Wine Gecko install notification

[doh123]

Is there some way to disable the Wine Gecko install prompt?

So if I create a new wineprefix it will NOT prompt me about it... or anytime my prefix is updated it will stop prompting me about it... its extremely annoying.

If it takes a source patch, so be it, but there has to be some way to maybe trick it? If i cannot get rid of it on creating a prefix, at least trick it into thinking its installed so it'll stop prompting when a prefix is updated?

[Sven]

Yes, you should just paste the .cab file in the right place:

http://wiki.winehq.org/Gecko

Then it will find it every time you create a new prefix, so it won't prompt you about it.

[doh123]

thanks for... that...

I think its obvious I want to get rid of the message without actually installing Gecko...

[Sven]

This was discussed on wine-devel some time ago, and the conclusion was that no one should ever want this. Not even developers. A suggestion made to Dan was to use this:

$ WINEDLLOVERRIDES=mshtml= wine cmd /C echo test

For running cmd. This disables mshtml though.

Wine without gecko is considered as a broken wine install, so I don't know why you wouldn't want to put gecko somewhere on your hard drive.

P.S. I'm kinda drunk, so I probably shouldn't post this, because it can contain total crap, but I'm just trying to help you out.

[doh123]

This was discussed on wine-devel some time ago, and the conclusion was that no one should ever want this. Not even developers. A suggestion made to Dan was to use this:

$ WINEDLLOVERRIDES=mshtml= wine cmd /C echo test

For running cmd. This disables mshtml though.

Wine without gecko is considered as a broken wine install, so I don't know why you wouldn't want to put gecko somewhere on your hard drive.

P.S. I'm kinda drunk, so I probably shouldn't post this, because it can contain total crap, but I'm just trying to help you out.

thanks for the help...

This isn't for normally running Wine. If it was just a normal install on the hard drive for 1 person it wouldn't matter as much, though it still does...

I'm trying to get rid of the message because its super annoying on how I'm building Wineskin (wineskin.sourceforge.net). Every time a Wine version is changed for testing, a wineprefix is copied, or a finished wrapper is copied out for an export... Wine always prompts about Wine gecko. 99% of the things that will be run in Wineskin do not need gecko.

the wineprefix is inside of a Mac .app, and every program has its own (usually). For programs that do not need gecko, installing Gecko into the prefix wastes 30mb per .app (from 10mb prefix to a 40mb prefix).... when you have 15 apps (mostly games) thats 450mb being wasted of Gecko install files that are never used...

I realize I'm using Wine a a rather non-standard way... but even for people that use multiple wineprefixes on their own, to install gecko into all of them is a big waste of space.

[oiaohm]

doh123 you don't get it yet.

mshtml part of wine that forces the install gecko. Triggers for this are many including the applications call for help and some game installers.

If no application interfaces with mshtml or the ie active X control through any means this includes html help files, gecko will not install. Even if gecko cab is placed in the simple to install from location. It just avoids having to ask to install.

There are a few ways outside wine to deal with the filespace duplication. One is lessfs. Other is duplication systems that allow hardlinking.

Really the mult geckos are not a major problem for me. Best long term solution is really improve activex emulation and mshtml so that the native binary hack is not required any more.

Basically you are trying to solve this the hardway. If gecko does not install many applications don't work currectly. Downloading and help files and other key things fail. Heck some games even using mshtml to get updates.

[vitamin]

This isn't for normally running Wine. If it was just a normal install on the hard drive for 1 person it wouldn't matter as much, though it still does...

Then you better get the wine_gecko.cab file and put it in the right place. If you won't do that you'll create broken wineprefix.

[doh123]

Well I guess the answer comes down to "no, its impossible"

The stupid message isn't unbearable, just very annoying....

[vitamin]

The stupid message isn't unbearable, just very annoying....

It's made that way for a reason...

[oiaohm]

Answer was not "no, its impossible".

There is a solution to get rid of it remove the need from wine for dependance on it. Lots of coding work and effort.

Basically the answer is no simple fast fix.

[doh123]

It may be made that way for a reason, but most other things in Wine, as well as most well made programs, have a lot of options, without certain things forced on you... so it seems strange theres no way to disable it. I don't care if something tries to load a web page and it shows a blank white screen, or errors or even crashes. I make a certain prefix customized for 1 specific app, and if that 1 app doesn't need it, ever, for any reason... why install it?

Its not so bad when it asked when it actually tried to use it, but now that it asks every single time your prefix gets updated or created, it turned annoying.

[James McKenzie]

doh123 wrote:

It may be made that way for a reason, but most other things in Wine, as well as most well made programs, have a lot of options, without certain things forced on you... so it seems strange theres no way to disable it. I don't care if something tries to load a web page and it shows a blank white screen, or errors or even crashes. I make a certain prefix customized for 1 specific app, and if that 1 app doesn't need it, ever, for any reason... why install it?

Its not so bad when it asked when it actually tried to use it, but now that it asks every single time your prefix gets updated or created, it turned annoying.

Doh123:

Wine is built to emulate, with all of the problems, the Windows API.
Blame it on lazy programmers, but Internet Explorer call code is
EVERYWHERE. I work with a user interface product that uses frames for
displaying information within the program shell. We found this out when
we went to do some hardening of systems used by certain users.

Thus, when you get an unexpected "html not enabled" message, don't blame
the project, blame the programmer for relying on the existence of
certain functionality. I'm hoping that with the introduction of IEless
Windows 7, this will become less and less.

James McKenzie

[oiaohm]

Run this doh123
WINEPREFIX=~/testwine wine notepad

Even that wine notepad.exe.so is a elf-pe you can build this as PE ie windows executable. Yes you will notice the testwine prefix is created without asking once for gecko. And gecko is not installed in that perfix at all.

Your claim that every single time a prefix gets created is bull for pure wine does not do it. Might be a feature of wineskin that is a third party program outside our control. If they have done stupidity is not our problem.

Yes there is a way to disable it. Disable mshtml. Most likely cause applications to fail to run. Lots of applications are built on the presume mshtml exists. Even so mshtml even in places avoids installing gecko.

Please be aware this is the wine forum we answer questions as if system being used is pure wine. We don't do any support for third party alterations other wise we would be going up wall.

[dimesio]

Run this doh123
WINEPREFIX=~/testwine wine notepad

Even that wine notepad.exe.so is a elf-pe you can build this as PE ie windows executable. Yes you will notice the testwine prefix is created without asking once for gecko. And gecko is not installed in that perfix at all.

When I run that command using plain Wine, built from git, I am prompted to install gecko. There is the option to say no at that point. That's how it's supposed to work, and your claim that it doesn't is just plain wrong. There was a long discussion about it on wine-devel when the change was made.

[oiaohm]

WINEDLLOVERRIDES="mshtml=" WINEPREFIX=~/testwine3 wine notepad

That will work sorry dimesio I had not notices I was sitting on a old version of wine when I tested it and my mind was bring up the old ways of doing things. After being around wine for over 8 year my memory does sometimes play tricks on me. Sorry for the error. I missed including an important var.

mshtml is the key to that dialog. Newer version after prefix install if gecko is not installed it will not be installed. winetricks gecko install will have to be used to install gecko if it been disabled.

WINEDLLOVERRIDES="mshtml=" blocks both native version and wine builtin version. Can be removed after the prefix is built.

The clue to how to make it work was there "Yes there is a way to disable it. Disable mshtml." Ie WINEDLLOVERRIDES="mshtml=" is how to disable mshtml.

I knew I had been creating prefixs without it.

[doh123]

Thus, when you get an unexpected "html not enabled" message, don't blame
the project, blame the programmer for relying on the existence of
certain functionality. I'm hoping that with the introduction of IEless
Windows 7, this will become less and less.

James McKenzie

no.. I blame it on Wine. Wine creates the pop up, and pops it up when no program at all is even trying to use it. Older versions of Wine didn't do this, it as added as a "feature" and listed as a new feature... that the notification would happen on prefix creation. on Wine.. whatever version, 1.1.3X some version...

Why can't Wine by default just write out in text in areas that are trying to use HTML something like "gecko not installed" with a hyperlink? instead of a pop up that holds up everything.... and only seen when something is actually trying to use it.

[doh123]

WINEDLLOVERRIDES="mshtml=" WINEPREFIX=~/testwine3 wine notepad

that actually is a decent solution for the creating of a prefix, but it doesn't help when scripting out something that has to work for programs that might or might not need html... so when a prefix auto updates itself under normal usage, the message still comes back...

so could i script prefix creation with that, so it doesn't prompt, and then... set the dll to disabled in the registry and it wouldn't prompt? then a Winetricks install of gecko or IE should override that setting and renable it?

[doh123]

so could i script prefix creation with that, so it doesn't prompt, and then... set the dll to disabled in the registry and it wouldn't prompt? then a Winetricks install of gecko or IE should override that setting and renable it?

well, it works to just disable it int he registry after its built...and installing IE changes it correctly...

Winetricks of Gecko though doesn't check that, and if mshtml is disabled, it leaves it disabled....

so my final solution to the problem...

Script in prefix creation to disable mshtml. My default settings .reg thats imported at the end of that, disables all mshtml.

no gecko messages.

If IE is installed via winetricks, it overrides its being disabled and works fine.

Made a Winetricks launcher script, that fixes the registry itself, if Winetricks is installing gecko. (launcher script so Winetricks stays stock and easily upgradable).

No more Gecko messages and everything seems to run good.... kind of a silly way to have to get rid of a useless pop up.

[Sven]

You say you want to do this, because you want to use the prefix for a program that will never use mshtml. Now you say that it might or might not need it. You also way that you want to use winetricks to get gecko in case it needs it (which is kinda lame). Can't you just put this in your ~/.bashrc:

alias winewithoutgecko='WINEDLLOVERRIDES=mshtml= WINEPREFIX=~/winewithoutgecko wine'

And just use plain wine in case you need gecko. Then just put gecko in the proper place so you don't get the popup every time you DO need gecko, and then you're done.

That looks so much easier to me.

[doh123]

You say you want to do this, because you want to use the prefix for a program that will never use mshtml. Now you say that it might or might not need it. You also way that you want to use winetricks to get gecko in case it needs it (which is kinda lame). Can't you just put this in your ~/.bashrc:

alias winewithoutgecko='WINEDLLOVERRIDES=mshtml= WINEPREFIX=~/winewithoutgecko wine'

And just use plain wine in case you need gecko. Then just put gecko in the proper place so you don't get the popup every time you DO need gecko, and then you're done.

That looks so much easier to me.

Like i said earlier.. this is for Wineskin, which is built to be used by many people on many machines for anything they want to run... it can't be set up machine or program specific.... so my needs are a bit different than standard running Wine. But the solution I found works decently enough, everything Wineskin does now seems to work ok so far without any gecko prompts... just kind of a messed up way to have to do it, but so far I still have Wine running stock... which I want to keep.

so don't worry about it, I have a usable work around.

[Sven]

You say you want to do this, because you want to use the prefix for a program that will never use mshtml. Now you say that it might or might not need it. You also way that you want to use winetricks to get gecko in case it needs it (which is kinda lame). Can't you just put this in your ~/.bashrc:

alias winewithoutgecko='WINEDLLOVERRIDES=mshtml= WINEPREFIX=~/winewithoutgecko wine'

And just use plain wine in case you need gecko. Then just put gecko in the proper place so you don't get the popup every time you DO need gecko, and then you're done.

That looks so much easier to me.

Like i said earlier.. this is for Wineskin, which is built to be used by many people on many machines for anything they want to run... it can't be set up machine or program specific.... so my needs are a bit different than standard running Wine. But the solution I found works decently enough, everything Wineskin does now seems to work ok so far without any gecko prompts... just kind of a messed up way to have to do it, but so far I still have Wine running stock... which I want to keep.

so don't worry about it, I have a usable work around.

Ok, my bad for missing that part. Sorry about that. Good thing that you have a workaround now

[oiaohm]

doh123 is not a silly way. Wine presumes that gecko will be required to use mshtml. The override is basically telling wine you don't want it.

Beaware what ones you have mshtml missing from and please make it displayed to endusers in interface. Since mshtml can be a cause of failures.

Ie the default is partly to reduce numbers of users placing bugs because gecko is not installed.

Basically seams kinda silly to you. Makes perfect logic to us.

Winetricks installs overrides so IE will work some might need "mshtml=native" instead of flat disabled in some cases. That still allows if windows version for it to be used.

Reason for flat disable is iexplore mshtml can be sometime worse for application than no mshtml at all.

Also not all sections of wine mshtml depend on gecko. I know the pop up is annoying. Upgrades only happen when wine has changed versions.

The way I would have gone was checking wine version if wine version has changed then run with mshtml disabled for prefix update. That way part of mshtml is on offer. So more application support.

Also wine versions changing can break applications from time to time.

[doh123]

doh123 is not a silly way. Wine presumes that gecko will be required to use mshtml. The override is basically telling wine you don't want it.

Wine is prompting when mshtml isn't used, so I'd explain that as, Wine presumes that gecko is wanted for everything, no matter what.

Also not all sections of wine mshtml depend on gecko. I know the pop up is annoying. Upgrades only happen when wine has changed versions.

In Wineskin while testing, I can jump through 5 or 6 Wine versions in about 2 minutes, which makes the prompt every time annoying.... truthfully, there is so many different programs that run best, or only runs right in certain versions... is easier to use an old version than worry about getting a newer version fixed.

The way I would have gone was checking wine version if wine version has changed then run with mshtml disabled for prefix update. That way part of mshtml is on offer. So more application support.

I could make it update the prefix right away when changing Wine versions, so the next normal run already had it updated and gecko wouldn't be an issue...

That wouldn't fix the issue when duplicating the prefix, or 'exporting' it into a fully self contained wrapper... whenever I copy a wineprefix, the new copy even with the same Wine version (but a new copy of it), decides to update again and asks about Wine gecko again.

Also wine versions changing can break applications from time to time.

true, thats when I rebuild the prefix... if its messing up. Usually it seems to work ok though.

I just think the change to having Gecko prompt and want to install all the time wether its needed or not is... kind of a cheap way to fix problems. instead of actually being able to tell when its needed and prompt, it was easier to program just assuming its always there, so just annoy people into installing it.... so it just seems like a big annoying band-aid fix instead of a proper fix.

[vitamin]

Like i said earlier.. this is for Wineskin, which is built to be used by many people on many machines for anything they want to run...

If you want to follow this route you make your program black-listed here, AppDB, and in bugzilla. Because it will create broken configurations.

[doh123]

Like i said earlier.. this is for Wineskin, which is built to be used by many people on many machines for anything they want to run...

If you want to follow this route you make your program black-listed here, AppDB, and in bugzilla. Because it will create broken configurations.

"black-listed" seems a bit harsh, but I wouldn't expect the appdb or bugzilla to allow stuff about Wineskin, just like no other 3rd party stuff, its about general Wine.... and Wineskin definitely does not work in a standard type way, cuz that would be extremely limiting.
Yes I used unmodified Wine code for most 'Engine' builds used and have 1.1.5 - 1.1.40 all available, but things have to run very differently because of X11 issues on OSX. Its just a simple registry setting disabling mshtml, unless IE or Gecko is installed, its nothing that major... its automatically re-enabled if someone installs Gecko or IE in that wrapper... and the manual and help screen both give info about it being disabled, and how to enable it. Anyone can easily modify their install to so it doesn't auto disable, its just the default. I know you don't understand why this is an issue for me... and not totally sure how to explain it. But forcing a gecko install on every prefix will result in hundreds of mb of wasted space. I'd rather leave it enabled and have the pop up only show if mshtml is accessed by the program running, like it used to do in older Wine versions, but that doesn't seem to be an option anymore.