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Proper usage of this awesome app

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Ben09880
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Proper usage of this awesome app

I've tried to do a few forum searches and got flustered...

I have a few questions.

1. Is it 'allowed' (not bad practice) to launch apps from within the launcher WITHOUT the launcher?

I have made shortcuts directly to my apps and use those daily. Once a week I open the launcher itself to check for updates.

2. Are all the apps on this website honestly completely portable and confined within the launcher folders?

I'm trying to make a theme for my portable SeaMonkey, and the folder structure doesn't match at all. Maybe I just don't know the right places to look, but the folder structure is radically different from the mozilla guide. Where are the CSS files for the UI in SeaMonkey?

3. Are theme elements working yet? I have yet to try to make my own, but I want a white text on black background...

4. Is there anyway to add folders as shortcuts to the launcher- EASILY?

5. Can you make a GADGET for this launcher? I currently use a gadget to hold icons to apps... it is populated with all portable apps... is this configuration acceptable, or does it break something (not a programmer here)?

6. Is there any way to shrink the window? And make it always on top?

I would love to make it pop up when I click the icon in my RocketDock (when it is minimized to the systray). That would rock.

Ben09880
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I found some answers on my

I found some answers on my own.

1. Yes. Use the xxxportable.exe file in the xxxportable folder.
DO NOT USE ANY OTHER EXE FILE IN ANY DEEPER DIRECTORY.
DO NOT EVER ASSUME PLUGINS/EXTENSIONS/FILES ADDED FROM WITHIN THE APP TO BE PORTABLE. THIS MAY BREAK AN APP'S PORTABILITY AS WELL AS BREAK THE APP ITSELF.

2. Found them in a non-portable location. users/me/appdata/roaming/mozilla

3. don't know
UPDATE found it after I clicked 'show beta updates' and updated to beta 2 just now. GREAT!

4. change the shortcut to an explorer app within the launcher to load a folder...?

5. I hope so.

6. Maybe in a new release...?

Please confirm or correct me. Thank you!

Ken Herbert
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Yep, perfectly acceptable to
  1. Yep, perfectly acceptable to run apps without the Platform, but as you have realized, always use AppNamePortable.exe. Most plugins/extensions that are properly coded should be fine, but there are always some that will work in a non-portable manner.
  2. While PortableApps do modify and access files/folders/registry entries on the PC, on closing the app these are all moved to and kept within the PortableApp's folder structure. Your SeaMonkey settings are in that location because you must be using the app in a non-portable way.
  3. User-theming hasn't been added yet, but as you've found there are a number of great themes with the 12.0 beta 2.
  4. If you are talking about the folder shortcuts on the right of the Platform, these are currently hardcoded, but a future version will allow them to be customized. If you are talking about shortcuts within the app list itself it isn't currently possible and I am not sure if this is planned or not (although I have just had an idea I want to check out, it would be a fairly complex way of doing it, but it may just work...)
  5. Gadget? Not sure what you mean. What you have set up, as long as they point to AppNamePortable.exe as previously stated, will work just fine.
  6. Platform size can't be modified. There have been a few reports of people on smaller net-book style PCs being unable to view the whole menu but I'm not sure whether a mini-mode is being considered or not. What do you mean by always on top? Except maybe on first starting up, the Platform will (by default) automatically hide when you click out of it. You can make it always visible with an advanced option though.
Ben09880
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Last seen: 9 years 3 months ago
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Thank you for the comment and

Thank you for the comment and the link!

I have this exactly as I want it now.

I have also fixed the SeaMonkey problem- I hadn't closed the app before shutting down. The files never got flushed... at least that's what I think happened.

I don't appear to have lost any data... not sure how, but ok...?

ByteMyAscii
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Last seen: 6 years 11 months ago
Joined: 2012-12-02 15:30
Windows when it tries to

Windows when it tries to close applications upon shutting down will not consider that the portable applications need launched, and closed in a specific order.
Therefore you should always try to close the applications yourself before shutting down, so that the cleanup and other actions can happen properly.

If at first you do not succeed, use more sticky tape.

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