia-launcher-and-auto-updater-for-windows.28092/ or messaging the author might also help.

If you download a jar file and replace the one that is on your system with the new one then you should not be loosing settings.

I think the fundamental issue is your install process. You are probably doing something unexpected. If you tell us exactly what you are doing to install (which URLs, what files you download, where you put them and so on) we can probably sort it out.

A launcher or some means where KoLmafia would check for updates and fetch them has been discussed but no one has agreed on a design or started work.

 

[Yellowbeard]

Ah.

First of all, thank you for the quick response.

OK. I am on windows and am using an exe build, so that may sort things out.

I am wondering if what I should do is uninstall everything and then start from scratch.

I think I have tried to follow the advice you are giving above re: jar files. Example, I downloaded 26996 a little bit ago and put it in the same folder as my old jar file. When I double click it, however, it opens a new mafia window that, for example, does not have my user info (login/password) and is not in the color scheme mode I have chosen. In other words, it appears as if it's opening a brand new version with no memory of my existing preferences.

I don't mind starting from scratch. I am just hoping that doing so might actually fix the problem.

Thanks again. Given that I AM downloading a new jar file and still losing things do you have further advice? I am placing it in the following location ...(user)->AppData->Local->KolMafia->app

Thanks in advance!

 

[Yellowbeard]

Oh! Sorry. I just realized that I didn't answer part of your question. Most recently, at least, I downloaded and attempted to install Kolmafia-26996.jar from Jenkins (?).

I.... can't tell you how I got the version before that up and running because it's been a while and I remember it being a difficult process. However, the last build I was running (and have been successfully running and can still run) was 26731.

I am more than happy to uninstall everything and start from scratch but would love advice as to the best way to proceed to actually get things to be able to update in the future (even if that means downloading and placing a new jar file in the right place each time, which I am comfortable with).

Thanks again!

 

[Yellowbeard]

OK. Just uninstalled everything and reinstalled the latest version (26966). Ran that. Logged in. It created a path (same as the previous one) in AppData. I have now started setting preferences. I am HOPING that the next time there is an update it will keep my settings. Any further advice appreciated.

 

[fronobulax]

(user)->AppData->Local->KolMafia->app

That directory should contain the jar file and subdirectories with settings and such.

If you get a new jar and replace just the jar then mafia should preserve the settings.

There are ways Windows users have "installed" mafia so that it cannot write the files it needs to write. That in turn means it doesn't remember settings.

My jar file is in C:\Dropbox\dist That is a hangover from the days when I used Dropbox to synch mafia on different computers but it has a side effect that the user who created the dist directory owns it and can create files and subdirectories.

I launch by double clicking on the jar file. If you do something different or have a bat file involved that needs to be checked.

I'm rambling but if things are not working, try giving me a listing of the contents of (user)->AppData->Local->KolMafia->app

Mine looks like (with some entries deleted)

C:\Dropbox\dist>dir
 Volume in drive C is Windows
 Volume Serial Number is D225-3BFB

 Directory of C:\Dropbox\dist

12/11/2022  07:47 AM    <DIR>          .
12/11/2022  07:47 AM    <DIR>          ..
05/13/2015  06:21 AM    <DIR>          buffs
07/05/2021  11:30 AM    <DIR>          ccs
12/11/2022  07:54 AM    <DIR>          chats
08/31/2021  08:40 AM    <DIR>          clan
12/01/2022  08:50 AM    <DIR>          data
08/10/2022  07:09 AM    <DIR>          git
10/23/2022  06:58 AM    <DIR>          images
12/10/2022  05:15 PM        27,288,565 KoLmafia-26995-M.jar
07/05/2021  11:35 AM    <DIR>          planting
12/11/2022  07:29 AM    <DIR>          relay
12/07/2022  12:02 PM    <DIR>          scripts
12/11/2022  08:04 AM    <DIR>          sessions
07/06/2021  03:13 PM    <DIR>          settings
09/11/2022  03:35 PM    <DIR>          svn
              14 File(s)     29,417,421 bytes
              15 Dir(s)  64,132,358,144 bytes free

You should have most of not all of those directories after your first run.