[AnyOS] KSP Mod Admin v2 - Mod install with a few clicks

[MacTee]

@Glyph:

i will think about hosting on sourceforge.

For now you have to use the link from the first post. (I'll add a direkt download link of the prerelease version.

@pet1100:

I think you have downloaded the curseforge version. This is a code only version cause of curseforge don't allow exe files.

Download the version from the first forum post (PR11). In this archive you will find a folder that contains the KSPModAdmin.exe and a SharpCompress.dll.

Copy/extract both to a place you wantand run the exe.

[Glyph]

Would you consider having conflicts solved by priority? So that the list of mods is sorted by the user, and then mods later in the list replace any files of mods earlier in the list. This would make installing mods MUCH easier for me. Being able to unselect certain files is very useful e.g. when mods include different versions of the same DLL, but it's not practical to deselect files in all cases. It would also be a lot simpler to use than the conflict resolver.

Some reasons/examples where this would help:

* When installing a new mod that overwrites files from an old mod, an icon (or text coloring, as it is now) could alert the user that two mods overlap and that they need to be organized.

* Simpler to view dependencies than in the case-by-case conflict resolution. If the mod is later, you know it is prioritized.

* Easier to teach users the basics - it's just drag and drop.

[Glyph]

Another suggestion:

When files conflict and all but one of them has been disabled by the user, show these files (and their parent folders) in purple text instead of orange. If there are still other conflicted files in a folder that haven't been resolved, then the folder can still be orange.

[Pondafarr]

One more suggestion: a "sort by used" in the part lister, so one can easily identify parts that are not listed within craft files. This will allow "debloatification" of one's install without risking a craft.

Did I explain that right?

[MacTee]

@Pondafarr:

good point its on my to do list.

@Glyph:

Thanky for the suggestions! Till now i have not decided how the convlict solver would look/work in the future. Right now i'm working on download link detection improvements for the ModBrowser, the Add dialog and ModPacks import.

I think you can do the priority convlict solving with the current version. Enter a number for sorting in the Note or Version field of a mod, click the column header to sort the mods, activate the override checkbox and proceed all mods. That should install / override the mods on sort order.

[Glyph]

@Glyph:

Thanky for the suggestions! Till now i have not decided how the convlict solver would look/work in the future. Right now i'm working on download link detection improvements for the ModBrowser, the Add dialog and ModPacks import.

I think you can do the priority convlict solving with the current version. Enter a number for sorting in the Note or Version field of a mod, click the column header to sort the mods, activate the override checkbox and proceed all mods. That should install / override the mods on sort order.

I'll give that a try, thanks!

[Glyph]

Hm I have another suggestion.

When merging mods that supply textures, these mods often have the same texture files with different extensions (png, jpg, tga, etc). However, having multiple textures that have the same name but different extensions can lead to problems, e.g. it will sometimes load an undesired texture. It'd be nice if these files were considered conflicting when merging. If it leads to any problems for some mods, it could be an advanced checkbox option.

[BlackSoldierB]

I really like this tool because it can use mods from curse and from the forum as well.

When i try to add an mod from curse that is in my favorites it doesn't except the url.

Example:

Not ok.

http://www.curse.com/ksp-mods/kerbal/220289-kerbal-alarm-clock

Ok:

http://kerbal.curseforge.com/ksp-mods/220289-kerbal-alarm-clock

I also get an error at Astronomers Visual Pack v3 beta url

Edit: It also seems that "favorites" of curse is not equal to "subscriptions" of curseforge.

Edited June 26, 2014 by BlackSoldierB

[MacTee]

@Glyph:

Thanks for the new suggestions =)

When i redo the conflict solving I'll take a look on them!

@BlackSoldierB:

KSP MA only supports downloads from Kerbal CurseForge for now. I'll add curse support later ...

Thanks for the error report with Astronomers Visual Pack and thumps up for adding the URL

I'll have a look on that.

@All:

I recommend to use Kerbal CurseForge as your mod source (less advertising) or the KSP forum.

[rkman]

"Press the "Browse dir" button (...) and select the KSP install folder."

KSP itself can run from a folder with pretty much any name you want (in my case "__ksp-win-0-23-5_win64"), unfortunately this mod manager is more particular about the name of the folder.

[BlackSoldierB]

@MacTee

Ah i thought that CurseForge and Curse are the same, apparently they aren't .

[MacTee]

"Press the "Browse dir" button (...) and select the KSP install folder."

KSP itself can run from a folder with pretty much any name you want (in my case "__ksp-win-0-23-5_win64"), unfortunately this mod manager is more particular about the name of the folder.

I don't have any problems to add a ksp install folder with that name.

What happens? Any error poping up? Could you send me your KSPMA.log, from the folder where kspmodadmin.exe is.

Edited June 29, 2014 by MacTee

[rkman]

I don't have any problems to add a ksp install folder with that name.

What happens? Any error poping up? Could you send me your MSKMA.log, from the folder where kspmodadmin.exe is.

Sorry, false alarm. If only i would have selected the "KSP_win" directory inside my oddly named install folder.

A question though: is there a way to use this mod manager for multiple ksp installations with different mods? I suppose i could just do multiple installs of the manager..

[Teoman2]

Thank god, i didnt know how to delete mods till now

U have made jeb happy

[MacTee]

Sorry, false alarm. If only i would have selected the "KSP_win" directory inside my oddly named install folder.

A question though: is there a way to use this mod manager for multiple ksp installations with different mods? I suppose i could just do multiple installs of the manager..

Sure you can manage multiple KSP installs with one KSP MA just go to the OptionsTab / Paths. There you can add more KSP install folders. You can swap between the added KSP installs just by using the DropDownBox at the top of KSP MA.

[rkman]

Thanks MacTee, that is convenient.

[hakan]

Would it be possible to add github download URLs as well? This seems to be an often-used distribution location, at least for SCANsat ( https://github.com/S-C-A-N/SCANsat/releases ), RemoteTech ( https://github.com/RemoteTechnologiesGroup/RemoteTech/releases ) and others.

Regards,

Hakan

Edited June 30, 2014 by hakan
added url to remotetech

[diomedea]

Download URLs. True, after the closure of Spaceport, there are now more different sites than ever that modders can choose to upload stuff. Unfortunately this "freedom" came with disintegration of a repository, in the interest of users would be better if one or two good repositories are used instead of so many. Won't link mods (will take too long), but beyond Curse/curseforge and Github, very used are Mediafire, Google drive, Dropbox, plus some emerging dedicated sites (Kerbalstuff, Majiir's own domain, Spessport, to name some).

I'm sure it won't be pretty (even if possible) to include separate controls for each different repository with the mod info window. It may be a better choice to allow, instead of the Spaceport controls, any URL to any site, possibly complemented with an access command in case it is required to initiate download.

And yet, unfortunately, most of those non-dedicated repositories don't allow for a single URL with a mod: each link to them is tied to a specific version instead, something that will make impossible any automatic version check.

[MacTee]

I currently redo the url detection for KSP Forum posts. Including detections of Github, Dropbox, Mediafire, SkyDrive, Curse and CurseForge.

I don't think that i will support more than that but we will see

Most likly there will be no "Version Check"/"Mod Update" support for anything else then CurseForge or KSP Forum (later the community Spaceport will be added).

This changes will take a while longer (then I thought) cause of the big impact on other function within KSP MA (like ModPack - Mod downloading) and my lack of time .

[Fire-Dragon-DoL]

I currently redo the url detection for KSP Forum posts. Including detections of Github, Dropbox, Mediafire, SkyDrive, Curse and CurseForge.

I don't think that i will support more than that but we will see

Most likly there will be no "Version Check"/"Mod Update" support for anything else then CurseForge or KSP Forum (later the community Spaceport will be added).

This changes will take a while longer (then I thought) cause of the big impact on other function within KSP MA (like ModPack - Mod downloading) and my lack of time .

Man, I just want to greet you and thanks, this great mod is helping me a lot keeping all mods organized.

If it can reduce your work, you can just use links to zip file instead of managing github/curse/blahblah by yourself.

Whatever, I must admit is a very well done piece of software.

GOOD JOB!

[PringleMan]

I have a question, when you export a modpack, does it save the install information too? For example when you tell it to install the plugin from this mod rather than this mod do to a conflict. I have been unable to tell in my own personal tests.

Along with that, is it possible to tell it to just overwrite things and ignore conflicts? In particular, my set of mods were carefully chosen to not have any actual conflicts, so any listed conflict is pretty much just a shared dependent plugin that is included in both folders. Where I am really running into trouble though is with the things like Better Atmospheres where is depends on a couple of other mods that it merges folders with. After some jiggling I got it to do what I wanted, but for a while the Mod Admin was trying to install one folder or another, but not both merged.

Admittedly this is a pretty easy thing to solve by just manually going in and extracting the folders, but I am trying to come up with an automated process so that I can get some of friends to play DarkMP with me and have them use as little effort as possible.

[MacTee]

Hi PringleMan,

The ModPack should save the current install state at export time and will only install those files that are marked as installed on a import.

If this is not the case let me know!

You can disable the conflict detection so it wont bother you anymore (see Option Tab -> Misc -> Conflict detection on/off).

There is a CheckBox "Override" near the "Proceed ..." buttons, with this CheckBox checked all files will be replaced during processing of a mod.

(This means that the last mod (top down of the treeview) that installs a file will win)

To manually solve conflicting mods that share files remove the destination of one of the mod files that are conflicting.

This will work for folders where no other file from that folder should be installed.

Just unchecking wont work!

If you manually solve the conflicts and export your modpack then, your friends shouldn't have any problems (conflicts).

To test your ModPack you can copy your KSP install folder (to any place you want) and remove all mods from it.

Add the new copy of KSP to the Known Paths of KSP MA (Options -> Paths Tab).

Then import the modpack to this copy.

[PringleMan]

Thank you for your timely response!

I guess I must have been really tired when I was messing with it because I normally am pretty good about spotting menu options like that.

Your mod manager just won the bid for what we will use!

[TheHomebounded]

Hey i keep getting a problem. The mod admin was working then i keep getting this error saying the sharpcompress V=0.10.1.0 could not load or be assembled. any idea why this is happening?

[MacTee]

It sounds like you have moved the KSPModAdmin.exe or you have deleted the SharpCompress.dll from the folder where KSP MA lies.

The SharpCompress.dll must lie next to the KSPModAdmin.exe.