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EE Keeper via Wineskin in OS/X, initial tests

NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
in Mac OS X (Archive)
I haven't hacked my install at all, and EE Keeper seems to find my saved games! This is a nice payoff for the Beamdog team keeping the save formats binary-identical across platforms.

Importing EE Keeper into Wineskin was very simple. I might be able to just zip up my "EE Keeper.app" if the EE Keeper license permits re-distribution... if not, just do the default WIneskin directory import and you ought to get a working app.

The one tricky part was figuring out which directory to point EE Keeper to for install data, since there is no Baldur.exe for it to recognize. I settled on:

Z:\Applications\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition\Game Data\00777\Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition.app\Contents\Resources\

... and that seems to work so far.
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Comments

  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    ... tested loading an edited game, and it worked fine.
  • spidermcflyspidermcfly Member Posts: 2
    After following your instructions, I can get EE to run and load/edit an existing save game, but the edited save does not show up in game. Any thoughts on what I did wrong?
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    spidermcfly said:

    After following your instructions, I can get EE to run and load/edit an existing save game, but the edited save does not show up in game. Any thoughts on what I did wrong?

    When I saved the edit, it did show up in the game, as "Trogdor (Edited 0001)".

    You did save the edit, right?

    The edited save appeared in my "save" folder:
    /Users/username/Documents/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition/save/
  • Troodon80Troodon80 Member, Developer Posts: 4,110
    edited February 2013
    @Nifft, that's awesome news. If it makes it easier, I can take out the part that looks for the exe (or put in a part that accepts the Mac executable).

    I'm unsure how to work the Documents directory to make it easier, but I'm sure there's an easy way once I get back to looking at it.

    And, yes, you are allowed to redistribute the program itself (provided that no alterations to the binaries are made, etc.).

    I'll just copy and paste the relevant bit from what Aaron wrote regarding it, you can view the full copyright snippet from the attached file.
    2) Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

    3) Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice on program startup. Additional credits for program modification are acceptable but original copyright and credits must be visible at startup.
    If you can include the copyright file along with the download that would be great :).

    When I make a new thread, I'll also link to this thread for Mac compatibility.

    Edit: some additions are needed for the new kits, so you can try out the new version when I get it uploaded at the same time. I'll be using an XP version of the compiler (for compatibility), so you'll have to let me know if there are any issues with Wineskin. I'll have that in a couple days.
  • spidermcflyspidermcfly Member Posts: 2
    Nifft said:

    spidermcfly said:

    After following your instructions, I can get EE to run and load/edit an existing save game, but the edited save does not show up in game. Any thoughts on what I did wrong?

    When I saved the edit, it did show up in the game, as "Trogdor (Edited 0001)".

    You did save the edit, right?

    The edited save appeared in my "save" folder:
    /Users/username/Documents/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition/save/
    Yep, I saved it. That folder is an alias, pointing to a container in Users/username/Library, but no edited save game shows up, and EE doesn't throw an error. Is it a permissions thing on my computer? As Admin, I didn't think there'd be any such issues...

    Thanks for the help :)
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    @Troodon80: Excellent, if I'm able to get it to work on a fresh account, I'll put up a .ZIP with my Wineskin'd Keeper and the Copyright. Thank you!
    spidermcfly said:

    Nifft said:


    /Users/username/Documents/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition/save/

    Yep, I saved it. That folder is an alias, pointing to a container in Users/username/Library, but no edited save game shows up, and EE doesn't throw an error. Is it a permissions thing on my computer? As Admin, I didn't think there'd be any such issues...

    Thanks for the help :)
    Oh now that's interesting. On my system, that folder is NOT an alias, it's just a plain old folder!

    Why is mine like that? Probably because mine was created by the Windows BGEE (running under Wineskin) before I had the OS/X version of the game.

    Maybe I did other things to my set-up to get it to work... I'll try from a new user account.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    edited February 2013
    So, I tried this on a brand-new account, with no special setup, and EE Keeper worked fine. This works for me under 10.6, there are reports that it works on 10.8, and it might or might not work on other computers or OS/X versions.

    Here's a link to the Wineskin enclosure for EE Keeper 1.0.0:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/grvxl821vza9rjn/EE_Keeper_Wineskin_osx10.6.tgz

    Here's how to use it:
    - Download the file.
    - Put the file in your home directory: /Users/yourname/EE_Keeper_Wineskin_osx10.6.tgz
    - Open up Terminal.app, and type this:
    cd ~ tar xzvf EE_Keeper_Wineskin_osx10.6.tgz

    Done. The application "BB Keeper.app" is placed in /Users/yourname/Applications/Wineskin/ so just open up a Finder window and double-click on it. The attached picture shows where it will be installed.

    EDIT: Version number, now that there's a new release of EE Keeper.
    EDIT2: changed link to a hosting site with fewer obnoxious ads.

    - - -

    Old link for historical purposes:

    Apparently this executable works, but the hosting site has some deceptive ads which prompt people to install an executable... and that smells like spyware to me. Try the dropbox link first, please!

    Old link:
    http://www.sendspace.com/file/7wjgrb
    Post edited by Nifft on
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    @spidermcfly: The symlink 'save' directory thing seems to be just how your version of OS/X (Lion?) works. I don't have access to any higher OS/X versions, so I can't test there. :(
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    edited February 2013
    My tests with EE Keeper 1.0.1 have SUCCEEDED!

    EDIT: So it turns out you need to select a language after you set the installation path. I'd totally neglected to do that, so EE Keeper didn't work ... until I did select a language, and now it works.

    Mostly. Cutting & pasting Affects doesn't work, but it didn't work in the previous version either -- probably something to do with differences in how Macs handle the clipboard.
    Post edited by Nifft on
  • AJBBBAJBBB Member Posts: 1
    @Nifft, your tgz package of EE Keeper in Wineskin works great for me. Running 10.8.2 on an older MacBook Pro. I was able to edit a save file and "clean up" some of the NPCs' stats. (ahem.) Thanks for the contribution!

    Just for clarification, I placed symlinks to the save folder, dialog.tlk, baldur.ini, and (just for kicks) the BG:EE executable in the main BG:EE application package, under Contents->Resources. I then directed EE Keeper to BG:EE->Contents->Resources at app startup. After restarting the program it worked great.
  • clocknovaclocknova Member Posts: 23
    It worked just fine for me in my own Wineskin wrapper without making any symlinks or other adjustments whatsoever. Thanks.
  • istaraistara Member Posts: 9
    That worked absolutely BEAUTIFULLY! Your instructions were so easy to follow Nifft. The only thing I struggled with was the initial download as I was confused by having to download iLivid first.

    Now Edwin is Chaotic Neutral, and shouldn't leave even if my rep soars! It's the same change I made when playing the original version all those years ago. I never really get why he's Lawful Evil anyway, Chaotic Evil would seem more apt.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    istara said:

    That worked absolutely BEAUTIFULLY! Your instructions were so easy to follow Nifft. The only thing I struggled with was the initial download as I was confused by having to download iLivid first.

    Glad it worked for you!

    I think the "iLivid" thing is just a Sendspace ad... I can host the file elsewhere if Sendspace is too obnoxious.
  • istaraistara Member Posts: 9
    For me the iLivid thing was a separate download, of an app in which I then had to re-paste the Sendspace URL to download, then it downloaded the app within iLivid. I'm on Safari, it may be different in other browsers. It worked fine though! And thank you so much ;)
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    I didn't have to do that in Chrome... I just downloaded the file itself.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    istara said:

    For me the iLivid thing was a separate download, of an app in which I then had to re-paste the Sendspace URL to download, then it downloaded the app within iLivid. I'm on Safari, it may be different in other browsers. It worked fine though! And thank you so much ;)

    I use FireFox, and I didn't have to do that either.

    I'm worried that you installed some kind of spyware... ugh, Macs shouldn't have to deal with that kind of thing. Sorry!

    I'll see if I can use Mediafire or someplace cleaner.
  • CerevantCerevant Member Posts: 2,314
    GDrive works really well for sharing files as well.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    I already use Dropbox for other things so I settled on that.
  • mr_namelessmr_nameless Member Posts: 37
    Works great using wine on OSX10.8. At first EEkeeper could not find to game even if pointed at the resources directory.
    Copying the dialog.tlk from the lang directory (which ever language you want) into the resources directory fixed this.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    mr_nameless said:

    Works great using wine on OSX10.8. At first EEkeeper could not find to game even if pointed at the resources directory.
    Copying the dialog.tlk from the lang directory (which ever language you want) into the resources directory fixed this.

    I'd suggest symlinking rather than copying, so if you use mods the changes are reflected in both locations.

    Open Terminal.app: 

      cd "/Applications/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition/Game Data/00777/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition.app/Contents/Resources"
      ln -s lang/en_US/dialog.tlk .
    Obviously people who want a language other than "en_US" should change that part, but everything else should be the same.
  • Ramen_EaterRamen_Eater Member Posts: 3
    edited March 2013
    I used shadowkeeper and now when I enter East-Baldur's Gate there is a completely different music playing on the background and an ear-tearing ambient noise. Tried few times and always happens.
    /E Now happens also with saves untouched by shadowkeeper.
    Post edited by Ramen_Eater on
  • TsabussTsabuss Member Posts: 6
    I bought yesterday the game from Mac App Store, and downloaded EE Keeper (installed as Nifft wrote). EE Keeper found the game (manually browsed the resources directory), language set to en_US. EE Keeper ran without error, but when i tried to open a savegame (created 2 different-no autosave, or quicksave), couldn't find my savegames (blank window). I searched the forum, and read the comments, but it is not clear, what can be the problem. Could you please help me, what do I wrong?
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    @Tsabuss - which version of OS/X are you using?
  • TsabussTsabuss Member Posts: 6
    Nifft said:

    @Tsabuss - which version of OS/X are you using?

    Thanks for the quick reply! 10.8.2. and the game was bought via Mac App Store
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    Hmm. I've only got access to 10.6 right now, and I'm using the version from the Beamdog store... I think this isn't something I can test.

    Maybe someone from the BGEE team can tell us if there are any notable path differences between the Beamdog direct version and the MAS version. @Cerevant?
  • CerevantCerevant Member Posts: 2,314
    I can check when the Overhaul folks wake up, but my understanding is that there is no difference - they just developed a launcher to deliver the app via Beamdog.

    Is it possible that EEKeeper put the modified game in either the Documents or the Resources folder?
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    On 10.6, EE Keeper should be putting saves in:
    /Users/yourname/Documents/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition/save

    ... but IIRC the MAS version uses a different documents location? It's encapsulated in a "Library" directory somewhere?
  • TsabussTsabuss Member Posts: 6
    As I saw, the game installed into the Applications (as normal), and the save directory is in a different place somewhere in Library......\Documents\.....\save.

    I tried to create symlink (with a program - SymbolicLinker) to save directory and placed the link into Resources (I'm not sure, if this method good or not), but nothing. Should I do something special after I installed EE Keeper (somehow tell the program, where are my savegames, or something like that)? I'm not expert in creation symlinks. Am I missed something?
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    @Tsabuss - Open up Terminal.app and type these:

    ls -ld "~/Documents/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition"
    ls -ld "~/Documents/Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition/save"

    Tell me what each of those prints out. Thanks!
  • CerevantCerevant Member Posts: 2,314
    Ah. This is all OSX sandboxing fun.

    I need to talk to the devs about it, but I think this is an intentional OS limitation to keep stuff in the sandbox. The game will not follow a symlink out of the sandbox.
    (/Users//Library/Containers/com.beamdog.baldursgateenhancededition/Data if you are interested)

    You might be able to link the other way and have Shadowkeeper follow it.
This discussion has been closed.

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