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User Guide

More advanced information

DecoderPro User Guide - Updating Decoder Definitions

Many people have contributed decoder definition files to DecoderPro. Between new releases, new files will be created that you might want to use. New ones can usually be found either on the JMRI web site or in the files area of the jmriusers Yahoo group.

To use these xml files you need to download and install them.

Windows

To install a new file on a Windows computer:
  • Go to the files menu where the decoder.xml file is located and right click on the file.

    (Don't double click or you will open the file rather than saving it.)

  • Choose the menu selection "Save as" or "Save target as". After you choose this menu item a window will pop up and ask you for a location that you want to save the file.

    You can either type in a directory name or click the browse button. To save a step I suggest that you choose browse and then select the "program files/JMRI/XML/Decoders" directory.

    If you save the file to any other directory, or the desktop you will have to copy the file over to the correct directory using the copy and paste in Windows Explorer. It's easier to just save it in the correct directory in the first place.

  • Once the file is in the decoders directory you need to open Decoder Pro and choose the Debug menu item. It's one of the menu items on the top horizontal menu on the opening screen.
  • From the drop down debug menu choose the item that says "rebuild (or recreate) decoder index". After you have rebuilt the decoder index the decoder should show up.

    The key to make this work is that the downloaded XML file needs to be in the JMRI/XML/decoders directory, otherwise Decoder Pro doesn't know that it is there, and won't see it when you rebuild the decoder index.

MacOS X

To install a new file on a computer running MacOS X:
  • To download a file in a Mac browser, "option-click" on it.
  • Open a Finder window showing the preferences directory choosing "Go to Folder..." from the "Go" menu in the Finder, entering "~/Library/Preferences/JMRI", then clicking "Go".
  • Make sure there's a "decoders" folder in the JMRI preferences directory. If not, create it.
  • Move your new decoder file to that decoders folder.
  • Once the file is moved, start DecoderPro and rebuild the decoder index using the "Recreate Decoder Index" item in the Debug menu.

Linux

To install a new file on a computer running MacOS X:
  • Download the file using your browser.
  • You're going to move the file to within the JMRI preferences directory. The preferences directory is usually ".jmri" in your home directory. Note the leading "." in the name, which usually means it's not included in directory listings, etc.
  • Make sure there's a "decoders" folder in the JMRI preferences directory. If not, create it.
  • Move your new decoder file to that decoders folder.
  • Once the file is moved, start DecoderPro and rebuild the decoder index using the "Recreate Decoder Index" item in the Debug menu.