If you are here, I assume you have seen the video to create a GTA installation, using Symbolic Links.
Have you not seen the video?
Click here!
"Symbolic Links" or "Symlinks", in a nutshell, are like "Advanced Shortcuts".
But, unlike conventional Shortcuts, the Operating System (Windows/Linux) will perceive it as if it were the original file or folder, although in reality it is just a link that points to them (Symbolize).
In short, let's say that "Links" are like "Portals".
A portal that is constantly sending data from "Point A" to "Point B", "Point C", "Point D", etc.
Symlinks are used mainly to save disk space, by not having to Copy/Paste the same data to another location.
They are also used to save a lot of time. If our HDD/SSD is slow at copying and pasting files, we can use "Symlinks" to instantly "copy" the same folder with files to another location with just a few commands.
You have your GTA SA (Vanilla) installation, and its "Audio" folder is 3.23 GB.
If you want to create a separate installation of the same GTA SA (a custom version for mods), you can create a "Symlink" (0 KB) of the "Audio" folder that points to that original "Audio" folder (3.23 GB) for your new GTA.
The OS (Windows/Linux) will think the "Symlink" is the original "Audio" folder!
If you are someone who is used to having many installations of your game (Be it for mods), you are surely tired of creating many copies of your same game in another location that consume a lot of space on your HDD/SSD.
You literally Copy and Paste the same files (Anim, Audio, Models) in another location, even if you are not going to modify them (Thanks to the existence of Modloader, it is no longer necessary to modify the original files).
And if you have a very slow HDD or SSD, copying and pasting the GTA files to create another installation would take a long time.
With Symbolic Links we can save a lot of storage space!
I present to you this little tool to create a GTA "Symlink"!
"GTA Symlink Generator" is a small Tool that allows us to create a GTA installation, using "Symlinks". What this command does is ask us for the "SOURCE path (GTA Vanilla / Without Mods)", and the "DESTINATION path" where we are going to install our "GTA Symlink".
There is no need to copy/paste the same GTA San Andreas (4.68 GB) to another location; the game will now be a "GTA SA Symlink" (35.5 MB)!
This means saving disk space!
NOTE: Not only can we create "Symlinks" for complete installations, we can also create "Symlinks" to install heavy mods (Such as RoSA Evolved, Proper Fixes, Original Radio Extended, etc.)!
- Grand Theft Auto III PC (1.0)
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City PC (1.0)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas PC (1.0)
- Quite simple interface (Windows CMD).
- For security reasons, it asks us if it will be for a Total Conversion Mod.
- Confirmation of required folders and files ("Anim", "Audio", "Models", etc.).
- File/folder check (If a folder is missing, the "Symlink" will not be created until that folder is created).
- Multilanguage support (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German)!
- Portable (No need to install anything!).
1. Let's "Releases"
Select whether we will create a "GTA Symlink" or a "Mod Symlink" for a heavy mod (Ex: RoSA Evolved).
1. Paste the SOURCE Path (Original game without mods).
2. Paste the DESTINATION Path (Where we are going to install our "GTA Symlink")
- Press the corresponding buttons on the keyboard
- Perfect! You now have your GTA "Symlink"!
- Paste the SOURCE Path (Original Mod Folder).
- Paste the DESTINATION Path (Your Modloader folder location")
- Press the corresponding buttons on the keyboard
- Perfect! You now have your "Mod Symlink"!
Total Conversion mods are known for replacing the MOST IMPORTANT GTA files ("Anim", "Audio", "Data", "Models").
Examples of these mods:
- GTA Frosted Winter
- GTA Long Night
- GTA San Andreas Stories (SAS)
- GTA Carcer City
- Zombie Andreas
- Project Eagle (Stars & Stripes)
- GTA Forelli Redemption
If we use "Symlinks" for Total Conversion mods, WE WILL DAMAGE the files of our Original (No mods) installation, and therefore, we will damage the other "GTA Symlink".
Fortunately "GTA Symlink Generator" warns us about this at the beginning.
For Total Conversion mods, YES OR YES we are going to have to copy and paste the complete GTA.
Of course it does! For our good luck we can install some "Total Conversion" mods on a "GTA Symlink".
Mainly they are mods that do not modify any original file, or that only change the "Main.scm":
- San Andreas Multiplayer (SA-MP)
- Tenpenny Stories (Modloader)
- Great Theft Car (Modloader)
- Liberty Extended
- Vice Extended
And fortunately many mods were officially/unofficially updated to be installed by Modloader!
These mods are known as "Repack" or "Modloader Support"!
Examples of these mods are:
- Things To Do In San Andreas (TTDISA OV)
- GTA Gostown Paradise (Modloader REPACK)
- GTA Alien City (Modloader Support)
- GTA Mushroomia (Modloader Support)
A. NO NEED TO PANIC. It's a false positive. It's probably being detected this way because it uses the function to create "Symbolic Links" (CreateSymbolicLinkW).
The program is OPEN SOURCE, and anyone can freely view its code (in "src" on GitHub) and verify that it contains nothing malicious.
When you download the program, add it to your antivirus's whitelist.
VirusTotal Page:
https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/5e0e822d0c9f760d97599de1b5b87b9320ddefed5e52ac09657577ac97c441a7