Accordance under WINE on Xubuntu!

[T. Conrad]

I had a predicament: I had an underpowered Vista laptop (circa 2009) and while Accordance ran well enough on it, everything else didn't (including, the OS). This was the main computer given to me for my work.

 

So, I did what any insane person would do: I tried to install OS X on it. I gave up after a few days.

 

Then, I did what any sane (and geeky) person would do: I installed Xubuntu!

 

Here's a screenshot of Accordance running quite well on Xubuntu 13.10. It didn't take too much set-up, however there are some re-drawing issues, and I can't seem to change anything on the toolbar (so I just hid it).

 

Now, everything runs buttery-smooth and this old laptop is useful again!

 

All thanks to Accordance for Windows. You guys rock!

Edited January 15, 2014 by T. Conrad

[R. Mansfield]

That's awesome. I'm glad to see Accordance finally running in different versions of Linux. Historically speaking, Apple killed the the Apple II about nine years after the introduction of the Mac. The iPad was released in 2010, so...

 

I always worry that the iOS will so eclipse the Mac, that Apple will eventually discontinue the Mac. If that were to happen, I'd much rather use a Linux laptop as my main computer than a Windows laptop--especially after spending a considerable amount of time in Windows over the past few months.

[Darin Allen]

I commend you for your geekery, good sir Seriously though, this is very cool! Thanks for sharing with the community. It's exciting to know that Accordance for Windows opened up possibilities for Linux users as well.

[Daniel Francis]

That's awesome. I'm glad to see Accordance finally running in different versions of Linux. Historically speaking, Apple killed the the Apple II about nine years after the introduction of the Mac. The iPad was released in 2010, so...

 

I always worry that the iOS will so eclipse the Mac, that Apple will eventually discontinue the Mac. If that were to happen, I'd much rather use a Linux laptop as my main computer than a Windows laptop--especially after spending a considerable amount of time in Windows over the past few months.

 

I don't see the Mac computer going the way of Apple II. I think Steve Jobs said it best, tablets are like cars computers are more like trucks, the ideal thing for most users may be a car, but there is always going to be a need for trucks.

 

-Dan

[Abram K-J]

Dan, well put, but I wonder how much of his vision is still living on with Apple as it currently is. (Would he really have okayed iOS7?)

[Daniel Francis]

Dan, well put, but I wonder how much of his vision is still living on with Apple as it currently is. (Would he really have okayed iOS7?)

 

I hope not i like the killing of digital cows, the flatness of 7 is not my taste but I have learned to live with it...

 

-Dan

[Julia Falling]

I do not think Apple desktops and laptops are going away. Macs are still selling. Even the new Mac Pro. You just can't edit photos, audio, or video on a tablet the way you can on a computer – at least not yet. And there's the screen size issue. There are many times when, even for Accordance, a laptop will just not cut it, and I need to connect to an external monitor. If that is true for a non-pro like me, it's got to be true for the professional.

[Λύχνις Δαν]

UI remains the problem. You've got to be able to put stuff in and get it out. I suspect that while we could build high power compact devices (though not quite as compact) the i/o issue waits on projected keyboards and pico projection style solutions. At that point the device can be much smaller and still capable, but the area required to operate it in probably doesn't. Until then larger devices with their more capable UI devices are required.

[T. Conrad]

Thanks for the kudos, Darin!

 

I'm with Julie on the question of iOS eclipsing OS X. I really don't see it being plausible.

 

While I can do something such as a quick video edit and photo edit on my iPad 2, the workflow is simple horrendous. For me it's a matter of efficiency; I just can't get certain tasks done as quickly on a tablet as I can on a traditional computer. Same goes true with Accordance. I love Accordance for iOS, it's a great tool. However, Accordance for Mac/Windows (and Linux ) is more versatile and efficient for long study sessions. (It's even more versatile when supplemented with the iPad!)

 

In fact, efficiency is what drove me to this set-up. I just couldn't bear wasting the time it took to do simple tasks such as load a web-page or task-switch. Now that I have a leaner OS (and a perfectly fine Accordance install in a wrapper), I can do my job quicker.

 

So, I'm not too worried about losing the desktop any time soon. I think it will be here for the long haul.

[R. Mansfield]

First, T. Conrad, let me apologize for hijacking the thread and taking away from your accomplishment of getting Accordance to run on Xbubuntu. I still think it's awesome.

 

Second, in regard to the other conversation that I inadvertently started, I have no doubt that there will always be a need for trucks (computers that run things like Windows, Mac & Linux in their desktop incarnations). What I'm not so certain of is whether or not Apple will always want to make trucks. Clearly Apple sees its mobile devices (specifically those running iOS) as its future, and the Mac has taken a back seat to that.

 

When the iPad was first released, it was still very dependent upon having either a Mac or Windows computer for syncing data back and forth--or even to set it up. Remember the "Connect to iTunes" start screen? Those days are clearly gone. You can use an iPad without ever needing a traditional computer. In fact, the traditional computer is overkill for the average person who simply reads email, surfs the web, and is content with a few basic apps. My father is 69 and falls into this category. The only computer he has ever owned in his entire life is his iPad. It's all he needs, and it's all the majority of people actually need.

 

Apple knows this. Yes, the Mac line is the best computer hardware out there running the best desktop OS. And yes, the Mac line is still profitable for Apple. But how well does the Mac fit into what they see as the future? I don't know the answer to that question because I am not privy to their longterm plans.

 

But is there a point where iOS devices so eclipse the Mac that this part of Apple becomes unnecessary? What happens then? Does Apple spin off the Mac into its own separate subsidiary company like it did with the Newton and Claris? Again, I don't know, which is why I like to see things like this post by T. Conrad.

 

I don't doubt that Apple has significant longterm goals strategically laid out, probably only known to an inner circle. If there's any clue to these plans, it might be in the massive data centers they are building. But even that tells me that these data centers are being built to support mobile devices, probably with services no one out of a select few really know about right now.

 

What I'd personally like to see is Apple create some kind of hybrid device that is more iPad when I carry it around, but still capable of being more Mac when I sit down and plug it in to a larger monitor, keyboard and other peripherals (this is where I believe Microsoft has missed the boat with knowing how to promote Windows tablets properly). But if this happens--if some kind of hybrid device is developed--it won't be sold as a Mac; it will be sold as an iPad with greater capabilities. And before this can happen, each OS has to merge closer together; or more likely, the Mac has to become more like iOS. Did we not see that with the recent release of the iWork apps?

 

Yesterday, on MacBreak Weekly, Alex Lindsay made this statement: "I still think we're in this very long curve where Apple's moving away from OS X to iOS and we're [Apple] going to spend the next two years explaining to you why you don't need your laptop." I agree.

 

That doesn't mean that no one will need a laptop (or desktop), but it could mean that Apple's not interested in perpetuating the Mac as we now know it into the longterm. They may be content to sell iOS devices as mainstream computing devices and let others make the trucks as something most people no longer need.

 

I don't mean to be all doom and gloom and certainly don't intend to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt to all of us who love our Macs. And obviously there are plenty of things that can be done on a MacBook that cannot be done on the iPad. But in the end, I truly believe the iPad represents a real shift in Apple's future, and they are going to continue to head in that direction. And this company has a long history of jettisoning the products that no longer fit in with their forward looking plans.

 

Mobile is clearly Apple's future. Mobile, including other platforms besides iOS, such as Android, is the future for everyone.

[Abram K-J]

Nailed it, Rick. Especially this:

 

 

 

What I'd personally like to see is Apple create some kind of hybrid device that is more iPad when I carry it around, but still capable of being more Mac when I sit down and plug it in to a larger monitor, keyboard and other peripherals (this is where I believe Microsoft has missed the boat with knowing how to promote Windows tablets properly). But if this happens--if some kind of hybrid device is developed--it won't be sold as a Mac; it will be sold as an iPad with greater capabilities. And before this can happen, each OS has to merge closer together; or more likely, the Mac has to become more like iOS. Did we not see that with the recent release of the iWork apps?

 

I can't believe those Windows tablet things (SurfacePro?) aren't dominating the market. I mean, what could be better that something that is tablet and laptop at the same time? Or, rather, could be either at any time? (Except for the fact that it runs Windows....)

 

Great points about iOS vs. OS X. Upthread T. Conrad makes a great point about workflow. You can barely use one app at a time on iOS--that needs to change.

P.S. This conversation (and whatever happens in the future) points, I think, to the smart move it has been on Accordance's part to continue pursuing becoming more cross-platform.

[Julia Falling]

Whichever way things go, many of us will still want to do something beyond social networking (which I don't do at all except here, if these forums qualify). mail, and browsing, So if Mac OS & iOS kinda merge, then we need to have the UI & the power in the portable devices that will enable us to do the 'beyond' tasks. And we're going to have to have the ability to have a larger viewing area and workable keyboard.

 

And I'm not doing Windows. It's bad for my blood pressure.

[T. Conrad]

I do like the use-case scenario that R. Mansfeild pointed out. No doubt if Apple ever shipped something akin to the Surface (with their own spin on things, I'm sure), I would likely grab one. Although, I'd wait until 2nd gen of whatever it is (like I did with the iPad).

And I'm not doing Windows. It's bad for my blood pressure.

 

Mine too! Crazy that Linux is easier on me...

[T. Conrad]

P.S. This conversation (and whatever happens in the future) points, I think, to the smart move it has been on Accordance's part to continue pursuing becoming more cross-platform.

 

I couldn't agree more. I've been impressed with Accordance on Windows so far. It's not often you see a uni-platform program make such an elegant switch. Should they continue into other platforms, and with the same robustness as they have with the Windows version, then we are in for a real treat.

 

Of course, that's just wishful thinking at this point.

[Julia Falling]

I agree with T. Conrad. But I will still want a bigger monitor! A couple of things I really like about my iPad are its compact size and weight. It is so very portable. I don't know that I want to carry around a laptop size device all the places that I might take my iPad. Perhaps something in-between – like the size of the 11" MBA? But more power + the external monitor. I know we can already connect an iPad to a monitor, but since I have Macs, I don't. And since the iPad lacks the efficient workflow and power of my Macs, I don't.

 

Edited January 15, 2014 by Julie Falling

[Elijah]

@T. Conrad: I tried installing Accordance on Xubuntu using Wine (for fun) yesterday when I saw this post, but the app crashes when displaying the library for example or modules are downloaded but not installed (in hangs forever).

Did you have to do any additional configuration in wine or something?

[T. Conrad]

Elijah,

 

No extra config. It was from a fresh install. I installed WINE direct from the WINE ppa. I'm using version 1.7. AFAIK it is the latest version. If you are using the WINE version from Canonical, I'd try to remove the one and installing the other first.

[Elijah]

I upgraded from 1.4 to 1.7 and was now able to install all my modules. Opening the library however still causes it to quit.

Maybe it's because I'm using a virtual box machine instead of a physical installation.

[T. Conrad]

Elijah, that might be your problem. So, you are running Xubuntu in a VM under another OS? That's a lot of layers.. I think you must go deeper...

 

My set up was a fresh install of Xubuntu, added the PPA from WINE and installed. I also tried running a light XP install under VMWare, which works a little better (toolbar customization works), but is fairly slower. (Although, I'm on a four-year-old core solo laptop.. so YMMV with a newer dual-core set-up with a good amount of RAM.)

 

Have you tried launching it from a console to see what error pops up when it crashes? It might be as simple as needing to install mscorefonts or a native windowss DLL (assuming you own a copy of windows to grab the dll from...)

[Elijah]

On the first start after installation I always get this error message:

After clicking ok Accordance quits. The message appears only once after installation or after executing AccCleanup.exe.

I think the subsequent problems in some way probably are just different signs of the same problem.

 

I used "wine accordance.exe &> log.txt" to get more info, but the output is:

fixme:atl:AtlAxWinInit semi-stub

(after adding corefonts)

 

I tried different distributions (Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Pear OS, Elementary OS, Cinnamon) some 32 and some 64bit. Additionally I tested Elementary OS 64bit and Cinamon 16 32bit not with Virtual Box but using a usb drive to boot a live image.

 

Installations steps basically were always the same:

- install OS

- install newest version of wine

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install wine1.7

- start accordance installer (no additional config in wine)

 

Did you use Windows XP as Windows Version in the Wine configuration? The error message seems to indicate some problems with accessing some folders/files.

 

-----

System details: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge, ASUS P8Z77-V, 8GB RAM

Edited January 23, 2014 by Elijah

[R. Mansfield]

At some point in the future, when some of you get a really solid installation running in WINE in any flavor of Linux, it might not be a bad idea to write down the necessary steps to get it to work. The Documents section on the Accordance Exchange might be a good place to keep such information.

[T. Conrad]

Elijah,

 

Have you tried completely removing any pre-existing WINE settings before install (should be found in ~/.wine)? Also, have you used winetricks to install any extra DLLs or IE?

 

Rick,

 

That's a great idea. Hopefully if we can get Elijah's problem figured out, it will lead to a better understanding of what's required to get it running well under WINE.

 

EDIT: I just realized you said no additional config... Try installing IE with winetricks and any network related DLLs that show up in the list and then try the installer again. (You might need to install winetricks - 'sudo apt-get install winetricks' should work from the terminal.)

Edited January 23, 2014 by T. Conrad

[Elijah]

Installing IE8 (the newest version in wine 1.7) didn't help. I also removed the .wine directory completely. I created a log of the whole setup and first start of the application with this command:

 

wine Accordance10.3.4.1.exe &> log.txt

Output:

wine: created the configuration directory '/home/tux/.wine'
fixme:storage:create_storagefile Storage share mode not implemented.
err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
err:mscoree:LoadLibraryShim error reading registry key for installroot
fixme:storage:create_storagefile Storage share mode not implemented.
err:winediag:SECUR32_initNTLMSP ntlm_auth was not found or is outdated. Make sure that ntlm_auth >= 3.0.25 is in your path. Usually, you can find it in the winbind package of your distribution.
fixme:iphlpapi:NotifyAddrChange (Handle 0xdce890, overlapped 0xdce89c): stub
wine: configuration in '/home/tux/.wine' has been updated.
fixme:process:SetProcessDEPPolicy (1): stub
fixme:process:SetProcessDEPPolicy (1): stub
fixme:win:DisableProcessWindowsGhosting : stub
fixme:msg:ChangeWindowMessageFilter c056 00000001
fixme:msg:ChangeWindowMessageFilter c056 00000001
fixme:msg:ChangeWindowMessageFilter c056 00000001
fixme:shell:SHAutoComplete stub
err:richedit:CharAttr unknown font 0
err:richedit:ReadStyleSheet skipping optional destination
err:richedit:ReadStyleSheet skipping optional destination
fixme:sfc:SfcIsFileProtected ((nil), L"C:\\Program Files\\Oaktree\\Accordance\\unins000.exe") stub
fixme:atl:AtlAxWinInit version 0300 semi-stub

Using the tool ZSoft Uninstaller I logged the system changes on a installation of Accordance in WIndows XP.

I attached the output of the tool (I tried to translate the folder paths from German to English). start after install.txt

 

I saw that after a wine installation not all the folders existed that were there on the xp machine. Especially in documents and settings\All users\AppData\.

After I copied the Accordance folders to the wine installation the initial error didn't occur any more (I did a fresh install and copied the missing files mentioned before).

 

Now the login dialog is displayed. When I try to log in the green checkmark is displayed, but when I click on continue nothing happens. There is a crypting message showing up after clicking on continue (something about user contents and purchases.

 

This is the log output of that part (starting accordance and logging in):

fixme:atl:AtlAxWinInit version 0300 semi-stub
fixme:ole:RemUnknown_QueryInterface No interface for iid {00000019-0000-0000-c000-000000000046}
fixme:wininet:query_global_option INTERNET_OPTION_PER_CONNECTION_OPTION stub
fixme:wininet:query_global_option Unhandled dwOption 4
fixme:wininet:query_global_option Unhandled dwOption 5
fixme:wininet:InternetSetOptionW Option 77 STUB
err:winediag:SECUR32_initNTLMSP ntlm_auth was not found or is outdated. Make sure that ntlm_auth >= 3.0.25 is in your path. Usually, you can find it in the winbind package of your distribution.
fixme:wininet:query_global_option INTERNET_OPTION_PER_CONNECTION_OPTION stub
fixme:wininet:query_global_option Unhandled dwOption 4
fixme:wininet:query_global_option Unhandled dwOption 5
fixme:wininet:InternetSetOptionW Option 77 STUB

I installed windbind after that, because it is mentioned in the log (+reboot), but didn't help.

There seems to be an issue with the installation, maybe the setup cannot find the public folder.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Elijah

[T. Conrad]

Hi Elijah,

 

So, I backed up my wine dir and tried a fresh install and came up with the same error as you with the latest Accordance windows installer. I then tried to install over my old install (after an uninstall.... gee that's a mouthful!) and am experiencing the same error. I'm wondering the error actually has to do with permissions now... I'm still looking into it, though. We will figure this out yet!

 

Grace and peace,

 

Tim

[Elijah]

thanks for taking a look at it.

Offtopic: I was surprised when I recently looked at the apps for Linux that I would need as counterparts for the current ones on Windows (about 40). There are only about 3 apps where there isn't anything available for Linux: iTunes (for iPod sync) and some software development stuff.

One thing I don't like is that they named the system (background) services in Linux daemons. I know you normally aren't confronted with it when using Linux, but is it just me that has a bit of a problem with it?

Edited January 27, 2014 by Elijah