How to install Elite on an Econet fileserver
You can install Elite on any Econet network that has a Level 3 or Level 4 fileserver (or equivalent). You can install the game via a BBC Micro, a BBC Master or an Archimedes, and you can either install the game for all users of the network, or just for individual users.
To get things up and running, download the game from the downloads page and follow the instructions below.
Installation instructions (Level 3 fileserver)
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To install Elite on your Level 3 fileserver (i.e. a BBC-based server) or equivalent, download the DSD disc image and copy the files to your server as follows (files have been grouped into DFS directories to make this process easier). Note that the disc image is a double-sided disc, so it contains files on both drive 0 and drive 2.
- Create a directory on the server called $.EliteGame and copy all the files from DFS directory G on both drive 0 and drive 2 to there (see the section below if you want to install the game into a different location).
- Create a directory called D inside $.EliteGame (i.e. $.EliteGame.D) and copy all the files from DFS directory D on drive 2 of the disc image to there.
- Create a directory called EliteCmdrs in the top level of the main home directory for each user who wants to play Elite (e.g. $.Mark.EliteCmdrs for user Mark), and copy all the files from DFS directory C on drive 2 of the disc image to there. If you don't create the EliteCmdrs directory, then the game will not work for that user.
- Do one of the following, depending on who you want to be able to play the game:
- If you want all users to be able to play Elite, then copy all the files from DFS directory L on drive 2 of the disc image into $.Library and $.Library1 and ensure all users have their library set accordingly.
- If you want to restrict the game to specific users, then copy all the files from DFS directory L on drive 2 of the disc image into the EliteCmdrs directory that you just created in each of the users' main home directories.
The game is now installed - see the section on playing Elite over Econet for details on how to run the game.
Installation instructions (Level 4 fileserver)
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To install Elite on your Level 4 fileserver (i.e. an Archimedes-based server) or equivalent, download the zip file and open it up using an application like SparkFS (you can download SparkFS for free from David Pilling's site). Then copy the directories from the zip file to your server as follows:
- Copy the EliteGame directory to your fileserver's root directory, to create a directory called $.EliteGame on the server (see the section below if you want to install the game into a different location).
- Copy the EliteCmdrs directory to the top level of the main home directory for each user who wants to play Elite (e.g. $.Mark.EliteCmdrs for user Mark)
- Do one of the following, depending on who you want to be able to play the game:
- If you want all users to be able to play Elite, then copy the files from the Library and Library1 directories into $.Library and $.Library1 on your fileserver, and ensure all users have their library set accordingly.
- If you want to restrict the game to specific users, then copy all the files from the Library directory into the EliteCmdrs directory that you created in each of the users' main home directories.
The game is now installed - see the section on playing Elite over Econet for details on how to run the game.
Installing to a different directory or library
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If you don't want to install the Elite binaries into the default directory of $.EliteGame, then that's no problem - you can install them into a directory of your choice, as long as you tell the game where to look.
To do this, you need to create a file called EliteConf that contains the full path of the directory where you've installed the binaries, followed by a carriage return (see below for instructions on creating this file).
- If you have installed Elite for all users then you should create the EliteConf file in $.Library (and $.Library1 if present).
- If you have installed Elite for individual users, then you should create EliteConf in the EliteCmdrs directory for each user (so EliteConf goes in the same directory as the loader programs Elite, EliteB, EliteM etc.).
- If your users have their own libraries, or you have your own custom library structure on your fileserver, then you just need to make sure that the loader programs (Elite, EliteB, EliteM etc.) and the EliteConf file are on the load path. As long as the loaders can be run with *Elite or *EliteX, and the configuration file can be loaded with *LOAD EliteConf, then things should work.
If you are installing Elite via a BBC Micro or Master, then the easiest way to create the EliteConf file is by typing:
*BUILD EliteConf
Type the full directory path containing the game binaries (e.g. $.Games.Elite if you have installed the binaries into $.Games.Elite), and then press Return and then Escape.
Note that you must give public read access to this file, which you can do like this:
*ACCESS EliteConf WR/R
You can tailor this permission to your own needs, just as long as there is public read access (i.e. the "/R" part in the above). Make sure you set the correct permissions for all copies of EliteConf.
Once you have created the EliteConf file, Elite should run correctly from the newly configured directory. If you upgrade Elite over Econet to a later version, then the EliteConf file will be left untouched by the upgrade processs, so you can simply deploy the new version's files into your custom directory structure, and the upgraded version should continue to work without needing to repeat the configuration process.
If you are installing Elite to a custom directory via an Archimedes, then you can either use the *BUILD approach above (in a task window or by pressing F12), or you can create the file using Edit.
If you choose to do the latter, then type the full directory path on the first line of the file, followed by Return, and then convert the line feed to a carriage return with the CR<->LF option in the Edit submenu. This will show as [0d], so if you are setting the directory to $.Games.Elite, for example, then it will appear as $.Games.Elite[0d] in the Edit window. Save this file as EliteConf into the correct locations on the server (i.e. $.Library, $.Library1 or EliteCmdrs), and make sure you give all copies public read access via the Access submenu in the Filer.
Installed files
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If you install Elite over Econet in the default location, then the complete list of installed files on your server should look like this if you are installing Elite for all users:
- $.EliteGame
- ElDebug
- ElScore
- ELTAB
- ELTAD
- ELTAI
- ELTAT
- ELTBD
- ELTBI
- ELTBM
- ELTBR
- ELTBS
- ELTBT
- ELTMC
- ELTMD
- ELTME
- ELTSA
- ELTSE
- ELTSI
- ELTSP
- ELTXA
- ELTXE
- ELTXI
- ELTXP
- FixPAGE
- Version
- $.Library
- Elite
- EliteB
- EliteM
- EliteSP
- EliteX
- $.Library1
- Elite
- EliteB
- EliteM
- EliteSP
- EliteX
- $.User1.EliteCmdrs
- MAX
- $.User2.EliteCmdrs
- MAX
- ...
- $.UserX.EliteCmdrs
- MAX
Or like this if you are just installing Elite for one user:
- $.EliteGame
- ElDebug
- ElScore
- ELTAB
- ELTAD
- ELTAI
- ELTAT
- ELTBD
- ELTBI
- ELTBM
- ELTBR
- ELTBS
- ELTBT
- ELTMC
- ELTMD
- ELTME
- ELTSA
- ELTSE
- ELTSI
- ELTSP
- ELTXA
- ELTXE
- ELTXI
- ELTXP
- FixPAGE
- Version
- $.User.EliteCmdrs
- MAX
- Elite
- EliteB
- EliteM
- EliteSP
- EliteX
If you install the game binaries to a directory other than $.EliteGame, then you need to add the EliteConf file as described in the previous section. If you are installing Elite for all users then you need to add these files:
- $.Library
- EliteConf
- $.Library1
- EliteConf
If you are just installing Elite for one user, then this is the file to add:
- $.User.EliteCmdrs
- EliteConf
If you can't get your installation working, let me know in this Stardot thread and I'll try to help.