Installation Wizard

[pvdk]

I have been working on a separate Morrowind installation wizard, which helps the user to install and set-up Morrowind for OpenMW to use.
My intention is to have it replace the current installation stuff in the launcher. The wizard will be started when the launcher is run for the first time. Also, the user is able to start it later by going to the "Settings" tab in the launcher:

Spoiler: Show

Settings tab, not yet in the branch:

Right now It's nearing completion, the only thing not yet done is Morrowind.ini updating and importing.
However, I would like to get some input and hopefully some testers!

Also, maybe some graphics guy could make me some icons and backgrounds for the first and the last page.

The code can be found in my repository on GitHub.

More screenshots:

Spoiler: Show

When new installation is chosen:


When existing installation is chosen:








Note: this page won't show on new installations, as soon as .ini support is implemented:

[Zini]

From the top to the bottom:

Settings tab, not yet in the branch:

I suggest to change the wording of the buttons. "Run Installation Wizard" -> "Rerun Installation Wizard". This indicates that you are modifying an existing installation. Same for "Run Settings Importer".

"Morrowind installation language" is a bit cryptic. I presume that is the --encoding switch? Maybe rename it into "Legacy Character Encoding". This makes it both clear what it is and that it won't be used for new content files (produced with OpenCS 1.1 and newer). And maybe the combo box should also give the value of the encoding switch (in parenthesis)?

Select Installation Method Window

Change the wording from "Install to a new location" to "Install Morrowind to a new location"
and from "Select an existing installation" to "Select an existing Morrowind installation"

Makes it more explicit.

Also, how are you dealing with reruns here? Just append a new data path to the openmw.cfg file? I presume that in the original run this step is skipped when an existing MW installation is found? OpenMW picks up existing installation in default locations automatically. These should not be added to the user openmw.cfg file.

Select Installation Destination

I am unsure about the default location. I would have picked the global installation location for MW data files.

Selecting Existing Instlalation

That would only work, if the existing installation is not in data path already. Otherwise you have MW data files twice in the data path. That might cause problems. Is this case taken care of?

[pvdk]

I suggest to change the wording of the buttons. "Run Installation Wizard" -> "Rerun Installation Wizard". This indicates that you are modifying an existing installation. Same for "Run Settings Importer".

Well I still intend to make it skippable on first run, so it could actually be the first run of the Wizard.

"Morrowind installation language" is a bit cryptic. I presume that is the --encoding switch? Maybe rename it into "Legacy Character Encoding". This makes it both clear what it is and that it won't be used for new content files (produced with OpenCS 1.1 and newer). And maybe the combo box should also give the value of the encoding switch (in parenthesis)?

I think "Legacy Character Encoding" is more cryptic than something like "Language of the Morrowind installation," but I like your idea of adding the character encoding to the options, to make it more clear.

Change the wording from "Install to a new location" to "Install Morrowind to a new location"
and from "Select an existing installation" to "Select an existing Morrowind installation"

Makes sense.

Also, how are you dealing with reruns here? Just append a new data path to the openmw.cfg file? I presume that in the original run this step is skipped when an existing MW installation is found? OpenMW picks up existing installation in default locations automatically. These should not be added to the user openmw.cfg file.

I suggest you try it out . But right now both options are available whenever the Wizard is run. When you select "existing installation" it does try to pick up the installations from the data= entries. When the user decides to add a path, which is not yet in the list of available installations, it gets added to the openmw.cfg file. To make things clear: it does take into account any default installations, detected in the same way OpenMW itself would.

I am unsure about the default location. I would have picked the global installation location for MW data files.

Well that would be /usr/share/games on Linux, and writing to that location would require root permissions. This is an XDG compliant path, where stuff like this is supposed to go IMHO.

That would only work, if the existing installation is not in data path already. Otherwise you have MW data files twice in the data path. That might cause problems. Is this case taken care of?

Like I said, it picks up any existing installations by checking if it contains Morrowind.esm and Morrowind.bsa. If those files are present the location is considered an "existing installation." The path is only added when one of the default data= entries did not yield the location already, so no duplication here. Same goes for user-added installations, they only get added as a separate data= entry if they don't already exist in the list of data paths.

[pvdk]

On being able to install Morrowind again, to a different location: how would you like the Wizard to handle that?
Right now when the user installs Morrowind to a different new location, the location will get added to the list of data= entries. I see that this could cause problems and that this is the scenario you had in mind when replying.

[Zini]

Well I still intend to make it skippable on first run, so it could actually be the first run of the Wizard.

Not entirely convinced by this argumentation, but okay.

I think "Legacy Character Encoding" is more cryptic than something like "Language of the Morrowind installation," but I like your idea of adding the character encoding to the options, to make it more clear.

Yes, but "Language of the Morrowind installation" is not correct, because this setting is also used for 3rd party content files. And the word "Legacy" should be used somewhere to make clear that this setting has no meaning for newer content files.
We could re-write that once we reach 1.1, but then we can as well do it properly now.

When you select "existing installation" it does try to pick up the installations from the data= entries

That sounds wrong. You have these locations anyway, no matter what you select here.

Well that would be /usr/share/games on Linux, and writing to that location would require root permissions. This is an XDG compliant path, where stuff like this is supposed to go IMHO.

If you install new software that normally does require extended permission. I do not agree with your argument. Hm, maybe an option to either install to a local or a global location?

[Zini]

On being able to install Morrowind again, to a different location: how would you like the Wizard to handle that?
Right now when the user installs Morrowind to a different new location, the location will get added to the list of data= entries. I see that this could cause problems and that this is the scenario you had in mind when replying.

Actually, my original statement was wrong. This should not cause problems, because the mew installation would be later in the data file sequence and therefore given a higher priority in case of files that exist in multiple places. Sorry for the false alert.

[Okulo]

Yes, but "Language of the Morrowind installation" is not correct, because this setting is also used for 3rd party content files. And the word "Legacy" should be used somewhere to make clear that this setting has no meaning for newer content files.

Mind, though, "character legacy encoding" means absolutely nothing to most people. I can personally only vaguely guess what relation it has to Morrowind/OpenMW. I'm not saying I'm very savvy, but it should tell you that to your average user you might as be calling it something Somali.

[pvdk]

That sounds wrong. You have these locations anyway, no matter what you select here.

Sure, you have them, but you can only pick them as existing installations if they actually have something of value in them. No point in updating non-existant installations, right

If you install new software that normally does require extended permission. I do not agree with your argument. Hm, maybe an option to either install to a local or a global location?

Or let the users that want to install to a global location figure that out for themselves. I believe even on Windows "My Documents/My Games" is a valid location to install game files these days.

[Zini]

Hm, okay. One more point: In the ini importer window the wording should be changed from "Import previously selected add-ons" to "Import add-on and plugin selection". Otherwise the user might think this feature actually imports add-ons.

[Tarius]

I have to differ from Zini here. I see "Morrowind Installation Language" with the name of the language next to it and immediatly think "oh, I can choose what language I want to use". If all else fails, simply put a little description that says what it is.