Error on starting, peerhaps template related?

[Stilez]

I used to use an old version of HFS on Win7 x64 and it worked very well. So I have again downloaded it (2.3d) and configured it on Win 8.1 x64, but instead of a file tree the user gets a warning: "this template is only to be used with HFS 2.3 (and macros enabled)".

I know templates were added in 2.3, but HFS should surely still work and not give an error "out of the box"? I have rechecked the download page in case I missed anything, it just says "HFS is a single executable file. No need to install. Download and run... it's up & ready!" I've downloaded, run, haven't changed anything to do with templates, but it's not doing the "up and ready" bit - I still get a template related error when used and I can't work around it?

What's gone wrong? Why isn't it working "out of the box" like the website says it will?

Any help appreciated, this template change has really made it difficult!

My HFS.ini:

Code: [Select]

HFS 2.3d - Build #292
active=yes
only-1-instance=yes
window=*****
window-max=no
easy=no
port=*****
files-box-ratio=0
log-max-lines=0
log-read-only=yes
log-file-name=HFS.log
log-font-name=Arial
log-font-size=8
log-date=yes
log-time=yes
log-to-screen=yes
log-only-served=no
log-server-start=yes
log-server-stop=yes
log-connections=yes
log-disconnections=yes
log-bytes-sent=no
log-bytes-received=no
log-replies=yes
log-requests=yes
log-uploads=yes
log-deletions=yes
log-full-downloads=yes
log-dump-request=no
log-browsing=yes
log-icons=no
log-progress=no
log-banned=yes
log-others=yes
log-file-tabbed=yes
log-apache-format=
tpl-file=
tpl-editor=
delete-dont-ask=no
free-login=yes
confirm-exit=yes
keep-bak-updating=yes
include-pwd-in-pages=no
ip=*****
custom-ip=
listen-on=
external-ip-server=
dynamic-dns-updater=
dynamic-dns-user=
dynamic-dns-host=
search-better-ip=no
start-minimized=no
connections-height=200
files-stay-flagged-for-minutes=*****
auto-save-vfs=yes
folders-before=yes
links-before=yes
use-comment-as-realm=yes
getright-template=yes
auto-save-options=yes
dont-include-port-in-url=no
persistent-connections=yes
modal-options=yes
beep-on-flash=yes
prevent-leeching=no
delete-partial-uploads=no
rename-partial-uploads=yes
enable-macros=no
use-system-icons=yes
minimize-to-tray=yes
tray-icon-for-each-download=no
show-main-tray-icon=yes
always-on-top=no
quit-dont-ask=no
support-descript.ion=yes
oem-descript.ion=no
oem-tar=no
enable-fingerprints=yes
save-fingerprints=no
auto-fingerprint=0
encode-pwd-url=yes
stop-spiders=yes
backup-saving=yes
recursive-listing=yes
send-hfs-identifier=no
list-hidden-files=no
list-system-files=no
list-protected-items=yes
enable-no-default=no
browse-localhost=yes
add-folder-default=
default-sorting=
last-dialog-folder=*****
auto-save-vfs-every=*****
last-update-check=*****
allowed-referer=
forwarded-mask=127.0.0.1
tray-shows=ips
tray-message=*****
speed-limit=-1
speed-limit-ip=-1
max-ips=*****
max-ips-downloading=*****
max-connections=*****
max-connections-by-ip=*****
max-contemporary-dls=*****
max-contemporary-dls-ip=*****
login-realm=
open-in-browser=*.htm;*.html;*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.gif;*.png;*.txt;*.swf;*.svg
flash-on=connection
graph-rate=10
graph-size=40
graph-visible=yes
no-download-timeout=*****
connections-timeout=*****
no-reply-ban=no
ban-list=
add-to-folder=
last-file-open=
reload-on-startup=yes
https-url=no
find-external-on-startup=no
encode-non-ascii=yes
encode-spaces=yes
mime-types=*.js|text/javascript|*.htm;*.html|text/html|*.jpg;*.jpeg;*.jpe|image/jpeg|*.gif|image/gif|*.png|image/png|*.bmp|image/bmp|*.ico|image/x-icon|*.mpeg;*.mpg;*.mpe|video/mpeg|*.avi|video/x-msvideo|*.txt|text/plain|*.css|text/css
in-browser-if-mime=no
icon-masks=
icon-masks-user-images=
address2name=*****
recent-files=
trusted-files=
leave-disconnected-connections=no
accounts=*****
account-notes-wrap=yes
tray-instead-of-quit=yes
compressed-browsing=no
use-iso-date-format=no
hints4newcomers=yes
save-totals=yes
log-toolbar-expanded=no
number-files-on-upload=yes
do-not-log-address=
last-external-address=
min-disk-space=0
out-total=*****
in-total=*****
hits-total=*****
downloads-total=*****
upload-total=*****
many-items-warning=*****
load-single-comment-files=yes
copy-url-on-start=no
connections-columns=*****
auto-comment=no
update-daily=yes
delayed-update=no
tester-updates=no
copy-url-on-addition=yes
ip-services=http://www.melauto.it/public/rejetto/ip.php|;http://rejetto.webfactional.com/hfs/ip.php|;http://checkip.dyndns.org|:;http://www.canyouseeme.org|value=";http://www.alexnolan.net/ip/|address is:;http://www.whatsmyrealip.com/|IP is<br>;http://2ip.ru|d_clip_button">;http://www.mario-online.com/mio_indirizzo_ip.php|<strong>
ip-services-time=*****
update-automatically=no
prevent-standby=no
ips-ever-connected=*****


[rejetto]

welcome!
menu > html template > enable macros

[Stilez]

Thanks - that fixed it!! Excellent and simple!!

I think it's a problem because any newcomer unfamiliar with the need to make that setting, will try HFS and it doesn't work "just download and run" without this setting change (like you see). I think it's for a simple reason: Macros should be disabled on install for security, but without them the server won't work.

If the server won't serve properly "out of the box" because of some setting (eg macros not enabled/needed template not found) then is there a way to let the user know this so they don't have the same problem, and so they can understand what is needed to fix it? For example:

* add a short note on the download or "first install"/setup pages
* add a note on the troubleshooting pages
* if the server delivers an error page of that kind (ie macros not enabled so it can't serve the page), show an alert and log entry to the operator, "Failed to serve page because macros disabled/template not found", not just ignore it. (If needed, make the message able to be disabled)

On a second small matter (hope it's okay!), I have a file share for my databases that I want to put on my HFS "read only", so I can easily get files off it when away.  It's a very big file share, about 3TB. I also have the same folder as a read-write share, so that changes or uploads will require a different login (stops me making mistakes!).  I don't want to have copies of terabyte size made, I just want remote access to some folders.  So the structure I want is quite simple:

Code: [Select]

ROOT
--- BIG DATA FOLDER "READ ONLY"
--------(recursive view of big data folder, inheriting "read only")
--- BIG DATA FOLDER "READ/WRITE"
--------(recursive view of big data folder, inheriting "read/write")
--- ANOTHER BIG DATA FOLDER "READ ONLY"
--------(recursive view of other data folder inheriting "read only")
--- ANOTHER DISK FOLDER FOR UPLOADING NEW DATA FILES "READ/WRITE"
--------(recursive view of upload folder inheriting "read/write")As you can see, I just want to have a file server root node plus 4 or 5 nodes for the various disk folders, that show me the actual folders on my disks, and allow me to recursively explore them and download files I need

Which of these should be real, and which virtual? The guide says "the real folder is not necessarily the same as the folder on your disk" and "When you add a virtual folder based on a folder on your disk, the disk's contents are copied to the VFS. From now on, the content is seperated from the disk". That doesn't really help me to understand what I need, can you help?

[rejetto]

it doesn't work "just download and run" without this setting change

nope, it is enabled by default

Which of these should be real, and which virtual?

always go for "real" ones, unless you see a limit/problem, then you see if the virtual can sort it out.

The guide says "the real folder is not necessarily the same as the folder on your disk"

it's explained in the sentence after: it is the same except few customization. While the virtual folder is much more customizable.

and "When you add a virtual folder based on a folder on your disk, the disk's contents are copied to the VFS. From now on, the content is seperated from the disk". That doesn't really help me to understand what I need, can you help?

it is the same as for CD burning software. Did you ever use any of them?

[Stilez]

nope, it is enabled by default

Okay, mystery solved! There is an issue, but not what I thought....

HFS was picking up the old settings from my deleted HFS v2.2 setup long ago (macros disabled), still held in the registry (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\rejetto\HFS). Since HFS uses an INI file, and I deleted the v2.2 INI file, I didn't know it also stored its setup in the registry. So when I started a "clean" new v2.3 for the first time, it picked up all the "contaminated" old settings silently and used them, without me knowing they existed, and HFS did not use the usual clean v2.3 settings. The old settings silently took priority over my "new" version's default INI file.

Hmm.  Does HFS v2.3 *need* to store or look up settings in the registry if the user states "INI file"? It's never obvious that it is doing this, because it also uses an INI file. The understanding of a user is that the program runs, uses a local INI file, and to uninstall, just delete those files - nothing is known about registry settings key that can override the INI file and are kept (with priority over INI files) on removal.

This could be a problem for "new" installs where HFS was used before, for people who uninstall and then don't know settings are kept, and for people who use 2 copies of HFS and find they don't keep settings separate (rare case I guess?).

What do you think?  Maybe no longer use registry? Warn if registry settings exist?

it is the same as for CD burning software. Did you ever use any of them?

I always used ImgBurn. Drag/select files to burn, select disk, select settings, burn. No "virtual" vs "real" anywhere in it AFAIK. Just files to be burned.

I understand a "virtual" file system is made up of virtual nodes that allow a "folder" to contain my choice of files/folders from many different places, while a "real" file system would be one actual folder/disk as stored on the storage device. I understand that this allows more flexibility to the virtual file system, and that in both cases nodes (folders/files) can be excluded. What else is needed, that's also important to know, for HFS "virtual" vs "real" file system?

[rejetto]

HFS was picking up the old settings from my deleted HFS v2.2 setup long ago (macros disabled),

2.2 never had macros, it never had a configuration about macros, therefore you cannot have inherited it from 2.2

Hmm.  Does HFS v2.3 *need* to store or look up settings in the registry if the user states "INI file"?

HFS stores where the user told to store.
HFS loads in this specific order: ini file if exists, else user registry if exists, else system registry if exists
Therefore: registry never overrides ini file.

When you uninstall: it deletes every configuration it finds, even if both ini and registry are found.

If you use multiple copies of HFS you are invited at using INI files.

I always used ImgBurn. Drag/select files to burn, select disk, select settings, burn. No "virtual" vs "real" anywhere in it AFAIK. Just files to be burned.

i'm also an ImgBurn user but i rarely need it. Looking at it, i can see it has only real folders. Of course since it has only one type it doesn't need to give a name real/virtual.
Other burning softwares i saw normally uses virtual folders: Nero for sure, when i used it 10 years ago

Let's say you add a folder X in ImgBurn, but inside X there's a file Y that you want to rename, but ONLY in the CD. You want to leave the original name in your hard disk.
You cannot do it with ImgBurn, and as well you cannot do it with real folders in HFS.
You need virtual folders.
Indeed Nero can do it.

That's because virtual folders are a full copy of your folder, and you can manipulate it.
While real folders are just a single link to the folder.

[Stilez]

2.2 never had macros, it never had a configuration about macros, therefore you cannot have inherited it from 2.2

HFS stores where the user told to store.
HFS loads in this specific order: ini file if exists, else user registry if exists, else system registry if exists
Therefore: registry never overrides ini file.

When you uninstall: it deletes every configuration it finds, even if both ini and registry are found.

If you use multiple copies of HFS you are invited at using INI files.

i'm also an ImgBurn user but i rarely need it. Looking at it, i can see it has only real folders. Of course since it has only one type it doesn't need to give a name real/virtual.
Other burning softwares i saw normally uses virtual folders: Nero for sure, when i used it 10 years ago

Let's say you add a folder X in ImgBurn, but inside X there's a file Y that you want to rename, but ONLY in the CD. You want to leave the original name in your hard disk.
You cannot do it with ImgBurn, and as well you cannot do it with real folders in HFS.
You need virtual folders.
Indeed Nero can do it.

That's because virtual folders are a full copy of your folder, and you can manipulate it.
While real folders are just a single link to the folder.

I probably updated 2.2 to 2.3, tried but failed to get it to work (including disabling macros), then removed it. The setting "macros enabled = no" was in the registry.

I think the reason it was picked up is that when you initially download HFS, there is no INI file. It creates one on first run but if REG settings previously existed, perhaps it will adopt those as no INI file exists, like you say. So the new INI file is created with the previous settings. But this is only a guess.

What concerned me was that the previous version was always "settings in INI" but settings still existed in registry. I'm not sure how, but can HFS be checked to be sure that if REG settings exist and INI file is configured, the REG settings will be removed?  

Also note that HFS may not be "uninstalled". Therefore its cleanup on uninstall may not happen. As it's said to be "download and run", without installer needed, so removal is usually "delete the file and it's removed", and no uninstaller is run for this. So perhaps don't trust uninstall for any cleanup, because if the user doesn't need an installer, therefore the user won't expect an uninstaller?

Thank you for help with virtual folders - it helped a lot!

[rejetto]

HFS currently doesn't remove the registry data when saving to file, while i don't remember why i opted for this way. Doesn't sound good to me now.
HFS has "uninstall" feature, it's in the main menu. It clears the registry as well.