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Network access Overview

WHDLoad is able to use a network access to check if there exists a newer version of WHDLoad and the Slave file specified. All network activity is done using the HTTP-protocol. The global option Proxy/S can be used to route all network traffic through a proxy server. To access a proxy which requires authentication a user/password can specified using the Proxy/S option. WHDLoad only supports the basic authentication type.
If no network access by WHDLoad is wished, all network activity can be disabled using the NoNetwork/S global option.

WHDLoad and Slave update check

Using an request to the WHDLoad website it will be checked if a newer version of WHDLoad or the installed program (Slave) has been already released.
The check is only performed if the splash window is opened because the result information is displayed there.

For the WHDLoad update check the version number from the used WHDLoad will be sent. If a newer WHDLoad release exists the splash window will show the version number and the release date of the most actual WHDLoad release. Additional an 'Update WHDLoad' button is added to the splash window. If you have installed the openurl.library pressing the button will open your configured web browser pointing to the WHDLoad home page. If no openurl.library is available a requester is shown with the URL of the WHDLoad home page. If the option Expert/S is set the update check will also inform about new beta releases of WHDLoad.

To perform the Slave update check WHDLoad calculates the SHA-256 digest of the Slave file which is sent to the WHDLoad web site. There is a database of all released Slave files. If a newer Install/Slave exists the splash window will show the release date of the most actual Install release. Additional an 'Update Slave' button is added to the splash window. If you have installed the openurl.library pressing the button will open your configured web browser pointing to the WHDLoad page of that install. If no openurl.library is available a requester is shown with the URL of the WHDLoad install page.

If a newer WHDLoad or Slave exists an extra 'Start' button is added to the splash window and the window will not close automatically to place the emphasis on the update possibility. The window can be closed as usual using the mouse, Space, Return or Esc.

If openurl.library is used and the 'Update' button is pressed WHDLoad will try to reenable the IP-stack by performing the ExecuteCleanup/K command, because usually the IP-stack got disabled previously by the ExecuteStartup/K command. This may fail if there is not enough free memory as the start of the web browser because Preload/S has occupied most of the memory. So in low memory situation the 'Update' button may not be usable.


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