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Wireshark-dev: Re: [Wireshark-dev] U3 questions/remarks

From: Ulf Lamping <ulf.lamping@xxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:20:34 +0100
Guy Harris wrote:
Maynard, Chris wrote:
Just one comment about the name:  Personally, I prefer the version as
part of the program name, not just for U3, but I would prefer it for all
installs actually.

I would strongly prefer it *NOT* be part of the file name (i.e., *NOT* part of the last component of the path name), at least on UN*X, as I tend to run Wireshark from the command line.

If that's not what "part of the program name" means (i.e., if it's still "wireshark" on UN*X), that's OK.

I'd be willing to put up with it being part of the file name if it's Windows-only, although there might be Windows users who would find that inconvenient - especially for tshark users, as tshark is *intended* to be run from the command line or in a script. Scripts are another place where the program has to be invokable with the same name from release to release.
Missunderstanding. This is about how the name is displayed on the screen (especially the U3 Launchpad - you might remember the subject), not about the real file name to start the program. The file name will remain wireshark.exe.

To Chris: Spreading the version number all over the GUI is NOT recommended by ALL Human Interface Guidelines I know of (GNOME, KDE, Win32). Being the only U3 program that displays the version in the U3 Launchpad (BTW: this is somewhat "similiar" to the Windows StartMenu), makes me think if it's a good idea.

Reading the version number over and over again from the places you've mentioned is really a dump way to handle this. I would recommend to can get that version number from the uninstall registry setting: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Wireshark\DisplayVersion

AFAIK, if you have the required rights, you could even read these registry info remotely. I've never done that myself, so can't give you more help on this.

BTW: One of the next releases will hopefully contain an automatic updater, so if a new version is available it will ask you if you want to install it (like Firefox does it already today). If that's available, you don't even need to check the versions manually.

Regards, ULFL