Multimc5: Allow running the same instance multiple times at the same time

[TNTUP]

System Information

MultiMC version: 0.6.1-develop-1197

Operating System: Windows 10 x64 Professional

Summary of the issue or suggestion:

Allow running more than one instance with a w/o warning. Mojang's launcher allows that and prints a warning. Shouldn't cause issues because I've been running the same instances on MagicLauncher for years without issues.

What should happen:

Should be able to launch the same instance if already running

Steps to reproduce the issue (Add more if needed):

1. Launch one instance

2. Try to launch the same instance already running

3. SSSSSSSSSSSSSS boom.

Suspected cause:

MultiMC does not allow running the same instance if already running

Logs/Screenshots:

Don't think a suggestion requires a log?

Additional Info:

Thats all :) PS: Bring the tray icon back (I have replied back to) <3

[peterix]

It does cause issues, some of them non-trivial. The warning is well placed, and I decided to not even support this based on what can happen.

Maybe if you play vanilla and only connect to servers? But even then your server list can get corrupted.

[TNTUP]

Been running MagicLauncher for years and I didn't experience corruptions. Using Forge 1.12.2 and a few client side mods only and running the same profile like 2-4 times without issues. Even with FTB_Launcher.exe I can run like 3 same launchers in the same working directory without issues :P

I don't think that should cause issues with MultiMC... or throw a warning like the Mojang launcher does^^ Else I can dupe the instance but thats more diskspace (anyways this is not an issue, but I had made a custom partition on my external HDD to 16GB, I'd need to increase it haha :')

Still using MagicLauncher due to features not implemented/not supported in MultiMC so I'm stuck to this ML launcher I'm using for years trying to replace it :/ I do acknowledge this suggestion won't be added/supported but can be something to add x)

But thanks for your explanation Peterix! Its fine if this suggestion gets declined, I'll just dupe the instance into another to workaround what I need XD

[peterix]

I'm not saying that it won't happen, but there are many things that honesly need to happen much sooner or will affect many more people if they are not done.

MultiMC basically never allowed to run an instance more than one time. It could be started multiple times itself, which people used to get around that, and shot themselves in the foot with it before. I made it possible to run multiple different instances from within one MultiMC, and then made it impossible to start MultiMC multiple times.

What you are asking for is further work in this same direction -- multiple running copies of an instance.

This has several issues:

• The instance can currently hold only one 'launch task', with everything that belongs to that - logs, internal state, updates, etc.
• It is not clear how a second copy of an instance should launch... What if it is a pack that autoupdates? It could just end up all messed up... So the two launches should not intersect -- you will absolutely never solve this problem without tracking the state of those multiple launches and without locking.
• Some of the launch tasks (like extracting native libraries, building the main jar and a few others) would have to be decoupled from the launch, and would have to track their state independently. For example, it is impossible to overwrite DLL files that are in use on Windows.
• How should this be represented in the UI? Some UI changes would be required for the result to not be messy and confusing.

Just copying the instance is way easier right now -- and it avoids all potential problems.

[TNTUP]

Seems my email reply didn't work, welp.

Hm yeah :/

• Though with MagicLauncher, or with FTB's Legacy launcher only FTBL throws an exception with native extraction being in use but it can be safely ignored because it will use those ones already extracted and it runs without problems^^

• I don't use the autoupdater modpack, but in that point you're right, that will indeed cause problems, but like something "Allow launching the same instance" but disables "Auto Updater" with a warning, else re-enable Auto Update and disable "Allow launching ...." thing

• It can use the same natives already extracted if the instance is already running^^

• Don't need UI change? The option is grayed so it can be enabled "Play instance" https://i.qcfb.ca/20180305092942.png

Thats I'll do right now, thats seems the easiest option^^

Again thanks for your answers and concerns! I'd be sure get patreon someday to support MultiMC developement (Supporting MultiMC devlopment, not for this feature ofc!)

[peterix]

No, it cannot be safely ignored. Maybe you can judge that for yourself in some particular case, but it is generally unsafe. Once the game is running, parallel launches should not run updates... and probably shouldn't run pre-launch/post-exit commands, because people use them for that purpose. I cannot 'disable' auto-updaters, because they do not operate within MultiMC, and I simply do not know what they are.

And yes, UI changes are absolutely necessary. How do you read logs from one of the running copies? How do you even know which is which? This is already a problem with launching different instances side by side, but becomes much messier with identical ones.

I would consider getting custom window titles working for the game above version 1.5.2 a must for this.
Maybe combined with some sort of way to easily open the instance window/raise the game window for the individual running copies of minecraft.

[kikawet]

I think this is a good idea since even if you don't want to launch the same instance multiple times it should be allowed to do it with a different account at least

[Janrupf]

This needs some special handling, a complicated but good Idea would be to allow a option to create a temporary instance from another.

[TNTUP]

Been a year without news, guessing its not possible to launch the same instance... I've been trying to ditch out MagicLauncher but I cannot because of account handling (And I feel not bugging Peterix again cuz I feel annoying on how I can save/load password (and when the token expires reauths automatically for me as owning 200+_ accounts (yes I've bought them all over the years, since 2011)...

I'm closing my own issue since its not possible (or maybe?) I don't code at all and how I can finally ditch MagicLauncher as the official dev told me its discontinued, leaving me on 1.12.2 permanently cuz ML doesn't support 1.13.x ++ and more... I can join your discord if we can do something (I'd say patreon for a "private" feature but that won't happen even if I patron MultiMC!)

Take care all and thanks for the awesome launcher, however!^^

[peterix]

It's a niche feature, and it would be kinda cool.
The biggest sticking point is the UI design for it, and making it not ugly/confusing.

But yeah, keep this open.

[TNTUP]

It's a niche feature, and it would be kinda cool.
The biggest sticking point is the UI design for it, and making it not ugly/confusing.

But yeah, keep this open.

Okay, will keep that in mind^^ Hoping that would be possible using the same instance, however account management is a _pain_ when you have a lot of accounts and forced to reenter the pass everytime (incase the token expires, which is why im still using Magiclauncher!)

Also, I've seen that MultiMC doesn't work with Forge 1.13.x and 1.14.x even with manuall install, correct?

[peterix]

You can get it to work (new forge), but it's so annoying that I just tell people to use something else to save themselves the trouble.

[TNTUP]

Hm yeah :/

[peterix]

It would be too painful to support it in its current form. And dishonest to say that MultiMC can support it and walk people through some horrible manual process.

[peterix]

There are some changes coming to Mojang auth, and I will postpone any work done to auth until that is well defined.

[TNTUP]

There are some changes coming to Mojang auth, and I will postpone any work done to auth until that is well defined.

Okay^^ That would mean any launchers using the current auth would break eg: MagicLauncher =(