Pre-release Testers needed

[greebo]

I'm looking for one or two beta mappers who are willing to test the next DarkRadiant "release candidate". I'm considering changing the compiler for the next Win32 release and I want to ensure that no critical bugs are caused by this change.

 

The task is to download the package/installer once I get around to assemble it and to work a few days with it.

 

With working I refer to regular mapping, not just opening the editor, loading a map and move a few things around, save and reload (which is my regular test routine during development). This implies that you must keep in mind to back your work even more often than with a regular release, as I cannot exclude that something might go amiss. This is only a precaution, I'm pretty confident that it will work just as good as the previous releases, just I wanted to warn you.

 

Any volunteers?

[Komag]

I volunteer

 

I'll need instructions how to set it up though...

[greebo]

I'll need instructions how to set it up though...

Of course.

 

Here you go: this is the installer for the test version, I called it 0.9.5 RC1: http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/DarkRadia...t-0.9.5-rc1.exe (old link)

 

Note that the file msvcr71.dll is missing in this package. Either you're lucky and you already got it installed on your system, or you'll have to download it here: http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/DarkRadiant/mscvr71.dll

 

I'm still not sure whether we are allowed to ship it along with the editor or not.

[greebo]

Hold it, I just found that the above release crashes when the clipper is turned on. I'm already looking into that. It's not related to the compiler change, but due to other changes made in the last few weeks.

[Komag]

holding...

 

I would just include the dll, pain in the butt to have to deal with it separately

[greebo]

Ok, the new version is up, the clipper should work again: http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/DarkRadia...t-0.9.5-rc1.exe (old link)

 

I would just include the dll, pain in the butt to have to deal with it separately

I agree that it's a pain, but I don't want to include, unless I can be sure that I'm allowed to do that. I don't want to see DarkRadiant getting into troubles for anything. There are a couple of forum topics on that issue, but each comes to a different conclusion, it seems. Many people just speculate.

[OrbWeaver]

I don't like the idea of shipping Microsoft's DLLs along with the package, especially since everything else is GPL'd. It's probably OK in that Microsoft are not going to sue, but I wouldn't want to do it without being 100% sure it is legal.

[OrbWeaver]

BTW, I've pushed issue #460 out to 0.9.6 since it is non-trivial, so I'm ready to release any time you are.

[greebo]

Yup, I've got everything sorted now, I think. I included a new VC++ project which compiles the libxml2 library from the latest sources (v2.6.30). The other project files have been updated to link against the new library and the previous dependency on msvcr71.dll is gone now.

 

What I can't entirely test is the dependency on msvc80.dll. If this is required, there is a redistributable package freely available for download from Microsoft, aimed to support applications built with VC++ 2005. I can provide a link if that's necessary.

 

Also, I haven't looked into the MinGW build environment yet, this is broken for the moment being, but it won't stop us from releasing DarkRadiant 0.9.5.

 

I'll upload the installer package to the FTP, stay tuned for an edit.

 

edit: here's the Win32 installer: http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/DarkRadia...diant-0.9.5.exe

[greebo]

Angua has discovered another problem: duplicating a brush, moving it around and saving doesn't save the change. The duplicated brush is there, but the translation is not saved for some reason. I'm already investigating this.

[greebo]

I got that fixed now - this was a really stupid bug caused by my changes from a week ago. I mindlessly added a copy constructor to the BrushTokenExporter because the compiler told me to, but I didn't think far enough to let it refer to the newly created brush instead of the one being copied from. I removed that copy constructor entirely now, it isn't needed at all.

 

A new installer is already on FTP: http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/DarkRadia...diant-0.9.5.exe

[Komag]

Okay, I'm going out for a while (Christmas party) but I'll try it out either late tonight or tomorrow

[Komag]

Okay, something is wrong. I deleted all my existing DR stuff (I had never actually installed it before, so there was nothing to uninstall - I deleted the local folder too). I installed the new version, seemed to go fine. I started it up, set some of my preferences, loaded my map, everything seems fine. I messed around with some views and "New XYZ Views" and stuff, seemed find. Then I minimized DR and I got this on my desktop:

 

http://www.shadowdarkkeep.com/oddpics/dr_exe_problem.jpg

 

If I double click on them I they expand up to weird empty grey boxes which are still on top and in the way when I restore DR. I can't manage to do anything now, it's all screwed up.

 

I exited DR (everything went away) and restarted. Now when I minimize I see just an Entity thing and only one DarkRadiant.exe thing. But same thing, if I try to restore DR they pop up as grey boxes in the way, all screwy.

[greebo]

Whoah, that's funky. I can get that on my system here too, this really looks wrong. It seems like the TransientWindow callbacks are getting it completely wrong.

 

I minimised the top window, which caused the child windows to minimise too, which is expected, but they pop up immediately again.

 

The strangest thing is that the Splash screen is also there among these minimised windows, although it was hidden right after startup.

 

I'm investigating this.

[greebo]

I went back to revision 2750, which was before I updated all the GTK+ headers and binaries and the weird behaviour is gone. I'll have to see whether it's the actual headers or if it's the binaries which mess things up. (I hope the latter).

[greebo]

Ok, the GTK+ binaries are back to version 2.10.8, the new ones I added recently are not very good it seems (these were 2.12.3).

 

A new installer is on the FTP: http://208.49.149.118/TheDarkMod/DarkRadia...diant-0.9.5.exe

[Komag]

That seems to fix the problem But now it always crashes when I try to load a map.

 

 

....

 

I tried making a couple rooms, saving it, quitting, then loading that new map, and it worked fine. And now it loads other maps fine, no crash. I quit, restarted, and directly loaded a previous map, no problem now. Dunno what changed, maybe it had to save once? No idea, but now it's fine (so far...)

 

(nice not to have that extra DOS looking window open now)

[Komag]

I tried deleting my local folder, problem surfaced again (crash when trying to load a map), but then I tried loading that new little map and it worked, and then would load other maps after that again.

[greebo]

That seems to fix the problem But now it always crashes when I try to load a map.

....

 

I tried making a couple rooms, saving it, quitting, then loading that new map, and it worked fine. And now it loads other maps fine, no crash. I quit, restarted, and directly loaded a previous map, no problem now. Dunno what changed, maybe it had to save once? No idea, but now it's fine (so far...)

So it's not crashing anymore after you closed DR and restarted once?

 

(nice not to have that extra DOS looking window open now)

Erm, it should be there. Maybe I forgot to change the project settings for the release build. Some error output is still displayed in the console, so I think I will have to re-enable it for the moment being.

 

Is it so annoying?

[greebo]

I tried deleting my local folder, problem surfaced again (crash when trying to load a map), but then I tried loading that new little map and it worked, and then would load other maps after that again.

Ok, so what do I have to do to reproduce that? Do I have to wipe my configuration or just the DarkRadiant installation folder?

[greebo]

Hm, I tried to wipe my configuration as well as re-installing DarkRadiant, I can successfully load maps anytime. What exactly did you do?

[OrbWeaver]

To be honest I prefer not to have a console window on Windows, but I've never found out how to disable it. Users will generally expect a Windows appliction not to load a separate console window, and if the printouts are needed they can always run it manually from a command line.

[Crispy]

To be honest I prefer not to have a console window on Windows, but I've never found out how to disable it.

Compiler command-line switch, I would expect.

 

Edit: Try this page: http://www.irrlicht3d.org/wiki/index.php?n...ngConsoleWindow

[greebo]

I know how to disable it, it's just two clicks in the VC++ project properties.

 

We only have to make sure that the parsing errors (particles, sound shaders, etc.) get redirected to globalOutputStream() before we disable it entirely.

 

If people prefer DarkRadiant without console, I can of course leave it at that for this release, no problem.

 

edit: Anyways, the link above is cool - it shows how to switch off the console without recompiling the EXE.

[Komag]

These are my (lengthy) notes, in which I chase down a couple red herrings, you may want to skip to the end conclusion:

 

----------------------------------------------------------

 

I have a previous map called "komag_citadel03"

 

1 - I go to my "C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data" folder and delete "DarkRadiant"

2 - I click on my DR desktop startup shortcut icon

3 - I see DR with "unnamed.map" and floating windows.

4 - I hit P and set some of my preferences (grid, camera, ortho, clipper, Split view, etc) and click on Save.

5 - I close DR, then restart it so the just-changed preferences (mainly Split view) will work.

6 - It opens with Split view, I adjust the window sizes how I like them

7 - I try to open "komag_citadel03.map"... and it works fine! What the...?

 

I repeated process, but restarted computer after DarkRadiant delete.

When started new DR I only selected "Split", not set other preferences.

Closed and restarted DR, try to load komag_citadel03, crash.

Restarted DR, set rest of preferences, closed, restarted, load map, works fine.

 

Delete DarkRadiant, start DR, load map, works fine.

 

Delete DarkRadiant, start DR, set preferences Split, close, restart, load map, works fine.

 

Delete DarkRadiant, restart computer, start DR, load map, works fine!?

 

Delete DarkRadiant, restart computer, start DR, set preferences Split, close, restart, load map, works fine!??!?!??

 

Delete DarkRadiant, restart computer full, start DR, set preferences Split, close, restart, delete extra window, resize split windows, load map, CRASH!

 

Delete DarkRadiant, restart computer norm, start DR, set preferences Split, close, restart, delete extra window, resize split windows, load map, CRASH! (So it appears it has nothing to do with the full vs normal restart)

 

Delete DarkRadiant, no restart computer, start DR, set preferences Split, close, restart, delete extra window, resize split windows, load map, CRASH! (Hmm)

 

Simply restarted DR, delete extra window, resize split windows, load map, CRASH!

 

Simply restarted DR, delete extra window, load map, CRASH!

 

Simply restarted DR, load map, WORKS FINE.

 

Delete DarkRadiant, start DR, load map, WORKS FINE.

 

Delete DarkRadiant, start DR, set preferences Split, close, restart, delete extra window, load map, CRASH!

 

It appears that to reproduce the crash you don't need to restart. You just delete the "C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data" DarkRadiant folder, then start up DR from the shortcut, set the preference to "Split" view, close DR, start up DR (and see split view with extra window on top), close that extra window, try to load map. I tried with city_area, graveyard, snow, all crash the same way. Even my new tiny test map thing crashes the same way. It seems to boil down to that extra ortho window on top of the split view windows. If I leave it there, load a map, THEN close it, it's fine.

 

Aha, I made it even easier! After having a split view working properly, if I simply select "View" - "New XY View" to place an extra floating ortho view, then close DR, then restart, delete that floating view, then load map, CRASH!