Errors downloading installData.json from github

[drojf]

Many users are reporting errors when our installer downloads files from raw.githubusercontent.com

Error while reading JSON: ERROR - could not download [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/07th-mod/python-patcher/master/installData.json] with aria2c

I have a feeling this is only for files which are not a "release" (which reside on raw.githubusercontent.com), so a workaround would be to do proper releases for the .json install data and version data etc.

Possible solutions

1. Do proper releases for the installData.json, versionData.json data files. Do not ever use files from raw.githubusercontent.com
2. Finally finish the "offline" installer, to use as an alternative for all possible internet problems. However, if large numbers of users are having this problem, this isn't really a solution.

Other information

Also see this discussion about the same issue: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/159123

[drojf]

As of https://github.com/07th-mod/python-patcher/releases/tag/v1.4.1 this should be fixed.

Instructions for updating installData.json etc.

EDIT: I updated the CI so that it all happens automatically. Every time you push to the python-patcher repo it should cause the installMetadata.zip to be updated automatically, but it takes some time to run the CI (5 mins?).

Please note, If there is an error in the .json files, then CI fails and the installMEtadata.zip won't be updated.

---

Old instructions

The process to update the install metadata files is now as follows:

1. Push a commit which updates installData.json, versionData.json to this python-patcher repo (this part is the same as before)
2. Push an empty commit to https://github.com/07th-mod/python-patcher-metadata
   • For example, git commit --allow-empty -m "Ch1 script update" || git push
   • This will generate a release with a zip file called installerMetadata.zip, containing the latest *.json files from the python-patcher repo master branch.
   • You can also run a build by going to https://github.com/07th-mod/python-patcher-metadata/actions/workflows/build.yml and clicking "Run Workflow->Run Workflow"
   • An example generated release is https://github.com/07th-mod/python-patcher-metadata/releases/tag/2025-11-08_02-31-29

How the Installer uses the installerMetadata.zip

The installer then uses this zip file as follows:

1. On startup, the installer will download https://github.com/07th-mod/python-patcher-metadata/releases/latest/download/installerMetadata.zip and extract it to installMetadata folder.
2. The installer will use the *.json files in the installMetadata folder (rather than downloading them from raw.githubusercontent.com)

TODO

• TODO: include the build date etc in teh zip file