I know all DXLab applications know each other is there and "talk" to each other.  But I have found when not using Launcher, starting selected applications manually that Commander has to start first before DXKeeper.  If DXKeeper is started before Commander DXKeeper doesn't get the frequency information for Capture.

Anyone else notice that?

73,
Bob -W6OPO

+ AA6YQ comments below

I know all DXLab applications know each other is there and "talk" to each other. But I have found when not using Launcher, starting selected applications manually that Commander has to start first before DXKeeper. If DXKeeper is started before Commander DXKeeper doesn't get the frequency information for Capture.

+ I just tested that scenario here, and the Capture window correctly displays my transceiver frequency when I enter a callsign and strike the Enter key.

+ So that I can see what's going on, please do the following:

1. On the General tab of DXKeeper's Configuration window, check the "Log debugging info" box

2. Terminate DXKeeper

3. Terminate Commander

4. Start DXKeeper, and wait for it to fully initialize

5. Start Commander, and wait for it to fully initialize

6. Type my callsign in the Capture window's Call box, and strike the Enter key

7. Wait 15 seconds

8. On the General tab of DXKeeper's Configuration window, uncheck the "Log debugging info" box

9. Attach the errorlog.txt file from your DXKeeper folder to an email message, and send the message to me via

aa6yq (at) ambersoft.com

73,

Dave, AA6YQ

Dave -
Done - error log file sent separately.
73,
Bob - W6OPO

I sent this to Dave earlier.  Check his comment at the bottom of this message regarding risk.  Important to know.

My message begins:
Fixed- Lets see if I can explain this.  

 

I have this need to have the application programs (execution modules) in one of the two Programs directories in Windows.  As I recall – been a few years since I installed DXLab on this computer – DXLab was to be installed in the root directory.  That went against my training of old so I didn’t.

 

I installed all the DXLab applications in the Programs directory.  But that caused a problem with Windows.  Being in the Program directory all the DXLab applications had to be run as Administrator.  All were but not Commander.  I had been noticing but ignoring when starting Commander I wasn’t getting the Windows interruption asking me if I wanted to proceed.

 

So a few minutes ago I looked at the Compatibility tab in Properties and see I had not checked the box Run as Administrator.  Saving all I then rebooted.  Now it works as it should.  Even if I start DXKeeper first then Commander the CC now shows up in DXKeeper's title bar and the Commander information is passed on to DXKeeper.

 

I surmise that Commander not running in Administrator mode prevented some communication with DXKeeper at least in one direction.  Now it works in either sequence.

 

Although I have been running DXLab this way for years all DXLab application have performed as expected – they all were set to run as Administrator – even Launcher.  BTW - when running Launcher I have to click to proceed responding to Windows challenge.  But I only have to do that once for Launcher.  All programs it starts do so without a Windows challenge.  (All this because I want the programs to reside in the Windows Programs directory - a personal desire)

 

Any comments on this issue of having the programs in the Windows Program directory.  Anything I’m missing?

 

Dave added this in response to my question regarding running apps in Administrator Mode - a high level of authorization.  In Administrator Mode the system allows a program to write to another program - an inherent exposure there.  Just be sure you know what you are doing in regards to risk.  

"+ No, it's perfectly fine to install all of the DXLab apps in what Windows considers a "protected folder" so long as they're all running at the same level of Admin privilege. Any other apps that interoperate with DXLab apps via DDE must obey the same constraint.

 

 

+ From a system security perspective, it's best to minimize the number of apps that have Admin privileges, but unless you manage your finances on the same machine that hosts DXLab, that's likely not a significant issue."

73,
Bob - W6OPO

+ AA6YQ comments below

This discussion is beyond my level of understanding. However I frequently initialize DXK before Commander.  WSJT-X is brought up automatically by my launcher. When I close WSJT-X and bring up Commander, Commander passes frequency to DXK and communicates with DXK without any problems. 

Works Ed because you are not running DXLab's apps from a protected directory like Program Files or Program Files (x86).  Using DXLab's Launcher and installing the programs in the default directory avoids all this.

73,
Bob - W6OPO

 + AA6YQ comments below

This discussion is beyond my level of understanding. However I frequently initialize DXK before Commander.  WSJT-X is brought up automatically by my launcher. When I close WSJT-X and bring up Commander, Commander passes frequency to DXK and communicates with DXK without any problems. 

+ The 8 DXLab applications are designed so that they can be started in any order, and will still succeed at identifying each other's presence and interoperating without operator intervention. I made this claim during a presentation to the Northern California DX Club last night. After the presentation, Bob W6OPO reported that on his system, DXKeeper and Commander only interoperated  if Commander was started first. I requested an errorlog.txt file, which showed that on his system, when DXKeeper was started first, it never received the "I'm alive" message from Commander. That's because Bob had 7 of his 8 DXLab applications configured to run with Administrator privileges -- required because he has them installed in a folder that Windows considers "protected", but did not have Commander configured to run with Administrator privileges. The security policy implemented on Windows means that a message sent by an application without Administrator privileges can't be delivered to an application with Administrator privileges; this is why Commander's "I'm alive" message was not delivered to DXKeeper. Starting Commander with Administrator privileges.

+ Installing the Launcher and its applications in a folder that Windows doesn't consider "protected" - like the default c:\DXLab - means that no DXLab applications need Administrator privileges in order to interoperate with their peers.

+ Note that the "you can start them in any order" property may not apply to non-DXLab applications that interoperate with DXLab applications.

      73,

             Dave, AA6YQ

 

 

Dave and Bob,