1 small complaint about new version upgrades

[jscharpf]

Both times I upgraded FSpassengers to the next version, all of my sounds were overwritten so I had to download the sounds again.
This included both the music on the ground and the sounds when the people are loading, and also the attendants..

Is there a way to avoid this, so I don't have to download the sounds each time I upgrade?

Thanks

Jeff

[olseric]

Yes. Back them up before you install it, then after it is installed, put your backup back into the FSP sound directory.

[SWAFO]

Without a patching utility, every upgrade of FSP is like a new version to install.

[Needle]

That's what I do, completely backyp the entire FSPassengers folder. After installing the new version I put back the old files (like sound
etc.), but what will happen if there are new sounds included in the update? I'll never know, because I have written them over with my old
sounds. Do you understand where I'm going?

I'd prefer a patch utility to overwrite just what is needed.

Thank you,
Arthur.

[jscharpf]

That was kind of where I was going with my original post, but really it's not a major complaint. Only a small inconvenience for a really
great add on.

Jeff

[SWAFO]

I would prefer a patch as well. I've voiced these concerns to Dan (the designer), however it seems it much more of a hastle since he
stores the file as one on his PC. He doesn't keep individual updates, and just puts them all into one.

[DanSteph]

it's not possible at all to do a patch system for a things that is so open than FsP, (user editable)
still you'll end with erased and replaced file...

A reliable system would be to construct a database of all files and flags them and the installer
take this database in account to update or not files.

But as there would need a lot of manual editing of this database ("vital file", "don't update if user have edited his file" etc etc)
you can imagine how much error and bug can be introduced into such system, (FsP have 950 files, thanks for the work)
plus the code that would be huge to test all case plus the time to develop this...

This would lead also to people all have different files version,
A pain and a call for errors....

The sound folder is one that isn't included in the "backup before update"
because it take a lot of place and this backup would be useless in most case.

Also a pure patch system is a pain, in some month new user would need to
download the base than apply patch 1 patch 2 patch 3 patch 4... etc etc...
Of course one can make only one patch but then you'll be back to the first case
in some month.

Now wich sound file did you edited ? if it's a crewpack you should put it
in another crew folder, this way it will never be erased...

Let me know ?

Dan

[Sovek]

I suggest this, to keep size down, offer an .exe that has the basics, no sounds or payload models, that way those of us on dial-up dont have to spend
several hours waiting for the download to finish. plus it wouldnt overide my payload models (namley the bravo I have pressurized.)

[DanSteph]

Your payload model is avalaible in the "save_before_backup" directory...
simply copy it back, this backup is done for such case...

with your simple basic installer were do I put the new file ?
in some month how can I know wich user have the nn version or the xx version
that need this or that file ?

About 56k, FsP do already a lot of things but there is a limit.
With a bit of thinking and two click most people can think on their own and get
all their files back in 5 secondes. If I must take in account all the possible
case it would end with an installer with as much line of code than FsP himself.
One can't have the milk, the car that deliver the milk, the cow, the butter and the money of the butter.

One good solution anyway would be that I don't release any new version: no problems anymore.

Dan



Post Edited ( 09-06-05 04:51 )

[DanSteph]

jscharpf wrote:
Both times I upgraded FSpassengers to the next version, all of my sounds were overwritten so I had to download the sounds again.
This included both the music on the ground and the sounds when the people are loading, and also the attendants..
Is there a way to avoid this, so I don't have to download the sounds each time I upgrade?
Jeff

There is a simple soluition to that at least for the crewpack:

new music:

copy the default directory in Sound/crewpack and rename it "mymusic"
copy your music into it et voila: you ahve the defaut voice pack with your music
and this folder would never be overwritten.

Same goes for your custom attendant sound or any custom voicepack
simply copy them in folder that aren't named as pack in the base install.

About sound of people loading I'm affraid anyway that FsP will always erase them
do you use the "nico derk pack" ? or other sound ?

Anyway in this case keep those sound handy in another place and copy
them back each time you upgrade.

Dan

[SWAFO]

I'm sensing a little agitation Dan. Maybe a break is in order? Go ahead, take a week off. We won't tell

I no longer have dial up, but I remember what it was like on dial up. I never knew if the file would finish downloading, or disconnect me
before it finished. Maybe you could offer a few different download parts (2-3MB) for those on dial up (much like you did for me during beta
testing). I'm sure you'd attract at least a few more customers.

[jscharpf]

man I didn't mean to start a war lol. I had no idea that this post had a life of it's own

As I stated in an earlier post, I have no problem keeping back up files. The only reason I posted my original message was because I had
lost all the add on music that I downloaded..

I'm not worried about it because I will have it backed up next time...

so.. relax , have a beer..


Jeff

[SWAFO]

You didn't start a war. lol. I don't see where you got that idea from!

[DanSteph]

SWAFO wrote:
I no longer have dial up, but I remember what it was like on dial up. I never knew if the file would finish downloading, or disconnect me
before it finished. Maybe you could offer a few different download parts (2-3MB) for those on dial up (much like you did for me during beta
testing). I'm sure you'd attract at least a few more customers.

Your dialup connexion was completely unreliable FSP can't fix that, I used to download more than 100mo on 56k without problems
also on the beta site you were not able to use getright and such resume program because of the download protection
wich is not the case on the FsP site.

Dan

[SWAFO]

I understand that my dial up connection wasn't reliable. Luckily that's in the past. However, I'm sure there are others out there with
unreliable dial up connections (by the way, Getright never worked right at the FSP site for me for some reason). It wouldn't be too hard to
split the file in 8 or 9 parts for people on dial up though, would it? Perhaps someone else could do it and upload it to Avsim? I know
there are a few download-splitters out there.