Had darktable 4.2 Win64 on Win7 running. Tried to install 4.6.1: it failed to remove 4.2, which I then had to manually remove as admin. Installed 4.6.1. Tried to run, and got “The procedure entry point CreateFile2 could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.” Error box attached.
Hey and welcome to the forum. I don’t think windows 7 is supported.
Could anyone tell me what the last win 7 supported version was. I couldn’t find the system requirements or links to earlier releases.
4.2.1 was the last release running on Windows 7/8.0.
See also darktable 4.6 software installation problem. and please search the forum before opening new topics.
As a side issue if you are running a Windows 7 computer it should not be connected to the internet as it is a security risk since it has been unsupported by Windows for several years. You can just google this and confirm that is the case. If you have a Windows 7 machine and can not upgrade or do not want to upgrade to Windows 10/11 then I would recommend changing the machine to one of the Linux distributions. I have done this to a couple of my older computers and have been impressed how much better the instruments run under Linux. My main computer is a Windows 11 so I am not just saying this as a Linux diehard.
1 Like
I’m in the process of doing what you describe in your post. My pc can’t be upgraded to Windows 11 so I’m trying to become familiar with Linux. So far I have installed Ubuntu 22.04.4 in VirtualBox (VirtualBox is of course itself a complication).
Until now I am have not noticed “how much better the instruments run under Linux” as you put it. What should I look for?
I have always been able to use Windows using the menus and not the command line, but that doesn’t seem to be possible in Linux. The internet is full of tutorials on how to do simple things, like mounting an usb-stick(!), by keying in cryptic commands.
If you use one of the standard setups like KDE or Gnome, USB sticks (and other similar USB devices) should become available (be mounted) as you plug them in… (I have no experience with other options like LXDE, they may very well work in a similar way). For everyday operations (including attaching and detaching external hard drives), you shouldn’t need the command line… Also, I always check the date on which such tutorials were written, some are old.
But, the command line is still used, because it gives many more options needed for (very) advanced use or special situations (e.g. read-only mounting of a hard drive which is not part of the usual system). And it’s the basis for a lot of scripts.
I am not a Linux expert so take any advice from me with that in mind. Firstly I feel forced to have a Windows computer as my main computer because there is software that I must use in my work that only runs on Windows. I also own numerous paid programs that only run on Windows. However, when I retire this will all become less of an issue.
If you are not trapped in the need for Windows then I would suggest go all in with Linux and forget Windows. If you do that I would suggest starting a new thread and asking advice about which Linux package would be best for you. That might start a fiery debate as it seems some people feel very strong about which is the best version. But you should glean some good information.
I personally installed MINT because it created an easy transition from Windows to Linux (for me). The machine just sped up so much as well. My wife who should be a crash test dummy for computers because she is so bad on them didn’t even notice much of a change from Windows to Linux. She mainly checks emails and Facebook so her needs are simple. I have a desktop which I was using for editing images and it has MINT and runs Darktable really nice.
I personally need a Linux distro that makes installing software easy and MINT does this for me. I would not be surprised to find there are even better distros of Linux out there but MINT has got me out of trouble. See what will be best for you and go for it, but keep that Windows 7 machine away from the scammers on the internet.
Thank you for your answer (I promise not to tell your wife……
).
I have read this thread with interest but I didn’t start it. I’m on Windows 10 but Windows 10 is going to become unsupported next year.
I’m sure there are many opinions on which version of Linux to choose and most likely no “correct” answer. Is the darktable forum the right forum for such a discussion?
I have backed up all my user data on external usb connected disk drives and I must have easy access to the backups from Linux. I think that this is the key issue for me.
@rvietor Thank you for your input. I think that I need to change the settings in VirtualBox to be able to access the usb from Ubuntu. So hopefully I will not need the native cryptic Linux commands.
I feel this is a very suitable forum to discuss which version of Linux would best suit you because you want to be able to smoothly install and run DT on it. There are many linux users here with much more knowledge than me. I only share my experience as an example of how older but good hardware can be kept running instead of becoming landfill. I can only imagine how many windows 10 computers will become either a security nightmare or a landfill disaster next year because of support being dropped. I had a pretty decent spec laptop on windows 10 that could not be updated to Windows 11 because Microsoft would support one of the critical components. It was destined to become a linux machine but decided to commit suicide and just failed to bootup one day.
@obe : If you run Virtualbox from Windows, any configuration of Virtualbox will be done from Windows, so Linux isn’t involved in that part.
Last evening I happened to meet a professional IT-supporter at a party. I asked him about accessing my backup files from Linux. “Why not use Mint” was his immediate response. He told me that he had implemented Mint on his sister’s pc. She is a student and didn’t want to spend money on a Windows licence. She is completely satisfied with this solution and she was also present at the party!
It seems pretty straightforward to use Ubuntu but I think I will follow your advice and test Mint in the VirtualBox. If this works ok for me then I will go on and install Mint in a dual boot configuration. Next year I can skip Windows 10 when it becomes unsupported.
Thank you for your advice…..
You are right. I got it working now after a closer look at the documentation……
I chose mint but I defer to the experts of Linux here if they suggest something else.
Mint is based on the LTS (long-term support) versions of Ubuntu.
Contrary to the main target group of Mint, you’ll probably want to use the latest third-party apps like photo developers. I think that is easier to achieve with Ubuntu, which gets a new release twice a year.
Maybe that’s not a problem, and they are easy to install (even Ubuntu cannot keep up with the speed at which our tools change, you have to install them differently than most other software, which are supposed directory with the Linux distribution). I haven’t used Mint for years.
1 Like