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[Outdated] Google Chrome Portable: Integrates with Portable Java. Maybe.

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August 11, 2009 - 12:33pm
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The MAZZTer
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[Outdated] Google Chrome Portable: Integrates with Portable Java. Maybe.

"Maybe" because I can't fully figure out how the Java plugin works and I need more testing. So get to it! Wink

Downloads:

http://downloads.mzzt.net/GoogleChromePortable_2.0.172.40_Development_Te... Stable
http://downloads.mzzt.net/GoogleChromePortable_3.0.195.4_Development_Tes... Beta
http://downloads.mzzt.net/GoogleChromePortable_3.0.197.11_Development_Te... Dev

Should probably be dev test 2 but the version numbers changed so meh.

Changelog:

  • Attempted to add Portable Java support, but it seems Java will still use a higher-version locally installed Java if it finds one... even if there are no references in the registry to it. If not the Portable Java should be utilized.
  • Cleaned up launcher by using LogicLib.
  • Eliminated the need for version.txt, version is now detected automatically. No thanks to buggy file enumeration functions in NSIS.
  • Select from Stable, Beta, or Dev branches. 2.0.172.40, 3.0.195.4, 3.0.197.11

Like the changelog says Java is a bit wonky. If there is a newer version of the JavaVM installed locally the plugin somehow manages to find it and use it, even if the registry entries pointing to it are deleted (though it still uses the Portable Java JAR files and other resources). Not a huge problem I guess, it still seems to work even without a local Java.

You need to be an administrator (IE have write privileges to HKLM\SOFTWARE) for Portable Java to work. Can't be helped, it's how Java stores its settings. If you're not an admin local Java should still function.

And all this only happens if you have a PortableApps\CommonFiles\Java set up. Plugins will be automatically installed into Google Chrome Portable if it is detected (and if you didn't already install them).

http://www.java.com/en/download/help/testvm.xml Here's a good Java test page to see if it's working.

I never actually tested themes either. Should work fine but someone should test it for me Wink (Beta or Dev only, link to themes is on the new tab page with a fresh profile).

Hopefully this will be the last Dev Test, and then maybe I can get on the front page! Wink

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August 11, 2009 - 12:39pm
John T. Haller
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Ditch Java

If the launcher is modifying HKLM keys right now, we'll need to ditch that before going live with this. Firefox Portable could do that to get Java working, too, but it's an exceedingly bad idea at the portable app level. We'll be doing it at the platform level for all apps later.

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August 12, 2009 - 2:42pm
(Reply to #2)
The MAZZTer
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Mmmk. It only modifies them

Mmmk. It only modifies them if it detects Java Portable, and of course it fails if it doesn't have the right permissions, but it doesn't break the launcher when that happens. I'll comment the code out of the next release.

I'll keep the code in for importing the Java plugins if Java Portable is installed.

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August 12, 2009 - 2:47pm
(Reply to #3)
John T. Haller
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PC Crash

On a PC crash, you'd have just neutered the PC's ability to run Java apps. Very bad form. So, we're not doing this on an app basis at all. Keep the launcher as simple as possible.

Check for the existence of a PortableApps.comJava environment variable (which will normally be pointing to CommonFiles\Java). If that exists, import the plugin. If it doesn't, don't (since it'll be using a local Java install automatically, which isn't a good idea since it could very well be out of date and be a security issue).

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August 12, 2009 - 9:45pm
(Reply to #4)
The MAZZTer
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Well right now the plugins

Well right now the plugins are only imported ONCE and then they stay there.... so should I remove them on clean up? What if the user copied them by hand on purpose? I guess I'll have to decide how to do that... though I'll probably remove any detected Java plugins on cleanup for the security issue you raised.

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August 13, 2009 - 10:41am
(Reply to #5)
John T. Haller
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Leave

I think we should leave the plugin there if someone put it there. But shouldn't import it from anywhere except Java Portable and then only if they're using the Platform and that environment variable is set.

This would be a lot easier if we could just recompile the Java plugin to properly point to the portable location Sad

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August 14, 2009 - 11:25pm
(Reply to #6)
The MAZZTer
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Yeah import only imports from

Yeah it only imports from Portable Java, don't worry about that. Smile

Here's some info about the quirkiness of the plugin, when a local Java is also installed, in case you're interested:

It appears to first load the location of Java (that is, Portable Java) from the registry (JAVAHOME environment variable seems to never be checked). Then the plugin loads some files from Portable Java's directory. Then it launches the locally installed javaw.exe with parameters to point it to Portable Java's classes and resources.

Yes, there is a missing step: How does it figure out where local Java is installed? It doesn't appear to use the registry for that. It could be a file on the local file system but I couldn't find anything.

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August 14, 2009 - 11:49pm
(Reply to #7)
Chris Morgan
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HKLM\Software\JavaSoft\JRE

HKLM\Software\JavaSoft\JRE is the only place I'm aware of that anything looks for a JRE (other than occasionally JAVAHOME or PATH), though on Windows 98 it's actually C:\WINDOWS\Java (thus 98 support is really just not there).

You could try using Microsoft SysInternals Process Monitor for it... the only problem with that being that there's just so much junk in it.

You could also take a look at the Chromium source code or ask in irc://irc.freenode.net/chromium

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August 26, 2009 - 11:09pm
(Reply to #8)
The MAZZTer
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I did use Process Monitor; I

I did use Process Monitor; I couldn't find any indication of how Java figured out where to look! It's just reading files from Java Portable, and BAM it jumps over to my locally installed Java and launches javaw.exe, just like that.

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August 27, 2009 - 9:50am
ceciliaFX
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How fortuitous! I just

How fortuitous! I just installed XP in my mutiboot system!
will be trying this out

thanks

"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices." - Edward R. Murrow

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August 28, 2009 - 10:40am
(Reply to #10)
ceciliaFX
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hmmmmm

I tried installing this on a newly installed XP - it has no local installed copy chrome.

nothing seems to happen (the browser does not start). it appears as if all the chrome files are there, however.

"No one man can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices." - Edward R. Murrow

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August 31, 2009 - 4:25pm
(Reply to #11)
The MAZZTer
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Unfortunately there are a

Unfortunately there are a million things that could be wrong. I know from experience that Google Chrome does not play well with some minimal XP builds with lots of components stripped out. Without a more detailed analysis of the problem (which is not very easy to get) I can't really help you. Sad

Other than the aforementioned problems with minimal XP builds (which I cannot resolve) I have not had any problems running Google Chrome Portable on any of my test VMs. Unless I can reproduce a problem or I can receive some useful diagnostic information, I can do nothing about it.

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September 10, 2009 - 10:24pm
horusofoz
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Can you confirm if this has

Can you confirm if this has been updated to implement Johns instructions regarding Java?

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September 13, 2009 - 1:38pm
(Reply to #13)
The MAZZTer
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Next release will have the

Next release will have the changes. Java Portable integration will no longer be available from Google Chrome Portable, and the Java plugin import will be disabled (but can be reenabled via the GoogleChromePortable.ini if you want it).

The next release will be soon, I'll probably release it along with a few other projects I've been working on on my site.

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