It’s been a long time since an update for Plant Base was issued, although a great deal of work has been going on in the background! But it’s here now . . .
This release is very unusual because it involves two program versions for all OS editions. A lot has changed with operating systems and also the software used to create the Plant Base program. In order to take advantage of new developments but also keep Plant Base available on older systems as long as possible, the only practical solution is to offer two updated versions.
Full installation and update files are available on the Downloads page.
Versions
- 2.2.0 – newest and in some ways most significant, created with a new release of the build software using a more modern method to make the program. This enables greater optimisation, giving faster and more efficient performance. Also for Windows in particular, improved, up to date linking of native components, so should therefore result in a more robust and secure application. The disadvantage is that older releases of the operating systems are no longer supported.
- 2.1.16 – originally an interim development version and not previously available. This is a direct continuation of the previous version and built by the same method. It will run on all the same operating systems as before. This has some bug fixes and a number of changes to the user interface. Also important changes for the Linux edition. All those things has been rolled forward into version 2.2.0.
A Bit of this and a Bit of that!
Greater consideration was needed regarding 64-bit versus 32-bit executable programs and this affects how the versions are offered. 64-bit computers have been around for a very long time now. At first many still used 32-bit operating systems, but almost all have now moved to 64-bit. Suppliers are in the process of completely dropping 32-bit versions of their operating systems. For this reason our 64-bit builds now have precedence. However, there is still a need for 32-bit software on older systems that are either running a 32-bit OS, for a variety of reasons, or are restricted by a hardware 32-bit processor chip. Old but working machines can still serve a useful purpose!
MS Windows
Plant Base 2.2.0 is 64-bit only and needs Windows Vista or later.
Version 2.1.16 is 32-bit only and will run on any Windows release since Windows 2000, notably including Windows XP. Although I know not many people will be be using these, it seems a shame to exclude them. There are still plenty of XP systems around and an increasing interest in legacy, retro computers. The 64-bit version of Windows XP is not supported as standard and is quite rare anyway.
For users with 32-bit (x86) Plant Base installed on a 64-bit systems, don’t worry just use 2.1.16 to update. At the moment there is very little functional difference between the versions on Windows.
If preferring to move from the 32-bit to the 64-bit version, then firstly double-check that your operating system is 64-bit, then make sure you have good back-up copies of your database before doing a complete uninstall and full reinstall of Plant Base with the x64 download file. Once done, you can copy back your own database files or follow the procedure to merge you data with the new release.
MacOS
Plant Base 2.2.0 is 64-bit only, created with the latest build software. It will run on Monterey or later. It might work on Big Sur and/or Catalina, but not tested here, and will not run on anything older.
Plant Base 2.1.16 is provided as both 32-bit and 64-bit. As with previous versions will run on Snow Leopard (10.6) and at least some later MacOS releases (works on Monterey). From MacOS Catalina (10.15) 32-bit apps cannot be used. For Macs this is is a “legacy” version and there are more obvious differences between versions than on the other platforms.
All our apps are built for Intel-type processors but should hopefully run fine under emulation on the newer M-series machines. We don’t yet have resources to produce Apple-silicon or Universal binaries.
Software compatibility can be a challenge on Apple systems and users are advised to check thoroughly before buying a licence!
Linux
Plant Base 2.2.0 – both 32-bit and 64-bit, made by the new build software, needs Linux distribution from about 2021 (x64) or 2023 (x86), or later. The long standing print quality bug is fixed by the new development software.
Plant Base 2.1.16 – both 32-bit and 64-bit, created with same build method as older versions and will run on distributions dating from about 2019. For the Linux edition the two versions are functionally almost identical, with only very minor differences that most users will not notice.
The Beta Test designation has been removed from these versions. Linux has been a main day-to-day system here for a good while and Plant Base has been running perfectly for routine use. It should remembered however, that there is no guarantee the program will work on every Linux variation. After all, unlike the commercial operating systems, GNU/Linux is really many different OS’s with only the Linux kernel as the common factor. The current release has been tested on a number of distributions with good results, but it’s impossible to test them all! In fact, the program ran on all distros tested, but as found during the Beta phase, the most noticeable issues were appearance differences caused by the Desktop Environment and themes. Development is done on Xfce systems, so no trouble with Xfce. Cinnamon, Mate and Trinity were also perfect, while KDE Plasma was pretty good although fonts were rendered slightly differently. The most troublesome was Gnome, still usable but with some ugly visual effects that cannot be adjusted from the program code.
An important change is that from this release all Plant Base for Linux versions are completely free, no registration code needed. The Beta test versions have always been free on request, so it was decided make the Linux edition fully free from now on. There is no time-limit check and no other restrictions. Optionally installations can still be registered as before, either with the same paid licence code as Windows/MacOS, or a free Linux only code supplied on request by email. The registration requests are useful because they give an idea of the most popular distros and desktop environments.
Light and Dark?
Previous Linux versions have provided an option to adapt to dark colour themes, which are quite popular with Linux users. This feature has been considerably improved, involving large amendments to the UI part of the program code. It was done for version 2.2.0 but back-ported to 2.1.19 so they work the same. There is now just a choice between “automatic” and “locked” options, with automatic recommended for most themes. Switching between light and dark modes no longer involves a program restart, it will simply follow whatever theme is set for the system. Any change of theme mode is detected when the Plant Base window is re-activated. The “locked” options are only to handle difficult custom themes where automatic detection may get it wrong.
Version 2.2.0 for MacOS also now has the light/dark mode feature, using most of the same code from Linux. For MacOS this function is always “automatic” and uses the Apple API notification facility to set the mode. Version 2.1.16 does not have this feature as Dark Mode did not exist in the earlier MacOS releases.
There is no dark mode option in the Windows edition because the Microsoft implementation is rather strange and when set does not pass through to components within the program, even though they are native elements. The Plant Base window will always show in light mode, regardless of the system setting. It is not currently possible to code for a dark mode without a radical UI redesign, avoiding standard components.
Plant Data
Last but very definitely not least – this update comes with a new issue of the database content, to release number 32. New plant records and a few pictures have gradually been added ever since the previous release. Also some existing records have been amended or corrected. However, the biggest changes are once again the renaming or reclassification of many plants. Quite a few familiar names have been altered, either moved to a different genus or given a new name. Don’t worry, the previous names are always kept as synonyms and can be located when searching. As far as possible the naming guides from Kew and the RHS are followed, but I suspect some have been missed and will follow in a later release.
As always, the database is forward and backward compatible with program versions. So for existing users it is not necessary to update the database at the same time. If you already have plant lists and/or personal changes to the data or pictures, then be sure to follow the update instructions carefully in order to preserve your information.