Ubuntu Install

The show so far:

  1. OpenJDK 7 installed
  2. Downloaded tarball
  3. rt click & “extract” here so Vassal is now expanded in the downloads folder
  4. No launch option with VASSAL.sh. Checked properties and it is marked as executable.

What have I missed?

TIA

Try changing your working directory to the parent of the directory where VASSAL.sh is located.
Then type the whole path to VASSAL.sh.

For example, if VASSAL.sh is in /home/username/vassal/VASSAL-3.2.16 then
try typing

chdir /home/username/vassal

then type

/home/username/vassal/VASSAL-3.2.16/VASSAL.sh

Maybe your PATH or $PATH needs to be set a certain way. Perhaps one of the experts will speak up, especially if you post
exact error messages.
Good luck
Stewart

Are you clicking on VASSAL.sh in the file manager? I have found that I have to change the default way the file manager handles executable files for it to work ubuntu, otherwise it silently fails (I adjust it to prompt you when you click on it, and give you the option to view or execute it). You can also try executing it from a terminal.

Bill

I recommend running VASSAL.sh from a terminal if you’re having a problem starting VASSAL, in order that you can see what output it has.

Thus spake wtgustafson:

Are you clicking on VASSAL.sh in the file manager? I have found that I
have to change the default way the file manager handles executable files
for it to work ubuntu, otherwise it silently fails (I adjust it to
prompt you when you click on it, and give you the option to view or
execute it). You can also try executing it from a terminal.

Do you have any idea what’s failing when you try running VASSAL.sh from
the file manager? Running VASSAL.sh from my file manager works (Nemo, the
file manager in Cinnamon, on Fedora 24).


J.

I don’t know, and once I figured out the workaround, I haven’t bothered to debug it (especially since I prefer to be prompted for shell scripts generally in the file manager, and don’t use the file manager that much anyway). I just went back and changed it to “run executable text files when they are opened” and now it works. It occurred to me that there might be something about the first time it runs? I would just get a spinny “working” thing on the mouse cursor for 10-15 seconds, and then that would go away.

Here is the menu access to the setting:

Edit->Preferences->Behavior->Executable Text Files->Ask Each Time

This is under nautilus in default ubuntu.

Bill

I use Linux Mint, which uses Ubuntu repositories. My window manager is Mate. I had success as follows. I right-clicked on the root window and chose “Create Launcher.” I gave the launcher the name Vassal and the command

bash /home/david/games/Vassal/VASSAL-3.2.17/VASSAL.sh

Of course your path to the script may vary.

You could try running this command in a terminal to see what it complains about, if the launcher does not work.