bugfix: Remove superfluous CD management code by githubawn · Pull Request #2261 · TheSuperHackers/GeneralsGameCode

githubawn · 2026-02-06T01:00:43Z

Closes fix(audio): skip CD insert prompt during init #2203

The Pull Request #2203 made by @fbraz3 inspired a deeper audit of the legacy CD requirements in the engine. Beyond merely skipping the startup prompt, it was discovered that large portions of the engine's CD-management infrastructure have become vestigial in modern execution environments.

This commit implements a comprehensive modernization by pruning approximately 2,000 lines of dead code across the Core, Generals, and Zero Hour variants.

Investigations (thanks to tomsons26) revealed that the Music.big handling was primarily a copy protection mechanism (SafeDisc) rather than for streaming audio. The engine attempted to read a specific file (often generalsa.sec) from the archive to verify a hash. Failure to read this file would trigger copy protection. This mechanism has been non-functional from the start and is now removed.

Tested all parts (init, singleplayer, skirmish) where this code was active, didn't find any problems.

greptile-apps · 2026-02-06T01:04:37Z

Greptile Overview

Greptile Summary

This PR removes the legacy CD-management subsystem across Core, Generals, and GeneralsMD (Zero Hour): CDManager/Win32CDManager implementations and headers are deleted, CD-check UI flows are removed from menus, and CD-music loading helpers are removed from FileSystem/GameAudio.

All call sites in engine init/update loops and GUI start paths appear to be updated to invoke the underlying start functions directly (e.g., prepareCampaignGame() / reallyDoStart()), and CMake source lists are updated to stop compiling the removed files. Net effect is a modernized startup/game-start flow with vestigial SafeDisc-era checks pruned.

Confidence Score: 5/5

This PR is safe to merge with minimal risk.
Changes are a consistent removal of CD-management code and related call sites across all variants; build files and includes are updated accordingly and no orphan references were found in the reviewed diff.
No files require special attention

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
Core/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt	Removes commented-out CDManager/CDCheck/CDManager.cpp entries from the engine source list; no functional build impact expected.
Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/FileSystem.h	Deletes declarations for music-on-CD helpers (are/load/unloadMusicFilesFromCD) to match implementation removal.
Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/GameAudio.h	Removes isMusicPlayingFromCD() accessor and m_musicPlayingFromCD bitfield; aligns with deleted CD-music logic.
Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Audio/GameAudio.cpp	Removes CD-based music loading path and associated member init; remaining audio init path is unchanged.
Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/FileSystem.cpp	Removes CDManager include and deletes music-on-CD helper functions; no remaining references in this PR.
Generals/Code/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt	Drops CD-related headers/sources from the Generals engine build file lists to match removed code.
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/CDManager.h	Removes legacy CDManager interface header; call sites removed elsewhere in PR.
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/CDCheck.h	Removes CD check UI/flow header; callers replaced with direct start/prepare functions.
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp	Removes CDManager subsystem init/update and include; engine loop continues without CD subsystem.
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/CDManager.cpp	Deletes legacy CDManager implementation; no remaining build references in CMake or includes in this PR.
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/MainMenu.cpp	Removes CD gating callbacks and CDCheck include; menu actions now directly call prepareCampaignGame().
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/ScoreScreen.cpp	Removes CD check include and replaces CheckForCDAtGameStart() with direct startNextCampaignGame() call.
Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp	Deletes CD presence checks and callback plumbing; start flow now calls reallyDoStart() directly.
Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/CMakeLists.txt	Removes Win32CDManager sources from device build lists to match deleted implementation.
Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.h	Deletes Win32 CD manager header; no remaining references after subsystem removal.
Generals/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp	Deletes Win32 CD manager implementation; removed from build and no longer included.
Generals/Code/Main/WinMain.cpp	Removes CDManager include/usage from WinMain startup path; startup continues without CD checks.
Generals/Code/Tools/WorldBuilder/src/WorldBuilder.cpp	Removes CDManager include/usage from WorldBuilder entrypoint; tool startup no longer touches CD logic.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt	Drops CD-related headers/sources from Zero Hour build lists to match removed code.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/CDManager.h	Removes legacy CDManager interface header for Zero Hour; references removed in engine and UI.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/CDCheck.h	Removes Zero Hour CD check header; call sites in UI updated to bypass CD gating.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp	Removes CDManager subsystem init/update and adjusts debug marker string; avoids stale TheCDManager reference (previously commented on).
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/CDManager.cpp	Deletes Zero Hour CDManager implementation; removed from build and no longer referenced.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/MainMenu.cpp	Removes CD gating callbacks and include; campaign selection directly prepares/starts games.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/ScoreScreen.cpp	Removes CD check call and include; directly invokes startNextCampaignGame().
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp	Deletes CD presence checks and callback plumbing; start flow now calls reallyDoStart() directly.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/CMakeLists.txt	Removes Win32CDManager sources from Zero Hour device build lists.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Include/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.h	Deletes Zero Hour Win32CDManager header; no remaining references.
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp	Deletes Zero Hour Win32CDManager implementation; removed from build.
GeneralsMD/Code/Main/WinMain.cpp	Removes CDManager include/usage from Zero Hour WinMain startup; continues without CD checks.
GeneralsMD/Code/Tools/WorldBuilder/src/WorldBuilder.cpp	Removes CDManager include/usage from Zero Hour WorldBuilder entrypoint; tool startup no longer touches CD logic.

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant WinMain
    participant GE as GameEngine
    participant UI as GUI Menus
    participant Audio as GameAudio
    participant FS as FileSystem

    WinMain->>GE: "init()"
    Note over GE: "CDManager subsystem init removed"

    GE->>Audio: "initAudio()"
    Note over Audio: "CD music load path removed"
    Note over FS: "FileSystem CD-music helpers removed"

    UI->>GE: "Start Campaign/Skirmish"
    Note over UI: "CD gating callbacks removed"
    UI->>GE: "prepareCampaignGame()/reallyDoStart()"

    GE->>GE: "runFrame()"
    Note over GE: "CDManager->UPDATE() removed"

greptile-apps

_{5 files reviewed, 1 comment}

_{Edit Code Review Agent Settings | Greptile}

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp

fbraz3 · 2026-02-06T02:01:33Z

I believe the maintainers should decide whether it’s better for the project to completely remove the CD logic (this PR) or to keep it behind a feature flag (my PR).

IMHO, this PR might be better than mine, since CD is barely used nowadays.

xezon · 2026-02-07T21:53:40Z

Ok I just realize this is the real pull... copying the texts:

Removing all the CD Check code around Campaign and Skirmish is good and correct.

As for Loading Music from CD, was that actually a supported Install option from CD? I cannot recall that the Music.big would have resided on the CD. It is copied to HDD, but perhaps there are exceptions when it detected very small HDD size?

~~I think we can split this change in 2.~~

~~1 for removing all the piracy CD checks~~
~~1 for removing the rest~~

xezon · 2026-02-08T10:30:51Z

Please also check MUSIC_BIG macro. I think that can also be removed.

xezon · 2026-02-08T10:31:21Z

Please advance this Pull

githubawn · 2026-02-08T18:37:41Z

ignore this commit i pushed the wrong button sorry

githubawn · 2026-02-08T20:15:48Z

changed the missing line:

sprintf(Buf,"----------------------------------------------------------------------------After TheCDManager = %f seconds",((double)(endTime64-startTime64)/(double)(freq64)));
sprintf(Buf,"----------------------------------------------------------------------------After TheGlobalLanguageData = %f seconds",((double)(endTime64-startTime64)/(double)(freq64)));

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked into MUSIC_BIG and while I agree it should be removed, it touches the audio system and core file closing logic which is outside the scope of my current changes. I'd prefer to handle that cleanup in a separate PR to ensure I can verify it properly without delaying this one.

Caball009 · 2026-02-08T21:34:17Z

Please try to do the changes for Generals last, unless they're meaningfully different. This makes it easier to review, at least for me.

stephanmeesters · 2026-02-09T09:22:45Z

Looks good to me, one line extra that could be removed

diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt b/Core/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt
index 9cf234c3a..c41ed211a 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@ set(GAMEENGINE_SRC
 #    Include/GameClient/Anim2D.h
 #    Include/GameClient/AnimateWindowManager.h
 #    Include/GameClient/CampaignManager.h
-#    Include/GameClient/CDCheck.h
     Include/GameClient/ChallengeGenerals.h
 #    Include/GameClient/ClientInstance.h
     Include/GameClient/ClientRandomValue.h

@fbraz3

The Pull Request TheSuperHackers#2203 made by @fbraz3 on the upstream repository inspired a deeper audit of the legacy CD requirements in the engine. Beyond merely skipping the startup prompt, it was discovered that large portions of the engine's CD-management infrastructure have become vestigial in modern execution environments. This commit implements a comprehensive modernization by pruning approximately 2,000 lines of dead code across the Core, Generals, and Zero Hour variants. Community investigations (thanks to tomsons26) revealed that the Music.big handling was primarily a copy protection mechanism (SafeDisc) rather than for streaming audio. The engine attempted to read a specific file (often generalsa.sec) from the archive to verify a hash. Failure to read this file would trigger copy protection. This mechanism has been non-functional from the start and is now removed. Tested all parts (init, singleplayer, skirmish) where this code was active, didn't find any problems.

githubawn · 2026-02-09T22:09:13Z

added #2261 (comment)

requesting review

xezon · 2026-02-10T18:37:51Z

Curious why the commit shows xezon as author...

xezon

Looks good to me.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T18:50:49Z

Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/GameAudio.h

 		Bool m_surroundSpeakers		: 1;
-		Bool m_musicPlayingFromCD : 1;

 		// Next 8


Maybe the comment and the blank line can be removed here.

Caball009

Good effort.

I'm going to nitpick here for a moment and point out a bunch of blank lines that can be removed.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:01:21Z

Core/GameEngine/Include/Common/FileSystem.h

-	Bool areMusicFilesOnCD();
-	void loadMusicFilesFromCD();
-	void unloadMusicFilesFromCD();



Can also remove blank line.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:02:13Z

Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/Audio/GameAudio.cpp

-//#endif
-		}
-	}



Also this blank line.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:03:12Z

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp

@@ -731,7 +729,6 @@ void GameEngine::update( void )
 				TheNetwork->UPDATE();
 			}



Another blank line.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:04:01Z

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp

-		callback();
-	}
-}



Another blank line.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:04:54Z

Generals/Code/Tools/WorldBuilder/src/WorldBuilder.cpp

@@ -375,8 +374,6 @@ BOOL CWorldBuilderApp::InitInstance()

 	initSubsystem(TheScriptEngine, (ScriptEngine*)(new ScriptEngine()));



Another blank line.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:05:21Z

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp

@@ -898,7 +896,6 @@ void GameEngine::update( void )
 				TheNetwork->UPDATE();
 			}



Another blank line.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:05:51Z

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/SkirmishGameOptionsMenu.cpp

-		callback();
-	}
-}



Another blank line.

Caball009 · 2026-02-10T19:31:48Z

There's also this one:

GeneralsGameCode/GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/MainMenu.cpp

Line 1448 in 9479df5

checkCDBeforeCampaign(DIFFICULTY_NORMAL);

EDIT, and these:
Core\GameEngineDevice\CMakeLists.txt: # Include/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.h
Core\GameEngineDevice\CMakeLists.txt: # Source/Win32Device/Common/Win32CDManager.cpp

MohmmadQunibi · 2026-02-12T20:33:14Z

why not merge this?

xezon · 2026-02-13T18:05:30Z

There are outstanding comments.

greptile-apps bot reviewed Feb 6, 2026

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GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

githubawn marked this pull request as draft February 6, 2026 03:07

xezon added the Refactor Edits the code with insignificant behavior changes, is never user facing label Feb 7, 2026

xezon mentioned this pull request Feb 8, 2026

fix(audio): skip CD insert prompt during init #2203

Closed

githubawn force-pushed the feature/no-cd-patch branch 2 times, most recently from b771edf to 39954bd Compare February 8, 2026 18:36

githubawn force-pushed the feature/no-cd-patch branch 2 times, most recently from f0980aa to db30f41 Compare February 8, 2026 20:05

githubawn marked this pull request as ready for review February 8, 2026 20:16

githubawn force-pushed the feature/no-cd-patch branch from db30f41 to 765c35e Compare February 9, 2026 22:07

xezon changed the title ~~feat: Remove CD management code~~ refactor: Remove superfluous CD management code Feb 10, 2026

xezon added Major Severity: Minor < Major < Critical < Blocker Gen Relates to Generals ZH Relates to Zero Hour labels Feb 10, 2026

xezon changed the title ~~refactor: Remove superfluous CD management code~~ bugfix: Remove superfluous CD management code Feb 10, 2026

xezon added the Bug Something is not working right, typically is user facing label Feb 10, 2026

xezon approved these changes Feb 10, 2026

View reviewed changes

Caball009 reviewed Feb 10, 2026

View reviewed changes

xezon added this to the Major bug fixes milestone Feb 10, 2026

Caball009 reviewed Feb 10, 2026

View reviewed changes

		@@ -731,7 +729,6 @@ void GameEngine::update( void )
		TheNetwork->UPDATE();
		}

		@@ -375,8 +374,6 @@ BOOL CWorldBuilderApp::InitInstance()

		initSubsystem(TheScriptEngine, (ScriptEngine*)(new ScriptEngine()));

		@@ -898,7 +896,6 @@ void GameEngine::update( void )
		TheNetwork->UPDATE();
		}

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Greptile Overview

Greptile Summary

Confidence Score: 5/5

Important Files Changed

Sequence Diagram

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