If you are using Window Defender Antivirus (Windows 10), update it to its latest malware definition in

<https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/definitions>

before installing or upgrading to DXLab Launcher version 2.2.5.


It's only been a few days since the DXLab Launcher was last updated, but here's a reminder anyway: when you direct the Launcher to
update itself, it downloads the new version, and then displays a small window informing you that it is about to terminate.

You must click the OK button in this small window to complete the update. The running version of the Launcher will terminate, and
then version 2.2.5 will automatically start


This release

- enables the Command Lines for non-DXLab apps to specify .bat, .lnk, and .vxe files on the Configuration window's " Apps Started
Before DXLab Apps" and "Apps Started After DXLab Apps" tabs

- make Command Lines on the Configuration window's " Apps Started Before DXLab Apps" and "Apps Started After DXLab Apps" tabs case
insensitive

- enables "Apps Started Before DXLab Apps" and "Apps Started After DXLab Apps" to be terminated in one of 3 ways:

--- Close: by directing Windows to send a Close message to the running app with the specified Main Window Caption

--- Kill: by directing Windows to terminate the application's process using the Windows Taskkill command

--- ForceKill: by directing Windows to terminate the application's process using the Windows Taskkill command with its Force option
enabled

- provides the option of not terminating non-DXLab applications that you wish to have the Launcher start, but that automatically
terminate when a particular DXLab application terminates - like SpotSpy - or that can't be terminated because they were started by a
.bat file.

- updates the Configuration.htm and ControllingApplications.htm documentation files, and adds the MainWindowCaption.bmp and
TerminationByClose.bmp documentation files



Notes

1. Thanks to Dave W6DE, Juergen DL8LE, Bruce K5WBM, Curt VE3ZN, Peter N5UWY, Joe W4TV, and Don AD0K for their encouragement and help
with this new version of the Launcher

2. The Launcher's improved ability to terminate non-DXLab applications is documented here:

https://www.dxlabsuite.com/Launcher/Help/ControllingApplications.htm#Order_of_Application_Start-up_and_Termination

3. If you've been specifying .bat files to start non-DXLab applications that require command line arguments and want to exploit
Launcher 2.2.5's ability to also terminate those applications, then change the "Command Lines" for those applications to specify the
required arguments; otherwise, you can continue to specify .bat files.

4. Update your firewall and anti-malware applications to consider this new version of the Launcher to be "safe"

Virus total: 68 of 69 engines detected no malware

Jotti: 14 of 14 engines detected no malware

Microsoft Security Intelligence: no malware

5. If this upgrade doesn't work correctly, see the "After an Upgrade" section of
<http://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/ApplicationStoppedWorking>

6. After upgrading, to revert to the previous version of the Launcher, see
<http://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/RevertApplicationVersion>


DXLab Launcher 2.2.5 is available via the DXLab Launcher and via

<http://www.dxlabsuite.com/download.htm>

73,

Dave, AA6YQ

Hi Dave,
With 2.2.5 for launching what I use plus WSJT-x and JTA it works fine.
However terminating is not good. I get two different Launcher popups 11 times.
"No main window is specified for WSJTX" and "No main window is specified for startJTA".
Both WSJT-X and JTAlert start after DXLab apps, JTA using a bat file.
Will investigate more after the FT4 contest tomorrow.
73
Tony G4CJC

I'm seeing similar behavior as Tony.

Dale, AA1QD

Now that DXLauncher can pass command line switches, can you start JTAlert without using a bat file?

Also I'm running WSJT-X v2.6.1 but Launcher says it's v2.6.0. 
 T. G4CJC

can you start JTAlert without using a bat file?

Yes. Command line =
"C:\Ham Programs\JTAlert.exe /wsjtx"
(or whatever your path to JTAlert.exe happens to be).

73,

... Joe, W4TV


On 3/31/2023 10:04 AM, Bruce - K5WBM wrote:

Now that DXLauncher can pass command line switches, can you start JTAlert without using a bat file?
Bruce McLain - K5WBM
bruce.mclain@...
On Mar 31, 2023, at 8:22 AM, Tony Dixon G4CJC <tdxio@...> wrote:
Hi Dave,
With 2.2.5 for launching what I use plus WSJT-x and JTA it works fine.
However terminating is not good. I get two different Launcher popups 11 times.
"No main window is specified for WSJTX" and "No main window is specified for startJTA".
Both WSJT-X and JTAlert start after DXLab apps, JTA using a bat file.
Will investigate more after the FT4 contest tomorrow.
73
Tony G4CJC

Use "Force Kill" as the termination method for WSJTX and JT Alert.

That will avoid issues with the window caption - particularly since
the window caption in JTAlert is constantly changing.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

Nothing as far as I know. I don't see any indication of damage
to my ALL.txt

73,

... Joe, W4TV

Version 2.2.2 did a better job of terminating my non-DX apps.   This version has a succession of error messages.

Don
WB6BEE

Use "Force Kill" as the termination method for WSJTX and JT Alert.

NOT recommended for JTAlert. If JTAlert is killed it does not perform its normal shutdown which closes all open files, writes any settings changes to the config file AND properly closes any open sqlite database files. There is a good chance that sqlite databases can become corrupted if not closed properly. The JTAlert config file is an sqlite database file.

JTAlert recognizes standard windows messages for closing processes. The "Force-Kill" should not be used.

de Laurie VK3AMA
(JTAlert author)

At least in my case, neither WSJTX nor JTAlert respond to the Windows Taskkill command. Both have issues with Window captions - JTAlert
has a non static title and WSJTX has embedded spaces (or non-printing
characters) - that prevent Launcher from using the "Close" command.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

+ AA6YQ comments below

I'm seeing similar behavior as Tony.

+ Please see

https://groups.io/g/DXLab/message/214352

73,

Dave, AA6YQ

+ AA6YQ comments below

Also I'm running WSJT-X v2.6.1 but Launcher says it's v2.6.0.

+ For non-DXLab applications, the Launcher determines their version by invoking the Windows Scripting Host's "Get File Version" function; the Windows Scripting Host is a component of Windows. If the "Get File Version" function is reporting an incorrect version number for an application, that's because that application has not correctly specified it.

73,

Dave, AA6YQ

The Launcher can terminate WSJT-X using the Close method if you carefully specify its Main Window Caption. This is described and illustrated here:

https://www.dxlabsuite.com/Launcher/Help/ControllingApplications.htm#Terminating_non-DXLab_applications

Specify WSJT-X as an application to be started after your DXLab applications are started (and thus before your DXLab applications are terminated). Doing so will prevent WSJT-X from reporting a "rig control error".

73,

Dave, AA6YQ

On 3/31/2023 4:13 PM, Dave AA6YQ wrote:

The Launcher can terminate WSJT-X using the Close method if you carefully specify its Main Window Caption

OK, how many spaces are between "WSJT-X" and "v2.6.1" as well as between
"2.6.1" and "by"? Are there any trailing spaces and if so, how many?

I have not been able to find the magic formula <G> nor have I been able
to copy and paste.

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 3/31/2023 4:13 PM, Dave AA6YQ wrote:

The Launcher can terminate WSJT-X using the Close method if you carefully specify its Main Window Caption. This is described and illustrated here:
https://www.dxlabsuite.com/Launcher/Help/ControllingApplications.htm#Terminating_non-DXLab_applications
Specify WSJT-X as an application to be started after your DXLab applications are started (and thus before your DXLab applications are terminated). Doing so will prevent WSJT-X from reporting a "rig control error".
73,
Dave, AA6YQ

OK, how many spaces are between "WSJT-X" and "v2.6.1" as well as
between "2.6.1" and "by"? Are there any trailing spaces and if so,
how many?

I found the "magic sauce" ... 3 and 3 with no trailing spaces.

That still leaves JT Alert with its variable Window Caption (shows
current band, mode, logger and radio number) unable to be closed
automatically without "Force Kill".

73,

... Joe, W4TV

On 3/31/2023 4:43 PM, Joe Subich, W4TV wrote:

On 3/31/2023 4:13 PM, Dave AA6YQ wrote:

The Launcher can terminate WSJT-X using the Close method if you carefully specify its Main Window Caption

OK, how many spaces are between "WSJT-X" and "v2.6.1" as well as between
"2.6.1" and "by"?  Are there any trailing spaces and if so, how many?
I have not been able to find the magic formula <G> nor have I been able
to copy and paste.
73,
   ... Joe, W4TV
On 3/31/2023 4:13 PM, Dave AA6YQ wrote:

The Launcher can terminate WSJT-X using the Close method if you carefully specify its Main Window Caption. This is described and illustrated here:

https://www.dxlabsuite.com/Launcher/Help/ControllingApplications.htm#Terminating_non-DXLab_applications

Specify WSJT-X as an application to be started after your DXLab applications are started (and thus before your DXLab applications are terminated). Doing so will prevent WSJT-X from reporting a "rig control error".

      73,

            Dave, AA6YQ

+ AA6YQ comments below

OK, how many spaces are between "WSJT-X" and "v2.6.1" as well as between
"2.6.1" and "by"? Are there any trailing spaces and if so, how many?

I have not been able to find the magic formula <G> nor have I been able
to copy and paste.

+ As stated in the documentation

https://www.dxlabsuite.com/Launcher/Help/ControllingApplications.htm#Terminating_non-DXLab_applications

+ "To terminate WSJT-X using the Close method, for example, note that the WSJT-X Main window's caption has three spaces between the words "WSJT-X" and "v2.6.0" and three spaces between the words "v2.6.0" and "by". 

     73,

          Dave, AA6YQ

+ AA6YQ comments below

Version 2.2.2 did a better job of terminating my non-DX apps. This version has a succession of error messages.

+ Please see

https://groups.io/g/DXLab/message/214352

73,

Dave, AA6YQ

Sorry I was not clear.  Here's what's happening to me - I have had WSJT-X set to start after DXlab apps in Launcher and it has been fine with older versions of Launcher.  After I installed version  2.2.5 I decided it would be nice to let Launcher shut down WSJT-X as well.  I added the WSJT-X Main Title Caption to the configuration and selected Close to shut it down. (All in the Apps Started After DX Lads Apps).

Now when I Terminate DXL with Launcher after answering YES to the Terminate All Applications popup, Launcher properly closes WSJT-X but then as Launcher proceeds to terminate the running DXL apps I get repeated pop ups saying Launcher can't find the Window to to terminate WSJT-X.  Which, of course, it can't because it already closed it.  I have to click OK in that popup for Launcher to continue to shutdown the DXL apps. It pops up sevral times as Launcher proceeds to close the apps and each time I must click OK for the shutdown to continue.

Dale