Creating Portable Code::Blocks: Part 2
biplab April 13th, 2009
To update all I have committed patch in trunk (in revision 5334). It should be available with the next nightly.
To run Code::Blocks portably you can write a batch file, set APPDATA variable to any directory you want and then launch Code::Blocks.
Alternatively you can download the CbLauncher v0.1.1 from my blog to run Code::Blocks portably.
Steps to use Cblauncher:
- Download a nightly build with revision > 5334.
- Extract them to a folder.
- Extract CbLauncher.exe to same folder. After extraction CbLauncher.exe and codeblocks.exe should be in same folder.
- Now double click on on CbLauncher.exe file to run Code::Blocks in a portable manner.
I’ve uploaded a binary package to the following link to try out Code::Blocks in a portable manner.
http://files.filefront.com/Portable+CB+5526+bin7z/;13582845;/fileinfo.html
CbLauncher package can be downloaded from this post’s attachment.
Known Issues:
- Code::Blocks still creates an empty folder inside USERPROFILE folder.
Download link: cblauncher_v_0_1_1
http://files.filefront.com/Portable+CB+5526+bin7z/;13582845;/fileinfo.html
have tried to download the file from the link above but it give me a error in below:
The file you are attempting to download is not currently available on our servers or is being processed. Please try your download in a few minutes.
Unfortunately the file has been deleted from FileFront due to some unknown reason.
But you can actually use any latest nightly version as a portable version. To do that-
1) Download cblauncher_v_0_1_1.7z file from the above post.
2) Download any newer nightly build of Code::Blocks and extract to any folder.
3) Extract cblauncher.exe from cblauncher_v_0_1_1.7z to the folder where codeblocks.exe file is present.
4) Double-click on cblauncher.exe file and it will run the nightly build as a portable version.
Thanks for this Biplab.
I am making good use of your launcher for a portable educational configuration of Code::Blocks (see http… codeblocks.codecutter.org). All I have done to the launcher is add the CodeBlocks icon to the executable. So far, so good.
I’ll tell you how it goes when a couple of hundred students at my uni start using it in a few weeks.
After a few thousand startups on many computer and several operating systems, I can report that the launcher appears to be doing its job well.
I have had a couple of reports of Code::Blocks locking after displaying its splash screen. In one case I was told that the user had to reboot. I am far from certain however that this locking was related to the CBLauncher.
I am thinking of extending the launcher to add to the system fonts a programmer’s font like Dejavu sans mono. The font would be located in the portable Code::Blocks share directory structure. This would provide a good system font on any machine where one may want to run the IDE.
I’ll report if I have some success with this.
An extension of Biplab’s CB launcher with a few refinements (no visible console, portable programmer fonts activation, icon) appears to be working well, although it has not received the same amount of testing as 0.1.1.
Source code (CB project) and binary are available from http://sharingmatrix.com/file/3058129/CBLauncher0.1.2.zip
(it’s a free file sharing account. The file will disappear 30 days after the last download).
Enjoy.
Hi JLK,
Thanks for the update. However I am unable to download from the link you provided. Can you please upload it to another link?
Regards,
Biplab
Oops, I should have checked the blog earlier!
Many have downloaded version 1.2. The file is still alive after 2 months. Biplab’s ISP must be blocking that site.
A new version 1.3 is now available at sharingmatrix ( http://sharingmatrix.com/file/7102025/CbLauncher0.1.3.zip ) or Badongo if you have problems with Sharingmatrix ( http://www.badongo.com/file/23151788 ). Badongo keeps the files for 90 days. The latest version has been extensively used by many people for many weeks and appears troublefree. All changes are documented in the zip.
One extra improvement that I want to add to a future v. 1.4 is the possibility of passing the command-line through the launcher to CB, so CB could be passed files to open when started by the launcher. Not hard to do, I’ll upload here when done.
Version numbers should be preceded by ’0.’ in my previous entry.
Hi,
I’m quite excited about trying Code::Blocks but only if it’s fully portable.
I need to code ad hoc whilst moving between various locked down work PCs so CbLauncher sounds great.
I’ve twice downloaded v0.1.3 from the Sharingmatrix in the past few days, but there aren’t any .exe’s in the archive!
Oops.
Any chance of a new ZIP?
Cheers
there is no exe in the archive
its a codeblock project
the exe file you can build
load the project in codeblocks and press the build button
and maybe you first take a look to the doc folder and read the text in it
HissingShark, The archive contains the source code, documentation, and a CB project to build the launcher executable using Code::Blocks itself (No Oops). In order to launch CodeBlocks portably with the launcher you will need Code::Blocks anyway. In order to use Code::Blocks you will need to understand how to load and build projects. Just build that executable.
If you want to try a ready-made portable Code::Blocks with nothing to compile, do, or control yourself, then check Loaden’s http://code.google.com/p/portablecb/downloads/list?q=label:Featured
The launcher has now been updated to v0.1.4.
Details and download on the Code::Blocks forums:
http://forums.codeblocks.org/index.php/topic,10360.msg92805.html#msg92805
The launcher has now been updated to v0.1.5.
Details and download on the Code::Blocks forums:
http://forums.codeblocks.org/index.php/topic,10360.msg93976.html#msg93976
The portable Codeblocks launcher has now been updated to v1.0
Details and download on the Code::Blocks forums:
http://forums.codeblocks.org/index.php/topic,10360.msg96509.html#msg96509
Further release news from me will be made exclusively on the Code::Blocks forums.
Hi JLK, I’m already loving this codeblock version, thankyou.