A question for @Bad_T as much as anything.

I'm a longterm user of the wonderful addons linker, in fact couldn't really organise my sim without it. I'm planning to use it with 2024 also. But there will be a period when I will need to have both 2020 and 2024 on my system, and be able to use both of them with the linker.

I have a large addons folder (well over 2000 product subfolders), plus a separate folder for stuff to be loaded into the official MSFS folders. They won't change, I assume. What I'll need to change is the target MSFS folders (community and official) but my question is - how best to do this? Do I just install second copy of the linker and point it to the same input but the new 2024 output folders? Or are there any plans for some kind of switching option within the linker itself? I don't want to have to be explicitly changing definitions within the linker each time I start if for the other sim. Something in a linker control file that I could switch via a batch startup command maybe? So long since I set my linker environment up that I've forgotten most of that sort of stuff, so any hints/advice gratefully received.

cheers,

I have most of my MSFS addons on Drive D:, and a full set of mirrored backups on Drive K:.  On Drive K: I have some unique addons, primarily Canadian and European airport sceneries as I do not venture there often at this point in time.  Addons linker is my without question my tool.  With two sets of addons clearly delineated, Addons Linker is very flexible.  Until the developer creates a specific method, I believe a simple change, on-the-fly, of the path to the linked sim would take care of the possible issue you describe.

I cannot fathom with his unparalleled track record that he is not already considering this.

Hello 🍻

With the current AL version, you can already have 2 separates shortcuts, for example one for v2020 and one for v2024 if you plan to use both sims for some time.

You need to install AL only once :

- by default the shortcut has no command line parameter and AL creates its configuration files here for v2020 -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker

- if you want to use it for v2024 before a specific 2024 version of AL is released, you can create another configuration folder (create it manually), for example -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024

- Then create a new shortcut, in the shortcut set the command line parameter configfolder="your folder" .. so in my example it would be configfolder="C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024" like shown in the image below

- When you launch the new shortcut for the first time, you will get redirected to the options screen, there you will be able to set your custom addons folders (some folder could be shared with msfs2020 if the addons are 100% compatible), then you would need to set your msfs2024 community folder. You can also set a new folder for the presets if those should not be shared between the 2 sims.

So then you have 2 shortcuts, the one you already used for v2020 that will stay the same, and a new one with the command line parameter for v2024 that will have a few different parameters and will create the 'links' in the 2024 community folder. Obviously some features will require a new specific version for 2024 like for example the 'launch sim' option which is for now tied to the 2020 version.

When v2024 is released, i'll certainly try to to improve all that and make a specific version for 2024 (either a different EXE or something to switch sim within the same EXE). A different EXE will probably be easier but I'm still a bit unsure what would be better and how all this will be done but i'll try to get it done quickly (although i'm not sure v2024 will run on my oldish pc which is slightly below min specs 😱 😱).

But even on day one it should be possible to use the current version to create the links for both v2020 and v2024 if needed with this little command line trick until the new version of AL is ready.

If you have ideas or remarks about all this or if something is not clear, let me know, thank you. 🍻

 

 

Edited October 13, 20241 yr by Bad_T

40 minutes ago, Bad_T said:

... but i'll try to get it done quickly (although i'm not sure v2024 will run on my oldish pc which is slightly below min specs 😱 😱).

I haven't checked, but do you have the Paypal donations button enabled on FsTo? You have hundreds/thousands of happy subscribers and I'm sure many would be only too delighted to contribute. Even a minimal gift from so many users would probably finance a super new rig for you. You deserve it!!!  

Edited October 13, 20241 yr by Adamski_NZ

8 hours ago, Bad_T said:

create another configuration folder

Magic! Thanks @Bad_T, that's exactly the sort of trick I was thinking of, I just wasn't sure precisely how to do it.

And as ever, thank you again for the totally wonderful product. There are probably lots of bits of it I don't even know about or use, but as a basic tool to let me pre-select my environment for the sim it is simply irreplacable. And if I can work it this way, I personally am not worried about getting a 2024 version (unless 2024 breaks this somehow, and there is no reason that should happen) - having to start the sim manually after quiting the linker is totally no big deal.

And thanks for the usual prompt response! You sir, are one of the good guys!

14 hours ago, Bad_T said:

Hello 🍻

With the current AL version, you can already have 2 separates shortcuts, for example one for v2020 and one for v2024 if you plan to use both sims for some time.

You need to install AL only once :

- by default the shortcut has no command line parameter and AL creates its configuration files here for v2020 -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker

- if you want to use it for v2024 before a specific 2024 version of AL is released, you can create another configuration folder (create it manually), for example -> C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024

- Then create a new shortcut, in the shortcut set the command line parameter configfolder="your folder" .. so in my example it would be configfolder="C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024" like shown in the image below

- When you launch the new shortcut for the first time, you will get redirected to the options screen, there you will be able to set your custom addons folders (some folder could be shared with msfs2020 if the addons are 100% compatible), then you would need to set your msfs2024 community folder. You can also set a new folder for the presets if those should not be shared between the 2 sims.

So then you have 2 shortcuts, the one you already used for v2020 that will stay the same, and a new one with the command line parameter for v2024 that will have a few different parameters and will create the 'links' in the 2024 community folder. Obviously some features will require a new specific version for 2024 like for example the 'launch sim' option which is for now tied to the 2020 version.

When v2024 is released, i'll certainly try to to improve all that and make a specific version for 2024 (either a different EXE or something to switch sim within the same EXE). A different EXE will probably be easier but I'm still a bit unsure what would be better and how all this will be done but i'll try to get it done quickly (although i'm not sure v2024 will run on my oldish pc which is slightly below min specs 😱 😱).

But even on day one it should be possible to use the current version to create the links for both v2020 and v2024 if needed with this little command line trick until the new version of AL is ready.

If you have ideas or remarks about all this or if something is not clear, let me know, thank you. 🍻

 

 

Let me take a moment to thank you for your invaluable service. 🫡

Awesome! @Bad_T ! Just made a quick test with the Tech.Alpha and the configfolder tricks, it worked great. Which is not the case of the Tech.Alpha with some stuff from my Community 😉

On 10/12/2024 at 5:39 PM, Adamski_NZ said:

I haven't checked, but do you have the Paypal donations button enabled on FsTo? You have hundreds/thousands of happy subscribers and I'm sure many would be only too delighted to contribute. Even a minimal gift from so many users would probably finance a super new rig for you. You deserve it!!!  

I totally agree @Adamski_NZ I would love to buy @Bad_T a coffee but I do not see a link to do that.

I also agree with the above, and would like to contribute towards your fantastic app, And imo, the best addon created for MSFS2020, it made life so much easier.

As 99% of my add ons dont change between flights I plan to move everything from my Add On linker folder to the MSFS 2020 community folder and leave it there as I expect that MSFS 2020 will be history for me pretty soon.

For 2024 I use add on linker.

Can we just change the path in the Options tab from the old community folder to the new one?

10 hours ago, Simselli said:

I also agree with the above, and would like to contribute towards your fantastic app, And imo, the best addon created for MSFS2020, it made life so much easier.

Agreed, couldn't or wouldn't want to manage without it.

On 10/12/2024 at 4:59 PM, Bad_T said:

If you have ideas or remarks about all this or if something is not clear, let me know, thank you.

Tried it and ran into an issue with double quotes in the Target field.  This worked:

"D:\MSFS Addons\MSFS_Addons_Linker\MSFS_AddonsLinker.exe" configfolder="C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker 2024"

 

Thank you all as usual for the feedback 🍻

@ricka47 yes that would be good enough if you plan to use AL with v2024 only, but the main idea of the shortcut parameter is for users that want to use it for both v2020 and v2024 at the same time for some time, i guess most of us will continue to use a bit of v2020 until all the addons we 'need' are fully ported to v2024. I hope to be able to do a specific v2024 version shortly after the release those parameters won't be needed, there will be one version for 2020 and one version for 2024 and you will be able to launch the one you want.

@Bert Pieke yes good remark, the double quotes are mandatory if there is a 'whitespace character' in the target field :

so for example "d:\msfs_addons\al.exe" and "d:\msfs addons\al.exe" will both work, but d:\msfs addons\al.exe without quotes wouldn't work because of the whitespace after msfs, the same applies to the configfolder="xxx" parameter, the double quotes are only needed if there are some whitespaces inside the double quotes, i just said to put them everytime to make it more simple, but i forgot to tell that that same rule also applies to the EXE part of the target field.

🍻 🍻

 

Edited November 15, 20241 yr by Bad_T

Hi

If we have the disk space, could we simply have a second copy of add on linker and copy all the add-ons to it?

I hope to have 2020 remain as is, then install 2024 on a different drive, so it would be great if I could simply have a second copy of add-on linker on the same drive as 2024 then copy the add-ons to the second drive.

Thanks in advance if you can help.

Best wishes.

Bob