I understand that it is applied automatically when needed, but there are times when one would want to run it manually. An example is when I want to literally create a new wine prefix such as env WINEPREFIX="/home/bamm/apps/myprog" wineprefixcreate to prepare a clean profile for future installation of myprog. I know that running setup with a WINEPREFIX would create the clean profile, but sometimes I would want to copy a few needed files into the system32 folder before running setup. Hence, in this case, I would want the wine prefix to exist before I run env WINEPREFIX="/home/bamm/apps/myprog" wine setup.exe I was surprised to see the message when I ran wineprefixcreate: "Note: wineprefixcreate is deprecated and shouldn't be needed anymore. WINEPREFIX creation and updates now happen automatically when needed." I am afraid they might soon remove this useful command (this is what "deprecated" means right?). I hope they decide otherwise and "undeprecate" it. Most people won't need to know about it anyway, but those who do will find it useful if the situation calls for it.
Bamm wrote:> I understand that it is applied automatically when needed, but there are times when one would want to run it manually. An example is when I want to literally create a new wine prefix such as > > env WINEPREFIX="/home/bamm/apps/myprog" wineprefixcreate > > to prepare a clean profile for future installation of myprog. I know that running setup with a WINEPREFIX would create the clean profile, but sometimes I would want to copy a few needed files into the system32 folder before running setup. Hence, in this case, I would want the wine prefix to exist before I run > > env WINEPREFIX="/home/bamm/apps/myprog" wine setup.exe > > I was surprised to see the message when I ran wineprefixcreate: > > "Note: wineprefixcreate is deprecated and shouldn't be needed anymore. > WINEPREFIX creation and updates now happen automatically when needed." > > I am afraid they might soon remove this useful command (this is what "deprecated" means right?). > > I hope they decide otherwise and "undeprecate" it. Most people won't need to know about it anyway, but those who do will find it useful if the situation calls for it.I also used it quite a bit. However, I guess it is just as easy to do env WINEPREFIX="/path/to/winebottles" winecfg Which will create said directory without having to launch an app. However, doing 'wineprefixcreate --prefix /path/to/winebottles' was convenient.
I hope it will not go away. Some softwares are not installing properly when the installer is not prompted from within the prefix (due to copying installation temporary files next to the place where the installation .exe is located. Running winecfg instead of wineprefixcreate is really be going from London to Paris via Moscow. If I use an installing script, should I then add a line closing the winecfg Window just because I don't need any configuration but to create the prefix to add some dlls and the exe file?
L. Rahyen wrote:> It is deprecated and personally I see no reason why it should stay. It was for manual update of a WINE prefix. Now it is automatic and therefore it isn't needed anymore.I do. It's ironic that the wineboot is suggested to "create" a wine prefix, while wineprefixcreate is deprecated because the "update" occurs automatically. In the past, I've always thought that the practice of using wineprefixcreate to "update" (as opposed to create) an already existing prefix is a kind of workaround for the absence of a "wineprefixupdate". Now that updating is automatic, we deprecate wineprefixcreate, and then suggest wineboot to create the prefix. We're creating another misnomer. Commands should reflect what they are supposed to do. Telling people that we create wine prefixes by using the wineboot command creates more confusion. And I mentioned that sometimes we actually need to create a wine prefix, as opposed to updating an existing prefix (such as when needing to run the installer from within the prefix or needing to add some dlls).
austin987 wrote:> The need to create a new prefix before running an actual program is a rarity nowadays. In that event, use winecfg/wineboot/notepad/etc.I understand, and it's just the way I do things. I create a new "bottle" for each app I want, and then make sure the environment is suitable before running setup.exe. So most people would not need it, but the command should stay there for the sake of people who do. Using winecfg/wineboot/notepad aren't solutions, they are workarounds. Its great that there is a command specifically for creating a prefix.
perryh wrote:> Given that simply starting a program now has a useful side effect -- creating a prefix if it does not already exist -- is it time for a wine equivalent of the OS/370 do-nothing utility IEFBR14?If you just want to create a prefix and do nothing else, then yes. I did mention a couple of situations when it is desirable to create a prefix and do nothing else. Why start a program to create a prefix when you can just create a prefix?
Bamm wrote:> If you just want to create a prefix and do nothing else, then yes. I did mention a couple of situations when it is desirable to create a prefix and do nothing else. Why start a program to create a prefix when you can just create a prefix?Why don't you have a look at wineprefixcreate: less `which wineprefixcreate` Ultimately wineprefixcreate calls wineboot and optionally wineserver -w. Give it a try: WINEPREFIX=~/.someprefix wineboot So what's wrong with calling wineboot? It certainly is much easier to type than "wineprefixcreate." wineboot really does have the functionality you seek.
Ove Kaaven wrote:> Perhaps because, presumably, you want that prefix in order to actually do something, like run a program. Then why not just *run* that program already, instead of going through the extra step of manually creating the prefix?You miss that point of the original post: that situations exist where one would want to create a prefix before running a program. One reason is needing to copy some dlls before running setup.exe, another is some installers need to be run from inside the prefix. People may have their reasons why they would want to modify an environment before running a program there. I was not confused by the name of wineprefixcreate. I am aware that wineprefixcreate has two purposes: to create and update. Now updating is automatic, wonderful; I won't need wineprefixcreate to update anymore; it was a poor name for it anyway. But to replace a misnomer with another misnomer will not solve the confusion as to what the commands do. Wineprefixcreate is a perfect name for creating prefixes that you would want to modify before you actually do something, like run a program. For me, the name of a command is just as important as what it does.
James McKenzie wrote:> > Which programs require this? Are they listed in the Applications > Database and is there a bug report for each and every one of them? >Office 2007. Yes and yes. And it's a program that a lot of people want to run. Sure, ideally all setup programs should just run, but let's be realistic here. If Wine never needed dll overrides, the option to do them wouldn't be there in the first place. Personally, I'm fine with running winecfg instead of wineprefixcreate, because I would do that anyway to set the dll overrides. The change actually makes things easier for me. But what I gather from this thread is that people accustomed to doing their configuring from the command line see it as adding an unnecessary extra step.> However, wineboot does sound like it > boots wine. Maybe that is the program needing to be renamed? I too was > confused by its name and never would have thought to use it for the > functions it provides.I always thought wineboot was used to simulate a Windows reboot for programs that demand it; I never would have thought of using it before installing a program either. I think the advice to use it instead of winecfg is simply because it's quicker for those who don't actually use winecfg to change settings. Bottom line, from what I gather, is that running anything with the wineprefix variable set will now force creation of the wineprefix if it doesn't already exist (and update an existing one).