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Release Draft

v0.1.9 beta

GalAid v0.1.9 is a launch doctor for visual novel and galgame folders. It helps players answer: "Which file do I run, and why is this game not starting?"

Highlights

  • Static web app that runs locally or on GitHub Pages
  • Desktop beta with native folder and file selection
  • Desktop one-click launch for scanned compatible Windows .exe/.com/.bat/.cmd/.lnk entries
  • Launch candidate scoring for .exe, .bat, .cmd, .lnk, and index.html
  • Executable header hints for DOS COM/MZ, Win16 NE, legacy LE/LX, Win32 PE, and Win64 PE entries, with DOS/Win16 routed away from direct launch
  • Old Win32 PE subsystem-version hints for Win95/NT4/Win2000/XP compatibility-mode guidance while keeping the entry launchable
  • PE import hints for legacy DirectDraw, DirectSound, DirectInput, DirectPlay, Direct3D 8/9, WinMM, VC++ runtime DLLs, VB6, .NET, QuickTime, DirectShow/MCI, Flash/ActiveX, and Borland/Delphi dependencies
  • Commercial/self-developed engine route based on root executables, same-folder DLLs, resource archives, config files, and working directory
  • Evidence explanations, confidence details, and next steps for engine matches
  • Optional Locale Emulator, Wine, and Proton launch templates for locale-sensitive profiles
  • Manual launch-failure follow-up for no response, crash, mojibake, black screen, and missing DLL/runtime symptoms
  • Error screenshot OCR for English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese dialog text
  • Ordered next-step roadmap for beginners
  • Runtime and environment checks for locale, paths, DirectX, DirectPlay, VC++ runtime, VB6, .NET Framework, QuickTime/video components, RPG Maker RTP, permissions, and web VN local-server needs
  • Archive and disc-image guidance for split archives, .iso, CUE sheets with referenced .bin/.img tracks, .mds/.mdf, and similar package stages
  • Desktop package preflight for ZIP metadata, bundled/local 7z-compatible RAR/7z/self-extracting EXE listings, CUE track declarations, supported disc-image directory listings, and media/descriptor clues
  • Bundled archive extraction handoff: enter a known password if needed, extract locally into a fresh prepared folder, automatically rescan, then launch the top entry from the one-stop flow
  • Self-extracting EXE packages are routed to prepare-and-rescan when their internal archive directory can be listed
  • Disc-image preparation handoff: mount Windows .iso images when available, or best-effort extract supported image files before rescanning
  • English default README with Chinese/Japanese translations and Chinese/English/Japanese diagnosis output language
  • Chinese quick install and QQ/group-share copy in docs/INSTALL.zh-CN.md
  • Windows release uploads include generated .sha256 and .release.json sidecars for the portable .exe
  • Release verifier checks published Windows sidecars, expected commit, and GitHub asset metadata without downloading the large .exe
  • Community-editable startup error recipes in data/error-recipes.json
  • Support bundle with reports, launch profiles, launch-failure notes, roadmap, recipe matches, and file manifest
  • GitHub issue templates, PR template, CI checks, and GitHub Pages deployment workflow

Try It

After publishing the repository and enabling GitHub Pages with GitHub Actions as the source:

https://TonyNa-code.github.io/GalAid/

Local web app:

python3 -m http.server 4173

Desktop beta:

npm install
npm start

Published Status

Verified on 2026-05-31 Asia/Shanghai:

Pre-Release Checklist

  • Replace README demo placeholder with the real GitHub Pages URL.
  • Enable GitHub Pages with GitHub Actions as the source.
  • Confirm npm run check passes locally.
  • Confirm npm run test:smoke passes locally.
  • Confirm npm run audit:release -- --strict has no warnings.
  • Confirm npm run verify:release -- v0.1.9-beta --commit 60cafbc936bdbb31f16a78d3fc9da50b4c6ccb98 --json passes against the published Windows beta.
  • Add a player-facing Windows install/share guide.
  • Confirm the Deploy Pages workflow publishes the static demo.
  • Open the Pages demo and run the built-in game sample.
  • Review SECURITY.md, CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md, and docs/CONTRIBUTING.md.
  • Add repository topics from docs/REPO_TOPICS.md.
  • Create a GitHub release using this draft.

Known Limits

  • Web mode does not inspect inside large archives or disc images yet.
  • Disc-image extraction depends on what the bundled 7z-compatible helper can read; some older or damaged images may still need manual mounting outside GalAid, though readable autorun.inf + Start.exe + data1.cab style layouts are now classified before extraction.
  • DOS and Win16 programs are detected and routed, but actually running them still needs a suitable old-runtime environment such as DOSBox or a 32-bit/virtualized Windows setup.
  • Old Win32 compatibility hints are metadata-based. They tell the user what to try after a failed launch, but they do not prove the game requires compatibility mode.
  • Legacy PE import hints are advisory. They help prioritize old DirectX, runtime, and video compatibility steps, but do not prove the dependency is missing on the user's PC.
  • Web OCR may need the browser text-detection API or a Tesseract.js page load.
  • Desktop OCR may download language data on first use.
  • Launch profiles are hints only; actual desktop launching still requires a user click on a scanned or prepared entry.
  • Error recipes are advisory and should be improved through community reports.