Keeping FlightGear (win32) up to date without compiling

There are three easy steps to keep up with the actual development of FlightGear:

First step:

You can find the latest FlightGear development branch already compiled as a Windows(TM) executable file (fgfs.exe) at ftp://ftp.ihg.uni-duisburg.de/FlightGear/Win32by Frederic Bouvier. There a lot of precompiled binaries, the newest one together with the latest FGRun. There are irregular updates, sometimes even nearly weekly. So check the filename for the latest version. fgfs-win32-20060710.zip tells you that it is the version of July 10, 2006. The download size will be about then 5 MB.

Second step:

It is obligatory to combine a new FlightGear binary mainprogram with the matching FlightGear data not only to get the newest developments but as configuration files or dataformats might have got changed. You have to download the newest data from http://cvs.flightgear.org/cgi-bin/viewvc/viewvc.cgi/data/

At the bottom of the page you will find the link "Download tarball". This is a pretty big amount of bytes (about 1 Gb!) so you should have a fast internet connection. You have to unzip the download before copying it into [YourFlightGearFolder].

Using WinCVS to hold the content of the [data] folder actual:

If you don't want to download all that stuff again and again it is more practical to download information and data about what has changed since the last upgrade, this means using the CVS system.

1. WinCVS download:

WinCVS is GNU General Public License (GPL). http://www.wincvs.org/download.html

2. Unzip and read Install.txt.

With the actual version of today you only have to run “wincvs_setup.exe”, the rest is done by the program, so don't keep attention to the other files.

==3.Install Python.== When running WinCVS for the first time you are asked to install python on your system (in case you don't have it already there). This all is very easy, just click on the link in the message window and download a stable Windows binary version. After downloading let Windows do all the installwork, just click on the downloaded file, ie “python-2.4.3.msi”. In case the WinCVS window is still open, close the program and start it again after the python installation has been finished.

4. Selecting or creating a download folder

It is highly recommended not to upgrade directly into your Flightgear data folder. If there are any errors due to internet connection or otherwise you will not destroy you old FlightGear data. You may use WinCVS to create a new folder on one of your harddisks with enough space left for the big download. Use the yellow folder symbol to select or create your CVS folder. You may name it as you like. WinCVS creates the data folder itself when downloading. After selection, “your” CVS folder shows up.

==5.Ready for download.== Now you are ready for downloading, you must have established your internet connection. Only once you have to type in 2 command lines. But this has to be done very carefully without any typo, otherwise you won't be successful.

==6.Command line.== Use “Admin” from the upper menuebar, then select “Command Line...”