# Need help doing a cross-OS (Linux & Mac) verification

**URL:** <https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [December 30, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068 "2020-12-30T22:29:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![emyoulation](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/emyoulation/32/67_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/emyoulation)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/1 "2020-12-30T22:29:46Z")

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I can do Windows testing but need help from a couple users to look at a feature in Linux and macOS

There are [GTK options to use file location box instead of breadcrumbs](https://winaero.com/how-to-enter-file-location-manually-in-gtk-3-opensave-dialog/) in the File Manager dialogs.

Some time ago, the wiki added a line listing in the [Handy Shortcuts section of the **keybindings** page](https://gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php/Gramps_5.1_Wiki_Manual_-_Keybindings#Handy_Shortcuts) for toggling between the breadcrumbs and filepaths textbox.  
The macOS had to be corrected to ⌘ Cmd+L.  
But I’m not sure the Linux Ctrl+L keybinding was confirmed.

The toggle seems to be implemented but the feature doesn’t work as one might expect.

When I toggle from [breadcrumbs](https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/why-breadcrumb-navigation-is-better-than-the-up-button/) in a Windows OS file manager dialog, the text box is populated with the fully qualified filepath for the current folder. But in Gramps for Windows, the text box is blank. That seems wrong. (Sometimes the OS version demanded some weird additional steps when trying to populate with a fully qualified path but starting from a File Selector for relative paths. In Gramps, the add Media objects would be a relative path variation leveraging the Preferences’ Media base path.)

I’m not sure how much the [technique Paul describes for using Environment Variables](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/how-to-set-the-base-path-from-media-relative-to-grampshome/481/3) applies to just the CLI (or Preferences form fields) versus file location textbox in the Gramps dialogs.

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**Author:** ![l0f4r0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dec6dc/32.png) [@l0f4r0](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/l0f4r0)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/2 "2020-12-30T23:05:02Z")

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> [@emyoulation](#):
>
> The toogle seems to be implemented but the feature doesn’t working as one might expect. When I toggle from [breadcrumbs](https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/why-breadcrumb-navigation-is-better-than-the-up-button/) in a Windows OS file manager dialog, the text box is populated with the fully qualified filepath for the current folder. But in Gramps for Windows, the text box is blank. That seems wrong.

Same here under Linux (Debian 10) in Gramps 5.1.2.

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**Author:** ![GeorgeWilmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@GeorgeWilmes](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/GeorgeWilmes)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/3 "2020-12-30T23:10:47Z")

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I have MacOS 10.14.6. It’s Ctrl+L, not Cmd+L, that causes the breadcrumbs to change to a locator box in the dialog to add a media object. But it’s not a toggle; to get back to the breadcrumbs, I have to press Esc.

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**Author:** ![GeorgeWilmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@GeorgeWilmes](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/GeorgeWilmes)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/4 "2020-12-30T23:26:13Z")

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Also, the text box is not populated, but I can tell it’s pointing to the current folder because when I start to type a file name, it gives a list of files starting with whatever I type.

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**Author:** ![emyoulation](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/emyoulation/32/67_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/emyoulation)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2021, 2:36am UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/5 "2021-01-01T02:36:15Z")

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Have been doing some more digging into the GTK file selector dialog. There is a Bookmarking feature for adding buttons to the dialog. However,the file is not where expected or named as predicted. I was expecting a bookmark file in with the rest of the Gramps customizations. It wasn’t there.

But some forums say that there would be a file named `gtk-bookmarks.py` at the top of the User folder. Instead, I found a text file (with no extension) with the following file on my Windows box:

`C:\Users\`_ **\<username\>** _`\AppData\Local\gtk-3.0\bookmarks`

The `bookmarks` file has one line per button. Again, in Windows, the path for a button looks like:  
`file:///C:/Users/`_ **\<username\>** _`/`_ **folder** _`/`_ **subfolder** _ ButtonName

Gramps currently lacks an option to name the Button at the time of creation. It leaves that parameter off and the GUI just repeats the subdirectory name. But, you can Rename the button (or edit the configuration file directly) if you want specific aliases on the buttons.

The obvious candidates are the Examples folder included with each installation and a couple paths from from the Preferences:

- _Family Tree:_ Backup path:
- _General:_ Base path for relative media paths:
- _Example file subfolder:_ C:\Program Files\GrampsAIO64-5.1.3\share\doc\gramps\example

My bookmarks file has the following lines:  
`file:///C:/Users/DistrictSupport/Desktop/Archives/GrampsBackup2020 Backups`  
`file:///C:/Users/DistrictSupport/GrampsMedia Media`  
`file:///C:/Program%20Files/GrampsAIO64-5.1.3/share/doc/gramps/example Examples`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![emyoulation](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/emyoulation/32/67_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/emyoulation)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/6 "2021-01-08T17:40:30Z")

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Another possible bookmark might be the examples folder on the GitHub archive:

[https://github.com/gramps-project/gramps/tree/maintenance/gramps51/example/](https://github.com/gramps-project/gramps/tree/maintenance/gramps51/example/)

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**Author:** ![zebulon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f04885/32.png) [@zebulon](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/zebulon)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/7 "2021-01-08T23:56:56Z")

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> [@emyoulation](#):
>
> _Example file subfolder:_ C:\Program Files\GrampsAIO64-5.1.3\share\doc\gramps\example

About that : what about proposing to load the test tree during gramps install ?

Best regards.

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**Author:** ![emyoulation](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/gramps.discourse.group/emyoulation/32/67_2.png) [@emyoulation](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/emyoulation)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/8 "2021-01-23T20:22:52Z")

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The test tree [example.gramps](https://www.gramps-project.org/wiki/index.php/Example.gramps) has to be _imported_ into a Tree. It does not exist as a database as part of the install. And the **Import** menu command does not exist until a Tree is created.

> [@zebulon](#):
>
> what about proposing to load the test tree during gramps install

So right now, that wouldn’t be possible.

I just filed a [Feature Request to make **Import** more accessible for 1st time users](https://gramps-project.org/bugs/view.php?id=12185). It seems logical to me that **Import** menu should be there from the start. And if you try to import before creating a Tree, Gramps should just create a Tree – auto-named to indicate the data was imported.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/free1/uploads/gramps/original/1X/2ac1e712b7adf612e31ca08a55419f4cf37c0158.png) [@system](https://gramps.discourse.group/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://gramps.discourse.group/t/need-help-doing-a-cross-os-linux-mac-verification/1068/9 "2021-02-22T20:22:57Z")

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