Update: We now have native versions for Windows, OS X and Linux, so I have crossed out the instructions on how to run Mendeley using WINE and Darwine. The instructions for running Mendeley on your toaster remain valid.

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[June 13, 2008]: My name is Mike and I’m a software engineer. No, I won’t fix your computer. However I will get Mendeley running on it because you’re such a nice person.

I’m hard at work at the moment making Mendeley work on Linux. For those who care this involves moving from a Visual Studio based build-system to one using CMake and also fixing some of the inane rubbish that the the MSVC++ compiler seems to think should be valid C++.

At the moment you can use WINE on Linux/FreeBSD, Darwine on Apple OS X and Mendeley-shaped bread in your toaster to fulfil all your unsated academic document management needs.

Running Mendeley on Apple OS X

• Install Darwine from http://www.kronenberg.org/darwine/ into the Applications directory.
• Install TRiX from http://mike.kronenberg.org/?p=69 into the Applications directory.
• Run TRiX from Applications.
• Make sure the following options are selected: In the “General” tab: “MS Arial, Courier, Times fonts“, “MS Tahoma font (not part of corefonts)”. In the “Libraries & Runtimes” tab: “vc6redist from VS6sp4 (mfc42, msvcp60, msvcrt)”
• Press the “Install” button.
• When done (i.e. Terminal displays “All done, no errors”) install Mendeley (double click on .exe file – Darwine will do the rest. Allow it to install into the default directory: i.e. “C:Program FilesMendeley Beta”). If “All done, no errors” did not appear then try and click “Install” again until it does.
• Open a new Terminal.
• Run the following commands: “cd ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Mendeley Beta/; /Applications/Darwine/Wine.bundle/Contents/bin/wine Mendeley.exe“
• The last command should have launched Mendeley! If it didn’t or you are having any other problems then post them here and we’ll try and help.
• KNOWN Problems: Depending on your language, “Program Files” may be something like “Programme” instead. If the above command doesn’t work then try to run “ls ~/.wine/drive_c/” and use the results to see where you should “cd” to.

Running Mendeley on Linux/FreeBSD/BeardOS

• Install Wine from your package manager.
• Download Winetricks from http://www.kegel.com/wine/winetricks.
• When downloaded run “sh winetricks” from a terminal, when in the same directory as Winetricks.
• Select “allfonts” and “vcrun6” and press “OK“. Press “OK” when the VC6 installer pops up.
• When done (i.e. the terminal displays “All done, no errors”) run “wine Mendeley-0.5.4.0.exe” when pointing at the correct downloaded installer and change the version number to be correct. Allow it to install into the default directory: i.e. “C:Program FilesMendeley Beta”).
• Run the following commands: “cd ~/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Mendeley Beta/; wine Mendeley.exe“
• The last command should have launched Mendeley! If it didn’t or you are having any other problems then post them here and we’ll try and help.
• KNOWN Problems: Depending on your language, “Program Files” may be something like “Programme” instead. If the above command doesn’t work then try to run “ls ~/.wine/drive_c/” and use the results to see where you should “cd” to.

Running Mendeley on your Toaster

• Get a piece of Bread.
• Cut the piece of Bread into the shape of the Mendeley logo.
• Insert into Toaster and set heat to at least 5.
• Wait patiently for the Toast (toasted bread) to pop out of the toaster.
• Optional step: Use a Knife and a Spread (any bread-compatible spread will do) and combine them on the toast.
• Consume the toast.
• The last command should have launched Mendeley made you less hungry! If it didn’t or you are having any other problems then post them here and we’ll try and help.