FSL Launcher

[spicydog]

• Moderator note: this thread has been split from its original topic Program launcher that's not hiding after first programm?
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My suggestion is "FSL Launcher" http://fsl.sytes.net/launcher.html which offers both the "Stay On Top" and the "Disable auto-hide on launch" options.

The Standard version is very customizable (but writes to the host machine) so do not get turned off by the screenshots.

I strongly recommend the Supporters* version, which -beside being very customizable and skinnable- stores all its settings and shortcuts in the same location where the executable is run from. Make sure you download the Portable (traveller) Launcher edition

In many years I have not found a launcher that beats "FSL Launcher"

*(you make a donation of whatever amount you feel like and you get the Supporters version license code emailed right away)

[webfork]

Make sure you download the Portable (traveller) Launcher edition

Its certainly pretty, but is there any indication its actually portable?

[spicydog]

Make sure you download the Portable (traveller) Launcher edition

Its certainly pretty, but is there any indication its actually portable?

webfork, my recommendation in the post above was merely addressing the request of garbel and as far as I am concerned (the Portable/traveller edition of) FSL Launcher is portable, but since there are different definitions of 'portable' I guess that the only way to find out whether it is as portable as you intend it to be, is that you try that yourself on your system

Don't tell me that -before reading about FSL Launcher here today- you never heard about this amazing launcher

[webfork]

Make sure you download the Portable (traveller) Launcher edition

... any indication its actually portable?

...try that yourself on your system

Finally tested out this and its not portable: writes settings to HKU and the User folder. The traveler version is limited to people who donate and therefore isn't freeware.

Good:
The program does look pretty cool and I like the simplicity. Drag and drop works well, folder system is easy, and you can literally just copy over your various shortcuts into the local folder system and it will add them to the menu. A very simple system. The program hasn't been updated in quite a while, but I do hope someone takes this basic design and creates a portable version. I might contact the author of this program as well.

Bad:
Unfortunately there is no way to disable the upper-right hand corner trigger. Users who donate appear to be able to change that location -- which is fine -- but I actually wanted to turn it off.

RAM: 18 megs
Disk: 6.3 megs

[spicydog]

Finally tested out this and its not portable: writes settings to HKU and the User folder. The traveler version is limited to people who donate and therefore isn't freeware.

Good:
The program does look pretty cool and I like the simplicity. Drag and drop works well, folder system is easy, and you can literally just copy over your various shortcuts into the local folder system and it will add them to the menu. A very simple system. The program hasn't been updated in quite a while, but I do hope someone takes this basic design and creates a portable version. I might contact the author of this program as well.

Bad:
Unfortunately there is no way to disable the upper-right hand corner trigger. Users who donate appear to be able to change that location -- which is fine -- but I actually wanted to turn it off.

RAM: 18 megs
Disk: 6.3 megs

webfork, I thought that my post was very clear but to make sure there are no misunderstandings I copy below the entire post and not only the one sentence (which might be misleading if isolated from the rest of the text) that you have excerpted.

Bottom line:

- The (free) standard version writes to the host system and has some (minor) limitations.
- The supporter version requires a donation (of any amount) and it is (both) portable and (fully) customizable.
- There is no point in contacting the developer or "someone" to ask to create a portable version since the portable version already exists... To obtain it you'll have to make a donation (as much as 50 cents would get you there) and you'll save yourself the trouble of writing to a bunch of people

The Standard version is very customizable (but writes to the host machine) so do not get turned off by the screenshots.

I strongly recommend the Supporters* version, which -beside being very customizable and skinnable- stores all its settings and shortcuts in the same location where the executable is run from. Make sure you download the Portable (traveller) Launcher edition

In many years I have not found a launcher that beats "FSL Launcher"

*(you make a donation of whatever amount you feel like and you get the Supporters version license code emailed right away)

[webfork]

So although its not portable, I've been doing a lot of work with FSL Launcher. I'm using it as kind of a day-to-day most-used menu. Hopefully some of the notes below will help somebody else, or assist someone in writing an updated version of this program that's actually portable.

• 12.3 RAM, 6.2 megs disk space
• Includes some cool skins (some that are a little overboard)

Config / use suggestions:

• Launch multiple programs at once by selecting them while holding "Ctrl" and then pressing "Enter"
• Ideally, move files you want to appear in FSL to some sort of destination. Because if you move it later, you'll have to remember to go back into the program and re-add or modify it. (You can do this by right-clicking and selecting "properties"
• Topic tabs are arranged alphabetically. I got around this by renaming them as 1 - Main, 2 - Server, 3 - Apps, etc.
• For some reason the program puts up a prompt if you try to open a network link, which is very odd. Disable under Options - Alerts - Confirm before launch network shortcuts. It doesn't prompt you to do so, but I had to restart after this change.

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As to spicydog's comments:

> to make sure there are no misunderstandings...

Often when I read an individual post, I don't really want to go back through the last several posts to try and figure out what people are talking about so I try to make my work as complete as possible. Sometimes this means I repeat or reiterate issues already detailed in previous posts.

>There is no point in contacting the developer or "someone" to ask to create a portable version since the portable version already exists...

I have no issue with the author asking for donations for some of the advanced features, but the portability I'm referring to is PFW's standard. Additionally, I like taking software with me to work and many jobs I've been at have had rather peculiar rules about using software that requires any kind of license. This isn't the fault of my employers nor the developer of FSL, just the current state of things in software.

[smaragdus]

FSL Launcher Supporters' Edition seems to be really portable. The 'Start Launcher with Windows (autostart)' menu is greyed-out so one has to manually add FSL Launcher to start-up folder if they want FSL Launcher to start with OS- there are other portable launchers which can automatically set to auto-start, for example Quick Pop Menu. FSL Launcher hasn't been updated for more than 4 years and it seems that the developer has abandoned all his/her programs. Anyway, FSL Launcher still runs fine on Windows 8 x64. The Supporters' Edition of FSL Launcher uses a reddish icon- I prefer the bluish icon of the free edition.