1.0 Release Candidate 1: Bug Reporting

[ScottW]

Thanks Squibler, I have already fixed this in the latest build (not online yet)...

Here is the current "done" list...

+ When quitting the application a active remote control session is disconnected
+ Changed body field format for the question form
+ Added a Copy to Clipboard feature for Remote Sharing settings
+ Added Three Test Buttons Under Settings for Troubleshooting Connections
- Internet/Account Test checks for port 80 connection and account verification
- SSH Test checks that the application can use SSH and that Port 22 is open for outbound connections
- Remote Test checks that OSXvnc is installed or in the case of 10.3 users, it defaults to look in the /Applications folder
- Added Connection Timeouts which caused the application lock up if not connected to the internet

[av_man]

Running 10.3.9 on a G4 iBook behind a university firewall, it fails the Internet & Account test "Failed port 80 blocked". As far as I know, the proxy only allows traffic on port 80, so I'm not sure about that. Probably a problem at my end.

Also, when I try to test remote sharing it gives me the error "Path OSXvnc is not defined". I've attached a screenshot of the error box. OSXvnc is definitely in my apps folder and definitely works because I use it all the time.

Anyway, everything else that doesn't work is because of our proxy. Overall I'd say it's a great app. I can't wait till I can use all the features .

[ged3000]

Its pretty minor, but in the application menu, the application is reffered to as 'Help.app' - should that just read Help?

(OS X 10.3.9)

[JFG]

Hello,

I discovered your service today and posted my first request with your good-looking Help.app. In the process I discovered a bug, so here is how to reproduce it.

My question (submitted on the site as #13145) contained the following paragraph:
"Secondly - I tried the "Slideshow" option from the Finder context menu (when you select one or more pictures). All I get is a black screen..."

Help.app displayed the following error:
AppleScript Error
sh: -c: line 14: syntax error near unexpected token '('
etc.

I figured there was a problem with double quotes or parentheses, so I submitted a test question that read:
"Hello"
Now, can the application send the above paragraph without error?

This worked and was submitted as question #13180 (closed within 2 minutes, that's impressive support performance!)

I changed the test phrase by omitting a quote:
"Hello
Now, can the application send the above paragraph without error?

Sure enough, the error came, a slightly different one:
AppleScript Error
curl: no URL specified!
curl: try 'curl --help' for more information
sh: line 2: Now,: command not found
etc.

What if I move the quote and add a parenthesis to the game?
Hello" (
Now, can the application send the above paragraph without error?

At that stage, the error revealed the underlying script syntax (see picture attached), which is a bad idea as it gives crackers an avenue to exploit.

So, before someone crafts a malevolent question, try to escape double-quotes in the question text before passing it to curl. Or better yet: don't use curl through a shell but call it from the handy Objective-C wrapper called CURLHandle, available from http://curlhandle.sourceforge.net/. Use the setPostDictionary method to populate your fields with user-provided text. Unbelievable as this may be, Apple does not provide an easy way to build a POST HTTP request in their WebKit or "URL Loading System" frameworks. If you need something more sophisticated, you can use OmniWeb's excellent OWF framework, available from http://www.omnigroup.com/developer/sourcecode/.

Hope this helps,

JFG

[ScottW]

Thanks... we will look into this error and get it fixed.

Originally Posted by JFG

Hello,

I discovered your service today and posted my first request with your good-looking Help.app. In the process I discovered a bug, so here is how to reproduce it.

My question (submitted on the site as #13145) contained the following paragraph:
"Secondly - I tried the "Slideshow" option from the Finder context menu (when you select one or more pictures). All I get is a black screen..."

Help.app displayed the following error:
AppleScript Error
sh: -c: line 14: syntax error near unexpected token '('
etc.

I figured there was a problem with double quotes or parentheses, so I submitted a test question that read:
"Hello"
Now, can the application send the above paragraph without error?

This worked and was submitted as question #13180 (closed within 2 minutes, that's impressive support performance!)

I changed the test phrase by omitting a quote:
"Hello
Now, can the application send the above paragraph without error?

Sure enough, the error came, a slightly different one:
AppleScript Error
curl: no URL specified!
curl: try 'curl --help' for more information
sh: line 2: Now,: command not found
etc.

What if I move the quote and add a parenthesis to the game?
Hello" (
Now, can the application send the above paragraph without error?

At that stage, the error revealed the underlying script syntax (see picture attached), which is a bad idea as it gives crackers an avenue to exploit.

So, before someone crafts a malevolent question, try to escape double-quotes in the question text before passing it to curl. Or better yet: don't use curl through a shell but call it from the handy Objective-C wrapper called CURLHandle, available from http://curlhandle.sourceforge.net/. Use the setPostDictionary method to populate your fields with user-provided text. Unbelievable as this may be, Apple does not provide an easy way to build a POST HTTP request in their WebKit or "URL Loading System" frameworks. If you need something more sophisticated, you can use OmniWeb's excellent OWF framework, available from http://www.omnigroup.com/developer/sourcecode/.

Hope this helps,

JFG

[cgreer]

I down loaded your file and transferred the help app to my applications folder. When I tried to run the application to set up my system profile, the application attempts to start up but never completes the startup. I see the icon appear on the dock but it then drops off. iMac G3 with OS 10.2.8. Don't know what to do.

[Numbers1820]

Downloaded and installed the Help.app over the Thanksgiving weekend. Ran into some problems - three, exactly:

1. When I tried to submit a ticket, I got this response:

curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'of'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'the'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'screen.'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'The'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'banding'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'consists'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'of'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'multi-colored'
curl: (6) Couldn't resolve host 'strips.'
sh: -c: line 6: syntax error near unexpected token `('
sh: -c: line 6: `Eventually, the banding takes over the entire screen, the screen brightness increases to the point that anything becomes unreadable, and the responsiveness of the system itself becomes very sluggish (e.g., very slow or no response to trackpad input).' (2)

This seems to be similar to the post by another a few posts before mine, but I didn't use any quotes. I'm also not technically inclined enough to have followed his argument much. Sorry.

The question remains, however, why I couldn't post my ticket.

FYI, here's the complete text that I tried to post:

I'm asking this on behalf of my wife - iBook G3 600 MHz, 10 GB HDD, 256 MB RAM, 10.3.8

This problem appeared suddenly:
Upon bootup, the screen is very dark. Startup chime sounds okay. The screen very gradually grows brighter about the time that the login window appears (automatic login is shut off). However, either horizontal or vertical banding or both appears across the screen. Sometimes the banding is widely distributed, sometimes across only 2-3" of the screen. The banding consists of multi-colored strips.

Eventually, the banding takes over the entire screen, the screen brightness increases to the point that anything becomes unreadable, and the responsiveness of the system itself becomes very sluggish (e.g., very slow or no response to trackpad input).

I have cold-rebooted (shut down, waited about 30 seconds, rebooted), pressed the reset button, etc. several times. No change. Sometimes the banding, brightness and sluggishness become unbearable about the login sequence, sometimes after a minute or two of use. But it always happens.

I have also run the OS 9 versions of TechTool Pro and Disk Doctor and found no problems whatsoever.

BTW, the screen looks just fine when running TechTool Pro and Disk Doctor. This would suggest to me that the problem is not the video hardware, but something in the OS. I'm curious - beyond the fix that you might recommend (e.g., an archive and install), what in the world would cause this?

(BTW, I have since determined that it is in fact most likely a hardware issue (dead screen and/or motherboard components) because the utility disks no longer seem to work at all, either.)

2. When I attempted to check on my ticket status (refresh listing), I got this error message:

AppleScript Error
The variable dataSource is not defined. (-2753)

Is this a result of my ticket never having been posted? If so, it's not too user-friendly, IMHO. Or have I stumbled on a genuine bug (not so much unexpected, but inappropriate behavior)?

3. I have a question about the Remote tab, esp. the Start Screen Sharing button - when do I do this step? I did attempt to Start Screen Sharing, I get this error message:

AppleScript Error
The variable remoteData is not defined. (-2753)

BTW, on the Settings tab, my username and password are correctly entered, the default port is selected, and all three tests (Internet & Account; SSH Connectivity; Remote Sharing) passed.

Thanks in advance,

Brad

[sas_geek]

ok, so I'm confused. Where do you click upgrade in the app?