Please keep discussion of these new features within this thread.
Drive Letter Mapping
When running from a UNC path (example: \\server\path), the platform can be set to automatically map a drive letter to main UNC path temporarily for the current logged in Windows session. The platform will try drive letters P, then Z, then Y, then X and be able to automatically detect if it's already made the temporary mapping and use it. The mapping will persist until the current user logs out or shuts down Windows. There is no UI yet for this feature, but it can be manually enabled. With the platform closed, open the PortableAppsMenu.ini file within the PortableApps\PortableApps.com\Data directory. Search for the [Integration] section. If there is not one, add it. The entry should look as follows:
[Integration] MapDriveLetter=True
Platform Logging
Platform logging causes the platform to save state to a PortableAppsPlatform.log file within your PortableApps\PortableApps.com directory. This log is cleared on platform start. The log can assist us with understanding where a crash or an error message is occurring while the platform is operating. It currently logs starts and shutdowns, loading settings, loading locales, loading themes, parsing the app directories, and more. There is no working UI yet for this feature even though a checkbox shows in the Options Advanced tab, but it can be manually enabled. With the platform closed, open the PortableAppsMenu.ini file within the PortableApps\PortableApps.com\Data directory. Search for the [Logging] section. If there is not one, add it. The entry should look as follows:
[Logging] EnableLogging=True
In particular, I'm hoping logging helps us determine an issue for a small number of users experiencing an error message on platform start.
Taskbar Pinning
Initial taskbar pinning support has been added. It will only work with apps in PortableApps.com Format that have enabled support for it. The following apps have working support for it introduced at the version listed: calibre 3.31, DSynchronize 2.40.04, FocusWriter 1.6.16
Firefox 62.0 and Firefox ESR 60.2.0 have built in support for 32-bit Windows. For others, open the appinfo.ini file within the FirefoxPortable\App\AppInfo directory. In the [Control] section, replace or add the following line (removing the 64 if on 32-bit Windows):
BaseAppID=%BASELAUNCHERPATH%\App\Firefox64\firefox.exe
Note that the next release of the platform will support 32 and 64-bit switching automatically. The directive for this is already in Firefox Portable 62.0.
For GIMP Portable, open the appinfo.ini file within the GIMPPortable\App\AppInfo directory. In the [Control] section, add the following line:
BaseAppID=gimp.GimpApplication
The platform will automatically generate a local shortcut file and allow you to drag it to the taskbar. This shortcut file will allow Windows to understand the separate launcher and app files and properly launch the portable app.
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Thank you very much, great update !!!
PortableApps is great and even better to see it moving forward and improving.
Bravo for the team!
By the way, will this version bring news in the Automation of release process for the team?
Or the automation effort is orthogonal to the PA.c?
Thank You.
Platform releases like this have nothing to do with the topic you are asking about.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Steps to reproduce:
1) Click on 'Pin to taskbar'
2) Change the focus when the message box appear, i.e. click on desktop or somewhere else, but *not* on the 'OK' button
3) Click on the PA.c Platform on the taskbar or the system tray icon to maximize
The result is that the PA.c Platform is maximized and minimized immediately and can't do anything instead of right click and exit.
Tested with upgrade from v15.0.2 on Win7 Pro x64, local install
Tested with fresh install on virtual machine with Win7 Pro x64, local install
Tested apps: GIMP Portable and Firefox Portable
Just want to confirm ... DOES this version 16 still work on Windows XP? It's just that too often nowadays, the dreaded surprise that this app or that app no longer support Windows XP will pop up.
All of our tools continue to support Windows XP (fun fact: all except the platform even support Windows 2000). If and when we do drop it (likely only if our toolset drops it), it will be noted in both the beta/test release notes, changelog, news announcement, etc, and I'll likely include a setup for a semi-graceful end for it.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Great to hear. And thanks also for the switchover to DuckDuckGo as the host for the apps. That was a lifesaver. For me Source Forge no longer worked period.
It seems to be intentional, but I'm noting while testing the taskbar pinning that the PA.cTaskbarShortcuts folder created in the user's folder to enable tasbar pinning persists ad infinitum, regardless of the state of the platform.
That's by design as it's a taskbar is a local change anyway and it needs the shortcut file to function. Plus, the pins are specific per PC, so having it on the device and rewritten on different PCs would break the shortcut when you move back.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
That's what I thought, but figured I'd check anyhow in the event it was unintentional.