Late news: LM2007 is launched Aug 2007 "LM2007" will replace LM2000.
LM2007 is a free version. It contains basic functions of LM Pro. Expert features are removed. See information in the literarymachine group.
LM PIM - a simple alternative interface for LM Pro users
LM PIM is a simple program that works on your LM Pro database. It is interface is conventional (contrasting that of LM Pro) and it adds special views and data structures for "Tasks", "Contacts" and "Appointments". This means that that you now have an option keep your personal planning in LM and combine it with your extensive database of text fragments.

Overview of LM Support Resources

Your main areas of support are:

The Literary Machine Community Forum at Yahoo is primarily for discussing development of LM Pro, so it is not a support forum. Nonetheless, questions of general interest are welcome, and users in various fields can share their ideas on how best to use LM for a particular type of work. So, though the help you can get in the Group is limited, it may occasionally be quite useful.

LM 2000

We do not offer personal support for users of the freeware edition of LM (LM 2000). The Literary Machine Community Forum at Yahoo is primarily for discussing development of LM Pro. However, it may occasionally be quite useful.

The program has a standard help file. If you have a recent download from Simtel, Winsite or Download.com, the most recent version is included.

LM Professional

The program has a standard help file. It is updated regularly to reflect questions and suggestions from users.

LM Pro users get free personal technical support via email through support@literarymachine.com

(NOTE: Some Internet service providers indiscriminately block emails from some countries or regions in the world. If you do not get replies from LM Support, send a reminder. If possible, supply an alternative email address.)

Important Notice: Windows XP with Servicepack 2

Old versions of he LM2000 and LM Professional installer programs will not function on Windows XP machines with Servicepack 2 installed.
LM is only one of hundreds of programs that have been hit by problems caused by restrictions in Windows XP SP2. .

[Dec 2004] The installation files have been adapted to Servicepack 2 of Windows XP. You get the new version if you use a download link at the LM2000 download page.

Technical note: LM uses a Paradox database and the "Borland Database Engine" (alias BDE) for database storage. The big part in the LM installation is to set up the "BDE".
The original installation package was built by a standard wizard within the Borland Delphi 5 package. This routine (supplied by a leading programming company) does not work because of new system requirements in Servicepack 2.
The LM setup packages were revised in Dec 2004 and they will now work with Windows XP SP2 .

 

"Portable folder" installation

Experienced users can try to set up the "portable folder" installation, that can be plugged into any computer. And this goes without an installation procedure updating the registry of the computer.

The alternate installation pack for LM Professional users should just be unpacked into a new directory on a Win98 .. Win XP SP2 computer. Doubleclick "lm.exe" and you are up and running!

1. We suggest that you store LM in an USB Memory stick (smaller than your thumb). USB memory sticks usually have 32, 128 or 640 MBy of memory space.

2. Copy your LM program directory from (and back to) the memory stick. If you keep project text files under the LM directory and have the same path mapping in all running locations, nothing is lost in the move. Run LM on the hard disk, not on removable (slow) media.

3. No (installation-type) updates in the registry of the "guest machine" are left behind.

4. You get extra backup security with fresh data in several places.

Contact support if you want to know more. Supply your LM Pro user id no.


Slide shows

Be sure to view the LM slide shows. Note that these "flash demos" use a program available on the net. The Literary Machine is not connected to it and we cannot support you on issues concering that viewing program. However, the slide shows are used by many and problems are not very common.


Language

If you need to adapt LM to a character set other than the standard Western European character set it comes with, you will need to use the LM Pro version. Change of character set is not supported in LM2000.


 

Distribute LM2000 to new users with your own data

You now have an option to supply new LM2000 users with your own startup/demo/instruction database. This could be of great interest for instance if you launch LM2000 as a part of a brainstorm package or a writing exercise at school. Use http://www.literarymachine.com/lm2k11_f.zip and put your data in it (Note the new filename).

The most straightforward form of distribution is to zip your LM2000 directory as it is with its subdirectories. The user just unpacks it and double-clicks LM.exe.

If you want to refine the technique:

  • Supply the item data in one or several LM restore zip files.
  • Add optional (subs)sets of data via XML -files
  • Add informational "read-once-only" texts to inform the user. You can also use "Release Notes"

Tips

If your database appears to be damaged, try to repair it or use your most recent backup. Do you want to know in detail what features were added and when? Then, read the Modifications-History file (Release Notes). You didn't forget to read the ReadMe file, did you?

It's a good idea to check out the list of known problems and other things you should know.

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