RootsMagic

What works

My review is of RootsMagic 7; I don't see a place to enter the version.  All of the reviews here are for RootsMagic 6 or earlier.

Program works beautifully, once you add the GDI+ fix.   

I had reviewed this program before - don't know what happened to my review, I think a moderator edited it into virtual oblivion.   I can find it, in some odd place off to the side, but it no longer has ANY contents!    Meanwhile the moderators are complaining that all of the data here is old.    

What does not

Although I've had Rootsweb 7 install and work well on several Debian based installs (Ubuntu, kubuntu, Mint and Zorin), it suddenly crashed on trying to run in a fresh install on the same machine on which it formerly worked flawlessly on the same version of the same OS (Ubuntu 14.04), and also in Zorin.   I did a fresh install and tried again, same GDI+ error.   

 After hours of collecting data on my CPU and graphics processor and driver, I found out that the GDI+ error was consistently reported with Rootsmagic 6 and Rootsmagic 5.  I ran the GDI+ fix in Winetricks and it fixed it.  

There is an alternate procedure that involves downloading the fix from the Microsoft web site and installing it in Wine.   

 One may also need to install the Microsoft XML parser, Internet Explorer and Flash within Wine or on a virtual drive with playonlinux.    

It is possible that I did not know that RootsMagic 7 won't work without the GDI fix because it was already installed for another reason; it may even be included with Zorin, which is a package put together and sold for $12.50 by a group of college students.   

Workarounds

What was not tested

I have not myself tested whether I can get to FamilySearch from Rootsmagic.  I suspect it may be possible in a virtual drive with Playonlinux if it does ont work in Wine.   One discussion of getting Rootsmagic to work on Ubuntu suggested installing IE and Flash in the wine folder that Rootsmagic runs off of.   

Hardware tested

Graphics:

• GPU:
• Driver:

Additional Comments