Hi all. I’ve just run into a problem. On Win 11. I installed the latest weekly build (see my other recent post) alongside DT4.0, after backing up my darktable folder in user\appdata\local. It works but keeps throwing errors. Now, when I try to start DT4.0 or one of @priort s build, it immediately crashes. I’ve got a couple of backtraces.
But I have no clue what to do. I’ve renamed the dt config folder and replaced it with the backup - as I’ve done before once or twice when I ran into issues. But it doesn’t help. darktable_bt_U42KQ1.txt (10.0 KB) darktable_bt_75V4Q1.txt (10.1 KB)
Any ideas anyone? Is there another config-ish folder I should delete?
EDIT. I just uninstalled the ‘beta’ build. 4.0 works again! Phew… I should have done that first. Oh well…
Um… no. I just backed up the config folder in case it caused problems… then when I had problems I restored the config folder, but the issue was still there (until I uninstalled the new build). Hope that answers the question!
So ya in the future… I suggest parallel version…use --configdir “path” where path is a folder for the config files…this leaves your main install intact and then if things are good you can try to move in one direction or the other … Also I turn off xmp writing for expt versions so as not to accidentally mess up xmp files… 2 small steps but worth it… basically this is the recommended path to go as given in the git readme…
Im on Windows so I do this sort of thing from shortcuts… and yes at the end or your command line… I also use them to redirect my cache directory to a spare drive… there is a section in the manual. All explained here… darktable 4.0 user manual - program invocation
EDIT and if it was not clear “path” should be replaced by the desired destination for your files… I often just make a config directory named that in my exptal DT program folder for temp versions…
Thanks Todd. I reinstalled Bill’s 4.1 version, then used configdir to set a different folder, and it works. And 4.0 is still working this time! I’m not sure how to use a shortcut to do the configdir thing on win 11, though… and I’m still getting a crash with Bill’s version (see other thread)
As for shortcuts very easy…if you installed DT for windows you should have one…you can just copy it and then rightclick for properties and then edit the command line and likely the description so you know what it does…
You could also right click on the DT exe file and create a shortcut from there…
So it is! Thanks for the example… I was almost right, but I put the --configdir etc. inside the " " instead of after. Not sure why! That was the problem. The fact that it didn’t work made think I must be missing something. And I was, but it was right under my nose.
Thanks again for the help!
I have tried this with darktable-4.1.0+865~g70da6dcc8-win64
Installed in a separate directory called DTdev
Created an empty directory called config in the darktable folder inside DTdev:
Created from a bat file called run_dt in the darktable folder with the contents:
.\bin\darktable --configdir “.\config” --cachedir “.\config” --tmpdir “.\config”
When it runs it says the database is locked
Tried rebooting, always happens
Any clues to what I might be doing wrong?
If it is really complicated, I will wait till Christmas, as have a lot of other stuff on.
Many thanks!
Thanks @kofa.
What I don’t understand is that I am using a different config folder when I run it, rather than the app data/darktable folder so that it doesn’t interfere with my main build.
The config folder is empty, no database or lock files in there.
I must be doing something wrong, but can’t work out what it is, as I have run other experimental builds in this way…
I’m pretty vague about this sort of thing, but if you made your ‘config’ folder in the darktable folder wouldn’t you need to give the full path to it instead of just .\config ? I thought that would make dt look to find the config folder in your home directory…
I mean give the full path at each instance of config in the path I quoted.
It is strange: using
.\bin\darktable --configdir “.\config” in the bat file
Opens darktable but says the database is locked
I have an earlier experimental build using exactly the same method, and there is no problem.
The black command line box shows that it is the DTdev version that is running
If I use the full path name in the bat file
C:\Program Files\DTdev\darktable\bin\darktable --configdir “C:\Program Files\DTdev\darktable\config”
The program doesn’t open at all. Is there something I have typed in wrong?
I am wondering if the problems are the contents of the config directory
Should I start with an empty config directory, or should I have the particular files in there? I believed that if it was empty, then darktable would start with a new database and default settings.
If people are bored with this, then I am happy to call it a day, as it is just looking at my own problem, and not of interest to others…and I still have a perfectly good version of darktable to use.
