How is this done? I’ve tried a couple of times to install Java directly from the Sun website to the flashdrive, but this doesn’t seem to work. I found a tutorial at dreamincode.net/forums/showtopic42544.htm but haven’t tried that procedure yet.
The instructions there look plausible, but they’re telling you how
to install the JDK (Java Development Kit) to your flash drive,
not the JRE (Java Runtime Environment), which is what you need for
running VASSAL. The JDK contains a JRE, so this would work for
you just fine, but it’s a much larger install than you need if all
you’re planning to do is run VASSAL. (If you also want to write
code, you’d need the JDK.)
What you’d most likely want to do is follow those instructions,
but download the JRE instead of the JDK.
you can run kinda embedded linux from your flashdrive ontop of any os. this works out for win linux and osx currently, and propably some others i havent tested yet.
i am using this on my t.sonic mp3 player to work on the public mashines at my university. works like a virtual mashine thats entirely on your flash drive. although i think performance will be quite bad if you play modules with a lot of gfx
I tried installing just the JRE, but it automatically installed directly to the desktop and not the flashdrive - there was no option to choose the install path. I tried the JDK and it did let me install to the flashdrive.
I had difficulty entering the code via the command prompt as directed by the last few steps at the link I provided (it wouldn’t recognize the “notepad.js.bat” command or whatever, so I entered just “notepad” and ended up just saving a notepad file to the flashdrive) so I doubt this will work. I’ll test it tomorrow on a desktop without Java.
I think Vassal is excellent, but if this doesn’t work, in my opinion it would unfortunately be a fairly big strike against Vassal in terms of its versatility… although the fault would really lie more with Java.
If this doesn’t work, then the problem is with the instructions or
your execution of them. I know you can run a JRE from a flash drive.
We used to bundle a JRE along with VASSAL, and that worked regardless
of where you put it.
I don’t have time at present to look into this further, but once we’ve
released 3.1.0-beta1, I’ll see about producing either (1) a bundle which
includes a JRE, or (2) instructions for making one.