* Crossover/PlayonMac/Linux winhttp download problem

[Valkrider]

@Mervyn

In POM you can set a proxy as one of the options for the 'bottle'. I don't have a proxy server is there one you can suggest or some settings that will fool it?

[tatewise]

Yes Colin, the script will fail as it always did, unless a winhttp proxy server is defined.

The https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previo ... 9#examples suggest using itgproxy as the server, which from a Google search appears to be a genuine Redmond Microsoft server at http://itgproxy.redmond.corp.microsoft.com.

[Valkrider]

Mike

Thanks for that. I have set up the proxy using POM settings as proxycfg.exe does not exist in a POM install.

Unfortunately, even with the proxy set I get the same error as before.

[tatewise]

There are proxies for various functions. Is it certain that this POM Proxy is for winhttp?
It may be necessary to use the full URL of http://itgproxy.redmond.corp.microsoft.com but I'm guessing.
Does the documentation give any clues or examples?

The proxycfg.exe utility is replaced by the Netsh command that is used in the Command Prompt.
See https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/hel ... to-clients and https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/window ... sh-command
So if you can run a Command Prompt in POM the command format is:
netsh winhttp set proxy --- and this certainly exists on my Windows 10 PC although not used it to set a proxy
e.g.
netsh winhttp set proxy itgproxy

BTW: netsh ? or netsh help lists all its command options that include http as well as winhttp and many more.

[Valkrider]

Mike

I tried netsh and that is present in POM. Unfortunately still doesn't work. I tried with both the long and short url for the proxy.

[tatewise]

Did the netsh ? or netsh help commands list the options including winhttp ?

Did the netsh winhttp set proxy itgproxy command indicate any success or failure?

I am not convinced that is an active winhttp proxy nowadays, so does anyone know of a suitable proxy?

Unless Mervyn can add anything to the mix, it is not looking promising.

In the meantime, I have been experimenting with the socket library.
It works fine downloading text files, image files, zip files, etc, from any URL with one big proviso...
The URL must start with http: and NOT https: and affirms what I found in 2017.
So it works fine for my personal website http://www.tatewise.co.uk/... with all those file types.
But prevents downloads from FHUG because even if you use http://www.fhug.org.uk/... it is immediately redirected to https://www.fhug.org.uk/... and fails due to unsuported security protocol that needs LuaSec library.
So Research Planner Help 2.0.zip and improve_pdf_icon.jpg, etc, won't download.

The same problem afflicts http://www.family-historian.co.uk/lnk/g ... module.php that redirects to https too.
So library modules cannot be downloaded using the socket library.

The socket library also supports ftp: so maybe an FHUG FTP server could be arranged?
Something similar for www.family-historian.co.uk would also be needed.
Alternatively, Calico Pie could get the LuaSec library working.

[Valkrider]

Did the netsh ? or netsh help commands list the options including winhttp ?

No nothing sisplayed using ? or help as the qualifier

Did the netsh winhttp set proxy itgproxy command indicate any success or failure?

No no indication just the command prompt came back after pressing return

Unless Mervyn can add anything to the mix, it is not looking promising.

I agree hopefully someone can suggest an alternative

Alternatively, Calico Pie could get the LuaSec library working.

This would be the ideal solution

[ColeValleyGirl]

I doubt the LuaSec library is on Calico Pie's short-term horizon, so we ought to discount that as an option.

[tatewise]

If netsh help does not display anything then it is probably not implemented at all.

Unless there is some way of getting winhttp activated in WINE based systems then that avenue is closed.

If LuaSec is not an option, then we need a HTTP domain in which to load files that socket can download.
That would work for specific Plugin files and copies of the FH Lua library module files.
Then only the socket library would need downloading by hand on WINE based systems.

LuaSec is not even on Calico Pie's longterm horizon as it has been pending since 2017.

[Valkrider]

Looks like I may have winhttp running in POM.

What plugin should I try to confirm that it is running properly?

The test file from page 1 of this thread reports 'plugin has completed'

[tatewise]

Yes, the Lua script I posted midday yesterday with the red Adobe Reader PDF Icon.
It should just end as you say with plugin has completed and no error messages.

In the Project's Public folder there should be the improve_pdf_icon.jpg file.
If you display that JPG it should be the red Adobe Reader PDF icon.

If that has worked ~ what did you do?

[ColeValleyGirl]

For confirmation, try Research Planner (rename the Help File folder first) -- you should get the Help file downloaded, but also go to the Tools tab and download a report file.

[Valkrider]

Mike

Yes it is there in the public folder.

I did some digging around and found a solution.

Open PlayOnMac, single click on the icon for Family Historian.

Now select Configure in the left hand pane.

In the next window select the 'install components' tab

Scroll down until you get to winhttp single click on it and select install

Ignore the warning about it messing up your program (Family Historian in this case).

Click download.

I had tried this before and I got an error message saying it could not download as the file was a mismatch. Previously I had aborted at this stage. Following the post I read click 'try again' you may get the message again but continue clicking 'try again' until it starts the download. It is a 129meg download and it is only a slow transfer so takes a while.

When the download finishes it auto installs.

=====
If you are happy with this I will create a new bottle and do it again and grab some screenshots for the KB.

[Valkrider]

For confirmation, try Research Planner (rename the Help File folder first) -- you should get the Help file downloaded, but also go to the Tools tab and download a report file.

Unfortunately no luck Helen. I renamed the help file folder. I tried to run the plugin and got this pop up error.

Screenshot 2020-04-24 at 18.37.29.png (48.66 KiB) Viewed 9698 times

So I deleted the plugin and then downloaded a fresh copy and installed it and I got the same error popup.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Colin, is the pl library installed?

[tatewise]

Colin, since you are not actually using the Research Planner in POM Projects try deleting its entire data folder.
i.e. In .../calico pie/family historian/plugin data/ delete research planner.dat folder.
Then run the Plugin again.

If pl was not installed I'm sure it would have complained much earlier.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Mike, I'd agree except the line it's complaining about is a line that calls pl. The .dat file shouldn't make any difference...

[tatewise]

Helen, it is odd that the path.isdir and dir.getdirectories pl functions a few lines earlier don't complain.

Colin, if in any doubt, then in the .../calico pie/family historian/plugins folder delete the pl subfolder and either download again from how_to:family_historian_v6_on_crossover_wine#plugin_library_modules|> Plugin Library Modules or just run the Plugin and maybe it will install the library automatically.

[Valkrider]

Unfortunately 2 steps forwards and 4 steps back.

Using file explorer I removed all traces of Research Planner from the Plugins and Plugins Data folders for user colin and user public.

I ran Family Historian without issues.

I then installed the Research Planner plugin.

I then ran it and it told me pl was missing and it would download it.

It went off and downloaded it (I checked in file explorer and the pl folder is now there with contents)

Now the bad news Family Historian crashed and was unresponsive and the only way out was to Force Quit Wine in the Mac os.

There is no researchplanner.dat folder so it looks like the issue maybe with the help file.

[ColeValleyGirl]

From what you describe, it isn't getting as far as trying to download the help file.

This line local

Code: Select all

cstrPluginDir = fhGetPluginDataFileName("LOCAL_MACHINE",true)

should create the Research Planner.dat folder before the Help file is downloaded.

Can you put a break point on that line of code (should be line 1450) so we can know if it even gets that far?

[Valkrider]

Helen

I don't know lua being a web guy what is the syntax for break in lua?

[ColeValleyGirl]

So, start with menu sequence Tools > Plugins. Select the Research Planner, then More then Edit.

In the code window that comes up choose Edit > Goto Line >1450.

Click in the left hand border -- a red circle will appear to show that you've set a break point.

Click Go (top border under the menu).

The plugin will either execute as far as the break point and stop, or crash before it gets there.

If it doesn't crash, you can use Step Into (next to Go) to step through the code a line at a time to see where it does crash.

[tatewise]

Use Tools > Plugins > More>> > Edit to open the Research Planner script.
Top left use Edit > Go To Line: 1450 then click in the margin to get red breakpoint bullet.

PluginBreakPoint.png (36 KiB) Viewed 9631 times

[Valkrider]

An Update

I ran it the first time with the break point and I got this error message.

Screenshot 2020-04-25 at 11.37.04.png (77.36 KiB) Viewed 9630 times

So on checking the pl folder not all of the files had downloaded. Using Finder in the Mac I deleted the pl folder.

I ran the plugin with the breakpoint in and monitored the new pl folder that was created. The files appeared one at a time very slowly, once the xml.lua file was in the folder I know that we were there but it did take several minutes to download all the files.

I checked the plugin data folder and Research Planner.dat had been created as a folder but no files were present. I then continued the plugin and got the warning about the helpfile being downloaded and extracted (oops I still had the zip folder there so didn't check whether this would download). Monitoring the folder I saw the first two files created and then the popup config box appeared and the .cfg was created.

So it looks as though it works in POM with some caveats as in why didn't all the pl files download previously.

[tatewise]

Well Colin, that is a major breakthrough. Excellent
I wonder what other magic components can be installed?

That it did not work perfectly on loading pl the first time needs monitoring.
Maybe, something needed initialising or restarting to get all components of winhttp in place.

Yes, it would be useful to check all the library modules, but pl is the 2nd largest, with luasql being the largest.
Check for Possible Duplicate Media Plugin requires luasql and md5 library modules.
If necessary, I can remind you what files need to be deleted to remove each library.
Hopefully, the Check Installed Plugins Against the Store Plugin should now work perfectly.

PlayOnLinux
Presumably, PlayOnLinux will have the same Configure > install components option for winhttp.
It may be necessary to contact JP Ford to ask him to experiment.

Crossover & WINE
Is there anything similar in Crossover (or WINE itself) to get winhttp installed?
I have seen suggestions in Google search that Winetricks can be used.
See https://www.playonmac.com/en/topic-12074.html.
Configure/Miscellaneous Tab/Run a Command Prompt or Run Shell
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Winet ... winetricks
chmod +x winetricks
WINEPREFIX=/home/<username>/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/gamename ./winetricks winhttp