Get Started With TKP

Setup your computer for TKP based on its operating system:

• Windows
• Mac
• Linux

Windows

1. Create a new folder named TKPSource (no spaces in the folder name) at the top level of your C: drive. Example: C:\TKPSource.

   

2. Download the TKP zip file from this site by clicking the green Clone or Download button on the middle right side of this page, and then click the blue download zip button (or use the link directly below this line). Wait for the download to complete.

   

3. Move the zip file from your Downloads folder to the C:\TKPSource folder. The name of the downloaded file is TeachingkidsProgramming.Java-master.zip

   

4. Unzip the downloaded file. Right-click on the zip file, and choose Extract All.... Next click Extract to create the TKP folder.

   

5. Open the unzipped TKP folders and find the 'TKP_Launcher.jar' file.

   

6. Run the TKP_Launcher.jar file by double-clicking it. Wait for it to run. Tip if the jar won't run, double-check that you are double-clicking it from the extracted folder and not inside the zip.

   If the jar file runs ok, then Eclipse will launch with the TKP workspace open. A successful install should look like the screenshot below: (you can test with two lines of code below)

   Tortoise.show();
   Tortoise.move(50);

   

   If an error MessageBox pops up, you probably just need a little more setup, keep reading.

   

7. Run the "Ninite" installer for Java. There are two, but only one is appropriate for your computer. Look in the C:\ folder. Do you have a folder called Program Files (x86)?

   

   If so, then double-click Ninite JDK x64 8 Installer.exe. Otherwise, double-click Ninite JDK 8 Installer.exe. (If you see a Security Warning click Run. If you see a User Account Control prompt click Yes). When the Ninite Java install finishes, try double-clicking the TKP_Launcher.jar again.

   If it works, great! Otherwise, you might see a message like the one below. Keep reading for more setup.

   

8. Run the "Ninite" installer for Eclipse. There is only one installer for eclipse, called Ninite Eclipse Installer.exe. Double-click the eclipse installer (If you see a Security Warning click Run. If you see a User Account Control prompt click Yes). When the Ninite Java install finishes, try double-clicking the TKP_Launcher.jar again.

   If it works, great! Otherwise, visit the Fixing Installation Errors section below for more tips.

Mac

1. Create a new folder named TKPSource (no spaces in the folder name) in your Documents folder. Example: /Users/james/Documents/TKPSource.

   

2. Download the TKP zip file from this site by clicking the Download ZIP button on the middle right side of this page (or use the link directly below this line). Wait for the download to complete.

   

3. Move the zip file from your Downloads folder to the TKPSource folder. The name of the downloaded file is TeachingkidsProgramming.Java-master.zip

   

4. Unzip the downloaded file. Right-click on the zip file, and choose Open to create the TKP folder.

   

5. Open the unzipped TKP folders and find the TKP_Launcher.jar file.

   

6. Run the TKP_Launcher.jar file by double-clicking it. Wait for it to run. Tip if the jar won't run, double-check that you are double-clicking it from the extracted folder and not inside the zip.

   If the jar file runs ok, then Eclipse will launch with the TKP workspace open. A successful install should look like the screenshot below: (you can test with two lines of code below)

   Tortoise.show();
   Tortoise.move(50);

   

   If an error MessageBox pops up, you probably just need a little more setup, keep reading.

   

7. Open the Mac System Preferences and choose Security & Privacy.

   

   Click Open Anyway, then Open. This will allow the TKP launcher to run in the future, and Mac will immediately try to run the launcher again.

   

   If it works, great! Otherwise, you might see a message like the one below. Keep reading for more setup.

   

8. Download Java 8. Click the More Info... button (shown above) to go to Oracle's download page. There are several download options, choose JDK (indicated below).

   

   On the next page, there is a table of files you can download. First, accept the Java license by choosing Accept License Agreement. Now, find Mac OS X x64 in the table and download the dmg file from the same row.

   

   Wait for it to download, then double-click the dmg to open it. Double click the pkg file inside the dmg, then click Continue then Install in the wizard that appears. Enter your password if prompted, and wait for the installation to complete.

   Next, try launching the TKP_Launcher.jar by double-clicking it. If it works, great! Otherwise, you might see a message like the one below. Keep reading for more setup.

   

9. Download Eclipse Luna. To extract the eclipse files, right-click on the eclipse-java-luna-SR2-macosx-cocoa-x86_64.tar.gz file and choose Open. Next, drag the eclipse folder to Applications for your username, i.e. //Applications.

   

   When you have put eclipse into Applications try launching TKP again by double-clicking TKP_Launcher.jar. If it works, great! Otherwise, visit the Fixing Installation Errors section below for more tips.

Linux

1. Ubuntu

   To install on Ubuntu, open a terminal window and run the following command:

   source <(curl -L -s http://tinyurl.com/hzvqvck)

   This command will download everything needed for TKP and create a shortcut on your desktop.

Eclipse should run automatically and the first lesson from TKP will open.

If you are having trouble reading the text inside the "JavaDoc" panel, you might need to change your system colors. This can be done by using the "color chooser" app. Just type:

sudo apt install gnome-color-chooser
gnome-color-chooser

You will need to go to the "Specific" tab and change your tooltip colors.

Fixing Installation Errors

We're sorry that you are having trouble getting started with TKP. Below you will find a few more troubleshooting tips that we have used to resolve issues in the past.

Correct version of Java (7 or higher) not installed

We test the standard installation steps using "clean" computers with no software installed except what comes with Windows or OSX. However, your computer might have an older version of Java on it that we don't support.

To validate the version of Java that is installed, go to this website and click the 'validate' button. Note this website will not work in Google's Chrome browser, so you may need to visit it in another browser (Safari/Firefox/Internet Explorer/etc).

If the reported version of your Java installation is less than 7, then update Java to the version that Oracle recommends.

Correct version of Eclipse (Luna) not installed

We test the standard installation steps using "clean" computers with no software installed except what comes with Windows or OSX. However, your computer might have an older version of eclipse on it that we don't support.

Eclipse installations have friendly names (examples: Indigo, Kepler, Luna) that indicate their version. You can see this name when eclipse starts.

We test TKP with Luna. The friendly names are in alphabetical order, so if your version starts with a letter that comes before L, then you are using an older version of eclipse and should update to Luna. If you are using a version of eclipse that comes after L, then it should work, but we haven't yet tested that version, you may want to try Luna.

We recommend that you delete your current version of eclipse. (Advanced users can rename it, but we won't cover that here). On Windows, delete C:\eclipse. On Mac delete eclipse from Applications. Next, go back to the installation instructions for Windows or Mac to setup Luna.

Customized TKP workspace did not open in Eclipse.

Open Eclipse and change the default workspace directory, by clicking on File then choosing Switch Workspace and then Open.... Navigate to the \TeachingKidsProgramming.Java\TeachingKidsProgramming folder (under C:\TKPSource on Windows, or Documents\TKPSource on Mac). After you do this, then your TeachingKidsProgramming.Java should include the following folders:

• \.metadata
• \TeachingKidsProgramming

Unable to write to file system location(s)

This general installation failure can occur if your school has "locked down" permissions to student lab computers.

Try to run as administrator for Windows, or run as root for Mac and this may allow the downloaded TKP files to unzip.

Some schools create a virtual (sometimes shared) C:\ drive. If the drive is shared, eclipse should still be installed to C:\, but TKPSource should be created in each student's C:\temp directory.

Still Stuck?

Please consider writing a description of the errors/problems you are seeing and sharing it with us by opening a GitHub issue. You can be as detailed as you like, and your story will help us make TKP better.

You can create an issue by following this link (GitHub account required): Create An Issue

Or you can email us from this page and we will create the issue for you (no account required).