the modmanager... - by denton1985
Ryu Connor on 3/12/2006 at 16:04
Speaking of the mod manager.
Is any development still being done on it?
The thing requires Admin priviledges to run. Unless there's some underlying reason why it has to have access to HKLM, seems to me it could be adjusted to work under a user account and HKCU.
Kolya on 3/12/2006 at 22:12
I guess it accesses HKLM to find out where your SS2 installation is.
I'm sometimes working on an NSIS installer for SS2MM that will do some additional tricks. But there's no development on the app itself atm.
If you know Delphi feel free to be the one. The source code is available.
Hemebond on 4/12/2006 at 06:53
Quote Posted by Kolya
I guess it accesses HKLM to find out where your SS2 installation is.
You have to point it to your SS2 executable to install it.
The required admin privileges are the sole reason I don't use it. That, and it starts putting files in the root directory of every drive it can.
Kolya on 4/12/2006 at 14:45
It finds my SS2 installation located at C:/games/sshock2/
Anyway, I'll remember this and avoid accessing HKLM with the new installer. Although personally I don't see what's the big deal with installing SS2MM from an admin account. If that's the only reason you don't use it then that's just you Heme.
The ss2mm.log that appears in the root folder gets created by the application during startup and there's nothing I can do about it. It's a rather harmless bug afaic.
Ryu Connor on 4/12/2006 at 21:27
I know how it might sound, but what Hemebond mentions is basically the same case for me. When I discovered the program couldn't install or operate properly (probably because the install failed) under a Limited User Account (LUA) I just ditched it.
I was not aware the source is available, not that I know how to program, much less own the tool set to compile. :)
I'm not opposed to running things from Admin. Hell, SS2 has to be run as Admin otherwise the CD Check and the Movies fail to run (course if someone has a solution for that I'm all ears). While Irrational should have made it more LUA friendly (the guidelines are older than SS2) I'm not exactly surprised that it's not. It's a not uncommon thing to see for older applications.
Times are changing. The leading cause of malware and virus propogation is not a particular application, but the fact that every damn Windows user in the world is running with Admin priviledges.
Once malware has that, the sky is the limit for the damage it can do. *nix users always tout to not run as Root. Windows users should heed that advice.
Most complain that a LUA is too hard because some applications don't work right. That of course brings us back to where we are now in this discussion. An application who doesn't adhere to the guidelines.
(
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnlong/html/AccProtVista.asp)
Kolya on 5/12/2006 at 02:18
I made a note on the SS2MM page about the install to be made from an admin account.
Let me say this: Zombe wrote this program for free. It has saved me and hundreds of other gamers a lot of time. If people ditch it or refuse to use it because the installation needs an admin account like many commercial programs you use everyday need one too, I personally think they are overreacting.
I do realise that an installer working under a LUA would be better. But nothing gets done by posting Microsoft guidelines.
Ryu Connor on 5/12/2006 at 03:52
Quote:
If people ditch it or refuse to use it because the installation needs an admin account like many commercial programs you use everyday need one too
There are always alternatives, you may be surprised by the number of applications that work under LUA. In this case the alternative is to mod the old fashion way.
I sort of figured my post would be read as an affront to the effort put into the mod manager.
It's not an attack, just a point of view. Life will go on and things will go unchanged.
Hemebond on 5/12/2006 at 09:45
Quote Posted by Ryu Connor
Hell, SS2 has to be run as Admin otherwise the CD Check and the Movies fail to run (course if someone has a solution for that I'm all ears).
No-CD crack. I have one if you want it. Anyone who thinks it's naughty to use one can get stuffed. Preventing me from running a game I bought is bullshit.
Quote Posted by Kolya
If people ditch it or refuse to use it because the installation needs an admin account like many commercial programs you use everyday need one too, I personally think they are overreacting.
I have no problem requiring admin privileges to install an application. That's how it should be. What I have a problem with, is the fact that SS2MM doesn't seem to
run without admin privileges.
Assidragon on 5/12/2006 at 13:34
Quote Posted by Hemebond
No-CD crack. I have one if you want it. Anyone who thinks it's naughty to use one can get stuffed. Preventing me from running a game I bought is bullshit.
Hey hey hey, you are just violating the ...well established, logical and completely coherent... :rolleyes: rules of the board though.
Quote Posted by Hemebond
I have no problem requiring admin privileges to install an application. That's how it should be. What I have a problem with, is the fact that SS2MM doesn't seem to
run without admin privileges.
Bear in mind neither did SS2 run without a third-party hack. And actually I don't mind at all. Windows in non-administrator mode is more painful than actually using in admin and having to watch out for intrusion attempts of any sort.
Ryu Connor on 5/12/2006 at 17:46
Quote:
Windows in non-administrator mode is more painful than actually using in admin and having to watch out for intrusion attempts of any sort.
The cost of security is effort.
There is a learning curve, but once you're over that hump, it's pretty effortless. Vista's UAC gives about the same level of challenge.
