Problems running the demos.

[Pathetic Programmer]

I'm having some problems with CS right after installing it.  The tutorial for using MinGW and MSYS are a bit out of date, and missing somethings.  I run as Administrator, (I'm a techie and know both how to avoid viruses and how to remove them), and the folder was not read-only and nothing would build when I tried to run everything from the CS folder.  I created the $HOME/builddir directory and ran everything from there to get it to compile things and then add the path to the CS installation manually to get things to work.  Now that I've set that all up, I get errors stating that the demos cannot save their configuration files.  I created them manually, but I still get the same results.

Code:

Administrator@PRIVE-1AC8BD56F ~/builddir
$ touch ./config/startme.cfg

Administrator@PRIVE-1AC8BD56F ~/builddir
$ startme
Error reading config file 'startme.cfg'!
Error saving configuration '/config/startme.cfg'.

Administrator@PRIVE-1AC8BD56F ~/builddir
$ ./startme
Error reading config file 'startme.cfg'!
Error saving configuration '/config/startme.cfg'.

Administrator@PRIVE-1AC8BD56F ~/builddir
$ simpmap

crystalspace.canvas.openglcommon:
  Could not open driver database file '/config/gldrivers.xml'

crystalspace.engine.warning:
  Default shader /shader/std_lighting.xml not available
  Default shader /shader/std_lighting_portal.xml not available
crystalspace.maploader.parse.map:  Could not open map file 'world' on VFS!
CrystalSpace.SimpleMap:  Error couldn't load level!
CrystalSpace.SimpleMap:  Can't find a valid starting position!

crystalspace.font.freefont2:
  Could not open fontfile *large!

BTW, this next part is not directly after the compiling part of the manual, but it is further down in it.  Ok, didn't set the CRYSTAL environment variable, easy to fix right?  Wrong. I've set the CRYSTAL environment variable to several locations that have to do with CS, and none of them work. I even set the variable in MSYS manually to see if that would help; nothing.  Would it be possible to set the CRYSTAL environment to the same folder that the program is running from?  If I create a program that uses CS, will I need to create a CRYSTAL variable to have my programs run?

The manual isn't really specific as to what CRYSTAL should point too.  Should it point to the build directory, where everything compiled too or to where it was installed at?

On a different note, tri3dtest worked fine......... for the most part.  I can see a pentagon on the screen, and move it around, but it's just three yellow triangles.

Code:

$ tri3dtest

crystalspace.canvas.openglcommon:
  Could not open driver database file '/config/gldrivers.xml'

crystalspace.engine.warning:
  Default shader /shader/std_lighting.xml not available
  Default shader /shader/std_lighting_portal.xml not available

crystalspace.font.freefont2:
  Could not open fontfile *large!

Any help is appreciated.

[Pathetic Programmer]

Oppps, forgot about this.

1.4.0     - Version of CS
1.4_002   - Version of winlibs package (if on windows)
Win XP    - Operating system
MinGW     - Compiler
RADEON 9200      - Video card
Latest available - Driver

[Crystalfur]

Note: If I remember correctly, I first tried building CS with Cygwin...then...MinGW and I ran into trouble with both. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with them and that I was in err, but if you're on Windows, why not use msvc++ 2008? I think its a bit more straight forward for the installation. Just make sure to install the libs for windows. While the doc might not say so, CS 1.4 does support 2008.

About the environmental var, it should point to the location you unzipped CS into. That is, all of the folders: apps, bin, data, include, libs, etc. are located in C:\CS\1.4.0 for me. My CRYSTAL EV is located under 'user variables' points there.

[Pathetic Programmer]

There are some reasons I don't use MSVC++. 

1) The two letters of the acronym, they stand for MicroSoft, and I'm trying to get away from using MS anything as much as possible.
2) I don't want to pay for it either, nor do I wish to use a pirate, see next reason.
3) I do know that there's a stripped down version out there for free, but why use a stripped down version?
4) I'm using Code::Blocks.
5) Code::Blocks is ported to Linux and MacOS.  While I don't care about the Mac side, I do want to be easily portable to Linux.
6) I hate Microsoft.
7) Personally, I think CS should use CB more as it's on both Windows and Linux.
8 ) I'm about to change jobs, get a new faster computer and I'll be able to go full Linux with a Windows Virtual Machine and not be hindered by my single core 1ghz processor.  (I got another job )  So I'm not really worried about CS not working for me right now.

If I'm going to make a game, I need to be compatible with Windows for the time being.  If I get popular enough, I'll probably drop Windows in favor of a Linux only type of game.  Kinda sneaky and under-handed, but then again, MS's tactics are as well.

[Pathetic Programmer]

@Crystalfur
I forgot to say thank you for you help.  While I thought I changed the path to that location once already, what I didn't realize is that the set command in MSYS doesn't update any variables the way Windows does.  While I did change the CRYSTAL environment variable several times in the Advanced properties of My Computer, I mainly tried changing it using set=, which doesn't work in MSYS.  I thought it may have been due to the fact that I only installed Code::Blocks with MinGW and not the stand alone MinGW package.

Installing MinGW and CB without MinGW isn't necessary as you can just use the MinGW that comes with CB.  Just point it to the MinGW root directory in the CB folder, for me it was: "C:\Program Files\CodeBlocks\MinGW". And then install MSYS normally, and it should all work the same.  Just make sure that any commands you use are MSYS compatible as it can cause confusion.

NOTE: Also keep in mind, that it didn't work for me at first.  I had to use DOS 8.3 name format to get it to work properly.  Like this:

C:\Progra~1\CodeBl~1\MinGW

Thanks.

[kickvb]

To clarify things about the CRYSTAL environment variable:

- CRYSTAL must point to the main directory where CS is, ie the directory containing apps, include, data, plugins, etc
- under Windows, there are different ways to setup this variable (in these examples, CS is installed at 'C:\CS'):
  - System properties -> Advanced -> Environment variables -> create a new system variable with name 'CRYSTAL' and value 'C:\CS'
  - in a MSYS terminal: 'export CRYSTAL=/c/CS'. In this case, the variable will be set only for the terminal.
  - from the IDE you choose to use