Issue installing SCS- "FATAL ERROR: SSL cannot open output file..."

[Guest 0zoneSlayer]

I am making a fresh install of GOG BG1EE, SoD, and BG2EE.  This is my first time modding, but have researched on reddit's r/baldursgate, read the various readmes, and have been following this guide

The only difference is I have also included the BG1 NPC Project.  The mods I have included, in order are:

BG1

DLC Merger

Mini Quests and Encounters

Rogue Rebalancing (he suggests in the video, but this seems to only have components for BG2?)

IWDification

SCS (stopped here due to errors)

Tweaks Anthology (plan to include but haven't gotten there yet.

 

All mods up to SCS have worked, but when I install SCS I receive errors on these components (error code below):

Improved NPC customisation and management

 

FATAL ERROR: SSL cannot open the output file weidu_external\workspace\ssl_out/dwnpc1f.baf at script/ssl.pl line 236.
...
ERROR: error loading [weidu_external/workspace\ssl_out\dwnpc1f.baf]
...
ERROR Installing [Improved NPC customisation and management], rolling back to previous state
...
ERROR: Unix.Unix_error(20, "stat", "weidu_external/workspace\\ssl_out\\dwnpc1f.baf")

 

Ease-of-use party AI

 

FATAL ERROR: SSL cannot open the output file weidu_external\workspace\ssl_out/bddefai.baf at script/ssl.pl line 236.
...
ERROR: error loading [weidu_external/workspace\ssl_out\bddefai.baf]
...
ERROR Installing [Ease-of-use party AI], rolling back to previous state
...
ERROR: Unix.Unix_error(20, "stat", "weidu_external/workspace\\ssl_out\\bddefai.baf")

 

Initialise AI components (which has prevented me from loading the bulk of SCS AI improvements)
 

FATAL ERROR: SSL cannot open the output file weidu_external\workspace\ssl_out/cloud_template.baf at script/ssl.pl line 236.
...
ERROR: error loading [weidu_external/workspace\ssl_out\cloud_template.baf]
...
ERROR: [.../stratagems-inline/clouds.2da] -> [weidu_external/workspace/clouds.2da] Patching Failed (COPY) (Unix.Unix_error(20, "stat", "weidu_external/workspace\\ssl_out\\cloud_template.baf"))
...
ERROR Installing [Initialise AI components (required for all tactical and AI components)], rolling back to previous state
...
ERROR: Unix.Unix_error(20, "stat", "weidu_external/workspace\\ssl_out\\cloud_template.baf")

I have a copy of the full SETUP-STRATEGEMS.DEBUG if that helps, not sure how to attach it.  Thanks for any help.

[Guest 0zoneSlayer]

While hunting for an answer, I have noticed that the file paths that are mentioned in the error code have a mixture of "/" and "\" in them.  Looking at the ssl.pl script it mentions, I see two methods that reference the outputfile, "write_output" and "work_out_outputfile".  The second one seems to be a method for taking a file name, appending ".baf" to it, then using regex to fix the arrangement of "\" and "/", presumably to make it uniform to be read either by a Windows or Unix system.  However, in the end it is getting scrambled and outputing a filepath that has a mixture of both.

I am thinking of editing this script, but am unsure of whether I need it to read all "/" or all "\".  I am thinking of using the Perl package File::Spec to help, but have no experience with Perl, so any advice appreciated.

[DavidW]

 

Okay: that error means that SCS is failing to create an output file, I suspect probably by the operating system not letting it. 

However, this is code that has been present in SCS for a long time and used by thousands of people, so if it's going wrong for you I think it has to be something relatively specific about your install setup that is causing trouble. Are you on Windows? If so, the most common culprit for bugs like this is an overenthusiastic antivirus system, and/or having BG installed somewhere like C:/Program Files where Windows is unusually finicky about what it permits.

[Guest 0zoneSlayer]

Bingo- got it to work.  Here are the steps I took:

1. Installed Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 in my User/Documents folder
2. Set all user permissions to Full Control (with modify and write, etc.) in Preferences>Security settings for the folder
3. In Windows Security> Virus Protection settings I turned off
   1.  Real Time Protection
   2. Tamper Protection (probably not necessary)
   3. Ransomware Protection> Controlled Folder Access, I clicked "Allow and app through Controlled folder access".  When clicking "Allow an App" I noticed the ssl.exe script had been flagged and blocked on this list, so I allowed it and made an exception.  This made an exception for cmd.exe in C:\Windows\System32.  Very important to turn this off after installation.
4. In User Account Control (UAC) I lowered my notifications to the lowest setting.
5. Run setup-strategems.exe as administrator.

After install be sure to re-enable all of these settings and delete any exceptions or revert any changes in user account permissions.

 

Thanks for the help DavidW.

 

[DavidW]

great, glad it worked!

I should say that I generally get better results if I install and mod in C:\Games, and just keep out of the 'user' space.