ahg, this is super frustrating.
so I have to try to run pd off of a portable harddrive for a performance
and I have to get my patch to work which depends on tons of libraries
running pd (32bit) is working fine it seems
however try as I might I cannot get Pd to recognise the libraries I have on the same harddrive, in a adjacent folder.
I have also duplicated the libraries to the /extra folder but the same results there.

[declare -lib] with library name does not work
neither does the library name with the object like [markex/counter]
startup menu simply returns, for example
"zexy: can't load library"
setting paths manuals like this: /volumes/dynasty/.../maxlib-1.5.5 results in nothing

this is for both 32 and 64 bit
in the help browser menu all the libraries show up but if I open those patches none of the objects create.

I have also studied this thread: https://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/10792/solved-problem-loading-libraries-in-pd-0-47-1-macos-sierra/19
but nothing yet

any suggestions?

@Coalman Not a solution, but have you tried to install Purr Data instead? Just to see if that works? Maybe it would help find the problem. It comes with most of the popular externals.

I'm a noob at this, but that's the first thing I can think of.

@Coalman you will need the -lib startup flag in the preferences for some libraries, that have to be loaded as Pd starts up...... so [declare -lib] in the patch is not good enough.
Also, Pd doesn't know where they are...... so you need the folder in the "paths" in Pd preferences.
If you put them in the "extra" folder then normally that should work.... so I am pretty sure that you need -lib in the Pd preferences..... startup.
For Zexy that is certain.

Another solution is to use a batch file to start Pd with all the options you need. There must be an equivalent for OSX.
In windows such things can be built into a shortcut that starts Pd.........
Here is one of mine..... that gets Gem included as Pd starts.

"C:\Users\David\Desktop\Pd Vanilla\pd-0.47-1.msw\pd\bin\pd.exe" -lib C:\Users\David\Desktop\dot\0.94-test3/Gem  -font-size 10 -font-face "Consolas"

Maybe a similar solution is available on a mac.

On second thoughts though.........coping with a change of drive letter assignment will only be possible using the "extra" folder and -lib zexy -lib whatever in the prefs startup box.
David.

Hi @whale, I will try to add the startup flags manually and report back.
I have the folder in paths already, but I will add the startup flag and see.

Also I may well give Purr Data a try. Just not sure how well it would open this, but I will try both solutions and repost the results. someone else will surely have this issue later.

@Coalman Best to install externals via Help -> Find externals. Few externals like zexy need to be added to Preferences -> Startup, as i.e. "zexy".

@ingox, Thanks! yes, that is easiest. problem is that I cannot get online with this machine. I have the externals on the drive already.

@whale mac makes it hard to manually set paths because the extra folder is inside Pd. This is visible using the "right-click -view package contents" trick but in Pds New paths dialogue a browser appears that will not allow you to navigate below the level of the application (no "view package contents") Thx for the suggestions though.

I added the paths manually for a folder with the libraries in them outside of the Pd application (that works fine on Windows) but its not working now

hmm.

any more suggestions totally appreciated
J

@Coalman Did you try the libraries in "extra" and -lib flags at the bottom of the Prefs..... startup window.
Pd should always find them in "extra" without a specified path.
You have to be careful with the names and -lib....... you might need to do some research. Capitals are important....... eg.... Gem but zexy.....

If that doesn't work then the "final solution" is to dump all the contents of the libraries in the folder with the Pd executable......... but that's creating a big mess...... so last resort.
David.

PS..... here is a list I have...... that could be useful....... (but I am on Windows).....
You will have to check the zexy hex code names against what you have in the zexy folder......

-lib Gem -lib cyclone -lib zexy -lib creb -lib cxc -lib iemlib -lib list-abs -lib mapping -lib markex -lib maxlib -lib mjlib -lib motex -lib oscx -lib pddp -lib pdogg -lib pmpd -lib sigpack -lib smlib -lib unauthorized -lib pan -lib hcs -lib jmmmp -lib ext13 -lib ggee -lib iem_anything -lib ekext -lib flatgui -lib chaos -lib zexy/0x260x260x7e -lib zexy/0x2e -lib zexy/0x3c0x7e -lib zexy/0x3d0x3d0x7e -lib zexy/0x3e0x7e -lib zexy/0x7c0x7c0x7e

It is for Pd 0.48.1

@whale "did you try the libraries in "extra" and -lib flags at the bottom of the Prefs..... startup window."

yes, I think that is what we were talking about above. will keep trying.
I have all of these working elsewhere, so it is strange. will see what happens with dumping them into the folder with the executable later this evening if all else fails!

@Coalman Startup Flags....... at the bottom...
Try copy pasting the list I posted above into that small box, and adding all the libraries to the Extra folder...... as in an installed setup.
David.

PS***** another last last thought......
Are you sure that you are executing Pd on the external drive, and not just launching an installed version on the computer......?????????
Or is it looking to the prefs file of another version?

""Mac OS X
On Mac OS X the settings are stored via the native defaults system which stores things in plist files. (i.e. ~/Library/Preferences/org.puredata.pd.plist). You can edit them with the command line util defaults, like defaults read org.puredata.pd. For Pd-vanilla, they are stored in org.puredata.pd. For Pd-extended, they are stored in org.puredata.pdextended.""

@Coalman Someonehas just posted that "libdir" is missing from their OSX version of Pd 0.48.1
https://forum.pdpatchrepo.info/topic/11436/libraries-that-doesn-t-load
That could explain your problem.....
David.

Hi @whale,
thanks for all your help with this.
yes, I did try yesterday with the list you posted.
I am pretty familiar with this procedure as I have Pd running on several machines already (windows, amc and linux), so not getting this to work has been quite frustrating.

As far as looking to the prefs file of another version of pd, this is a uni computer and there is a version of Pd on there but its an older one, and I can see this "aboutPd" file. Mine should not conflict with it as it is installed and running from a different directory, on a portable drive.

I see the Plist file so I will have a look at editing that next. It is vanilla so I have to see where org.puredata.pd is.

That other thread is possibly the issue as well, however there is no solution proposed there. I might have an older mac version of pd vanilla downloaded and I could try to replace libdir.pd_darwin with that if this other strategy fails.

hey all, no amazing solution for getting the libraries recognised in vanilla but Pd-Extended works fine running from the portable drive with no issues at all.

The weird thing is that its libraries of course are installed in the extra folder with extended. So it is sitting one folder over from vanilla with exactly the same configuration and yet the vanilla installation doesn't work.
but this will work for me so at least it is some kind of solution.

thanks for all the pointers!
J