Regshot:...\Software\Cywin in HKCU& HKLM vers only port. issue
Regshot results were clean except for the creation and/or modification of these registry keys; testing perfomed on latexusage.tex by exec'ing pdflatex; take 1 regshot; exec AsymptotePortable.exe latexusage-*.asy from batch; 2nd regshot; everything clean with exception of the Software\Cygwin registry keys under HKCU & HKLM.
sterile XP-SP3 VM environment; AsymptotePortable installed in the dir P:\PortableApps; upon exec. & typing 'help' at the prompt I get a message box saying that
"Windows cannot not find 'c:\Program Files\Asymptote\asymptote.pdf'. Make sure you typed the name correctly..."
I took a minute to poke through the source code and it is, in fact, hardcoded. I'm going to try to build a slightly patched version, and if that fails, just release the one with registry fixes.
preferable to have no special builds; any other issues--hopefully not, but...--become much more difficult to trace; if the Asymptote devs. hardcoded, they hardcoded it;
IMHO it's better to give user a heads-up on the issue & to inform her to get the Help file from AsymptotePortable\App\Asymptote\Asymptote.pdf, not from the faulty command prompt "tip"; that's my suggestion, anyway
It turns out that I can't fix it even if I know exactly where the problem is in the code because my C++ is not that good. So I'll post the newest (not my compiled) version in a little bit. I'll add the warning in the post for end users.
in part., the only hang-up for a clean Regshot previously found was on the registry keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM; this latest Regshot confirms that the Cygwin keys issue is resolved & supplies a completely clean portability result for AsymptotePortable overall.
Details:
new Regshot confirmed no such Cygwin registry key issues; previously, some Cygwin keys had been created by AsymptotePortable;
in all other respects the new Regshot results were clean also; the only registry/file mods were from on-going system processes [1] & the use of Win Explorer for invocations [2].
Procedure:
set-up:
for testing, the keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM were initially deleted; also %Temp% was emptied the Windows; Windows indexing was set to Snooze; the AV (WebRoot) was On;
context: sterile XP-SP3 VM exec'ing under an Admin acct. with all execs from Win Explorer; the test document was "latexusage.tex" from the AOPS web site;
test process:
the 3-line batch file from the AOPS web site
Note(s):
[1] HKLM mods--since an Admin was acct. used--for the cryptography seed, & the AV; file mods for system logging such "...\index.dat" files related (ntuser.dat.LOG & software.LOG)
[2]...Explorer\UserAssist\... & ...\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU\... under HKU.
in part., the only hang-up for a clean Regshot previously found was on the registry keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM; this latest Regshot confirms that the Cygwin keys issue is resolved & supplies a completely clean portability result for AsymptotePortable overall.
Details:
new Regshot confirmed no such Cygwin registry key issues; previously, some Cygwin keys had been created by AsymptotePortable;
in all other respects the new Regshot results were clean also; the only registry/file mods were from on-going system processes [1] & the use of Win Explorer for invocations [2].
Procedure:
set-up:
for testing, the keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM were initially deleted; also %Temp% was emptied; the Windows indexing was set to Snooze; the AV (WebRoot) was On;
context: sterile, up-to-date XP-SP3 VM exec'ing under an Admin acct. with all execution invocations from Win Explorer; the test document was "latexusage.tex" from the AOPS web site; Miktex had been updated for the Asymptote-required and Miktex-maintained LaTeX files (e.g., those in the media package) by a prior exec of the batch file described infra (Miktex options set with Install-Packages-On-the-Fly=Yes) followed by complete Miktex re-updating, refreshing FNDB, & rebuilding LaTeX formats.
test process:
(1)1st regshot;
(2)exec'd the 3-line batch file from the AOPS web site (modified to place the MIktex binaries' dir & the AsymptotePortable dir in the path); that 3-liner is as follows:
pdflatex %name%
AsymptotePortable.exe %name%-*.asy
pdflatex %name%
where %name% is (san quotes) 'latexusage' & the tex file is 'latexusage.tex'; the 3 Asymptote ".sty" files in the App\asy directory were copied to the dir containing this doc. so that LaTeX could find them.
(3)2nd regshot
Note(s):
[1] HKLM mods--since an Admin was acct. used--for the cryptography seed, & the AV; file mods for system logging such "...\index.dat" files & related (ntuser.dat.LOG & software.LOG)
[2]...Explorer\UserAssist\... & ...\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU\... under HKU.
I'm glad we're back to a clean portable app now. Next step is probably removing xasy completely because even installed versions behave in a similar "there is an issue so I'll lock up forever" fashion.
has xasy been elided from installer options--it should be IMHO
a separate version for xasy is nec. here; it poses additional dependency issues re python, the python version, and additional, non-Asymptote-supplied python packages;
if xasy is not deleted from the installer's options, it may get installed on the expectation that it will work, which, of course, will not occur; a note to user that xasy is expressly excluded may also be in order;
I have been on hiatus from doing PA.c stuff for a while now because of various life things. I'm not sure when I will be able to return to packaging. I am encouraging people who wish to take over the programs to tell me and then do so. I want to see these apps get the respect they deserve.
Yes, every single one of them. I haven't been able to properly update them, let alone interact with the community in any meaningful way in almost 2 years now. I wish it wasn't this way, but "auctioning" off my old apps seems like the best option until things settle down. Which I hope they do.
Regshot results were clean except for the creation and/or modification of these registry keys; testing perfomed on latexusage.tex by exec'ing pdflatex; take 1 regshot; exec AsymptotePortable.exe latexusage-*.asy from batch; 2nd regshot; everything clean with exception of the Software\Cygwin registry keys under HKCU & HKLM.
It appears to be only coded via the installer. Works fine on a clean Win7 VM when installed to d:\.
sterile XP-SP3 VM environment; AsymptotePortable installed in the dir P:\PortableApps; upon exec. & typing 'help' at the prompt I get a message box saying that
"Windows cannot not find 'c:\Program Files\Asymptote\asymptote.pdf'. Make sure you typed the name correctly..."
I meant the Asymptote installer (asymptote-2.24-setup.exe) not the portable one. Sorry for the confusion.
I took a minute to poke through the source code and it is, in fact, hardcoded. I'm going to try to build a slightly patched version, and if that fails, just release the one with registry fixes.
preferable to have no special builds; any other issues--hopefully not, but...--become much more difficult to trace; if the Asymptote devs. hardcoded, they hardcoded it;
IMHO it's better to give user a heads-up on the issue & to inform her to get the Help file from AsymptotePortable\App\Asymptote\Asymptote.pdf, not from the faulty command prompt "tip"; that's my suggestion, anyway
It turns out that I can't fix it even if I know exactly where the problem is in the code because my C++ is not that good. So I'll post the newest (not my compiled) version in a little bit. I'll add the warning in the post for end users.
Updated to 2.24 Dev Test 5. See release notes for details.
it's my latest comment under the TexmakerPlusPortable page of PA.c
in part., the only hang-up for a clean Regshot previously found was on the registry keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM; this latest Regshot confirms that the Cygwin keys issue is resolved & supplies a completely clean portability result for AsymptotePortable overall.
Details:
new Regshot confirmed no such Cygwin registry key issues; previously, some Cygwin keys had been created by AsymptotePortable;
in all other respects the new Regshot results were clean also; the only registry/file mods were from on-going system processes [1] & the use of Win Explorer for invocations [2].
Procedure:
set-up:
for testing, the keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM were initially deleted; also %Temp% was emptied the Windows; Windows indexing was set to Snooze; the AV (WebRoot) was On;
context: sterile XP-SP3 VM exec'ing under an Admin acct. with all execs from Win Explorer; the test document was "latexusage.tex" from the AOPS web site;
test process:
the 3-line batch file from the AOPS web site
Note(s):
[1] HKLM mods--since an Admin was acct. used--for the cryptography seed, & the AV; file mods for system logging such "...\index.dat" files related (ntuser.dat.LOG & software.LOG)
[2]...Explorer\UserAssist\... & ...\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU\... under HKU.
in part., the only hang-up for a clean Regshot previously found was on the registry keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM; this latest Regshot confirms that the Cygwin keys issue is resolved & supplies a completely clean portability result for AsymptotePortable overall.
Details:
new Regshot confirmed no such Cygwin registry key issues; previously, some Cygwin keys had been created by AsymptotePortable;
in all other respects the new Regshot results were clean also; the only registry/file mods were from on-going system processes [1] & the use of Win Explorer for invocations [2].
Procedure:
set-up:
for testing, the keys ...\Software\Cygwin for HKCU & HKLM were initially deleted; also %Temp% was emptied; the Windows indexing was set to Snooze; the AV (WebRoot) was On;
context: sterile, up-to-date XP-SP3 VM exec'ing under an Admin acct. with all execution invocations from Win Explorer; the test document was "latexusage.tex" from the AOPS web site; Miktex had been updated for the Asymptote-required and Miktex-maintained LaTeX files (e.g., those in the media package) by a prior exec of the batch file described infra (Miktex options set with Install-Packages-On-the-Fly=Yes) followed by complete Miktex re-updating, refreshing FNDB, & rebuilding LaTeX formats.
test process:
(1)1st regshot;
(2)exec'd the 3-line batch file from the AOPS web site (modified to place the MIktex binaries' dir & the AsymptotePortable dir in the path); that 3-liner is as follows:
pdflatex %name%
AsymptotePortable.exe %name%-*.asy
pdflatex %name%
where %name% is (san quotes) 'latexusage' & the tex file is 'latexusage.tex'; the 3 Asymptote ".sty" files in the App\asy directory were copied to the dir containing this doc. so that LaTeX could find them.
(3)2nd regshot
Note(s):
[1] HKLM mods--since an Admin was acct. used--for the cryptography seed, & the AV; file mods for system logging such "...\index.dat" files & related (ntuser.dat.LOG & software.LOG)
[2]...Explorer\UserAssist\... & ...\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU\... under HKU.
I'm glad we're back to a clean portable app now. Next step is probably removing xasy completely because even installed versions behave in a similar "there is an issue so I'll lock up forever" fashion.
to nix the xasy
a separate version for xasy is nec. here; it poses additional dependency issues re python, the python version, and additional, non-Asymptote-supplied python packages;
if xasy is not deleted from the installer's options, it may get installed on the expectation that it will work, which, of course, will not occur; a note to user that xasy is expressly excluded may also be in order;
Updated to 2.32 Dev Test 1. See release notes for details. Really, look at the release notes.
New version available: 2.37
Do you plan on updating to it?
~3D1T0R
I have been on hiatus from doing PA.c stuff for a while now because of various life things. I'm not sure when I will be able to return to packaging. I am encouraging people who wish to take over the programs to tell me and then do so. I want to see these apps get the respect they deserve.
Thanks for the response.
Does this apply to all of your Development Test releases?
~3D1T0R
Yes, every single one of them. I haven't been able to properly update them, let alone interact with the community in any meaningful way in almost 2 years now. I wish it wasn't this way, but "auctioning" off my old apps seems like the best option until things settle down. Which I hope they do.
Updated to 2.38 Dev Test 1. See release notes for details.
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