Ghostpatch (auto-updater tool)

Community Forums/Showcase/Ghostpatch (auto-updater tool)

Banshee (Posted 2005) [#1]

Automatically updates your end users software. Configured via .ini file. http://ghostpatch.bansheestudios.com/example/ghostpatch.zip Expect exansion of this project over the next few days.

Grey Alien (Posted 2005) [#2]

This looks cool, have to try it soon, maybe when I release my next game.

Ricky Smith (Posted 2005) [#3]

Looks very useful ! Thanks !

IPete2 (Posted 2005) [#4]

Wow Backy, Thats fab, very useful. Thanks. IPete2.

Banshee (Posted 2005) [#5]

I have added compression and as you can see from this screenie i've built in an FTP interface (with upload hashing) which the program uses to run an auto-generated ftp upload script for your project. I'll add decompression tonight and then I just need to figure out a good method of detecting what files to upload (a sort of reverse patcher lol) and it should be ready. It's still all driven by one simple .ini file and a command line interface. The program prompts you for ftp username and password but otherwise it's entirely scripted in just a few easy commands. Here's a sample .ini file atm ;This parameter specifies where to download the ;latest files from. ;include the trailing / webPath=http://ghostpatch.bansheestudios.com/example/ ;This command specified the name of the ;program in the application bar. appTitle=Ghost Patch ;This command specified a background picture ;to display during the patch process. It also ;determines the size of the patcher window. background=Patcher\example.jpg ;These co-ordinates determine the boundaries ;of the patch status report. listTopX=20 listTopY=105 listbottomX=580 listBottomY=280 ;This command launches another .exe when the ;patch process is completed. launch=C:\Windows\calc.exe ;This command sets the text colour used to ;display messages. textColour=black ;Other text colour options include ;textColor= (Americanised spelling) ; white ; red ; green ; blue ;the default textcolour is black ;to specify RGB values for text use these commands. ;textRed=128 ;textGreen=128 ;textBlue=128 ;valid numbers range from 0..255 ;This specifies the boundaries of the download ;progress bar which shows the progress of ;the current file. sliderTopX=320 sliderTopY=45 sliderBottomX=585 sliderBottomY=75 ;Excluded files (these two should be left on the ;exclude list because they contain the CRC checks ;of the local and remove file lists. exclude=version.txt exclude=remoteVersion.txt ;The free version is not capable of updating the ;patcher file itself so it should be added to the ;exclude list. Once the first public trials are ;over there are no plans to update the free version ;anyway. exclude=ghostpatch.exe ;thumbs.db is a file made by more recent versions of ;windows which contains a cached thumbnail image of ;each picture file in a directory. You do not need ;to send thumbs.db files to each client exclude=thumbs.db exclude=.bb exclude=.bb_bak1 exclude=.bb_bak2 exclude=upx.exe ;ftp server & path to upload too. ;Username & login will be prompted for ;ftp:// prefix is not necessary ;If you do not specify the server the program will ;prompt you during the upload process. ftpServer=www.bansheestudios.com ;list of ftp commands to issue before starting transfers. ;use these to navigate to the correct directory. ;default transfer mode is binary and hashing is on. ftp=cd public_html ftp=cd ghostpatch ftp=cd gpplus ;Use 'ftpwait' to enter an ftp console mode where you ;can manually enter ftp commands after the auto transfer ;has finished. ftpWait Command line paramets are: <no parameters>: operate in client mode COMPILE: compile a CRC database but do not download COMPRESS: compress files UPLOAD: create an ftp script and execute it (deleted compressed file version after uploading)

Damien Sturdy (Posted 2005) [#6]

Hey. Neat work, I keep meaning to write one of these. I suppose this is a cool side-project to waterworld?

Banshee (Posted 2005) [#7]

It's an extension of the system I wrote for Waterworld, now i'm adding compression i'll be using this in Waterworld as the patch downloader for the new version which I hope to release at the start of next month. It's not so much a side project, as it is to help people out who are waiting on a product by a former BB community member who isn't delivering. Enough said of that in this thread though. I had it half written, opening it up to others and putting in some new features was the least I could do.

Damien Sturdy (Posted 2005) [#8]

o.O *whistles* Okay then :)

BlackJumper (Posted 2005) [#9]

Wow Backy ... otherwise known as Mary Jane ?

Banshee (Posted 2005) [#10]

The Freudians's are going to have a field day on that one. Can't do any more tonight i've got to power off soon (Grandad asleep in adjacent room and i'm a loud typist). Hopefully i'll get the decompression stuff coded tommorow.