Hello FLdigi Users,
This concise information is for those seeking to restore Basic FLdigi (programs family) Functionality, usually after a program or operating system update, or simply interested in a Portable Installation. Other topics mentioned below include operating multiple FLdigi Instances, FLdigi Configurations and rearranging Macros.
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1. Portable 'thumb drive' Installation, also useful to Restore Basic FLdigi Functionality (from scratch)...
After several updates (especially when skipping a few releases), or even moving FLdigi from one PC (hardware or OS) to another, configuration files may sometimes become incompatible and cause unintended issues. To overcome this and create a truly 'fresh' basic installation, you may wish to try out the 'FL_APPS' folder install feature. For this to work, it doesn't matter where this FL_APPS folder resides, e.g. a path like 'C:\Apps\Radio\FL_APPS' will do, if FLdigi is installed directly therein.
The special 'FL_APPS' folder feature has originally been programmed into FLdigi in order to allow creating a 'portable' FLdigi installation, e.g. on a memory stick. The key for this to work is this special folder name, which by definition triggers FLdigi, if installed into 'FL_APPS', to place all the necessary config files and others as sub-folders therein, contrary to the 'standard' installation, where the 'fldigi.files' with personal user preferences, macros, logs etc. are generally stored in the classic location 'C:\users\<UserName>fldigi.files' and several sub-folders.
A detailed description can be found in the online 'Fldigi Users Manual 4.2.00', in the chapter 'Installing fldigi on a thumb drive'.
This highly recommended Fldigi Users Manual can also be downloaded separately for local use. It has a 'Contents Index' helping to find your way within.
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2. Multiple FLdigi Instances (intended for use with a standard installation)...
There is a versatile feature which may be useful for various reasons, provided FLdigi is already present and (at least partly) operational on your system.
By creating several different shortcuts, you can, quite independently, configure and use multiple different FLdigi instances on your local hard drive, all using the same FLdigi installation (e.g. fldigi.exe etc).
Caution: In case you apply rig control or transmitting of any kind, make sure that only one (1) single FLdigi instance is active in this respect at any given time!
In the above-mentioned FLdigi documentation, you'll also find a chapter 'Operating Multiple Copies', which involves launching FLdigi via a batch file or shortcut link that includes a command line switch, for example:
--home-dir FOLDER --> Set the home folder to full pathname of FOLDER
fldigi will put the file stores fldigi.files, and nbems.files in this folder
The default is: C:\Users\<UserName>\
--config-dir FOLDER --> Look for configuration files in FOLDER
The default is: C:\Users\<UserName>\fldigi.files\
In practical terms, proceed as follows:
- On the desktop or in your windows file manager, perform a mouse 'right-click' (or hit the 'AppsKey', if available).
- Select 'New -> Shortcut'
- In the 'Create Shortcut' dialog, browse or enter/paste the path to your installed FLdigi.exe file, e.g. 'C:\Apps\Radio\FLdigi\fldigi.exe'.
- Behind this path, after a <SPACE>, enter one of the 'command line switches' as given above, e.g.
'C:\Apps\Radio\FLdigi\fldigi.exe --home-dir C:\Apps\Radio\FLdigi\MyConfig'.
All valid command line switches of your current FLdigi installation can be browsed and written into a text file (as a reference) as follows:
fldigi.exe --help >help.txt
If you can't open a command window directly from within the 'FL_APPS' (or your standard FLdigi) folder, simply write the line above into a plain text file, call it 'gethelp.bat', then run this gethelp.bat and, once complete, open the newly written 'help.txt' in the same folder. This file should contain all the available command line options to choose from.
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3. Verify where FLdigi retrieves and stores configurations, data, and macros...
In case of uncertainty or after using any of the options described above, it's a good idea to verify, directly from the Main Menu, where FLdigi has located (and uses) its respective data.
Menu - File - Folders - Fldigi config... => This will open the respective folder, e.g. 'C:\Users\<UserName>\fldigi.files' for a standard installation.
Menu - File - Macros - Open... => This allows loading a Macro definition saved before, e.g. from 'C:\Users\<UserName>\fldigi.files\macros'.
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4. Config Scripts...
On a related note, once you have defined a functional FLdigi configuration and wish to preserve it for future use, save it as follows:
Menu - Config Scripts - Generate => Save it in a suitable location, e.g. 'C:\Users\<UserName>\fldigi.files\scripts\default_script.txt'.
This may be done several times for various different sets of macros, audio devices, or other settings you use, and it may be recalled again from within FLdigi via:
Menu - Config Scripts - Execute => Open an existing script file, e.g. 'C:\Users\<UserName>\fldigi.files\scripts\USB_Audio_script.txt'. It loads instantly without restarting Fldigi.
Note: Config Scripts are a summarized compact data file which contains all your Macros and numerous other Settings, but not all rather specific ones for individual modes etc. If unsure about a specific setting, open the file and search for it. It may also contain actual file paths (e.g. under NBEMS the one for 'flmsg.exe' and, if defined within Macros, these as well). So if you plan moving an installation around and benefit from re-loading a formerly functional Config Script, make sure to review the script file and adapt your paths to match reality. Searching for ':\' should usually take you to the next path in the definitions, if present. Since the UNIX notation may also be used, also check for ":/" to find further file paths.
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5. How to 'easily' Rearrange Macros...
If you wish to move / rearrange your existing Macros, it is easiest to save your current Config Script as shown above, open it in a plain text editor (e.g. Notepad), and quickly make the necessary changes therein.
Note that the Numbering for the Button Sequence per Macro is quite straightforward, just consisting of the Macro Button Row (1...4, top to bottom), and the Macro Button Column (1...8 per row, left to right). Example for the Top Row (1) and the 3rd Macro Button (column 3):
MACRO:1,3,"THOR25"
<MODEM:THOR25>
END:
Then just swap out or alter the respective numbers between the Macros you wish to rearrange. Don't care about the (then illogical) Macro position in the text, only the numbers allocated to each Macro Definition (e.g. MACRO:1,3,...) actually matters for FLdigi. But keep track separately of what you swap to avoid creating double or missing numbers entries!
Practically, to swap the first top 4 with the next top 4 Macros, change (in sequence top - down, which in fact only means changing a total of 8 digits):
1,1 => 1,5 >>>> this shifts the 4 leftmost Macros to the 4 center Buttons.
1,2 => 1,6
1,3 => 1,7
1,4 => 1,8
1,5 => 1,1 <<<< this shifts the 4 Macros from the center Buttons all the way to the left.
1,6 => 1,2
1,7 => 1,3
1,8 => 1,4
If you wish to swap rows, instead alter the 1st figure accordingly, per Macro Definition.
Save the text file as a new Config Script, e.g. 'C:\Users\<UserName>\fldigi.files\scripts\Macros_Rearranged_2025-02-14.txt'.
In FLdigi, open the modified script file via Menu - Config Scripts - Execute.
Check that everything is and works as intended.
Finally, you may then (once) save the modified script file again via Menu - Config Scripts - Generate. This will automatically 'restore order' in the script file (just for future use, this step is functionally not necessary), by auto-sorting the columns and rows along with their respective Macro definition nicely in their 1...N numerical ascending order. In other words, without any effort, your new Macro sequence is now stored as if you had awkwardly re-sorted everything yourself in the process of the file editing described above.
I hope these few simple concepts may help you use and enjoy FLdigi and Ham Radio even more!
73s SWL Tobias
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