Client as Service?

Submitted by bcastellucci on #1

Greetings.

Any chance of turning the Windows client into a service with a common configuration for all users?

Submitted by Michael on Mon, 2013/08/26 - 16:38

#3

More investigation shows that the client cannot be easy turned into a service without rearchitecting it so it will be on the todo list for version 2.

Regarding sharing configuration between users on the network: if you download version 1.5.6, that provides a command line parameter to specify the path to the configuration. Specify a path on a shared disk to give each client the same configuration.

For example:

vhui64.exe -c \\share\drive\vhui_shared_settings.ini

Thank you very much for looking into this. I will try the new command arg. Additionally, can the client be started headless? I haven't tried yet but maybe that along with the shared config might get me close enough for now...

Submitted by bcastellucci on Tue, 2013/08/27 - 09:26

#5

Ok, I played around with this a little. I am able to schedule a task to start the client at boot and specify both the config file and the log file as part of the command and that seems to work as expected. Once the PC starts then anyone who logs in can access whatever devices are set to auto-share. It does cause the PC to hang when shutting down but I can work with that.

Next question - can an entire port be set to auto-share anything that happens to be connected to it? I know at the server you can configure entire ports for ignore. However I am after configuring entire ports for auto-share at the client. With that ability, plus start at boot, this could be set-and-forget at both ends.

Thanks!

Submitted by Michael on Tue, 2013/08/27 - 10:35

#6

Yes headless will lock on shutdown because it is popping up a modal dialog saying a device is in use is it ok to shutdown. Since there is no GUI access the box just sits there waiting I was going to recommend no headless until version 2 and i re-architect the client to split the UI from the networking/hub functionality.

Regarding auto-share of a port, that functionality isn't in there yet but it would be reasonably easy to do... i will investigate and get back to you.

OK I have updated the client, please download version 1.5.7. This version will allow you to autoshare by port.

You have to edit the vhui.ini for this as there is no GUI interface (yet).

In the vhui.ini file, the section [AutoShare] add a line specifying the address of the port. The address can be found by plugging in a device and selecting "Properties" in the client. It will show the address (in decimal) e.g 11

Add a line in AutoShare section like this:


[AutoShare]
...
...
11=1

That means address 11 (hub 1 port 1) autoshare. When you restart your client. If something gets plugged into hub 1 port 1 then it will automatically be connected to.

Submitted by bcastellucci on Tue, 2013/08/27 - 14:37

#8

Thank you! that works fantastic.

I believe you also tweaked it to no longer hang at shutdown. If not then it must have been a by-product as it is no longer hanging.

In any case, I don't have a second Pi around to test - I am assuming the hub number would bump appropriately if I were to configure a server on another Pi? Or would another layer of identification be needed?

Can't wait for version 2!

;)

Thanks again!

Submitted by Michael on Tue, 2013/08/27 - 17:10

#9

Actually yes another identification would be need. Perhaps the ip address then the address....when you need this i will update the client

Submitted by bcastellucci on Thu, 2013/08/29 - 09:10

#10

Actually, I just had a thought - why not specify the port(s) to auto-share at the server as part of its config? Maybe the client can override that, if desired. So basically then it's install the client, set it for auto-discover and forget it. Still probably need that extra layer of id in the case of multiple servers...

Submitted by Michael on Thu, 2013/08/29 - 12:48

#11

When i wrote the server i designed it so the client asks the server to do something rather than the server initiating a change. So it would be a bit difficult to add the auto-share port on the server side as the design currently stands.

Submitted by bcastellucci on Tue, 2013/09/24 - 09:07

#13

Regarding additional identification for multiple servers to the same client, I have an ubuntu ltsp setup going here and plan on installing virtualhere server on it. At that time I'll be able to test this with one server there and the other on the pi.

would you be able to look into adding that additional layer of identification in the client?

thanks again!
Ben

Submitted by Michael on Tue, 2013/09/24 - 10:11

#14

Hi Ben, actually i in version 1.6.5 of the client and version 1.5.2 of the server this supports per server identifcation of the device. You can autoshare by device (when this device is plugged on any port it is shared), auto share by port (when ANY device is plugged into that port is is shared) AND autoshare by device/port when that particular device is plugged into that particular port it is autoshared.

All of these options are qualified by the server.

So please update to those versions of the software and it should work fine for you.