Windows and VASL 6.4.3: automatic map download and update

jrv

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This latest version of vasl (currently in βeta) will automatically download the latest version of installed maps and will, as part of a new feature, list and download maps that are not installed. This is a handy feature, but depending on how you have installed vasl, you may need to make changes to allow its operation. If you are running windows and have your boards installed in the windows program files (under "c:\Program Files" or "c:\Program Files (x86)"), those directories are protected by default and vasl will not be able download new maps or later versions of existing maps without making changes. The best way to change this is to move your maps and overlays to a directory where you can write by default. A good place would be a directory called "c:\USERS\<your user name>\vasl\boards." Copy your existing maps and overlays there and then change your vasl preferences to use the new map directory.

As an aside if you are knowledgeable about windows, you can modify permissions to de-secure the maps directory under "c:\Program Files". Even if you are able to do this, I recommend against this as it may have unintended consequences for the security of your system.

If you are using an operating system other than windows, it is still possible that you have this problem if you have installed the vasl boards in a directory where you do not have write access. How you best fix this will depend on your operating system.

JR
 
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DougRim

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Good catch JR. I will update the download instructions on VASL.info (which date from 2010 it appears and probably need additional updating anyway), to encourage players to create the boards directory as you suggest.
 

bprobst

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A good place would be a directory called "c:\USERS\<your user name>\vasl\boards."
That will certainly work, but it's not what I would call "a good place". Windows already dumps a frightening number of files into "C:\Users\<your user name>" (aka "your profile") and many, many applications default to dumping even more stuff there. The consequence is that your profile gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Bigger profile = slower Windows, amongst other problems (including the increased potential for the entire profile to become corrupted).

It is almost always better to create a dedicated folder -- preferably on a different drive to the one where Windows lives, if you have more than one partition available. (Indeed it's preferable to move your entire profile to a different drive, but Windows makes that an unreasonably difficult process, and there's no guarantee that future updates won't "break" such a move.)

The important point about JR's comment remains true, regardless -- VASSAL lives in several places on your PC, most of which you have no control over (and usually you don't need to care). VASL -- the mod file, the boards, and your saved games -- can and should live wherever you want it to live, ideally as far away from VASSAL (and "C:\Program Files") as you can manage.
 
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