Using CKAN and downloading mods manualy at the same time?

[Cloakedwand72]

Is it safe using CKAN and downloading mods manually at the same time?In one game install?

[ExplorerKlatt]

I haven't had any problems doing this. I have been doing this since I started using ckan 

[Cloakedwand72]

1 hour ago, ExplorerKlatt said:

I haven't had any problems doing this. I have been doing this since I started using ckan 

How can i keep track of downloading other mods not using CKAN ot KSP forums or Curse KSP mod page?

[Superfluous J]

I haven't done it yet but when I finally bother to get all upgraded 1.0.5 (or 1.1 if it takes that long) and finally take the leap into CKAN for reals, I plan to keep a little text file with the name of every mod I installed manually.

[ExplorerKlatt]

2 hours ago, Cloakedwand72 said:

How can i keep track of downloading other mods not using CKAN ot KSP forums or Curse KSP mod page?

Where are you getting mods that aren't on curse or the forums?

[Alshain]

If the mod has a DLL file and CKAN knows it exists, it will identify it.  I tried CKAN for a while, but often the mods on it are out of date from the corresponding forum post or Kerbal Stuff page so I gave up on it.  In any case, don't rely on CKAN to have the latest version of every mod.

[Stone Blue]

Also, I think if you "customize", make changes to, or patch any mods, when CKAN auto-updates them, the changes could be wiped out... I assume CKAN ASKS if you want to update, before it does?... Otherwise I would be afraid of auto-updates, as sometimes mods can break saves when they get updated...

[Cloakedwand72]

2 hours ago, Alshain said:

If the mod has a DLL file and CKAN knows it exists, it will identify it.  I tried CKAN for a while, but often the mods on it are out of date from the corresponding forum post or Kerbal Stuff page so I gave up on it.  In any case, don't rely on CKAN to have the latest version of every mod.

Is Tinker Timer better?

[Alshain]

41 minutes ago, Cloakedwand72 said:

Is Tinker Timer better?

I have no idea what that is.

[nobodyhasthis2]

15 hours ago, Cloakedwand72 said:

Is it safe using CKAN and downloading mods manually at the same time?In one game install?

Yes. The CKAN downloads are in another folder. So any mods you put directly into game data will either be listed as Autodetected or ignored completely by CKAN. I have manual mods installed along side CKAN mods. Either developer builds or personal modifications. 

10 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

I haven't done it yet but when I finally bother to get all upgraded 1.0.5 (or 1.1 if it takes that long) and finally take the leap into CKAN for reals, I plan to keep a little text file with the name of every mod I installed manually.

You will only have to remember mods that are deliberately kept out of the database. Normally experimental / developer builds. See n3h3mias science mods experimental build. Other mods like mech jeb that need patched with every KSP update can be used before final release by downloading from developer site. They can be downloaded and placed directly in the gamedata folder. CKAN will mark them AD to remind you that they are not CKAN downloads.

6 hours ago, Alshain said:

If the mod has a DLL file and CKAN knows it exists, it will identify it.  I tried CKAN for a while, but often the mods on it are out of date from the corresponding forum post or Kerbal Stuff page so I gave up on it.  In any case, don't rely on CKAN to have the latest version of every mod.

Not really and issue now but every user should check the forums and CKAN gives a link to every mod thread to allow this.

This used to be a huge issue when we moved to 1.0.4  With more stable KSP builds authors don't always feel the need to update .version files, or update their mod's metadata on KerbalStuff. Now CKAN has learned to work around this and most mods on CKAN should be the latest version. However as a rule of thumb. I have noticed there is a 24 hour delay between a release on the forums and a change on CKAN. It all depends on how the mod author has done the release. There is also a few mods with odd version numbers that are not sequential. On the whole CKAN does a good job most of the time but those forum links are shown to allow the user to check the forum for the latest feedback.

5 hours ago, Stone Blue said:

Also, I think if you "customize", make changes to, or patch any mods, when CKAN auto-updates them, the changes could be wiped out... I assume CKAN ASKS if you want to update, before it does?... Otherwise I would be afraid of auto-updates, as sometimes mods can break saves when they get updated...

No. It does ask and check locations. 

The mods are downloaded to the CKAN folder and then copied. Manual downloads are just in the Gamedata folder. Of course it requires a user permission to update each individual mod. CKAN policy is that it does not touch files that were not installed through CKAN. So if you manually put a mod into Gamedata then CKAN cannot touch it at all.

There is a downside of protecting folders like this. Some odd mods write their own config files and such that were not in folder when CKAN installed mod first time. As such when the mod is uninstalled CKAN cannot see the config files placed outside it's own folder. So you have to take care of these extra config files if you unistall such a mod.