Setting(flag) to not have the plugin start the sample install process when the link file is missing

[d.healey]

@virtuscapeaudio You still need to let the user choose where they want to put the files. Then you need to populate the "Link" file with that location.

[virtuscapeaudio]

@d-healey Ahh ok...I'm after negating the user doing anything with any file. With such a small file size I assumed it was possible to ship the instrument with everything done for them. Onward!

[d.healey]

@virtuscapeaudio The samples aren't embedded in the plugin, so they have to go somewhere on the user's system, and the user should be the one to choose where that is.

[virtuscapeaudio]

@d-healey Yes sir, understood! thanks for the clarification

[DanH]

@virtuscapeaudio I think with a product of that size you can forget about letting the user choose a sample location. I do and have never had any complaints. It will certainly make your life easier!

[virtuscapeaudio]

@DanH Yes! I just have no idea where to begin to do that at this point..any tips?

[DanH]

@virtuscapeaudio So you'll need to get your head around making installers. Whitebox Packages for OSX and InnoSetup for Windows will create these for you. Have you searched the forum yet? There are scripts and explanations available for both IIRC.

Essentially you create an installer that installs the plug-in files and the samples. If you know where the samples are going to be on each system then you can simply install the Link file which contains the location of the samples (and not have to worry about making scripts to handle creating links files in the installers themselves).

[virtuscapeaudio]

@DanH Yes I currently use Packages. So with the LinkFile I can place everything in the users HOME/Library/Appplication supp.., etc, folder instead of their USER folder? Seems simple enough. I'll give it a go

[DanH]

@virtuscapeaudio well yes but because your plug-in’s system files are in the system library rather than the user library you’ll need a shell script which copies the files from the user library to the system library post-install, as packages can’t actually install files there directly. I think this has been covered in the forum as well.

Have you got an apple developer account?

[virtuscapeaudio]

@DanH ChatGPT helped me cook this up based on the Lunacy Audio CUBE (would love to meet the dev here! ;) ) script which I modified..does this look right?

#!/bin/sh
// Write sample location selected by user to LinkOSX for HISE

//Specify the username
username="your_username"

// First, remove LinkOSX file if it exists
instrumentname="Rhodecase88"
devname="Virtuscape Audio"

FILE="~${username}/Library/Application Support/${devname}/${instrumentname}/LinkOSX"
if [ -e "$FILE" ]; then
rm -R "$FILE"
fi

cp -R "$HOME/Library/Application Support/${devname}/${instrumentname}" "/Library/Application Support/${devname}/"

// Second, use the environment variable from WhiteBox Packages to write the destination to a file
destfile="~${username}/Library/Application Support/${devname}/${instrumentname}/LinkOSX"
printf "%s/Lunacy Audio/CUBE/Samples" "$DSTROOT" > "$destfile"

[d.healey]

@virtuscapeaudio As far as I know // doesn't create comments in a bash script.

[virtuscapeaudio]

@d-healey gotcha! i changed the comments from # to // because when i submit the forum post they were HUGE and underlined fonts lol and my adhd said...I need symmetry

[DanH]

@virtuscapeaudio this script is for making the link file which I just said you don’t need to do .

But you could just let users choose where to store the samples and use this script after all.

Better you try and understand what the scripts doing and how it works - it’s not too tricky.

Did you find any other scripts for packages on the forum?

[virtuscapeaudio]

@DanH OOOohhhh... my mistake.. so If im understanding this correctly, the process goes:

Packages project:

1. place plug-in files and ch1 files

2. Include a LinkOSX file and place it ... where exactly?

[DanH]

@virtuscapeaudio have you made the plugin yet? Exported and tested in a DAW?

[virtuscapeaudio]

@DanH yes we are quietly live ;)

www.virtuscapeaudio.com

I'm just trying to get this together before make a huge announcement, etc

[DanH]

@virtuscapeaudio well you must know where the link file is that tells the plugin where the samples are? Right? That's where you'll need to install the link file on other people's systems.

[virtuscapeaudio]

@DanH not enough coffee apparently haha. Thanks so much for taking the time to help!

[DanH]

@virtuscapeaudio have a look through this thread, I think I got most of my script from here:

https://forum.hise.audio/topic/2199/mac-installer-issue-that-effects-i-think-all-of-us/19?_=1699026966834

[virtuscapeaudio]

@DanH here's where I'm at with this...I'm manually copying the Samples folder and testing on my system before packaging everything up

With HISE I set the Redirect Sample Folder to: /Libary/Application Support/Virtuscape Audio/Rhodecase88/Samples

When I open the either AU/VST3 version it creates a NEW LinkOSX file at ~/Library/Application Support/Virtuscape Audio/Rhodecase88 (perhaps this is from linking previous versions from testing where i indeed was using ~/Library

I'm struggling to see where I place a LinkOSX as Packages can only go to one location.

...trying this approach as most plug-ins by default are in /Library and not ~/Library

OSMonterey 12.2.1