Stone Blue

If you dont want to keep WinRar installed, you can easily use it convert your existing .rar files to .zip, then uninstall the program... Although .rar seems to be a better compressed format than .zip, as all the .rar I have seen are smaller file size than the same files archived as .zips...

Is it just me, or is the download link in the OP missing or broken?

Yes I'm no expert, so I couldnt even guess how fast it runs compared to a HDD (or SSD) install... I CAN say, it ran beautifully for me off a flashdrive, even using a USB 2.0 port...I have an older laptop with i5 2450M and only 6GB RAM... (I couldnt even imagine how happy I would be running KSP with 12GB RAM at its disposal... ) I only say Lubuntu, because thats pretty much the extent of my limited experience with Linux... I gather from other responses I've seen on the forums, that Mint is also popular with people wanting Linux for KSP... (I had tried Kubuntu first, but the install didnt go very well for me, so I fell back to my second choice, and havent looked back since... Mint was my 3rd choice when I was window shopping thru distros...) If you dont need the bells and whistles of a pretty desktop interface, then try to find a Linux distro that uses little system resources, so KSP can use the RAM instead... My Lubuntu install only uses 250MB of RAM at idle...Vs 1.2GB on a typical Win8.1 install... The "slimmest" RAM usage I could get on a WIn OS for KSP, was @ 750MB on Win7... I'll also add, running KSP on Linux is no "miracle, perfect, higher performing" way to play KSP vs on WIn/Mac... For me, the obvious increase in stabillity (MUCH less crashing), and the removal of the RAM ceiling, so I can add many more mods than on Windows, is enough to make me happier than a pig in poop... Just be aware, that, at least for me, in game frame rates, ship part counts, and graphics are all pretty comparable to what I get in Windows...MAYBE slightly better, but not much... Also, in WIndows, I was crashing at 3.75-4.25 total RAM usage... If I add enough mods, or even install Scatterer or the like, I'll STILL crash on Linux... But on Linux it's usually around the 5-5.2GB RAM usage (I only have 5.8GB usable installed)...

If running Linux off a flashdrive doesnt work for you, and you end up dual-booting by installing it on the computer, AND since you only want it to play KSP, I would defiantely just make a partition for it on your HDD... I'm still skeptical that running KSP from an SSD vs HDD doesnt really offer any in-game performance gains...Beyond shaving some time of the game load times... And Linux (at least Lubuntu), is SOOOO much less resource intensive than Windows, that just running Linux at on the slowest hardware still will blow your socks off, coming from Windows... If running Linux off a flashdrive doesnt work for you, and you end up dual-booting by installing it on the computer, AND since you only want it to play KSP, I would defiantely just make a partition for it on your HDD... I'm still skeptical that running KSP from an SSD vs HDD doesnt really offer any in-game performance gains...Beyond shaving some time of the game load times... And Linux (at least Lubuntu), is SOOOO much less resource intensive than Windows, that just running Linux at all on the slowest hardware still will blow your socks off, coming from Windows...

If you want Linux ONLY to play KSP, you can actually run Linux (and mayb KSP), from a flashdrive, WITHOUT putting anything on your SSD/HDDs...

As to launching crafts in water: Firespitter has a part that you attach that will launch craft in water near KSC... I was hoping Snnjo had the coords for where it launches, in the part.cfg, so it could maybe be changed... But all there is is a custom part module, so I guess launch coords are hard-wired: MODULE { name = FSmoveCraftAtLaunch moveAtLaunch = True timer = 12.0 }

Theres also Targetron Continued and I'm not sure if this one fits what was being asked for, but also Switch Active Vessel

Wow... Another great, small, simple, but OH, SO USEFUL mod that I cant believe hasnt gotten more love.... And yes, i 2nd that it worx in 1.0.2, 1.0.4, & 1.0.5.....

And I for one CERTAINLY appreciate your work VERY much! I was able to go even darker... (The more black on my screen the better! )

@123nick I checked thru my hoard of mods & configs, and I found a config that supposedly adds RT to all unmanned command pods/cores. Its in the below spoiler... Unfortunately, i dont know who authored it, and if I'm wrong in posting it, someone please LMK and I will remove it. Also, just for giggles, heres a few pics of the old MacroDish Sr from the original RT... 1st pic is closed, deactivated, pics 2-5 are of it "animating" open...Pic 6, shows the two joints where I think it rotated to track its target... It yawed at the bottom "plate", and IIRC, pitched at the top joint at the back of the dish...

You MIGHT be able to use HyperEdit to launch from specific coords... I havent tried it...

I'm no expert, but I'll give it a try... Your first question: I dont believe so... I know the OLD RemoteTech had an awesome, animated antenna dish, that pointed at and tracked its target... From what I gather, something changed in the game engine, WAAYYY back pre-0.20(?), where the "tracking" module was removed, or changed, or whatever... I'm guessing it would be no simple task to get that functionality back, or we probably would have a FEW tracking dishes like that in the current game... As to adding RT to all command pods, yes, a simple MM .cfg should be able to do that... You could even specify exactly WHAT pods you wanted to add it to, if not all of them... Such a .cfg may already exist...I'm not sure... Now, I'm sure someone who knows better will chime in if I got that all wrong...lol

^^ Thanx Trann... I have a thing for trying to keep old, little-known mods alive, and from disappearing into obscurity... So I'll try to "bump" them if nobody has posted in a long time... lol Its actually also peaked my interest in learning to 3d model and edit & create config files... I've actually gotten some old parts from obsolete mods to work in 1.0.5 for myself, where configs just needed to be fixed or re-created... I'm kind of surprised with THIS mod...Its such a simple, low hardware resource using mod, and "I" definately find it useful for differentiating between very similar craft in the same SOI, I cant believe more people dont use it... It saves me lots of screen changes switching into/out of craft, trying to find the one I want...Especially since there's the existing problem of supposed crashes due to an accumulation of scene changes in the game, due to garbage collection... I mean theres only SO much info you can put in a craft's name, to differentiate it from another, especially if they are basically of the same "class"...And especially if you havent played recently...Trying to remember which was which... I DO wish it had a few more features, but....

^^ THANX!

Wow... No recent activity... Well, just thought I would post that this seems to be working fine in 1.0.5 ... BOTH in Windows and Linux installs...

^^ Thanx! I admit I did not take too much time looking... Just noticed there was no link in the usual places...

Ummm... as to deleting all parts except the cubic strut... What is the part folder/name for it?

Yup...its quite worthless in it's current state... I also notice there doesnt seem to be a link, or a way to search for specific forum members... To use Google specifically for the forums, just add this text to the search box, along with your search keywords: site:forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com

@amankd, I see you've included the example Ships directory in the .zip... Also the Firespitter plugin and FSFuelSwitchTweakscale.cfg... With the current folder structure in the .zip, there may be confusion for people installing the mod... Might I suggest restructuring the .zip with a GameData folder and Ships folder, with only RetroFuture and Firespitter folders inside the GameData.... Then of course the Firespitter.dll & FSFuel .cfg would go in the Firespitter folder... Also, then people could drop the Ships folder into the saves/ folder... This would keep from creating TWO separate copies of Firespitter, if someone already has it installed, and also, if you keep the most current vers., would keep from having two different versions of Firespitter...

My first (and successful) attempt at modelling a very simple part, and getting a "feel" for modelling, I used Wings 3D... Also free.. Its quite a bit less complicated, and a bit more intuitive... I found Beale's tutorial to be the best one for Wings: Beginner's Part Modding tutorial If you decide on Blender, Taniwha's Blender .mu Import/Export Tool can come in handy as well...

Might i add from recent personal experience, that making ANIMATED parts, also adds another level of complexity...

Yeah, on an asymetrical ship like that, I'm not surprised you had issues... Have you ever heard of Kerbal Joint Reinforcement ?

Well, hopefully it will take nothing more than a simple MM patch to DISABLE this, (if not included stock), for those of us who LIKE creating, and using relay networks... I know its on hold, and am not sure if it worx for 1.0.5, but a "preview" of what it might be like to play with Ground Stations scattered around Kerbin, there's the KerbinSide Ground Control mod: https://kerbalstuff.com/mod/1073/Kerbin-Side%20Ground-Control

@AntiMatter001 Actually, thats exactly the way I got interested in giving it a try... I had never made a 3D model in my life, or edited, or created any .cfg files before frequenting the KSP forums... (Granted I've only done a couple actual models so far...)

Its in the Engine category... Called Munar Descent Stage... Gold colored, with thin tubular legs sticking UP from all 4 corners... And @Lack, I'm on 1.0.5 in Linux, and I just launched the MEM by itself on the pad, and everything seems fine... Engines on both the Asc. & Desc. stages were shutdown... Kinda disappointing to activate either at full throttle, and not have anything go flying into the air....The MEM didnt even give a tiny wobble...lol Granted i didnt give it a full shake-down, tho...