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Wireshark-dev: Re: [Wireshark-dev] Adding install target to Makefile.nmake

From: "John Dill" <John.Dill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:44:15 -0500
>Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 16:12:09 +0000
> From: Graham Bloice <graham.bloice@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Developer support list for Wireshark <wireshark-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Wireshark-dev] Adding install target to Makefile.nmake
>         for     plugins
> Message-ID:
>         <CALcKHKottGppUR_v5U5JqA_d2d7ovooPr1Co_Ba0=uB3rEsYbw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> On 13 November 2013 16:01, John Dill <John.Dill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >
> > I added an install target for my protocol dissector plugin nmake file.
> >  Simplifies the tedious step of copying it to the Wireshark/plugins folder
> > during development and test.  Here's the snippets that I added.
> >
> >
> >
> The nmake build already copies all needed files to a directory so that the
> build artifacts can be run for testing.  The directory is set in
> config.nmake as INSTALL_DIR.  Is there a reason why that directory isn't
> suitable for your tests, it's always sufficed for mine?

Probably because I didn't come across README.plugins yet... :-O

I have the plugin built, but I noticed it wasn't automatically copied to the wireshark-gtk2/plugins folder.  I have a regular Wireshark installation on my computer that I also use to test the plugin, so I put something in the Makefile.nmake for testing.

The plugin I'm working on isn't intended to be distributed with an official release of Wireshark (application layer protocol containing confidential information).  So as a standalone plugin, I don't know if it's appropriate to integrate it into the wireshark build process in section 3.2.  It's also unclear whether the custom extension option in 3.1 to build a custom installer is the easiest method to refresh the dll in the plugins folder during heavy development.  However, creating an installer package that lumps in the plugin would be convenient for final distribution.

Currently, the Makefile.nmake is all that is needed to build the DLL in the plugin folder, but has no option to install it to either wireshark-gtk2/plugins/1.10.x without integrating it into the whole Wireshark build process.  Typically, I make changes in the plugin source, rebuild just the plugin, and manually copy the dll to the appropriate plugin subdirectory.

If you're only building a plugin, what is the recommended method to refresh a single plugin dll for testing?  I don't believe that using section 3.1 in this scenario is convenient at all, while 3.2 is a possibility but it's technically not a "permanent" plugin to be distributed with mainstream Wireshark.

At the very least, I should try to use the variables defined in config.nmake and not overlap with any of its defined variables like INSTALL_DIR in my plugin nmakefile.  Thanks for any feedback.

Best regards,
John D.

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