OpenRocket: packaged installers for Windows and Mac to solve all your Java problems

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neil_w said:
No, not normal. Did you follow this instruction:
The application uses a standard installer, but it doesn't (at present) provide a shortcut on the desktop or the start menu. After installing, the actual executable file for the application is installed into your user/AppData/Local/OpenRocket folder. So you can go in there, right click the "OpenRocket.exe" file, and create a shortcut, pin it to the taskbar and/or pin it in the start menu, whatever.
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Click to expand...
Where is that instruction? The web page http://wiki.openrocket.info/Downloading_&_Installing simply says
Windows

OpenRocket 15.03 Installer for Windows

Download the installer, run it to install OpenRocket, much like other Windows installers.
Click to expand...

No hint on how to run the program after it's installed. It took me quite a while to find the executable under AppData/Local (Windows apparently normally hides AppData from user and refuses to search it for applications?). OTOH, I'm a Linux persons who rarely uses Windows. Maybe regular Windows users know to look there for installed applications.

It would be awfully nice if the installer offered to create a start menu entry, a desktop shortcut, and set up the association with the .ork file suffix. Though I rarely use Windows, I do package for Windows some applications I developed and maintain, and all of the installation systems I've used made it trivial to do those standard post-install tasks.
 
Grant_Edwards said:
Where is that instruction? The web page http://wiki.openrocket.info/Downloading_&_Installing simply says

No hint on how to run the program after it's installed. It took me quite a while to find the executable under AppData/Local (Windows apparently normally hides AppData from user and refuses to search it for applications?). OTOH, I'm a Linux persons who rarely uses Windows. Maybe regular Windows users know to look there for installed applications.

It would be awfully nice if the installer offered to create a start menu entry, a desktop shortcut, and set up the association with the .ork file suffix. Though I rarely use Windows, I do package for Windows some applications I developed and maintain, and all of the installation systems I've used made it trivial to do those standard post-install tasks.
Click to expand...
That info is in the first post of this thread.
 
Grant_Edwards said:
It would be awfully nice if the installer offered to create a start menu entry, a desktop shortcut, and set up the association with the .ork file suffix. Though I rarely use Windows, I do package for Windows some applications I developed and maintain, and all of the installation systems I've used made it trivial to do those standard post-install tasks.
Click to expand...
I made these installers in an unofficial capacity to solve a problem. The Windows installer is not great, as you correctly point out. Future releases will be distributed with "official" installers, which should be better behaved.
 
neil_w said:
No, it absolutely should be added. I didn't even remember that the wiki had been updated. I will do that.
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I'd be happy to do that — I just didn't want to step on anybody's toes if there was a reason that it hadn't been done. I'd also be happy to have a go at creating an installer that (by default) creates a start-menu entry, a desktop shortcut, and creates the file extension association. However, I know little about Java runtimes (especially on Windows), and would need pointers to all of the "source" files and a specification for where they need to be installed.
 
Grant_Edwards said:
I'd be happy to do that — I just didn't want to step on anybody's toes if there was a reason that it hadn't been done. I'd also be happy to have a go at creating an installer that (by default) creates a start-menu entry, a desktop shortcut, and creates the file extension association. However, I know little about Java runtimes (especially on Windows), and would need pointers to all of the "source" files and a specification for where they need to be installed.
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Thanks for the offer, but no need as the work for the installer for the next version of OR has already been done (not by me). And I've updated the wiki.

On the other hand, if you want to contribute to the OR project in general we can use all the help we can get. :)
 
I'm new to OpenRocket and new to this forum. I'm running a Mac running Mojave, 10.14.6. I downloaded and unpacked the installation package. I also downloaded and installed the most recent version of java. When I launch OpenRocket, I get the splash screen and then the program dies. I asked on another forum, and it was suggested I buy a cheap PC. Is OpenRocket supposed to run on a Mac? If so, what am I doing wrong?
 
Macrophage42 said:
I'm new to OpenRocket and new to this forum. I'm running a Mac running Mojave, 10.14.6. I downloaded and unpacked the installation package. I also downloaded and installed the most recent version of java.
Click to expand...
When using the packaged installer you do not need to install system Java (in fact it completely ignores it); that's the point of the packaged installer. Installing Java doesn't *hurt*, mind you, but also be aware that OR 15.03 cannot run on the "latest version", if you were to try to simply run the OpernRocket.jar file on its own.

Just to be absolutely, 100% clear here: you are using the packaged installer linked in the first post in this thread, and *not* the raw OpenRocket.jar file?
When I launch OpenRocket, I get the splash screen and then the program dies.
Click to expand...
Please define what you mean by "program dies". If it's throwing anything up on the screen, please include a screenshot.
I asked on another forum, and it was suggested I buy a cheap PC.
Click to expand...
Please be sure to ignore those folks in the future. OR runs fine on the Mac.
 
Click Report..., then copy the contents and paste them into a PM to me.

Again, please confirm that you are using the packaged installer and *not* the JAR file.
 
Silly me.

I kept trying to download and re-download from the openrocket.info website. The proper place to download the packaged installer is from a link buried in this forum. Why isn't the installer on openrocket.info ?

Anyway, it works now. Thanks.
 
JoePfeiffer said:
The issue has now been addressed. The download button now goes to the packages page, which gives all the various download options and strongly recommends against using the .jar. https://openrocket.info/packages.html
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The link to the Windows installer on the packages page needs a spot check. At openrocket.info, the link is:
https://github.com/openrocket/openrocket/releases/download/release-15.03/OpenRocket-15.03.exe
But the working one (from page 1 of this thread) is:
https://github.com/openrocket/openr.../release-15.03/OpenRocket-15.03-installer.exe
 
Bill Hanson said:
Bug report: OR crashes to desktop while performing File > open or File > Save
Windows 11, used installer package in pinned post. Old .jar version doesn't launch at all (did under Win 10)
Detailed report sent to [email protected]
Click to expand...

First, are you running under Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro?
Second, please open the "OpenRocket 15.03 Properties" tab and provide the "Target" text string and the "Start in" text string.
Third, did you attempt to customize the installation process in any way (or are you running the .jar file)?
 
Bill Hanson said:
Bug report: OR crashes to desktop while performing File > open or File > Save
Windows 11, used installer package in pinned post. Old .jar version doesn't launch at all (did under Win 10)
Detailed report sent to [email protected]

Note: tried to run under Windows compatibility mode, no help. Tried to run as administrator, no help.
View attachment 500717

View attachment 500716
Click to expand...
Do you happen to have the "God Mode" icon on the desktop?
https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/enable-god-mode-windows-11
This is one way to crash the open/save dialog of OR.

Reinhard
 
Reinhard said:
Do you happen to have the "God Mode" icon on the desktop?

This is one way to crash the open/save dialog of OR.

Reinhard
Click to expand...

Yes, as a matter of fact I do -- for the past 3-4 years.
Why does that crash the open/save now when it didn't before?

At any rate, I'm downloading OR on my Win 11 laptop as we speak (no God Mode) and I'll report back if I get a better result.
 
Reinhard said:
Do you happen to have the "God Mode" icon on the desktop?

This is one way to crash the open/save dialog of OR.

Reinhard
Click to expand...

Okay! That did the trick. Worked on my laptop, so I deleted God Mode from my desktop, rebooted and "viola!" Works as advertised on both machines.

I'm thinking that since I was running off the .jar version under Win 10, this never triggered the issue with God Mode, which from what you are saying, has been there all along? I'm also taking a course that requires me to program in Java, so I'd changed to another jre, which may also have something to do with this.

If you have time, could you drop me a note offline (or point me to some documentation) about why God Mode causes this issue -- I'd always understood it to just be an undocumented shortcut menu within the Control Panel.
 
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