Newb problem: "The manager is overwriting my file edits"

[Vincto]

I've obviously missed a basic step and confused myself. When I edit my files to be what I want, the Manager (I think) is over-writing with the previous values.

I'm used to working on config files directly, without a UI in most things I do.

Is there a way I can use Rainmeter so that the only configurations that occur are those that I type in my editor? Things like reloading layouts or refreshing skins is easy to do at the command line.

Also possible I'm simply holding this by the wrong end of the stick. Thanks in advance!

[Vincto]

I'm probably not using the correct terminology, my apologies. I am used to working with all my files in notepad++. If I'm working on apache I make config changes then restart the service to apply them. There is nothing that can change my config files, ever.

Beginning my adventures in rainmeter I'm doing the same. I edit rainmaker.ini to place a skin at exactly x and y, with no snap and no save, and I save the file. I !RefreshApp and suddenly notepad tells me the file has changed. I load the changed file and my edits are reversed; the x and y have changed and so too have the options. I'll set a skin to load AlwaysOnTop=0, save rainmaker.ini and when I !RefreshApp or !LoadLayout the file changes to something like AlwaysOnTop=1.

My expectation is to edit a config file, hit save, then load or refresh, and if the ini was saved by me at x and y with my options, for it to stay like that. I love what I can do with rainmeter, but I'm getting frustrated with my edits being overwritten automatically.

I'm sure I've totally misunderstood one aspect. Does my explanation of what it looks like to me make sense?

[Vincto]

This is a very simple example of what I'm trying to overcome.

Code: Select all

.\rainmeter !Quit

I edit ..\Roaming\Rainmeter\Rainmeter.ini and set [Dockbar] to AlwaysOnTop=0 then save.

Code: Select all

.\rainmeter

My skins launch with Dockbar on top. Looking at notepad++ its flashing and saying the file has updated, and now it reads AlwaysOnTop=1

I then forgo the keyboard and go to the Manage app, click it to be AlwaysOnTop=0 and Dockbar goes to the correct place.

[SilverAzide]

I'm sure I've totally misunderstood one aspect. Does my explanation of what it looks like to me make sense?

Hold on a sec. Why are you editing Rainmeter.ini??? This is Rainmeter's configuration file for itself, so anything you do will cause Rainmeter to change it. So of course it is overwriting anything you do to it.

Don't edit this file, it is not something you need to do or worry about until you get more advanced. The only files you need to edit are your skin files.

[Vincto]

Well I was thinking that Rainmeter was like a httpd and rainmeter.ini was httpd.conf. Is that not how it works?

I initially look at using the Manager as a UI to configure things, but there is hardly anything you can do from there, all the real work is in rainmeter.ini. How am I supposed to make the bulk of my edits, if not through the UI or an editor?

I am hoping the answer will give me a big light blub moment

[SilverAzide]

Well I was thinking that Rainmeter was like a httpd and rainmeter.ini was httpd.conf. Is that not how it works?

I initially look at using the Manager as a UI to configure things, but there is hardly anything you can do from there, all the real work is in rainmeter.ini. How am I supposed to make the bulk of my edits, if not through the UI or an editor?

I am hoping the answer will give me a big light blub moment

Uh, no... I think you are completely misunderstanding what Rainmeter is. Rainmeter is not web server and has nothing to do with any of that (although it can fetch web page data, this is not its primary function). You might want to read the docs. "all the real work is in rainmeter.ini"... actually NONE of the work is in that file. That is just a file that defines the current layout of skins, it has nothing to do with the skins themselves except for their positioning.

The files Rainmeter uses just happen to be in the old Windows .ini file format (think Windows 3.x days). Look at the built-in Illustro skins... those are simple examples of what Rainmeter does.

[Vincto]

Thank you very much for your patience in explaining things to me.

I wiped everything I'd done and started completely from scratch. This time I only used the UI to make my skin folders and layout package, but continued to have all the skins and includes and scripts in editor. It went a lot faster.

Its a bit of an odd workflow for me, it never occurred to me that I couldn't make skins and layouts straight from the editor (because of my daemon/conf preconception). My fingers are itching to run rainmeter as a service.

But thanks again! My second build was way faster without wrestling with the manager 'reversing my edits'.

I can work in peace now