How to install ThinkorSwim

[deltajent]

I'm a newbie migrating from Windows to Linux and am in the process of installing all the apps that I use while I dual boot until I figure it all out.

I was having trouble with ThinkorSwim that I use with my TDAmeritrade account. I installed ToS from the TDAmeritrade site and it opened OK but then locked up and wouldn't move past the "Installing Updates" opening screen. I couldn't find anything on the forums that exactly fit so I called TDAmeritrade's tech help and they told me I needed to install java 8 and make it the default. When I did that everything worked like a charm.

Here's the link I found:
https://mediaserver.thinkorswim.com/ins ... stall.html

and here's the text [Note: the original text refers to java 7 but since I was told that I needed java8 I made the appropriate changes below]:

Linux Instructions:
Thinkorswim needs java 8 to run. To install Oracle java 8 on the machine:
1. sudo apt-add-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
2. sudo apt-get update
3. sudo apt-get install oracle-java8-installer

To install Thinkorswim:
1. Click "Install thinkdesktop" to download the thinkorswim installer to a directory on your PC.
https://mediaserver.thinkorswim.com/ins ... staller.sh
2. After downloading open a shell and CD to the directory where you downloaded the installer.
3. At the prompt type: sh ./thinkorswim_installer.sh
Note: For clients who intend to run the software on Linux, Solaris or other Unix variants, manual update of the software may be required on these systems and we have no official support for configuring these operating systems.

[xenopeek]

Moved your post here as you had posted it on a 4 year old topic about LMDE and besides LMDE being obsolete it isn't compatible with PPAs. Clarified you mean Oracle Java 8 as Linux Mint uses OpenJDK Java by default (there is also PPA for getting OpenJDK Java 8: https://launchpad.net/~openjdk-r/+archive/ubuntu/ppa). Anyway, welcome to the Linux Mint forums and thanks for taking the time to write down this information for other users!

[Crusader]

Thank you, deltajent, for posting this tutorial. More than 2 years after posting, it is still valid and helpful.

I have verified that Oracle Java 1.8.0 is properly installed and is the default by using the following command I got from an Ubuntu site:
java -version

I need clarification on the following step to complete the installation:
"After downloading open a shell and CD to the directory where you downloaded the installer."
What is meant by "open a shell?" I have downloaded thinkorswim (it is sitting in my Downloads folder).
I have created a thinkorswim folder under the following directory structure:
/home/a/thinkorswim

All assistance will be greatly appreciated.

[lsemmens]

Out of curiosity, what is "Think or Swim?" I'm guessing it's some form of brain game?

[Crusader]

thinkorswim is an Ameritrade options trading platform.

[timmy96815]

Thank you, deltajent, for posting this tutorial. More than 2 years after posting, it is still valid and helpful.

I have verified that Oracle Java 1.8.0 is properly installed and is the default by using the following command I got from an Ubuntu site:
java -version

I need clarification on the following step to complete the installation:
"After downloading open a shell and CD to the directory where you downloaded the installer."
What is meant by "open a shell?" I have downloaded thinkorswim (it is sitting in my Downloads folder).
I have created a thinkorswim folder under the following directory structure:
/home/a/thinkorswim

All assistance will be greatly appreciated.

open a shell
ctrl + alt + t

[educatedidiot]

Notice:

For some time, and continuing up to now, anyone having problems installing TOS on Linux needs to know that when you attempt to run the install script in a Terminal, it will fail, with an error message of "...file seems to be corrupted..."

That error message is accurate. The file that TOS itself provides on its website is corrupted. See this: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkorswim/co ... er_broken/

The solution should be simple though. You can get an older version of the installer here: https://web.archive.org/web/20150801000 ... staller.sh
Download that and install according to the usual instructions. The basic ones are:

After downloading open a shell and CD to the directory where you downloaded the installer.

At the prompt type: <sh ./thinkorswim_installer.sh>, and press Enter.

https://www.thinkorswim.com/t/index.html#!/download has a link to more detailed instructions for Ubuntu, but the link is broken.

Once you get the install done with the older version, when you run it the first time it will update itself. It may take a while for it to do that.

[Crusader]

Hello folks,

I am back after some absence during which I switched to a new laptop. I was never able to get thinkorswim to work in Mint on my older laptop. Presently, thinkorswim is the only thing that is forcing me to use Window$. On my new laptop, I managed to download thinkorswim; however, when I start thinkorswim, I get the following message:

Code: Select all

Initialization Error
Failed to initialize updater, please consult with support (2)

I have worked with TD Ameritrade IT personnel; however, their support for Linux goes only so far.

I am requesting support to get thinkorswim running on Linux Mint: it will allow me to "come back home" to Mint.

Please help!

[xxlren]

Hey mate, I'm a new user of Linux, I just made an account here just to post this. I'm using Kubuntu, which is KDE Ubuntu, right.

I just typed java -version in the console and it said I had some form of Java installed and I went ahead with installing the .sh file given. Afterwards, I got the same message that you got when I tried to open thinkorswim. So I went back and followed the instructions for installing the Java which was given and the program opened up with no problem, it went straight to updating itself and opened the login screen.

I'm not sure if this is any help for you, but I'm just here to say that it works on Linux but I'm not pro. Good luck

[heteronormative]

OK Guys -

I was able to install thinkorswim on my new Linux Mint 19 install.

1. Follow the instructions how to install here: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=231123
- Note that you need that specific version of java. If you are unable to install its because you dont have the right version of java. If you installed it, you need to set it as your active one. (That got me stuck before when i followed other instructions, but not this one)

2. Once you have downloaded the installer.sh and run it, follow the default steps to install it. If you are able to run after it installs you should be good.
3. Now here is the problem i had specifically to Linux Mint that i didnt have in ubuntu. On UIbuntu, it generates a desktop icon if you check the box at installation. For Linux Mint, i was unable to launch it... so i did some research. Seems like the launcher was called: 'Client.Out Com.Devexperts.Jnlp.Launcher'

4. What i did was go to edit the .desktop icon at

Code: Select all

~/.local/share/applications

- I changed the name to thinkorswim.desktop
and put in the contents below:

Code: Select all

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=thinkorswim
Comment=Desktop Application for thinkorswim
Exec=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java -Dinstall4j.jvmDir=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre -Dexe4j.moduleName=/opt/thinkorswim/thinkorswim -Dwhitelabel=tos -Dinstall4j.launcherId=18 -Dinstall4j.swt=false -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Xmx768m -Xms32m -Djava.util.Arrays.useLegacyMergeSort=true -Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=lcd_hrgb -Dsun.net.http.allowRestrictedHeaders=true -Di4j.vpt=true -classpath /opt/thinkorswim/.install4j/i4jruntime.jar:/opt/thinkorswim/launcher.jar com.install4j.runtime.launcher.UnixLauncher launch 8ee4fbfc /opt/thinkorswim/client.out /opt/thinkorswim/client.out com.devexperts.jnlp.Launcher
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
Icon=/opt/thinkorswim/.install4j/thinkorswim.png

The main part was finding the icon... i believe it originally starts up with the green logo which i think is the .ico file but just went with the png.

For reference the Fedora people have a similar issue which I used to help me debug this: https://ask.fedoraproject.org/en/questi ... plication/

If his helped you please comment and i will start posting more in these forums

[Netherprovinc3]

OK Guys -

I was able to install thinkorswim on my new Linux Mint 19 install.

1. Follow the instructions how to install here: https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=231123
- Note that you need that specific version of java. If you are unable to install its because you dont have the right version of java. If you installed it, you need to set it as your active one. (That got me stuck before when i followed other instructions, but not this one)
...

Are you sure that you linked to the right thread? It's from 2006 & I'm confused about what they are even talking about there.

The answer here, titled Instructions for Lubuntu / Ubuntu 19.04, was easy to follow for Ubuntu (just tried it on a Ubuntu 18.04 installation and it seems to work):
https://askubuntu.com/questions/394062/ ... 37#1143037

However, I think that your .desktop code needs to be modified.

4. What i did was go to edit the .desktop icon at

Code: Select all

~/.local/share/applications

- I changed the name to thinkorswim.desktop
and put in the contents below:

Code: Select all

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=thinkorswim
Comment=Desktop Application for thinkorswim
Exec=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre/bin/java -Dinstall4j.jvmDir=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-oracle/jre -Dexe4j.moduleName=/opt/thinkorswim/thinkorswim -Dwhitelabel=tos -Dinstall4j.launcherId=18 -Dinstall4j.swt=false -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Xmx768m -Xms32m -Djava.util.Arrays.useLegacyMergeSort=true -Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=lcd_hrgb -Dsun.net.http.allowRestrictedHeaders=true -Di4j.vpt=true -classpath /opt/thinkorswim/.install4j/i4jruntime.jar:/opt/thinkorswim/launcher.jar com.install4j.runtime.launcher.UnixLauncher launch 8ee4fbfc /opt/thinkorswim/client.out /opt/thinkorswim/client.out com.devexperts.jnlp.Launcher
Terminal=false
StartupNotify=true
Icon=/opt/thinkorswim/.install4j/thinkorswim.png

The main part was finding the icon... i believe it originally starts up with the green logo which i think is the .ico file but just went with the png.

At least on Ubuntu, it seems that the advice now is use a different (?) Java version. So here is a change to the obvious parts; I am not sure if other things need to be changed, too.
/usr/lib/jvm/zulu-8-amd64/jre/bin/java is the new path
So I edited part of your code; I am not sure if more needs to be edited.

Code: Select all

Exec=/usr/lib/jvm/zulu-8-amd64/jre/bin/java -Dinstall4j.jvmDir=/usr/lib/jvm/zulu-8-amd64/jre/bin/java -Dexe4j.moduleName=/opt/thinkorswim/thinkorswim -Dwhitelabel=tos -Dinstall4j.launcherId=18 -Dinstall4j.swt=false -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Di4jv=0 -Xmx768m -Xms32m -Djava.util.Arrays.useLegacyMergeSort=true -Dawt.useSystemAAFontSettings=lcd_hrgb -Dsun.net.http.allowRestrictedHeaders=true -Di4j.vpt=true -classpath /opt/thinkorswim/.install4j/i4jruntime.jar:/opt/thinkorswim/launcher.jar com.install4j.runtime.launcher.UnixLauncher launch 8ee4fbfc /opt/thinkorswim/client.out /opt/thinkorswim/client.out com.devexperts.jnlp.Launcher

[JawBone]

Don't bother with the Linux version of TOS... it is broken as of Agu 22, 2019 because Sun no longer supports it's java (JRE app.

However, the windows 64 bit version of TOS works great with WINE! Just download it here >>> https://mediaserver.thinkorswim.com/ins ... stall.html

Then right click on the exe file and select open with WINE program loader! =)

Please note that mediaserver is part of TDAmeritrade.

Good luck

[adtopkek]

I just had trouble with it and figured out how to get it to run on Mint 19 without changing the Java version permanently: https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... 044#545044

Install Java 8 before this:

I tried a variety of things but the one thing that seemed to work best is by making my own executable script and replacing the desktop shortcut with it.

So open a text editor/nano/vi/etc file and name it thinkorswim2 (or whatever you want). In that put the following:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

export PATH=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/bin/:$PATH
exec  /home/user/thinkorswim/thinkorswim "$@"

Double check and make sure that the export path does match up on your system by following it. It just goes to the directory of the java executable.

If you followed the install script defaults then change user to be your home directory username. It installed to this directory by default for my version.

Now make that script executable. If you aren't used to the terminal than right click -> properties -> permissions -> allow executing file as program (or similar).

If your like me you want the same icon too so (in mint cinnamon) go to the basic tab in properties. Click the icon. Click browse and go to "/home/user/thinkorswim" then press ctrl + H while browsing to reveal hidden folders. go into "install4j" and pick "thinkorswim.png"

Hopefully this saves someone time in the future.

[chopsui101]

hey, here is a youtube video on how to install it onto linux mint 20 how it helps

https://youtu.be/KLSo-9UFo4M