Re: Problems deploying C# OpenGL project - C# Discussion Boards

Jasmine250113-Dec-06 7:19

13-Dec-06 7:19

Yeah it depends only on the MSCoree.dll. I'm assuming that's going to be present on most machines.

I think I have a conflict though... there's two DLLs that end up being called "CSGL.dll", one is from the CsGL library, but the other is generated by visual studio. They have to be in the right places... the first one goes in the system32, but the VS-generated one goes in the same folder as the screen saver file... working on a batch file to do all that.

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led mike13-Dec-06 7:36

13-Dec-06 7:36

Jasmine2501 wrote:
working on a batch file to do all that.

Batch file? ~~Do you use VS2005?~~ Blush | :O

(yes you do). It has Windows Installer Project Type. Very easy to build a small installer like this with.

led mike

Jasmine250113-Dec-06 16:25

13-Dec-06 16:25

Yeah I use that on another application, but this one was so simple I thought I didn't need to do it. I did put up another version. Just run the batch file and see if it works for you.

http://www.smoothjazzy.com/Files/CSOpenGLLifeSaverInstaller.zip[^]

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led mike14-Dec-06 5:00

14-Dec-06 5:00

Not there yet.

An unhandled exception of type 'System.TypeInitializationException' occurred in csgl.dll

Additional information: The type initializer for 'CsGL.OSLib' threw an exception.

The InnerException might contain more revealing information.

led mike

led mike14-Dec-06 5:12

14-Dec-06 5:12

Sorry ignore my previous post.

C:\Files\Download\tempunzip>install.bat

C:\Files\Download\tempunzip>gacutil.exe /if csgl.dll
'gacutil.exe' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\Files\Download\tempunzip>copy bin\csgl.native.dll  C:\WINDOWS\System32
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\Files\Download\tempunzip>copy bin\csgl.dll         C:\WINDOWS\System32
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\Files\Download\tempunzip>copy csgl.dll C:\WINDOWS\
        1 file(s) copied.

C:\Files\Download\tempunzip>copy CSOpenGLLifeSaver.scr C:\WINDOWS\
        1 file(s) copied.

So I see two issues here, both related to using a batch file to install with.

First I used Winzip and told it where to put the files so there is no "bin" folder the files are all in the same folder.

Second, you can find information on MSDN that states you are not to use Gacutil with installers. That is because it does not ship with the 2.0 runtime. And even on development machines like mine it is not found with a default command window environment. You have to open the the "Visual Studio Command Prompt" in the /tools menu for VS2005. It must set a environment path variable to the tools locations I suppose which is why it works.

Windows Install 2 has a built in Gacutil feature. The Visual Studio Installer project provides a very simple mechanism to put an assembly in the GAC. You should check it out.

led mike

Jasmine250114-Dec-06 5:33

14-Dec-06 5:33

So then when you put everything where it's supposed to go, does it work? I had the bin folder to seperate the two CsGL.dll files, which appear to be the same, but weren't acting the same. I'll make an installer and see what happens.

"Quality Software since 1983!"
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led mike14-Dec-06 6:19

14-Dec-06 6:19

Jasmine2501 wrote:
does it work?

yes. Also csgl.dll will not install to the GAC since it is not strong named but the saver works without it being in the GAC. So an installer will solve your problems since installing things into SystemRoot and System32 is totally simple.

led mike

led mike14-Dec-06 6:30

14-Dec-06 6:30

Jasmine2501 wrote:
does it work?

Using the "Preview" button it worked the first time and then only once in the next 20 attempts so it is not yet stable. When it does not run as "expected" there is no error and the "preview" button is disabled until i move the mouse. A potential conclusion is that the saver is actually running but is not rendering or displaying it's window.

led mike

Jasmine250114-Dec-06 6:22

14-Dec-06 6:22

This assembly does not have a strong name... I may need to make my own build of it. The installer won't let me add it to the GAC without a strong name. What bugs me though is that it should be able to be used from the same folder as the application itself. On my machine where everything is working, this file is not in the GAC. I got it working on other machines using the batch file. These were machines that I had not messed around on, so they were fresh installs on systems that had never heard of CsGL... This is all very annoying because it's a really cool screensaver, and a really good demo of C# with OpenGL, but I can't even get a screenshot, so I'm the only person who has been able to enjoy it.

I have one major issue with using the installer project. I need to rename the output file from .exe to .scr, and the installer project doesn't seem to have an option for that. I was able to get around that issue with the batch file, and a post-build event, but the installer project doesn't see the .scr file, and instead it installs it as an .exe, which runs fine but won't function as a screensaver. If you rename the file to .scr, it works as expected. I'm working on that issue, and I'll post a response here when I have the installer working correctly. The installer program is only putting down two files, both into the "windows" folder... one csgl.dll and one copy of my .exe.

I used the installer project on another application and I have some issues with it, but I couldn't find any good documentation of all the options. If you know of any good links about that, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for all your help!

"Quality Software since 1983!"
http://www.smoothjazzy.com/ - see the "Programming" section for (freeware) JazzySiteMaps, a simple application to generate .Net and Google-style sitemaps!

led mike14-Dec-06 6:38

14-Dec-06 6:38

Jasmine2501 wrote:
but the installer project doesn't see the .scr file

What does that mean? You can add any file you want to an installer project. So you should be able to rename the .exe yourself and then add the .scr file to the installer project.

I don't think I ever stated this but I have my own screen saver authored as a native C++ application. It is old, let me see, 2001. I built the Windows Installer using an old MS Visual Studio 6 add in. From all apperances it is the same as the one bundled with the new VS. I renamed the file myself and then added it to the installer project.

led mike

Jasmine250114-Dec-06 6:56

14-Dec-06 6:56

OK I figured all that out. I used a post-build event to rename the file, then I pick up that file with the installer, instead of picking up the 'primary project output'. As for the issue with the thing freezing, it is possible that you have a version I put out there that had a performance issue, so it would freeze after a while and no longer notice the mouse movements. Performance was particularly bad if you had 'cubical' turned on, because I had inserted the background cube into my loop that draw the cells, so it was re-drawing the big cube hundreds of times... oops Smile | :)

I put up an installer file... let me know how that works. I'm getting reliable frame rates of 30-50 fps depending on settings. If you use really big numbers, it will use lots of memory, but there's no way around that really, since it does have to store data for each cell. Keep the 'size' under 300, and it should be ok.

LifeSaver Installer[^]

"Quality Software since 1983!"
http://www.smoothjazzy.com/ - see the "Programming" section for (freeware) JazzySiteMaps, a simple application to generate .Net and Google-style sitemaps!

led mike14-Dec-06 7:22

14-Dec-06 7:22

The installer works fine but the save still has the same erratic behavior I posted before. It runs the first time after installation. Most of the subsequent executions it does not display anything. The mouse cursor is hidden and upon mouse move it does return control back to the system as expected but there is no display of any kind. I got it work a few times after selecting other savers and running them but I cannot repeat that behavior consistently. It seems that after a time it will run again but I can't find anything consistent.

led mike

Jasmine250114-Dec-06 7:30

14-Dec-06 7:30

OK groovy

That's progress at least. I'll clean it all up a bit and see if maybe there's some non-destructed objects or something, then I'll post another installer later. Again, thanks very much for your help with this!

"Quality Software since 1983!"
http://www.smoothjazzy.com/ - see the "Programming" section for (freeware) JazzySiteMaps, a simple application to generate .Net and Google-style sitemaps!

Jasmine250114-Dec-06 9:38

14-Dec-06 9:38

Well, I updated everything to be very clean, and I created a permanent page for this with links for the installers. Try the new version and let me know if you think I can unleash it on the public. I want to write that article...

http://www.smoothjazzy.com/prog_screensaver.htm[^]

"Quality Software since 1983!"
http://www.smoothjazzy.com/ - see the "Programming" section for (freeware) JazzySiteMaps, a simple application to generate .Net and Google-style sitemaps!

led mike14-Dec-06 10:13

14-Dec-06 10:13

Same behavior but I noticed another piece of information that might help. There is a maximized frame renedered but nothing rendering in the client area not even a background. So you see everything that was already there.

led mike

Jasmine250114-Dec-06 11:21

14-Dec-06 11:21

I have no idea what's causing that. I guess maybe I'll start another thread about that. Thanks for your help!

"Quality Software since 1983!"
http://www.smoothjazzy.com/ - see the "Programming" section for (freeware) JazzySiteMaps, a simple application to generate .Net and Google-style sitemaps!

Jasmine250114-Dec-06 19:24

14-Dec-06 19:24

Just in case your not watching anymore, I posted a question in this forum about the rendering problem. I am using a new library now, and it worked first try on my office machine. Give it a whirly and let me know what happens.

"Quality Software since 1983!"
http://www.smoothjazzy.com/ - see the "Programming" section for (freeware) JazzySiteMaps, a simple application to generate .Net and Google-style sitemaps!

led mike15-Dec-06 4:38

15-Dec-06 4:38

Jasmine2501 wrote:
Just in case your not watching anymore

Well not so much "not watching" as "left work to go have fun!" Big Grin | :-D

Jasmine2501 wrote:
Give it a whirly and let me know what happens.

That did it, works every time now. Now I need to go find that other thread to see what the problem was. CYA Cool | :cool:

led mike

led mike15-Dec-06 7:03

15-Dec-06 7:03

Jasmine2501 wrote:
I am using a new library now

So the new library solved the problem I guess. I am not a big fan of third party library use. I use them rarely and opt for roll your own in most cases. Years ago the concept of "don't reinvent the wheel" had a very different manifestation than it does today. All you have to do is frequent the development forums here to see that the quality of developers in general is ... well.... appalling. I figure if I am going to have lousy code in my product, it's going to be "my" lousy code. Big Grin | :-D

led mike

Jasmine250115-Dec-06 11:48

Telnet server - problem connecting!

15-Dec-06 11:48

When I don't understand what something is doing then I'm prone to code it myself, but if it's just something I would do anyway, then I'd rather not code it myself. This just gives me hooks into the OpenGL APIs, so I still get to do all the normal fun stuff. I'm working on the article about this, but I'm trying to make it not too long. I added the ability to load files, because some people have published some really groovy starting patterns on the web. I'll put that up on my page with the article.

"Quality Software since 1983!"
http://www.smoothjazzy.com/ - see the "Programming" section for (freeware) JazzySiteMaps, a simple application to generate .Net and Google-style sitemaps!

Lord Kixdemp12-Dec-06 13:28

Lord Kixdemp

12-Dec-06 13:28

Hello people!
I need help with a Telnet server I'm making... Frown | :(

It doesn't work, see the comment line that says "// HERE:"? Well, it doesn't get past that line, I proved it with checkpoints and console-out's... Plus, whenever I connect with my Telnet client, it just shows the blinking cursor... Cry | :((

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Text;
using System.Net;
using System.Net.Sockets;

namespace Telnet_Test
{
	abstract class TelnetServer : TcpListener
	{
		/// <summary>
		/// Maximum number of users this server can hold (zero for infinite)
		/// </summary>
		int MaxUsers;

		/// <summary>
		/// User array (exception is thrown if this is more than MaxUsers)
		/// </summary>
		UserList Users;

		/// <summary>
		/// Starts a telnet server
		/// </summary>
		/// <param name="maxUsers">Maximum number of users this server can hold (zero for infinite)</param>
		public TelnetServer(int maxUsers) : base(IPAddress.Loopback, 23)
		{
			// Set max users
			MaxUsers = maxUsers;

			// Initialize users array
			Users = new UserList();
		}

		public void BeginAcceptSocket()
		{
			this.Start();

			// Start accepting connections (TcpListener.BeginAcceptSocket, if you ask)
			BeginAcceptSocket(
				new AsyncCallback(ClientConnected), null);
		}

		public void ClientConnected(IAsyncResult result)
		{
			// Get a temporary socket to process this user
			TelnetClient tmpClient = new TelnetClient(Users.GetNextID());

			// Accept the connection
			EndAcceptSocket(result);

// HERE: What's wrong? 

			if (Users.Count >= MaxUsers)
			{
				// Send error to client
				tmpClient.Socket.Send
					(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("ERROR:" + MaxUsersErrorMessage));

				// Close connection
				tmpClient.Socket.Disconnect(false);
				tmpClient = null;

				// TODO: Make a custom exception maybe?
				// Throw exception
				throw new Exception(MaxUsersErrorMessage);
			}

			// All processing complete: add to collection!
			Users.Add(tmpClient);

			byte[] pwn = { (byte)'h' };

			Console.Out.WriteLine("{0}", Users.At(tmpClient.ID));
			Users[Users.At(tmpClient.ID)].Socket.Send(pwn);
		}

		public string MaxUsersErrorMessage =
			"Maximum number of users reached!";
	}
}

Any ideas of what this could be? Thanks! Wink | ;)

Windows Calculator told me I will die at 28. Frown | :(

Andy Brummer12-Dec-06 17:15

Andy Brummer

12-Dec-06 17:15

I think your primary thread is exiting before your worker thread has a chance to execute anything.

The MSDN sample code for EndAcceptSocket has this code after the call to BeginAcceptSocket in your BeginAcceptSocket() call.

// Wait until a connection is made and processed before
// continuing.
clientConnected.WaitOne();

If that doesn't do what you need it to, then you can add some other blocking call to wait for a signal to exit your application.

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only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon

Lord Kixdemp13-Dec-06 10:09

Lord Kixdemp

13-Dec-06 10:09

I'm confused now... Confused | :confused:

Should I be doing this inside of a thread or something?

See the marked line? Well, nothing executes after that line... I'm guessing asynchronous polling creates a thread, and it ends it before the other lines get a chance to run? OMG | :OMG:

		public void ClientConnected(IAsyncResult result)
		{
			// End the operation and display the received data on the
			//console.
			Socket clientSocket = EndAcceptSocket(result);

			// Get a temporary socket to process this user
/*this one*/		TelnetClient tmpClient = new TelnetClient(Users.GetNextID());

			// All processing complete: add to collection!
			tmpClient.Socket = clientSocket;
			Users.Add(tmpClient);

			byte[] pwn = { (byte)'h' };

			Console.Out.WriteLine("{0}", Users.At(tmpClient.ID));
			Users[Users.At(tmpClient.ID)].Socket.Send(pwn);

			// Signal the calling thread to continue.
			clientConnected.Set();
		}

Am I doing anything wrong? Thanks very much for all your help! Wink | ;)

Windows Calculator told me I will die at 28. Frown | :(

Andy Brummer13-Dec-06 11:31

Andy Brummer

13-Dec-06 11:31

I'm pretty sure the problem is that ClientConnected is running on a separate thread already. You can verify this by checking the thread id in ClientConnected and before you call BeginAcceptSocket. I suspect what is happening is that your main application thread which is blocking on the BeginAcceptSocket call is waking up when the EndAcceptSocket call is made. Since there is no more code for it to execute it exits. When your main thread exits it shuts down all threads which doesn't give the thread running ClientConnected a chance to finish.

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