Giving up

[thebookbloke]

Hello

I really like Ancestris but am on the verge of giving up on it. There seems to be so many bugs, at least on my Mac, that it's becoming simply too painful to use.

My M1 Macbook has Java pre-installed. The About Ancestris shows this:

Ancestris version:  12.0.12176
Java:  12.0.2+10 - /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk-12.0.2.jdk/Contents/Home
System:  Mac OS X - 10.16 - mickreed
User directory  /Users/mickreed/Library/Application Support/ancestris/trunk

All seems to be correct other than the MacOS version which is Sonoma 14.0

I wondered if the Java version was the problem so installed version 8 from Oracle since this claims to support all Ancestris features.

However, I cannot get Ancestris to use this version. I don't want to change the default from Apple's version and, anyway, I don't think I can.

So I tried to force Ancestris to use version 8 by changing the config file. I read the documentation fully and also a forum exchange from August. None of it works because the files referred to do not exist in the stated folders. There are only two ancestris.conf files on my entire system. One for version 11, and the current one in the user directory referred to on the About Ancestris screen. This reads as follows:

###properties written ancestris
default_options="-J-XX:+IgnoreUnrecognizedVMOptions -J--add-opens=java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.desktop/com.sun.java.swing.plaf.gtk=ALL-UNNAMED -J-Xmx8g -J--add-exports=java.desktop/sun.awt.im=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-exports=java.management/sun.management=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.base/java.net=ALL-UNNAMED -J-Dapple.laf.useScreenMenuBar=true Support/ancestris/trunk/modules/ext/ilf-gpl.jar -J--add-opens=java.prefs/java.util.prefs=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-exports=java.desktop/java.awt.peer=ALL-UNNAMED -J-Dsun.zip.disableMemoryMapping=true -J--add-exports=java.desktop/com.sun.beans.editors=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-exports=java.desktop/sun.swing=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.desktop/javax.swing=ALL-UNNAMED --locale en -J-Xms96m -J--add-opens=java.desktop/javax.swing.text=ALL-UNNAMED -J-Dapple.awt.graphics.UseQuartz=true --laf net.infonode.gui.laf.InfoNodeLookAndFeel -J--add-opens=java.base/java.lang.ref=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.desktop/sun.awt.X11=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-exports=java.base/sun.reflect.annotation=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.basic=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.desktop/sun.awt.shell=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.desktop/com.sun.java.swing.plaf.motif=ALL-UNNAMED -J-XX:+UseStringDeduplication -J--add-opens=java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED --cp:p /Users/mickreed/Library/Application Support/ancestris/trunk/modules/ext/ilf-gpl.jar -J--add-opens=java.desktop/java.awt.event=ALL-UNNAMED --branding ancestris -J--add-opens=java.desktop/java.awt=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-opens=java.desktop/javax.swing.plaf.synth=ALL-UNNAMED -J--add-exports=java.desktop/sun.awt=ALL-UNNAMED"
default_userdir="${HOME}/.${APPNAME}/trunk"
default_mac_userdir="${HOME}/Library/Application Support/${APPNAME}/trunk"

Presumably, I need to add a line to this file, but what? And where?

Help appreciated.

Mick

[Zurga]

You better should use a more recent Java version than an older one.
Ancestris works with Java 17 and more, recently one user tested the application with the new Java 21.
With Java 8, you will experiment some difficulties with big screen. There will be more configuration to do.

You should have 2 ancestris.conf :
- One with the downloaded and unzipped Ancestris files (in "etc" directory).
- One in your user directory ( normally : ${HOME}/Library/Application Support/ancestris/trunk/etc/ancestris.conf )
You can change in any of theses files

You seem have found the second file.
Juste add a line beginning by :
jdkhome=
Then put the complete path of java installation between double-quote.
For example :
jdkhome="/Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/jdk-15.0.1.jdk/Contents/Home"

The documentation part describing this is here :
https://docs.ancestris.org/books/user-guide/page/step-by-step-installation-on-macos#bkmrk-4.-add---or-modify--

Apple doesn't help free software, especially running with Java.
We are sorry for this but we can't afford the price asked by Apple each year to be a "recognized" application.

Zurga

[thebookbloke]

Thanks Zurga

I've done all that successfully.

Now to see if it helps with my problems. I certainly hope so. Ancestris is really nice.

Thanks again

Mick