[3.9] (solved) Binary doesn't work, but Nightly is probably at fault

[dantedarkstar]

Unfortunately I can't test the new experimental version, because it doesn't start at all. This problem is surely connected to what happens with current Nightly that does the same thing for me.

What exact nightly versions were 3.8 and 3.9 built upon ? Because the "doesn't start" problem had to happen somewhere between these two and it would be good to give this info to the standard simutrans developers.

Here's my report on that, you might want to add the info directly there
http://forum.simutrans.com/index.php?topic=2221.0

[jamespetts]

Dante,

hmm, that's very odd. It works for me (both Experimental and Standard). Have you tried downloading the MSVC++ 2008 redistributable package? May I ask - what are your system specifications?

(Simutrans-Experimental is built on the latest nightly release as of the 17th of May).

[dantedarkstar]

But you see... I tried the Nightly and it doesn't work too. And Nightly isn't compiled using MS VC, right ? Besides, it was me who told you that the 2008 version of redistributable is needed
So yes, I have it (otherwise 3.8 wouldn't work).

As for system specs... let's see:
It's Lenovo R61i notebook (Lenovo = new IBM at least as far as notebooks go)
Now taken from "My Compuer" properties:
Intel Core2 Duo CPU T5450 @ 1.66GHz
1 GB Ram
Windows XP Professional SP 2 (version 2002 whatever that means)
Using AVG antivir and Subelt Firewall (never interfered with anything as far as I can tell)

Anyway, this is some weird bug. It's so sneaky I have no idea what it could be. I only know it's not just something with compilation, because Nigthly and new Experimental based on it wouldn't do exactly the same thing. It's in the Nightly code (and it's interaction with my comp).
Anyway, since experimental part is not at fault (as far as I can tell), it's up to the mainstream development to deal with

[jamespetts]

Is it a 64-bit or a 32-bit system?

[dantedarkstar]

Ah, 32 bit. Nothing "elite"  (for explanation see below)
And 3.8 worked. Were there any drastic changes so that 32/64 bit suddenly might come up ?

Explanation of "elite"
My colleague at work installed 64 bit linux quite some time ago, but then he was left with almost no programs to use, including some really useful; we were joking about his system being "elite"; he installed 32 bit version less than year later if I remember correctly 

[jamespetts]

Yes, one of the updates to Simutrans-Standard between 3.8 and 3.9 was supposed to enable it to compile better on 64-bit systems, and changed a great many variable types to non-system dependant types, as well as a few other quirks with things like pointer hashtables.

[dantedarkstar]

Ok. I think I got something. I checked the Windows Native binary of the stable 102.0 and it doesn't work for me in EXACTLY the same way. I didn't know that, since I always used SDL version (because it didn't "hang" each time music changed and in general worked smoother; a year ago or so both versions worked for me but that's ancient history now).
So it seems not to be Nightly release problem. Was 3.8 compiled for SDL or without ? I assume 3.9 is compiled for GDI, just like the Nightly binary, is that right ?

[jamespetts]

All versions of Simutrans-Experimental are compiled with GDI. I have not been able to make SDL work...

[dantedarkstar]

Alright. Problem "solved".

I completely restarted the computer and all now works...

That's one of the strangest things I seen. I mean... somehow GDI versions earlier and later than experimental 3.8 didn't work, but 3.8 worked.
The logic circuits in my brain hurt  :(

Anyway, I can use 3.9 now 

[jamespetts]

Very odd. Glad that it worked out all right for you, though!