Failed to Load External: TsNet

[hrcap]

Good Morning All

I hope that everyone is well.

I have just tried to build my Livecode App in the Windows version for first same time. Up to now I have been building compiling it for Mac and iOS which has worked excellently.

I now build my App for windows (using my Mac) and then copy the App to a windows computer.

When opening the App on a windows computer it flags the error "Failed to Load External: TsNet"

I have carried out the following without success:

- Select both tsNet & teNet-x86_64 from the inclusions tab in the standalone app settings
- Create a folder called 'externals' in the same location as my app and include this folder within the copy files in the standalone application settings.


If anybody could shed some additional light on why this might be occurring then that would be great.


Many Thanks

[LiveCode_Panos]

Hello hrcap,

Did you copy the whole folder of the Windows standalone that was created on Mac (and then placed into the Windows machine), or just the .exe file?

Also, which LC version did you use?

Kind regards,
Panos
--

[hrcap]

Hi Panos

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. I can confirm that I did copy the whole folder to the windows computer


I am currently using version 9.5.0-dp-1


Many Thanks

[LiveCode_Panos]

Hello hrcap.

The folder you copied should contain a subfolder named "Externals", which should include the tsNet binaries. Was this the case?

Also, I suggest downloading the latest 9.5.0 stable version, as we have fixed several bugs since 9.5.0 DP1:

https://downloads.livecode.com/livecode/

One last thing to check is that the architecture of the Windows standalone you have built (32 or 64 bit) matches/is compatible with the architecture of the OS of the Windows machine.

Kind regards,
Panos
--

[hrcap]

Hi Again Panos

Again thank you very much for the reply. I have now downloaded the most recent version of Livecode which has solved the problem

Now on to solving the unique quirks that it appears running in windows has thrown up.


Have a great day

[LiveCode_Panos]

You're welcome hrcap

Cheers,
Panos
--

[Martin Koob]

Hi I am having the same issue but I am running LiveCode 9.6.0

I have a GLX Framework based application that I am trying to create an installer for Windows 10 using Inno Setup as explained here.
https://revolution.screenstepslive.com/ ... inno-setup

This is the second Windows installer I am making for this app. The first time I made an installer for my first version of this app on Windows ultimately worked (after a bit of trial and error) and now I am using the same basic script settings to make the new installer for an update to my application.

In the LiveCode standalone application settings dialog Windows tab I selected Windows 64 bit so it is a 64 bit application.

The folder layout of the application is as follows
myApp.exe
->Externals
-mergJSON-x64.dll
-revxml.dll
-tsNet-x86_64.dll

Using Inno Script Studio I compile the script and that works with no problem.
- I have a code signing certificate so the code is signed using the sign tool
- I looked at the “creating setup files message and I see that the external tsNet external is loaded.

Still when I try to launch my application I get a dialog titled ‘Initialization error’. Its error message is ‘failed to load external: tsNet’

I thought it might be looking for the 32 bit version of the tsNet external, tsNet-x86.dll so I added that to the Externals folder in addition to the 64 bit version that I already had before running the compiler again. Same result.

Not sure what to try next so any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks.

Martin Koob

[jacque]

I know almost nothing about this but that won't stop me. Is it possible that the dll also needs to be signed?

[hrcap]

Hi All

It is also worth checking that you haven't missed any .dll that livecode has put outside of the 'Externals' Folder

When building my standalone for Windows I have noticed that all .dll's are put inside the 'Externals' Folder except for revpdfprinter.dll ... in which case I have to remember to ensure that I copy revpdfprinter.dll into the folder for my standalone.

[no1g8tor96]

I just started having this issue. I am using 9.6.1 on my mac and making EXE files for windows and as of two weeks ago when I saved as stand alone it was just that. Nothing in the externals folder and could just put the EXE anywhere. Now its creating tsNet files and wont work unless I have them???

Did i turn something on by accident? Is this new? If so I hate it. please help its so frustrating.

Thank you so much in advance.

[Martin Koob]

Hi

I resolved my issue and have meant to update this post.

The problem was that the way that the glxApplicationPackager builds the app is that the extensions are in a directory called 'Externals' which is in the same folder as the .exe file.

So the standalone directory structure created by glxApplicationPackager was

D:
->Builds
->Jan 19, 2021 1.0.1
->Release
->Win32
->Externals
->tsNet

In the Inno Setup script I selected the Externals directory from the standalone but it placed those in the {app} directory without creating an Externals subdirectory. This meant that once installed the .exe could not find the tsNet external.

To fix it I had to edit some lines in the Inno setup script [Files] section

the original line for the externals was

Code: Select all

[Files]
Source: "D:\Builds\Jan 19, 2021 1.0.1\Release\Win32\Externals\*"; DestDir: "{app}"; Flags: ignoreversion recursesubdirs createallsubdirs

I had to change it to

Code: Select all

[Files]
Source: "D:\Builds\Jan 19, 2021 1.0.1\Release\Win32\Externals\*"; DestDir: "{app}\Externals\"; Flags: ignoreversion recursesubdirs createallsubdirs

Once I did that it all worked like Robert is the sibling of one of your parent parental figures.

I have not figured out how to make the inno script script wizard keep the same directory structure and add the '\Externals\' subdirectory to the 'DestDir{app}'. If anyone knows can you please post the answer here?

I don't know if this directly answers your question no1g8tor96 but I hope it helps give you a bit more data to help you solve your problem.

Martin Koob

[no1g8tor96]

Martin Thanks for the info but no it does not help. Im sorry I am a noobie at this but what is a glxApplicationPackager.

The application i am "compliling" is one that I have done many times without this happening. It has never had the need for any externals and I could just put the EXE anywhere on the computer with out needing the externals folder. All I did with the one was take the original and copy it and then modify a few lines of code and now its doing this. I dont see any options to turn this off in the stand alone settings and it ver frustrating.

I went back to the original program and saved it as stand alone and the externals are NOT there. How can keep it from needing this external and just compile to a "stand alone" exe. Its just small "widget" i created.

Again thank you for the help.

[hrcap]

Hi There

Mine also just randomly, all of a sudden started saving externals outside of the externals folder... easy to solve, just drag the externals that aren't in the externals folder.... into the externals folder.

If you app doesn't require any externals then it might be worth doing:

- File
- stand alone application settings
- General Tab
- Select option 'Select inclusions for the standalone application'
- Inclusions Tab
- Ensure that none are selected

.... It may however be worth getting used to having the externals folder accompanying the .exe as eventually when you app becomes more complex you will start to need the externals folder


... a simple work around is to copy both the .exe and the externals folder into a folder on your desktop called e.g. 'My App'.... then create a shortcut to the .exe which you can put onto the desktop folder




... the next stage after this is to use one of the existing and free installer packs that allow you to save the app into a 'programs' folder on the windows computer ..... and it automatically create the shortcut for you

[Martin Koob]

Hi no1g8tor96

glxApplicationPackager is a stack that is part of the glxApplication Framework for LiveCode. It is not really supported any longer. The developer of that application, Trevor Devore, has created a new and improved framework that is called Levure (https://livecode.com/products/livecode-platform/levure/)

As far as why the tsNet external was suddenly being included in your standalone,(and this is just a guess) mabye in the new version you are using if you used any calls to connect to the internet in your widget, the standalone settings or standalone application builder may automatically recognize you need tsNet and include it.

Martin

[no1g8tor96]

AH...maybe thats it. I did add 1 line of code to get URL from a specific site. Its just grabbing a small 3 line of text from it.

Maybe thats it.

Will pull one of my old program out and add the line of code and see if it does the same thing.

Thanks so much for the direction and helping used on here. Its valuable.

Ill report back just for others info.

Take care.