59 replies to this topic

[devilhunter]

So here's the 'successor' of CXZ, CXEx.

CXEx is a selfcontained & selfextracting Wrapper, in a sense like both CXZ and CXS together.

I've put up some Infos and a Tutorial which i'm currently writing on, but the basic ground should be covered.

The CXZ/CXS System will now be discontinued.
Everyone is free to port with CXZ/CXS if they wish continuing to do so, however i think the new CXEx System will set the standard a little upwards from the previous CXx System.


Just a reminder before you post CXEx Ports:
- the Startup screen is there for you to edit! (see tutorial)
- use the compression options of the Porter (option + CXEx Porter launch) to make really efficient 7-zip archives.
- don't forget to set the 'Freeze Port Information' option before you post a Wrapper/Port (also option + CXEx Porter launch)

The CXEx Porter Package was tested with a small group of beta testers.
No hard Bugs are left in this Version 1.0 release. (A few small things remain for me to iron out in the Porter application)

If you find any Bugs/Errors, list them here.

A Demo Port wich was made with CXEx is here.

[waves]

I tried this for the first time - I like it.  I ported Lands of Lore III with it (only issue I have is needing to mount the cd).

I personally was hoping for a way to be able to automatically update Winetricks. Maybe that will come in a future release?

There is a few things of mine I wanted to try to report with this to see if they ran better - ie The Last Remnant - but I need certain winetricks to make it work.

Nevermind I figured out how to update them.

[GameGuy]

Sweet...i gotta try this

[playn]

Finally out :p
ill go try it out now

[devilhunter]

@ waves
Updated Winetricks with online updates will come in the next CXEx Package update shortly.
(courtesy of Drakulix)

[Jowacom]

Very interesting. Will definately try.

[LillyOmegaWolf]

I like being able to try different versions of wine without swapping wrapper. (Makes comparing compatibility between versions a breeze, thanks.)

Is it possible to get games for windows live or direct x 10 working in this series of wrappers? (unlike the other kinds like cider...) or will this need other projects (like crossover) to have made the jump first?

[devilhunter]

Setura said:

I like being able to try different versions of wine without swapping wrapper. (Makes comparing compatibility between versions a breeze, thanks.)

Is it possible to get games for windows live or direct x 10 working in this series of wrappers? (unlike the other kinds like cider...) or will this need other projects (like crossover) to have made the jump first?

Games for Windows LIVE Wine Rating - looks promising :P
GfWL needs .net 3.5 which is unsupported in Wine and i think GfWL also requires some Kernel Level access. (and Wine has no Kernel)

About DirectX 10:
DirectX 10 coming to Linux through WINE and CrossOver - seems like they've bitten off more than they can chew, DirectX 10 never showed up besides some scratching on the surface of DX11 in a few Documents.

[LillyOmegaWolf]

Ahh. Okay, thanks.
One issue I have found that has followed this wrapper from its cxz days is, when I force quit or quit the wrapper/game then it breaks and I need to re-do the whole thing. Sometimes re-starting my system fixes the broken wrapper (but only sometimes). Any ideas? is it something that can be eliminated from future releases?
Apart from that I am finding this new kind of wrapper to be great!




I just noticed that you have listed that you have a 9800 GTX+.   How? macs don't ship with them as far as I know...

[devilhunter]

Quote

...then it breaks...

There shouldn't be anything that breaks.

Upon force quit there are often leftover 'Wineserver' and 'Wineloader' and CXZ or CXEx Processes running.
If you start Activity Monitor and quit these by hand, then the Wrapper will work again, or after a few Minutes they will quit on their own.

Also check out the Grim Reaper for this Problem.
(the kill commands in the Reaper have not been updated for CXEx yet)

Quote

I just noticed that you have listed that you have a 9800 GTX+. How? macs don't ship with them as far as I know...

The 9800GTX+ is a old trusty friend in my hackintosh.
2 Year old Card, but faster than anything Apple has offered so far. (overclockable to hell, too)

[doh123]

you might look at adding some code in the main executable for fast kill and not fast kill...  I added in Wineskin that on wrapper shut down it will run the included wineserver with "wineserver -k" which should shut it down.

[GameGuy]

every time i create a custom exe i put in a name,chose the executable and icon and when i go to create it says not enough information...is there something wrong with my installation

[devilhunter]

GameGuy said:

every time i create a custom exe i put in a name,chose the executable and icon and when i go to create it says not enough information...is there something wrong with my installation

I don't think there's anything wrong with the installation.

Try just naming the custom app and setting the exe, without choosing an icon.
If you choose and icon, make sure it's a .icns file.

Or perhaps you got some non-alphabetical letters in the path to the exe or the exe itself, like the   '   in Mirror's Edge.

[GameGuy]

devilhunter said:

GameGuy said:

every time i create a custom exe i put in a name,chose the executable and icon and when i go to create it says not enough information...is there something wrong with my installation

I don't think there's anything wrong with the installation.

Try just naming the custom app and setting the exe, without choosing an icon.
If you choose and icon, make sure it's a .icns file.

Or perhaps you got some non-alphabetical letters in the path to the exe or the exe itself, like the   '   in Mirror's Edge.

ok i will try that

[waves]

Is there anyway to reset (for lack of better word) the info.plist file so the credits come up on startup if you ran the game the first time other than changing the name you put in as the bundle name and Bundle identifer?

Thanks.

[devilhunter]

waves said:

Is there anyway to reset (for lack of better word) the info.plist file so the credits come up on startup if you ran the game the first time other than changing the name you put in as the bundle name and Bundle identifer?

Thanks.

Yes. At the first start of a Port the port creates a Folder with the Gamename (from the plist file) in user/library/preferences. (like Space Siege Preferences) Delete that folder and the startup dialogue will be displayed again on your mac.

If you want to know how a CXEx Port behaves on a system where the Engine hasn't been installed before, temporary move the CXExEngines.bundle file that the Porter requires from /user/Library/Application Support/WineEngines somewhere else.
At the first start of the Port the automatic Engine installer will run.

[dafootballer]

Good work devil looking forward to getting some games out soon

[gygabyte666]

CXEx is a HUGE enhancement to the previous CXSkin/CXZ  wrappers! Being able to switch engines on the fly is extremely handy and the severely reduced file size is GREAT!

As you already know, my only complaint is the new, mandatory EULA agreements. I just don't see why they have be required for EVERY port. The idea is solid but there should be an option to disable them for those who feel they don't need them. They are great for people porting games and such over but for someone like me I just plain don't like em. I'd hate to have to keep using CXSkin after such an improvement has been made to the wrappers but I feel I might not have a choice. The EULA just really turns me off, which sucks because I love all the other improvements. :(

I hope you think of me in the next revision/update. There I tried ;p

[playn]

gygabyte666 said:

CXEx is a HUGE enhancement to the previous CXSkin/CXZ  wrappers! Being able to switch engines on the fly is extremely handy and the severely reduced file size is GREAT!

As you already know, my only complaint is the new, mandatory EULA agreements. I just don't see why they have be required for EVERY port. The idea is solid but there should be an option to disable them for those who feel they don't need them. They are great for people porting games and such over but for someone like me I just plain don't like em. I'd hate to have to keep using CXSkin after such an improvement has been made to the wrappers but I feel I might not have a choice. The EULA just really turns me off, which sucks because I love all the other improvements. :(

I hope you think of me in the next revision/update. There I tried ;p

It only comes up once, the first time you run the port. After that never ever again. So not a big deal really.
It's there so people who try to steal your ports... well they cant claim its theirs because it will have the real porters information and release notes on it.

[gygabyte666]

playn said:

It only comes up once, the first time you run the port. After that never ever again. So not a big deal really.
It's there so people who try to steal your ports... well they cant claim its theirs because it will have the real porters information and release notes on it.

Yes, I am aware of that. However, what exactly is stopping someone from going into the Package Contents and modifying the original porter's information? I know that CXEx has a Freeze Port Information feature but exactly what does it do that is suppose to prevent someone from modifying the EULA? When it comes to software, there is always a way around something.

Now back to my issue with the EULA. The main reason that it does me no good is because I don't usually add my own name and stuff on my ports. I usually add the original creator's name instead, to try to keep them looking as legit as possible. For example, if I were to port over Microsoft Word, I wouldn't add in a line like this: com.gygabyte666.word I would instead put in: com.microsoft.word

Since 95% of the ports I finalize are basically bug-free as I do a lot of testing before I archive them, a EULA is useless for me. I wouldn't have anything of value to add into them. It would be one page with a description of what Word does and I am pretty sure most people know what it is for by now. They would simply add to the file size, and some ports simply don't need to be larger. People should be able to use the software, hassle-free and a EULA is a hassle. As mentioned, they are great for game-porting but I have an old 1st gen Macbook with a GMA950 in it. This poor beast doesn't like gaming very much so I don't port them often. If I do, they are extremely old and usually so filled with original coding bugs that I trash them before they get to my 'finalized' stage.

I don't mean to sound so picky but picky users can mean the difference between great software and just plain good. I'll leave it as before, keep them in but in the next revision add a disable line in the code. I can't be the only one who feels this way about them.

[playn]

gygabyte666 said:

playn said:

It only comes up once, the first time you run the port. After that never ever again. So not a big deal really.
It's there so people who try to steal your ports... well they cant claim its theirs because it will have the real porters information and release notes on it.

Yes, I am aware of that. However, what exactly is stopping someone from going into the Package Contents and modifying the original porter's information? I know that CXEx has a Freeze Port Information feature but exactly what does it do that is suppose to prevent someone from modifying the EULA? When it comes to software, there is always a way around something.

It does pretty much what it implies. It 'freezes' the information so that even if modified, that info will be restored on another persons computer.
I'm sure there is a way around this, but generally the people who steal ports hardly even know what they're talking about. They just want the credit. So the chances of them hacking the wrapper is very low.

Of course, your entitled to your opinion. I'm sure Dev will take this into account and maybe even implement a disable option.

[gygabyte666]

playn said:

I'm sure Dev will take this into account and maybe even implement a disable option.

I can only hope that may eventually happen. For the moment though, I am planning for the worst. I love all the enhancements and updates that were made to CXEx, I would really hate to have to ditch it and revert back to CXSkin just because of something like this. :(

Still no matter what happens, thanks for all your hard work on CXEx and the rest of the CX Family!

EDIT: Forgot to mention this in all of the other posts. Another reason why the EULA is counter-productive to me is because I only use my ports for personal use. I have no future plans at the moment to release anything I port personally to the inter webs so people editing/stealing my ports isn't a huge concern for me right now. Figured this information may be of value.

Maybe it could be feasible to create two separate Ex installers, one for personal use (without EULA/Freeze option) and the one currently up for people planning on releasing their ports to the public. Just a thought.

[waves]

devilhunter said:

waves said:

Is there anyway to reset (for lack of better word) the info.plist file so the credits come up on startup if you ran the game the first time other than changing the name you put in as the bundle name and Bundle identifer?

Thanks.

Yes. At the first start of a Port the port creates a Folder with the Gamename (from the plist file) in user/library/preferences. (like Space Siege Preferences) Delete that folder and the startup dialogue will be displayed again on your mac.

If you want to know how a CXEx Port behaves on a system where the Engine hasn't been installed before, temporary move the CXExEngines.bundle file that the Porter requires from /user/Library/Application Support/WineEngines somewhere else.
At the first start of the Port the automatic Engine installer will run.

Great Dev - thanks. :)

@gygabyte666

CiderX will have this too in all likelyhood.

Do not take this as being rude - because I am not trying to be :)

And I am not really sure why it is such a problem - it only runs once.  And if it is for your personal use and you do not plan on sharing it - do not even edit it.  Just click okay twice (2 mouse clicks) - and you have your game running and you do not even have to worry about it or ever see it again.

[gygabyte666]

waves said:

Do not take this as being rude - because I am not trying to be :)

And I am not really sure why it is such a problem - it only runs once.  And if it is for your personal use and you do not plan on sharing it - do not even edit it.  Just click okay twice (2 mouse clicks) - and you have your game running and you do not even have to worry about it or ever see it again.

None taken  :)

I see what you mean. However, the only reason it is a real issue for someone like me is because I have a serious case of perfectionism, maybe almost borderline OCD when it comes to software/computer-based tasks or projects. Although, I am sure many coders/porters/engineers have this same feeling. I just have to have things perfect and leaving something unmodified as you suggest simply will not do. Just wanted to explain that one in more detail.

[mhuzaifa]

Hello....
This is mind-blowing....
I tried to port Virtua Tennis 2009 using wineskin,CXZ,Cider,CiderX          but none worked for me....
And then yesterday i ported it using CXEx, and it worked better than the pc in the first try only.....
Thanks a lot... :-)
Huzaifa

[mhuzaifa]

Hello!
Now i have a serious problem.
Can you please tell me how to share dis kind of port because i ported VirtuaTennis 2009 and it is working like a charm from the desktop but when i put it on the Shared Folder, it cant be opened from any user or even administrator.......it simply flashes for 1 nanosecond and disappears,.......help plz........:-(
Huzaifa

[devilhunter]

mhuzaifa said:

Hello!
Now i have a serious problem.
Can you please tell me how to share dis kind of port because i ported VirtuaTennis 2009 and it is working like a charm from the desktop but when i put it on the Shared Folder, it cant be opened from any user or even administrator.......it simply flashes for 1 nanosecond and disappears,.......help plz........:-(
Huzaifa

The Folder where the Port resides in must be writable for the current user. If the Wrapper launches from a folder where it has not permissions to create files (like inside a disk image or a folder with read-only permissions), it won't launch.
This happens with every Wrapper here, may it be CXZ, Wineskin, Cider or even CXEx.

This is why people often write a simple line onto the disk image background, where the users should drag the game to his drive to let the port work.

example:

Spoiler

[mhuzaifa]

Hello!
Thanx for the reply......dis means that i have to change my Shared folder from Read Only to Read&Write or to any other format.....plz help.
Huzaifa.

[gygabyte666]

Are there any plans to possibly update CiderX with CXEx instead of the current CXZ that it uses?

Since so many great changes went into CXEx, it would seem like a decent idea to throw it in there with CiderX. Might even make it work a little better, plus it will ditch the requirement to have all the CXZ engines installed.

Just a thought :)