New Plugins Home (Round 2)

narutards

I’m admin in an enterprise environment and we’ve been using Notepad++ for a while. But with the latest changes I can no longer update the application because it would break basically every installation/“usage pattern” our users have adapted to.

We’ve been deploying Notepad++ updates with Microsoft SCCM and then placing the “allowAppDataPlugins.xml” file in the program directory under “%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++”, allowing our users to install whatever plugin they want in their own profile under “%AppData%\Notepad++\plugins”. We do that because obviously we don’t want to give users admin privileges to install plugins in the program directory. We also don’t want to install plugins for the users ourselves. The support overhead would “kill” us.

Is there any way to get this functionality back?

Load global plugins from “%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++\plugins”
Additionally load user installed plugins from “%AppData%\Notepad++\plugins” when “allowAppDataPlugins.xml” exists in “%ProgramFiles%\Notepad++”

Meta Chuh

@narutards

this recent thread >>> install notepad++ plugin without admin rights <<< covers how to deploy/install 7.6.3 and above, so that users are able to install plugins without admin rights.

it also includes a working deployment batch script as example.
also feel free to open a separate new topic on your case, if you need different information or examples.

if your questions don’t differ much from the original poster’s, you can comment on the same thread from above as well.

Vitaliy Dovgan

With the new structure of the plugins folder, I’m wondering whether an archive with a new version of a plugin should reflect this new structure?
Let’s take NppExec plugin as an example. The old structure of its archive (NppExec_*_dll.zip) is:

doc\NppExec…
NppExec*.h
NppExec.dll

Should it now be changed to the following? -

doc\NppExec\…
NppExec\NppExec\*.h
NppExec\NppExec.dll

Such structure will reflect the current Notepad++'s expectations regarding its plugins and will need the new Plugin Manager’s script that deploys NppExec to be modified accordingly.
Is it what is expected? Just want to clarify this in advance.

Meta Chuh

@Vitaliy-Dovgan

this is a very good question.

my first (unconfirmed and untested) thought is, that if the plugin’s release .zip structures are altered, they will be extracted as is, resulting in a doubled subfolder for each plugin (e.g. NppExec\NppExec\NppExec.dll).

also as there is probably no possibility, that all plugin developers change the structure at the same time, plugins admin would need to have an intelligence, to be able to know where the plugin’s .dll is located within the plugin release zip’s folder structure.
(alternatively, plugins admin would need some kind of extra bool flag, which tells it something like: newFolderStructure=true)

very tricky everything is, intriguing and interesting and very tricky.

Alan Kilborn

@Meta-Chuh said:

very tricky everything is, intriguing and interesting and very tricky

…and totally worth it…one little ad…

Vitaliy Dovgan

I know what to do. Two versions of the *dll.zip will be created: one with the old and another one with the new folder structure inside. So the Plugins Manager will be able to use either one. And finally, as time passes, just one version of the *dll.zip will survive.

V S Rawat

@Vitaliy-Dovgan said:

I know what to do. Two versions of the *dll.zip will be created: one with the old and another one with the new folder structure inside. So the Plugins Manager will be able to use either one. And finally, as time passes, just one version of the *dll.zip will survive.

I think Plugin Manager will still cater to old plugin arrangement.

It is plugin Admin that is managing pluings as per new arrangement.

jay

@donho said:

The applied plugin folder structure <PLUGINS_HOME>\myNicePlugin\myNicePlugin.dll remaines the same.

To be clear you are saying plugins no longer load from <PLUGINS_HOME>? For example <PLUGINS_HOME>\myNicePlugin.dll is not supposed to work? I have several plugins in <PLUGINS_HOME> and none will load. I can of course make a directory for each of them, I am just wondering whether this is expected behavior and why the change.

jay

Ok I found the answer in the Help Wanted post Plugins gone?! which says the folder structure is now needed. I did that and it’s working fine.

(Unfortunately I couldn’t edit my previous post since edits are only allowed for 180 seconds. I suggest making that a much longer amount of time like 24 hours.)

Dave Bongfishtester

WTF happened to the plugins?

I need to urgently apply a Python script to our loca files, deadline is in like half an hour, and fucking Notepad++ can’t fucking see the goddamn pythin script plugin any more? WTF.

Meta Chuh

welcome to the notepad++ community, @Dave-Bongfishtester

if you have a 30 minute deadline right now, just install notepad++ 7.5.9 (or whatever your previous version was) on top of your current notepad++ installation.
your plugins will then be visible again.

you can deal with the plugin setup of newer notepad++ versions later.

best regards.

SinghRajenM

@Dave-Bongfishtester,

Open Notepad++ and click on menu “plugins->Open plugin folder”.
If you can see all the plugin dlls in that folder, then you can follow below approach and hopefully it should work.

Open npp in administrator mode. (You can right click on Notepad++ icon on task bar, then again right click on Notepad++, then choose "Run as Administrator.)
On menu, click on “Plugins->Open Plugins folder…”. Copy this path.
On menu, click on “Settings->Import->Import Plugins”.
Paste the copied path and select all the plugins.
Now, all the plugins should be copied to respective folder. Restart Notepad++.

Hope, this will work for you.

Dave Bongfishtester

@Meta-Chuh Thank you, and sorry for yelling obscenities.

Unfortunately, downgrading to an older version did not work for me. Older versions of Notepad++ don’t seem to see my PythonScript installation either, no matter whether I tell NP++ to keep its ini file or not.

I tried another complete reinstall now, this time copying the pythonXX.dll and plugin all over the place hoping I’ll find a folder where NPP can find it. I currently no longer get the “incompatible” message but there is no trace of the usual PythonScript menu entries / commands in NP++.

Meta Chuh

@Dave-Bongfishtester

don’t worry, i can understand your situation perfectly.

please follow this guide to re-install pythonscript plugin on notepad++ 7.6.6:

Guide: How to install the PythonScript plugin on Notepad++ 7.6.3, 7.6.4 and above

best regards.

Amjad Moghul

The plugin area is not an issue when using from home, but when using from a work environment, the IT typically locks down the Program Files* area. Therefore adding new plugins becomes a chore and IT have to be involved each time… let alone if they allow them in the first place…
NP++ without the plugins is like working with one finger, so if this area can be rectified, or at least provide an alternate non-locked down area, that would be great

PeterJones

@Amjad-Moghul said:

if this area can be rectified, or at least provide an alternate non-locked down area, that would be great

They tried a compromise-solution like you suggested in the 7.6.0-7.6.2-era, but that was abandoned: there were too many people from IT departments who complained because with the alternate location, they couldn’t prevent employees from installing unapproved plugins. Everyone has different goals, and sometimes those goals are mutually exclusive.

If you already have IT permission for Notepad++ (since it’s in the locked-down Program FIles* area), maybe you could ask them to unlock the program files\Notepad++ hierarchy, or at least program files\notepad++\plugins hierarchy, so that you could install Notepad++ plugins without giving you full access to install other programs. If you couch it that way, and emphasize that it will make IT’s job easier so you won’t be pestering them every time you find a new plugin that you need, you might be able to convince them to do it.

As another potential alternative for you: you could use a portable version of Notepad++ (download the ZIP or 7ZIP instead of the installer), you can place your Notepad++ in some other folder hierarchy where you do have write permission; that way, you can install your own plugins without IT intervention – as long as your workplace policies won’t get you fired for trying to circumvent their restrictions. You can then make your file associations use the “portable” Notepad++. (That’s how I use Notepad++.)

Alexander Verbitsky

@pnedev Sorry for necroposting, but why no one said magic words “Group policies”? Chromium (and Chrome ofc) extensively uses this feature. Yes, in order to use this feature Notepad++ should provide administrative templates, but it is not that hard.