Linux Installation Instructions

The current distribution package for Linux consists of a .zip archive that unzips to produce a hierarchy of files as follows:

  ZereneStacker            top level directory 
      ZereneStacker          executable launcher
      ZereneStacker.bsh      launch script (provided for backward compatibility)
      zerenstk.ini           launch template, expanded by the launcher based on user configuration settings
      ZereneStacker.jar      jar containing the application 
      JREextensions          directory containing numerous .jar files 
      jre                    directory containing a Java Runtime Environment for Linux
                               (32-bit or 64-bit as appropriate)

The executable launcher, ZereneStacker, is written so that it can be accessed in any manner, including by symbolic link or being placed on the PATH. If you want to use a JRE other than the one provided with the distribution, just edit the zerenstk.ini template as desired.

The launch script ZereneStacker.bsh is written so that the package will run no matter where it is placed. You can launch it from the desktop or a file browser by double-clicking it and confirming either “Run” or “Run in Terminal”. Alternatively, you can execute it from a Terminal window as ZereneStacker/ZereneStacker.bsh (plus whatever path prefix is required to find the ZereneStacker directory).

For your convenience in using the package later, you may also want to create a “launcher” icon that will provide launch by double-click without the confirming dialog. The procedure for doing that depends on what version of Linux and what desktop manager you're using. Some helpful guidance is provided HERE at askubuntu.com.

Troubleshooting: We have seen a couple of things go wrong with Linux installations.

• In some Linux configurations, the .zip file will not automatically unzip. Instead, double-clicking on the .zip file simply opens a sort of archive manager that lets you look into the .zip archive as if it were a tree of ordinary files. You will not be able to run ZereneStacker in that environment. In that case you have to manually unzip the archive, using command line “unzip” or your favorite zip archive manager.
  
  
• Sometimes files do not retain their proper “execute” permissions after unzipping. In that case we suggest explicitly setting the required execute permissions using the following command line script:

chmod +x ZereneStacker/*.zslinux
chmod +x ZereneStacker/ZereneStacker.bsh
chmod +x ZereneStacker/ZereneStacker
chmod +x ZereneStacker/jre/bin/*
chmod +x ZereneStacker/jre/lib/jspawnhelper

• Be sure that you have downloaded the version of Zerene Stacker that matches your version of Linux. Attempting to run the 32-bit version of Zerene Stacker on a 64-bit Linux, or vice versa, may produce some confusing diagnostic like “cannot execute: required file not found”, even though the ZereneStacker executable program is clearly present.
  
  
• On some Linux installations, there are stringent limits on the amount of data that can be written into /tmp . This can cause Zerene Stacker to be aborted with a java.io.IOException: Disk quota exceeded. The best and simplest solution to this problem is to make Zerene Stacker create new projects in some folder in your account's main file space. The location for new projects is specified at Options > Preferences > Project Settings. Select “In specified directory” and either use the Choose button or just type in a path to an ordinary folder in your account's file space. Whatever you set will be remembered across launches of Zerene Stacker, so you need to do this only once.
  
  If you plan to save projects, and the device for that saving is reasonably fast, then the most efficient approach is to create new projects on the same device where they'll be saved. That way the Save Project function only has to move/rename the project folder instead of copying it.