Previous FieldWorks Alphas

Note: This page contains old documentation from 2010, but may still be helpful. And it would still be okay to update, correct, and add to this page.

Getting rid of previous configurations

Please note that deleting old projects and configurations will result in the loss of user data if not first backed up properly.

If you have previously used a prior version of FieldWorks, it may be necessary to get rid of some configuration files before the current version will run correctly. If once you have downloaded and installed the current version of FieldWorks and tried to run Language Explorer, you get an error when opening the sample projects or your own project, you can follow these steps to attempt to correct this error. You can also try running FieldWorks using a different user account to see if the problem is or is not your residual configuration. Be sure to backup any data you want to use with the current version as the procedure below may delete your project. Please see the second set of steps.

1. Using the file browser, navigate to your home folder.
2. On the View menu, select Show Hidden Files.
3. Scroll down to .config, open it and if there is a fieldworks folder there delete it.
4. Next scroll down to .local/share, open it and if there is a fieldworks folder or an SIL folder then delete them.
5. Lastly scroll to .mono open it and if there is a registry folder there delete it.
6. On the View menu, clear Show Hidden Files.
7. Try to run FLEx again and one of the sample projects should open correctly this time.

If you find that your project data is stored in either of these places and you do not want to lose it, but you still need to get rid of prior configurations for FieldWorks to run properly, then try this.

1. Follow the first 2 steps above to view hidden files in your home folder.
2. Instead of just deleting the main fieldworks folder under .config, look under it and be sure there is not a Projects folder that has data in it. If there is, open it and see if your project data is located there. If so then you need to copy your project data folder to you home folder before deleting the fieldworks folder.
3. The same applies to any fieldworks folder or SIL folder you may find under .local/share. Check for a Projects folder that has data in it and if your project data folder is there, first copy it to your home folder before deleting any folders.
4. Try to run FLEx again and one of the sample projects should open correctly this time.