Forums » Suggestions
Mac Version: move things out of application bundle
as discussed in this thread and suggested by incarnate, here's a discussion as to where things ought to be moved, for the mac client.
currently, every artefacts and files of the game is stored within the main application bundle. this causes issues on machine where two different users might want to have a different setup (aka, dad & son have different binding when they play) and also enforces extra file system manipulation to access regular files like screen dumps and the like.
here's my suggestion:
the application's runtime working directory is that of the main executable. eg, something usually along the lines of:
/Applications/Vendetta.app/
in my case, it's even farther because I keep multiple OSes but one home directory w/ 3rd party stuff:
/Volumes/Data/XData/Apps/Games/Vendetta.app/
A quick-and-simple solution to at least move the files out of the Vendetta.app bundle is to set the working directory (or runtime base path) of files to the user's
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/
directory. For a one-shot deal, this would be acceptable. arguably, a more organized layout could be envisioned:
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/navroutes
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/plugins
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/missions/*missions.txt
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/notes/*notes.txt
ideally, all screen dumps should be saved at
~/Desktop/
all log files should be catenated in
~/Library/Logs/vendetta-Online.log
wgaf.cfg should be saved into/as:
~/Library/Preferences/com.vendetta-online.wgaf.cfg
(lets not go as far as saving it as a plist file for simplicity, but it would be nice...)
the rest is fine. unless my current vo.app is outdated (possible but even if i currently dont play, i keep it updated)
the above layout would let us use normal mac admin tools to dig/search error logs, prefs and make vo multi-user friendly on machines where users without admin rights (eg, my son) could use the vo application from his own account, with the added benefit of letting us use different binds, plug-ins, key binding and account info.
currently, every artefacts and files of the game is stored within the main application bundle. this causes issues on machine where two different users might want to have a different setup (aka, dad & son have different binding when they play) and also enforces extra file system manipulation to access regular files like screen dumps and the like.
here's my suggestion:
the application's runtime working directory is that of the main executable. eg, something usually along the lines of:
/Applications/Vendetta.app/
in my case, it's even farther because I keep multiple OSes but one home directory w/ 3rd party stuff:
/Volumes/Data/XData/Apps/Games/Vendetta.app/
A quick-and-simple solution to at least move the files out of the Vendetta.app bundle is to set the working directory (or runtime base path) of files to the user's
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/
directory. For a one-shot deal, this would be acceptable. arguably, a more organized layout could be envisioned:
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/navroutes
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/plugins
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/missions/*missions.txt
~/Library/Application\ Support/Vendetta-Online/notes/*notes.txt
ideally, all screen dumps should be saved at
~/Desktop/
all log files should be catenated in
~/Library/Logs/vendetta-Online.log
wgaf.cfg should be saved into/as:
~/Library/Preferences/com.vendetta-online.wgaf.cfg
(lets not go as far as saving it as a plist file for simplicity, but it would be nice...)
the rest is fine. unless my current vo.app is outdated (possible but even if i currently dont play, i keep it updated)
the above layout would let us use normal mac admin tools to dig/search error logs, prefs and make vo multi-user friendly on machines where users without admin rights (eg, my son) could use the vo application from his own account, with the added benefit of letting us use different binds, plug-ins, key binding and account info.
Screenshots should follow a slightly different naming scheme if they're going to just be dumped onto the desktop directly; perhaps a timestamp in the filename?
currently, they're named "dump0001.png".
i suggest:
"Vendetta-Online image 1.png"
i suggest:
"Vendetta-Online image 1.png"
Why not put them in the Vendetta App Support folder? It'd create less clutter for people who take a lot of screenshots that way. Also, it'd be easier to find things if they were all grouped into a single folder hierarchy, so wgaf and errors.log would both be in the Vendetta App Support folder somewhere.
VOKB had an interesting screenshot naming scheme. It overrode the default filename and placed it in a series of nested folders, for example:
$VENDETTA_PATH/Vendetta.app/screenshots/Deneb/K-5/2007-6-30_17-18-08.png
That might be a bit on the 'overkill' side, but it was very effective for sorting things.
$VENDETTA_PATH/Vendetta.app/screenshots/Deneb/K-5/2007-6-30_17-18-08.png
That might be a bit on the 'overkill' side, but it was very effective for sorting things.
Very overkill indeed.
Slime, the reason for the desktop is that it's the OS's location for such transient items and the actual location for any system screenshots. Users are expected to actually do something with them rather immediately such as to mail, IM, edit or archive them.
Slime, the reason for the desktop is that it's the OS's location for such transient items and the actual location for any system screenshots. Users are expected to actually do something with them rather immediately such as to mail, IM, edit or archive them.
I don't want my entire desktop to be full of .pngs after a few hours of fullscreen Vendetta.
I vote desktop as well. You aren't supposed to keep them for eternity. You're supposed to do something with them once you finish playing.
I do agree with slime73 about the log file going in the support directory though. It would make it easier to find.
I do agree with slime73 about the log file going in the support directory though. It would make it easier to find.
I don't like the idea of any app throwing shit all around my system for no good reason. Why not dump all this trash into the same folder the application is in? All the ease-of-use benefits and none of the pointless clutter.
In any well-managed system, users wouldn't have write permissions to /Applications. So user data shouldn't go there. That's reason enough for me.
I don't see why MAC users should be the only folk to benefit from the "multiple people using VO on 1 computer", Linux is currently the only OS where the users home dir is used to store stuff. On a UAC account controlled Vista machine for example, it would be a lot easier if VO wrote to %APPDATA%\Vendetta-Online (Like I have suggested in the past).
On an XP machine, this would simply allow more than one user to use the same PC, but on a Vista machine, this would mean A) I only have to install VO as an admin, I do not need to run it as one and B) If UAC is turned on, and the Administrator bit is not set, when the PC restarts, the stuff VO creates is not deleted.
Anyways, just my 2 penny's worth.
On an XP machine, this would simply allow more than one user to use the same PC, but on a Vista machine, this would mean A) I only have to install VO as an admin, I do not need to run it as one and B) If UAC is turned on, and the Administrator bit is not set, when the PC restarts, the stuff VO creates is not deleted.
Anyways, just my 2 penny's worth.
Linux is currently the only OS where the users home dir is used to store stuff
er... no... mac as well.
martin, logs should go with every other system logs. if you can't find logs using apple's Console application, with it's nifty search features in there as well, you're in for therapy.
what i'm suggesting is normal system behavior. not my own personal preference. (although i do preffer when things are done in an orderly and expected way).
also yoda, this isn't a suggestion that things be done differently for mac only. the subject came up in another thread that some stuff was not at their right place for the mac. i'd suggest you start a similar linux thread where you could be more specific about linux normal layout of things (eg, /var/log ?). but point taken: things are not where they're supposed to be. on any platform.
er... no... mac as well.
martin, logs should go with every other system logs. if you can't find logs using apple's Console application, with it's nifty search features in there as well, you're in for therapy.
what i'm suggesting is normal system behavior. not my own personal preference. (although i do preffer when things are done in an orderly and expected way).
also yoda, this isn't a suggestion that things be done differently for mac only. the subject came up in another thread that some stuff was not at their right place for the mac. i'd suggest you start a similar linux thread where you could be more specific about linux normal layout of things (eg, /var/log ?). but point taken: things are not where they're supposed to be. on any platform.
Linux is currently the only OS where the users home dir is used to store stuff
er... no... mac as well.
Really? cos I thought this thread was about VO not using the user area for the VO install, where as in Linux, its already stored in /home/user/bin ? :P I'm pretty sure that on a mac, its all kept in the VO package.
also yoda, this isn't a suggestion that things be done differently for mac only. the subject came up in another thread that some stuff was not at their right place for the mac. i'd suggest you start a similar linux thread where you could be more specific about linux normal layout of things (eg, /var/log ?). but point taken: things are not where they're supposed to be. on any platform.
Did you even read my post? Or did you just see me mention Linux? Cos my suggestion is about Wrongdoze, and Linux's default install location for VO is fine (its in the user directory). My point is, this is a multi platform game, so if any changes are gunna be done like this, they may as well fix it on other platforms too. And I'd prefer the VO error log to be in the VO directory, /var/logs is for system stuff.
Ninny.
er... no... mac as well.
Really? cos I thought this thread was about VO not using the user area for the VO install, where as in Linux, its already stored in /home/user/bin ? :P I'm pretty sure that on a mac, its all kept in the VO package.
also yoda, this isn't a suggestion that things be done differently for mac only. the subject came up in another thread that some stuff was not at their right place for the mac. i'd suggest you start a similar linux thread where you could be more specific about linux normal layout of things (eg, /var/log ?). but point taken: things are not where they're supposed to be. on any platform.
Did you even read my post? Or did you just see me mention Linux? Cos my suggestion is about Wrongdoze, and Linux's default install location for VO is fine (its in the user directory). My point is, this is a multi platform game, so if any changes are gunna be done like this, they may as well fix it on other platforms too. And I'd prefer the VO error log to be in the VO directory, /var/logs is for system stuff.
Ninny.
ah. what you meant was:
"Linux is currently the only OS where Vendetta-Online uses the users home dir to store stuff."
ninny back to you.
"Linux is currently the only OS where Vendetta-Online uses the users home dir to store stuff."
ninny back to you.
VO's current set up on the Mac is okay, it just needs some organization to make it approachable.
Vendetta folder (not app bundle)
- Vendetta Client.app
- Vendetta Updater.app
- Screenshots (folder)
- Plugins (folder)
- Data (or media.rlb)
- Settings (folder)
- - Account specific
- - - Character specific
Since Vendetta Online is cross platform, the organization of the game resources should be similar across all platforms. Keeping the experience consistent means instructions on how to get to screenshots, or to install plugins, will remain the same and cause less confusion.
Vendetta folder (not app bundle)
- Vendetta Client.app
- Vendetta Updater.app
- Screenshots (folder)
- Plugins (folder)
- Data (or media.rlb)
- Settings (folder)
- - Account specific
- - - Character specific
Since Vendetta Online is cross platform, the organization of the game resources should be similar across all platforms. Keeping the experience consistent means instructions on how to get to screenshots, or to install plugins, will remain the same and cause less confusion.