GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: Intermediate Level

List any relevant plug-ins or scripts:
PSPI
Xero Plugins

List any ERROR messages you received:
See attached pic

---

Hi!

I just tried to install the xero free photoshop plugins within PSPI in Gimp.

During Gimp start, I get the attached error message (see pic below).



I deleted the plugins from the photoshop directory, but the error remains!

Any ideas?

Regards,
Dietmar

Do you have G'MIC installed in the same directory as PSPI? If so, there could be interactions since G'MIC's dll with same name may not actually have same function. I've ran into this and it's why I put G'MIC in it's own folder (and all it's supporting dlls of course). It's best to do this. Try separating where you store your plugins and just point to them in GIMP's setup interface.

Hm, that did not work...

Diggering deeper, I found that no zlib*.dll is in my home/.gimp2.8/ folder. These dlls are only be found in the installation directory of Gimp, and since neither G'MIC nor PSPI (which is only one exe file) seem to bring their own zlib*.dll, I am confused...

Dietmar

You're right about PSPI. My zip file only contained the PSPI plugin. G'MIC, however, includes zlib1.dll. Not sure what the issue could be now. If you removed the questionable plugins and removed the references within you GIMP setup, then you can try to delete the pspirc file in your user directory (I wouldn't actually delete it; just move it out of your user directory) then re-run GIMP and pspirc will be re-created (researches all of your PS plugins of course).

Inspecting pspirc showed that the xero plugins I added before are not in there - probably because pspi.exe dies before registering its plugins.

I then move pluginrc away since it is "safe to delete, since it will be re-created on Gimp start".
What the heck... now every second plugin or so showed the zlib errors! This resulted in a pluginrc only being about 250kb in size, whereas the original was nearly 800kb...

It seems that something has completely messed up my installation

I suppose there will be no other way than to do a fresh installation of Gimp. I will then consider moving plugins into different subdirectories...

Holy crap!

Dietmar

I've never deleted pluginrc. Have you tried to move it back in place? Regardless, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and re-install gimp. Move your user directory first though (don't delete; may need some brushes or other things that you have accumulated over the years). When you install GIMP, it will re-create you user directory. Again, strange that you are having that issue with PSPI. I've ran into issues in the past with PSPI interacting with the User filter (so I did separate the User filter from the plugins directory too just as I did G'MIC). Still had issues but it was due to GIMP itself. They've since repaired that issue.

Don't be confused.
Anywhere in your system path, there is a zlib.dll, which maybe is much older than the expected one.
Open a command line window (cmd) and enter the command: "set"
Then you can see all environment variables in your system. The entry "PATH=" is the relevant variable (= system path).
How to set/change environment variables - contact your local internet.

1. A zlib.dll should be in your gimp\bin folder. I do not know, where your gimp is installed in, normally in c:\program files\gimp 2 (64 bit or on a 32 bit windows).
2. The path c:\program files\gimp 2\bin can be in your system path, but maybe at the end of the path.

If you start a program, windows searches for the dependent dlls in the system path. The first dll it finds, is used. If it is the older one without the desired function, the error occurs. There is no further search, if the function is not found. windows stops searching after the first found dll.

3. make sure, that the current directory, this is the single dot: '.', is the first entry in system path: e.g. PATH=.;c:\windows;c:\windows\system32;(etc, etc). Watch the first dot. That means, that windows looks in the current directory first. So if you start gimp in the bin directory, the dlls in that directory are always found first . This is the expected and wished behaviour for all of your programs.

4. if you have a link for gimp on your desktop: right mouse click on the icon choose the last entry in popup menu: "Properties", my windows is german (as yours I think), the entry in the appearing dialog is named "Ausführen in:". Normally, the "bin" path of gimp is default entry, so nothing more has to be done. If not, change entry to gimps "bin" directory.

5. If the error occurs again, something is wrong with your gimp, not pspi.

@Onkel Hatti
I would just like to take the time to THANK YOU for all the valuable that you have imparted in this forum.

Even if I am not having the issue at hand by read your comments, I always understand the process much better.

Hello Uncle

thank you for the explanations...


Yes, it is. The dll is also there. Searching my C: drive, I found about a hundred zlib1.dll in various versions (different file sizes) in various program directories. But that's ok.


No, it isn't, but that's ok, too, since it would blow up the PATH variable if every program had to add its path here.



I have to correct you regarding this point.
After loading "essential" dlls like kernel.dll and others, windows uses the following order to locate the dll:

a) the directory, in which the executable module of the process is located (I suppose, that the module in my case is pspi.exe and not gimp-2.8.exe)

b) the current directory

c) the windows system directory

d) the windows directory itself

e) directories listed in the PATH variable.

This means that you don't have to add "." as current directory to the PATH variable, since this is covered by a) or b) - whatever comes first. Looking at my PATH, there is in fact no "." entry here.


Hm, mine is set to "%USERPROFILE%" which equals to "C:\Users\xy".



I will re-install Gimp within the next days, I think. I will:

a) try if Gimp starts still correctly after each plugin
b) monitor all changes a plugin makes
c) install essential plugins like pspi, GAP and others in different subdirectories for better management

I hope I can find the culprit then...

Have a nice weekend!
Dietmar

Hi all,

as promised, here my install log of my fresh Gimp installation.
The main difference is that I used a newer setup for Gimp (gimp-2.8.14-setup-1.exe).
After all, my .gimp-2.8 folder is about 40MB smaller. Due to diffing, the reason for this was a double installation of GAP in 2 different directories.

Until now, all is working fine again!

Dietmar

Here we go...

GIMP installation log
=====================

Host: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

("+" means "installed")

+ gimp-2.8.14-setup-1.exe (64Bit)
installed in C:\Program Files\GIMP 2
+ gimp-help-2-2.8.1-en-setup.exe

GIMP start ok

+ GIMP_Extensions_v2.8.20141126.exe full install
GAP: error in gap_decode_mplayer.exe, see gimp_setup_error1.png



deleted:
C:\Program Files\GIMP 2\lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins\gap_decode_mplayer.exe

GIMP start ok

+ gmic_gimp_win64.exe (1.6.1.0_beta 64 Bit)
installed in C:\Users\xy\.gimp-2.8\plug-ins\gmic
filters updated via internet

GIMP start ok

+ GPS 2_0 final.zip
(deleted GPS splash screen in \splashes\)
+ GP extras.zip

GIMP start ok

* backup of .gimp-2.8 directory!

Plugins installed (especially after installing executable plugins (.exe),
correct GIMP startup was verified):

+ arakne-path-shape-creator6d.zip plus additional shapes
(into \plugins\arakne-path-shape-creator6d\, add Path in GIMP settings!)
+ ArrowsCreator-0.3.zip
+ bp_spiro_1.2.zip
+ follow-path5.zip
+ gimp-clt-v0.2b-src-64bits.zip (clone layer tool)
+ gimp-webp_0.1.1_win64.exe
+ layer_groups.zip
+ LV-Filters-to-Layers-0.1.zip
+ make-gradient.zip
+ MLBevelReflectV2_Win64bit.zip
+ path-inbetweener-0.2.zip
+ photo_mosaic.zip
+ Resynthesizer_v1.0-i686.zip (into \plugins\Resynthesizer_v1.0-i686\,
add Path in GIMP settings!)
+ SF-Scrolling-InterfaceV1.1-For-GIMP-2.8.14-Win_x64.zip (for Script-Fu)
+ Vector_Path2_Gimp_plug-in.zip

Until here, all is fine. Now for the installation of PSPI.

+ gimp-pspi-1.0.7.win32.zip (\lib\gimp\2\plug-ins\)
GIMP -> Filters: Setup PSPI plugin directory to \plugins\pspi
* backup of .gimp-2.8 directory!
+ GMLMatting0.3_setup.exe
+ xero_plugins_32bit.zip (without quasar)

GIMP start ok

All scripts installed (should be safe, since they are not self executables
but will be executed via a script interpreter)

GIMP start ok

* backup of .gimp-2.8 directory!

Finally, installed additional brushes, gradients and patterns.

GIMP start ok

* backup of .gimp-2.8 directory!

DONE :-)

I remember having issues with 2 or 3 plugins when I re-installed GIMP (my old system died; it was 64-bit Win7. New is Win8.1). Pain in the rear as I recalled but the 2 (don't remember which ones they were now) were and continue to be not missed. Glad you got GIMP working again Dietmar.

I still believe a simpler way would have been to move (ANY) extra zlib library files located within GIMPS directory paths other than in the "bin" to a separate folder on your desktop and restart GIMP. This would tell GIMP to use only the zlib library within the "bin" folder. That should have fixed the problem.

Good to see you got it fixed though. Now you should install script-fu scrolling interface for larger SCM filter widget view (adds scrollbar) This was re written by Tux and can be found "here" for most systems. Just remove the default executable and install the new one. Restart GIMP.

Thanks... I already have this (see my plugin list).

But will it have to be installed in the program directory or in the users home directory on Win7?

Regards,
Dietmar

Script-fu.exe is a plugin. The original plug-in belongs to gimp. So, "script-fu.exe" belongs to "lib\gimp\2.0\plug-ins"
The .c file is not needed, it is just the source of script-fu.exe, because of the copyright.

Other plug-ins should not go into that directory, because there are the plug-ins, that are provided by gimp/the maintainer.

Yes, thanks.
The .c file is interesting - I like reading source codes and learning from them

Dietmar