Patch Installer Problems [Fixed], Game Window Problems

[MasterTracklayer]

I`m not sure where to post this. It doesn`t seem to fit in any catagory, but I`m running TrainzPE 123801, so I`ve posted it in the Trainz22-specific section. If there is a better fit elsewhere, I invite any moderator who sees this to move it.

I`ve been having issues with the Patch Installer, and I`m trying to research them for a possible solution, but I have been unable to find anything relevant despite searching the wiki, the documentation website, and the knowledgebase. Before asking for someone to try to solve this for me, I`d like to be sure that I have exhausted all sources of information at N3V. Does anyone know anywhere specific for me to look?

 

[pware]

Could you elaborate on those issues?

 

[MasterTracklayer]

I certainly could, but I was hoping to do some additional research first. That`s why I had asked for pointers to documentation. The fact that I`m trying to get this to work under Linux might scare people away from trying to help, and I didn`t want to let that interfere with getting pointers to the documentation.

The primary difficulty I am having is that I have an installation that when I start it, it goes directly to the Patch Installer, asks the usual questions, discovers that there is not a patch to install, and sits there, doing nothing, with the only two options being going back in the installer and exiting the installer. When I exit, the next time I attempt to run the program, I get the same results. The program is behaving as if it had decided "If I can`t update, I just won`t do anything."

Direct help would be appreciated, but since I don`t expect much, where can I go to research issues with the Patch Installer myself?

 

[JCitron]

Run the Patch installer manually instead of through the Launcher.
Click on Change Trainz update stream...
Hit Next and skip over Change Targets... unless you have some other version besides the one you are attempting to update.
Login as required then click Next.
Click on Change Stream...

There will be a list in there to choose from.
Choose TRS22 (same update as PE)
Click OK
Click Done to close the window.
Click Check for Trainz updates...

If there are any, the program will prompt you to download.

You may also have a Linux problem, but the process above is for a "normal" operation.

 

[MasterTracklayer]

How do I run the installer "manually"? I`ll have to adapt the instructions for Linux anyway, so don`t try; just give me the Windows answer. "Not through the launcher"? You mean by picking it off a menu in the Launcher window? I can`t even get the "launcher" to launch. When I try, I just get the Patch Installer instead. When I try to run the Platinum Edition, there is no update to install, because it already is the latest-and-greatest version (for now). When I tried to do this for the other version I downloaded, something crashed the program after it determined that there was an update to install, and nothing downloaded, as far as I could tell. [Added later, but still before posting: By the way, this is happening when I launch the executable that it supposed to be the launcher. I just looked in the install directory and discovered two additional *.exe files that I didn`t know about. One is "Patch Installer.exe" (obviously what you`re talking about) and the other is "DebugHelper.exe". I`ll try running the first one and see what happens, but I don`t expect any joy. Anyone know about the other?]

I figured as much, which is why I wanted to examine some detailed (ha! I bet there isn`t any "detailed") documentation and figure it out for myself. Where is the most detailed documentation you know where to find? Please.

 

[JCitron]

Sorry for the lack of details, assumption was made.
Navigate to the directory where you installed TRS22PE.

In that directory is Patcher.exe as you noted. This is the one you want to run.

I never ran DebugHelper.exe (must look now...)

Go to the Wiki plus the forums for documentation but for more updated information, come here to the forums.

You could try running off the Launcher again, but that can get quirky with slow connections.

What might be happening, as I alluded to by checking the update stream, is the patcher.exe, running off the Launcher blindly, is picking one of the inapplicable update streams.

 

[MasterTracklayer]

Sorry for the lack of details, assumption was made.

Happens. No biggie. In order:

Patch Installer.exe: I figured as much. I`ve just gotten back from an errand and haven`t had time to try it yet. I don`t think I know what will happen, but I know what I think will happen.

I never knew that either one was there, until I looked while typing that previous message.

I tried, but nothing relevant came up, so I did (using this thread), and haven`t found anything yet.

That might have something to do with it, but I`m somewhat skeptical.

THAT is one thing that I can be certain is NOT happening: it does ask, there is only one stream on the list to choose, and it is the correct stream.

I don`t know if I can figure out how to run it, but I found a copy of a file named cmd.exe in the simulated Windows 10 environment. It should help me if I can get a simulated Windows command shell working. I will get back to you when I know more.

 

[MasterTracklayer]

Ok, I don`t know if I`m about to have more issues, but I`ve just fixed this one.

I went into the environment where the game is installed and attempted to redirect the launching command to the Patch Installer.

Surprise! It was already pointing at the Patch Installer. No wonder all I was getting was the installer!

Well, if it was already there, what happens if I point it at the correct executable for the game? It launches the game, of course.

Duh!

The Trainz Performance Configuration window is showing. Now I have to exit the program and make arrangements for the half-ton of data that I`ve been copying over from the Win10 laptop to the Linux tower to be visible where the game expects to see it. That will be easy. Getting the program to work correctly afterwards? That remains to be seen.

At any rate, the specific issue that I started this thread for is Officially Resolved. @JCitron, I`m officially yelling loud enough for you to hear me all the way there from here.

 

[JCitron]

I'll help if I can. I know very little about running Trainz in Linux other than from what I've gathered from the trials and tribulations of others. I think once you get the database pointed to, things will go much better. (I'm being supportive, okay!).

 

[MasterTracklayer]

Thank you, @JCitron. It seems to be doing the unannounced DataBase Rebuild at the moment. Did you hear me yelling? I have verified via Content Manager that it is seeing the correct directory now. The program has some weird display issues at the moment [e.g., the game window is open but displaying nothing], but I expect some of them to go away when the DBR finishes [that issue in particular].

 

[JCitron]

I've been off storm chasing in NSW Australia, sorry it took me awhile to come running. ;-)

The white display issue is definitely due to the DBR. You should close the program and let the DBR complete.

I've said before that the DBR in TRS22 current doesn't show the progress bar when first run and was reported during the beta testing but not repaired. This caught me out and things got badly messed up.

 

[big_b]

I've been off storm chasing in NSW Australia, sorry it took me awhile to come running. ;-)

The white display issue is definitely due to the DBR. You should close the program and let the DBR complete.

I've said before that the DBR in TRS22 current doesn't show the progress bar when first run and was reported during the beta testing but not repaired. This caught me out and things got badly messed up.

 

[big_b]

I've been off storm chasing in NSW Australia, sorry it took me awhile to come running. ;-)

We've had a few decent ones recently
Where are you in NSW ?

 

[MasterTracklayer]

I tried to close it, but it just wouldn`t close. I eventually had to interrupt the program with a signal, which I made a point to deliver long after the DBR was finished. I made sure to close the other windows first. They did close, without issue. You`ve heard that the Content Manager windows don`t update? The Show Logs window updates just fine, even though it looks just like the Content Manager windows. Odd. I thought that the game window might be experiencing similar issues, so I tried to minimize/restore it. No dice, but the original part of the game window was black, and only the new portion of the window was white. I`ll try again later. I hope I didn`t mess anything up (too badly).

@big_b: I think he was having fun at my expense. There`s no possible way he could have been storm-chasing there in person, though he might have been chasing on-line. I had told him elsewhere that he would hear me when I got it working, and I had a little fun with him about that when I reported the problem resolved, so he returned the favor. I think.

 

[JCitron]

I tried to close it, but it just wouldn`t close. I eventually had to interrupt the program with a signal, which I made a point to deliver long after the DBR was finished. I made sure to close the other windows first. They did close, without issue. You`ve heard that the Content Manager windows don`t update? The Show Logs window updates just fine, even though it looks just like the Content Manager windows. Odd. I thought that the game window might be experiencing similar issues, so I tried to minimize/restore it. No dice, but the original part of the game window was black, and only the new portion of the window was white. I`ll try again later. I hope I didn`t mess anything up (too badly).

@big_b: I think he was having fun at my expense. There`s no possible way he could have been storm-chasing there in person, though he might have been chasing on-line. I had told him elsewhere that he would hear me when I got it working, and I had a little fun with him about that when I reported the problem resolved, so he returned the favor. I think.

The DBR process was probably eating 100% or close to that of your CPU usage. When you killed the game window, it finally happened after the resources were released. This is not similar to the other Content Manager issue that people report.

 

[JCitron]

We've had a few decent ones recently
Where are you in NSW ?

I was chasing virtually online with Daniel Shaw. www.severestorms.com.au, He has a Patreon-only live chases in both Australia and the US. His day job is a director of an independent news desk that supplies news footage to various TV and cable channels including ABC 9.

He and another chaser were down near Canberra and in and around the ski country. He generally chases within NSW but occasionally ventures to Queensland and Victoria as he did earlier in your stormy season. In a month, he'll be chasing storms in America. He has specially equipped vehicles outfitted with computer equipment and broadcast cameras to capture the best quality video not only for streaming but also for broadcast on the news. He's quite well respected not only by the chaser community but also by law enforcement and by the US National Weather Service (NWS). When he chases in the US, employees of the NWS watch his live streams when warranted to assist them with reports. In addition to chasing storms and broadcasting, he's also a certified EMT and has performed search and rescue operations in the US.

 

[MasterTracklayer]

The DBR process was probably eating 100% or close to that of your CPU usage.

It may have been, when it was running, but by the time I looked, it was well below 20%; somewhere around four to eight percent, if I recall correctly.

When you killed the game window, it finally happened after the resources were released.

I tried repeatedly to close the widow, to no avail. I finally sent a HUP to the process, and everything vanished instantly.

Just before reconnecting to the forums, I launched the program again, opened the Show Logs window, and ran a manually-triggered DBR. After that finished, I opened the game window. It remained blank, and would not close, despite repeated attempts. I closed all of the other windows without issue, but that window still refused to close. Again, a HUP was all it took to make it go away. I think I need help with my simulated video drivers.

Incidentally, you know the Content Manager windows do not update correctly, but did you know that the built-in Store window has the same issue? Also, while the Show Logs window and the DBR progress window look almost identical to the Content Windows, they update just fine.

This is not similar to the other Content Manager issue that people report.

Clearly. I think I need help with my simulated video drivers, and have no idea where to turn for help.

 

[MasterTracklayer]

Just test-downloaded a small asset, successfully. "Frieda and Joe", or something like that, I believe.

 

[KotangaGirl]

Incidentally, you know the Content Manager windows do not update correctly, but did you know that the built-in Store window has the same issue?

Yes it's a known issue in Linux. The ancient openGL protocol Trainz uses for both the Content Manager and the Store Window aren't compatible with Linux. You need to manually update the menu window each time you make a selection. My daughter who knows about these things tells me that rewriting the protocol for Linux would be fairly horrible which is why nobody had done it yet.

 

[MasterTracklayer]

Um, are you saying that the OpenGL drivers in Linux need updating, or that the way Trainz uses them needs updating? I find it difficult to understand why these fail while the other apparently similar windows work fine. Something just doesn`t add up for me.