Just downloaded Blender 2.49a, 64 bit, on Vista and whenever I try to run it it throws an error dialog about the programs side-by-side configuration which apparently isn’t working. Does anyone know what this is about? How to fix it?
Any help would be great! Thanks!
Have you installed the Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Package (x64) ? (See the note under the blender download link)
Richard
Read the download page, there’s a link on it.
I won’t post the link anymore, it’s been posted too often…
I wonder why the redistributable isn’t just included with the installer btw. Is it some license issue?
Edit, oh darn, too late, once again!
It’s a microsoft proprietary file so cannot be included in the download because of licensing.
Richard
Oh please, cut the Stallmanastic crap. We all know that most users don’t give a damn about proprietary or open code, as long as it’s free. The c/c++ runtime library is just that. Free to use.
It’s the feckin’ foundation for c/c++ programs built with MSVC… if there’s one library that should be absolutely distributed along with Blender, that’s the one.
Okay. I’ll take off my ranty pants now (please don’t look, I’m shy).
Who cares as long as people actually read the download page and installation instructions. Something which apparently many people couldn’t give a toss in doing.
Richard
whoops! i guess thats new for 2.49a cuz 2.48a worked fine! my bad, maybe i need those glasses afterall.
and this is, in face, a no-pants party. strictly.
Since when is simply stating facts crap?
If the license forbids distribution, it can’t be distributed. Simple, eh? No Stallman involved.
Blender’s responsibility is Blender, not the MSVC runtime. There are a lot of libraries that blender uses on Linux, but those aren’t included. Besides, as you say “It’s the feckin’ foundation for c/c++ programs built with MSVC” which means most people probably have it already anyway. Right? No sense bundling it up for EVERYONE when only a minority of people will need to download it. In which case the link right next to the Blender download should suffice, in theory.
it does suffice. some idiots just dont bother to look 
With a new release of MSVC comes a new version of the runtime library, so no, many people will probably not have it already.
Blender’s responsibility is to run. It needs the runtime to do that.
Well, no one has told me any actual facts yet.
Where does it (or who does) say you cannot distribute the runtime with Blender?
Let me Google it:
Ah, so that’s what people are afraid of. But if the builders for the official releases are afraid to redistribute it, then why are they even using MSVC?
Also, the download page does not even make a mention of the redistributable for the 32 bits version. But it does need it to run.
Therefore I said “if”, I didn’t read the license. In any case, best would be to discuss this with the Blender Foundation, I guess. Usually they try to make things as easy as possible for users. I’m sure there are good reasons for doing things that way.