Java 8 .jar file won't run from desktop using Netbeans 8.0.2 to compile WITH EXTERNAL LIBRARY; runs fine if library is included in source

Question

EDIT

The jar file now runs from the desktop after clean and build and copying it there BUT to make it happen I had to delete the external library containing Utilities.jar and include the source as another java class.

This isn't acceptable but maybe it tells what to do to make the problem below go away.

When compiling with external library containing Utilities.jar, I find a lib folder inside the dist folder, and inside it is Utilities.jar.

The Readme.txt file in the dist folder says:

        ======================== BUILD OUTPUT DESCRIPTION =====

        When you build an Java application project that has a main class, the IDE
     automatically copies all of the JAR files on the projects classpath to your
     projects dist/lib folder. The IDE also adds each of the JAR files to the 
    Class-Path element in the application JAR files manifest file (MANIFEST.MF).

        To run the project from the command line, go to the dist folder and 
    type the following:

        java -jar "MrCopy.jar" 

        To distribute this project, zip up the dist folder (including the 
    lib folder) and distribute the ZIP file.

        Notes:

        * If a library on the projects classpath also has a Class-Path element 
        specified in the manifest, the content 
        of the Class-Path element has to be on the projects runtime path. 

Here's what's in manifest.mf:

Manifest-Version: 1.0
X-COMMENT: Main-Class will be added automatically by build

Should I add anything to it?

If I follow the advice in the readme and "zip up the .jar and lib folder" and put the .zip folder on the desktop and unzip it and run the .jar file, the program runs normally, as it should.

And if I run from command line from the dist folder via javac -jar mrcopy.jar, it of course runs right.

But I've never had to go through all this just to get an executable .jar file.

I'm so confused.................

Is it just this simple: If I have external libraries, I'm going to have to zip them up, distribute the zip, unzip the zip and run the .jar file from wherever it got unzipped to?

End of edit

For years, after modifying and compiling MrCopy.jar, I could copy the .jar file (that is found in the ...\NetBeansProjects\MrCopy\dist folder) to my desktop and run it. Here's what SHOULD happen:

That dialog pops up and clicking YES leads to copying and the screen below at end:

But now that I'm compiling (as of today) using JAVA 8 in Project Properties Source\Binary format, I don't get the first dialog and nothing happens.

Here's what Project Properties Packaging looks like:

What can I do to make .jar file run from desktop?

Answer 1

If i'm understanding right, you have a project with dependencies from other libs?

If so, you could do two things to distribute your app:

1 - create a fat Jar you can see it here

2 - zip the content of the project/dist folder just like you said