Usenet Explorer Automatic Updater

Josef K · Post by **Josef K** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:00 pm

jonib wrote:At the moment the updater don't check UE.EXE version, so changing the version in the .ini file is the way to make it update.

OK.

jonib wrote:This seems weird, the updater runs the ue.exe that is in the same directory as the updater, it does not use an absolute path only "ue.exe".

For the record, I use Vista x64. I don't know what you run/test on. Maybe there's a difference there. Hopefully we can get some others with different OSs to report back.

jonib wrote:You should put the same thing after the UEAutoUpdater.exe as you wold ue.exe as in "UEAutoUpdater.exe PathtoDB"

I thought it must have been in the shortcut. I was running the updaters directly from my file manager. You might want to put the need for a shortcut in the readme. I was expecting an extra entry in the .ini.

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 4:04 pm

Josef K wrote:For the record, I use Vista x64. I don't know what you run/test on. Maybe there's a difference there. Hopefully we can get some others with different OSs to report back.

I run XP, but I'll test in Vista 32bit, where is your ue.exe located? I know Vista does some weird stuff in some directories.

I thought it must have been in the shortcut. I was running the updaters directly from my file manager. You might want to put the need for a shortcut in the readme. I was expecting an extra entry in the .ini.

I can put it in the .ini if you like, I assumed having the same syntax as ue.exe was the way to go

jonib

Josef K · Post by **Josef K** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 7:06 pm

jonib wrote:I run XP, but I'll test in Vista 32bit, where is your ue.exe located? I know Vista does some weird stuff in some directories.

My UE.exes are not in Windows directories like %Program Files% and UAC is turned off anyway so that doesn't affect anything.

jonib wrote:I can put it in the .ini if you like, I assumed having the same syntax as ue.exe was the way to go

It's just an extra step to create the shortcut that only needs doing once. While I was testing I was using the .exe directly. It's not a problem, it just needs pointing out that it needs doing in a shortcut.

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 9:15 pm

Josef K wrote:Running it today (copy on D:), it ran through as it should. When it ran UE.exe, the previous version (2.2.1) was loaded. There was a new file in that directory, called just 'exe'.

OK I figured out where the single "exe" file came from, when my updater runs "UeExtractor.exe" it has to automatically type in the correct path and the put back the "ue.exe" filename to extract, this happens very fast and works in XP, but Vista seems to miss a letter or two from "ue.exe" so when UeExtractor.exe extracted the file it had the wrong filename.
So if you check the filename before extracting everything else should work.

Should be easy to fix.

It's just an extra step to create the shortcut that only needs doing once. While I was testing I was using the .exe directly. It's not a problem, it just needs pointing out that it needs doing in a shortcut.

So do you want me to put the database path in the .ini and/or improve the documentation?

Do you have any other ideas/features to add as long as I'm doing a new update?

jonib

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:49 pm

I have released a new version 0.31

It should fix the wrong extract filename problem in Vista.

jonib

Josef K · Post by **Josef K** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:41 am

jonib wrote:OK I figured out where the single "exe" file came from, when my updater runs "UeExtractor.exe" it has to automatically type in the correct path and the put back the "ue.exe" filename to extract, this happens very fast and works in XP, but Vista seems to miss a letter or two from "ue.exe" so when UeExtractor.exe extracted the file it had the wrong filename.
So if you check the filename before extracting everything else should work.

Should be easy to fix.

A new issue: I tested first on the D: copy. That worked fine, although I still ran from the .exe. directly so I didn't test the db path. More on this later. When I ran the updater on the S: copy, it tried to update the D: copy again. I tested this again and it did this both times.

jonib wrote:So do you want me to put the database path in the .ini and/or improve the documentation?

Do you have any other ideas/features to add as long as I'm doing a new update?

This is entirely up to you as it's your app. However, since you ask... When you first run it, you're asked for the WinRAR path and parameter. Why not also ask where the database is located for this copy and also store that in the .ini? That would cut out the need for users to remember whether or not to use quotes in the .ini or even to have to manually open, find the entry and copy/paste any paths. Possibly you could also have an option to create a shortcut. We users like apps that do everything for us and developers like to have everything polished and mature.

Ultimately, I'd like to see a directory selection dialogue on first install asking where the db is located.

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:13 pm

Josef K wrote:A new issue: I tested first on the D: copy. That worked fine, although I still ran from the .exe. directly so I didn't test the db path. More on this later. When I ran the updater on the S: copy, it tried to update the D: copy again. I tested this again and it did this both times.

I have not found why it don't update S: copy, hopefully you are up to some more testing.
Could you update the S: copy by manually changing the path in UeExtractor.exe and then run my updater on the D: drive, does it update the right ue.exe?

When you first run it, you're asked for the WinRAR path and parameter. Why not also ask where the database is located for this copy and also store that in the .ini? That would cut out the need for users to remember whether or not to use quotes in the .ini or even to have to manually open, find the entry and copy/paste any paths.

No problem.

Possibly you could also have an option to create a shortcut. We users like apps that do everything for us and developers like to have everything polished and mature.

Do you want the icon on a silver platter?

or on the desktop? no problem.

Ultimately, I'd like to see a directory selection dialogue on first install asking where the db is located.

No problem.

jonib

Josef K · Post by **Josef K** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:57 pm

jonib wrote:I have not found why it don't update S: copy, hopefully you are up to some more testing.
Could you update the S: copy by manually changing the path in UeExtractor.exe and then run my updater on the D: drive, does it update the right ue.exe?

I'm always up for testing. This time it worked no problem. The only difference is that I'd rebooted a while after I tried the first time. The first thought is that anything with network shares being lost or latency - anything like that - can affect how something like this might work. On the other hand, the updater is supposed to update in whichever directory it's running in. It also ran OK in the first place, so the network share was not lost.

FYI, this computer is put to sleep regularly, e.g. overnight, but the network shares are actually TrueCrypt containers that I dismount before sleeping it then mount when I wake the computer. i.e. there are no real shares to be lost - the containers will either mount if the share is available or they won't if the share is unavailable. How about we blame this discrepancy on Windows...?

jonib wrote:Do you want the icon on a silver platter? or on the desktop? no problem.

Short answer: Yes.

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 5:00 pm

Josef K wrote:I'm always up for testing. This time it worked no problem. The only difference is that I'd rebooted a while after I tried the first time. The first thought is that anything with network shares being lost or latency - anything like that - can affect how something like this might work. On the other hand, the updater is supposed to update in whichever directory it's running in. It also ran OK in the first place, so the network share was not lost.

FYI, this computer is put to sleep regularly, e.g. overnight, but the network shares are actually TrueCrypt containers that I dismount before sleeping it then mount when I wake the computer. i.e. there are no real shares to be lost - the containers will either mount if the share is available or they won't if the share is unavailable. How about we blame this discrepancy on Windows...?

So this time all updated correctly? and I don't have to pull my hair out finding the problem

and always blame Windows.

Josef K wrote:
jonib wrote:Do you want the icon on a silver platter? or on the desktop? no problem.
Short answer: Yes.

I'll even throw in an installer while I'm at it.

jonib

Josef K · Post by **Josef K** » Fri Oct 24, 2008 5:58 pm

jonib wrote:So this time all updated correctly? and I don't have to pull my hair out finding the problem and always blame Windows.

Yes, all was fine. As ever, a reboot magically fixed the problem.

jonib wrote:I'll even throw in an installer while I'm at it.

Anything you can do to be of service...

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:05 pm

I have released a new version 0.40, it's a beta, lots of new stuff see below.

After testing the updater in Vista I have come to the conclusion that Vista hates me and I hate Vista, basically if UAC is active Vista considers my program an "Unknown program" and ask permission to run, first time was OK but it asks everytime, and after some research I found out it is because I have the word "update" in the file name, if I rename no problems

Update: I have found a way to compile that makes Vista happy , next version hopefully works nicely in Vista.

This is from the readme:

Code: Select all

0.40 : 2008-10-25
       I consider this a beta as I have added a lot of stuff so there is higher
       risk for bugs, also the Updater won't check or download updates directly
       from UEs website. 
       I have made the program selfinstalling, including an option to add a
       shortcut on the desktop. 
       Now it doesn't unnecessarily download and install a new UE if you already
       have the latest version.
       Now it will ask if you want to use an alternative database in UE. 
       Choosing not to install an update, won't show prompt next start. 
       Added more error checking and optimized the code some more.

jonib

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:14 pm

As there didn't seem to be any bugs in ver 0.40, I have released it as 0.50 with added support for Vista, so if you have UAC active it should not complain about "Unknown program" anymore.

jonib

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:58 pm

Josef K have you had a chance to test the new versions?

Josef K · Post by **Josef K** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:05 pm

jonib wrote:Josef K have you had a chance to test the new versions?

Gosh! I've been busy, busy, busy!

I've just run the new build on two separate instances of UE and both worked fine. The first one gave me the shortcut prompt and asked for the db location. The second did not prompt for anything. I don't remember what state they were in the last time I left them, for example, which versions were running in which locations or what was in the .ini files.

jonib · Post by **jonib** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:03 pm

Josef K wrote:I've just run the new build on two separate instances of UE and both worked fine. The first one gave me the shortcut prompt and asked for the db location.

Great.

The second did not prompt for anything. I don't remember what state they were in the last time I left them, for example, which versions were running in which locations or what was in the .ini files.

This is possibly less great, the program is supposed to ask the first time it is run to create a shortcut or not, could you check the .ini if there is a line "Installed=True" if it's there the program wont ask anymore, and you could remove the line and try if you get the shortcut prompt.
If you specify a DB path in the shortcut it will override the DB path in the .INI and it will not prompt for it, or if there is this line in the .ini "DBPath=" which indicates the program uses the default DB.

jonib