"Require admin rights" option for Windows exes #341

Lilianne-Blaze · 2024-01-07T03:30:12Z

Probably needs some more testing just in case, works on three Win 10/11 machines here

Closes #340

lukaszlenart · 2024-01-07T09:13:09Z

src/main/java/com/akathist/maven/plugins/launch4j/FileUtils.java

+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+
+public class FileUtils {


If you want to. It's a bag for copy-paste funcs anyway.

lukaszlenart · 2024-01-07T09:18:00Z

src/main/java/com/akathist/maven/plugins/launch4j/Launch4jMojo.java

+    // intentionally non-static non-final so it can be hacked with reflection if someone really needs to
+    private String DEF_REQADMMAN_RES = "META-INF/resources/manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml";
+
+    // intentionally non-static non-final so it can be hacked with reflection if someone really needs to
+    private String DEF_REQADMMAN_FILE = "target/manifest-requireAdminRights.xml";


Why not to make them parameters with default values? Users can set them via pom.xml without a need to hack via reflection.

And should this point to target/classes? In other case the file won't be included in the final JAR.

If you want to, but if a user needs to change it they can just use "manifest" parameter and get exactly same functionality?
I was thinking more about an ability to quickly patch it in a subclass in case there are some compatibility issues with that particular manifest. It works and I used it many times before, but I can't say I'm 100% certain it's fully compliant with whatever Microsoft intended.

Doesn't matter, it's for system's use, not the program's. Would /target/classes/META-INF be ok?

I think this will be a better place

lukaszlenart · 2024-01-07T09:22:49Z

src/main/java/com/akathist/maven/plugins/launch4j/Launch4jMojo.java

+                File manFile = new File(basedir, DEF_REQADMMAN_FILE);
+                byte[] manBytes = FileUtils.readResourceAsBytes(DEF_REQADMMAN_RES);
+
+                FileUtils.writeBytesIfDiff(manFile, manBytes);


Why not to always overwrite the file?

No point in touching it if it's already there and correct

lukaszlenart · 2024-01-15T05:41:14Z

conflict

Lilianne-Blaze · 2024-01-15T05:56:32Z

conflict

Done

lukaszlenart · 2024-01-15T06:01:21Z

src/main/java/com/akathist/maven/plugins/launch4j/Launch4jMojo.java

@@ -78,6 +79,12 @@ public class Launch4jMojo extends AbstractMojo {
    @Parameter(defaultValue = "net.sf.launch4j", required = true)
    private String launch4jGroupId;

+    // intentionally non-static non-final so it can be hacked with reflection if someone really needs to
+    private String DEF_REQADMMAN_RES = "META-INF/resources/manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml";


I probably still missing something here. Maven automatically process anything from src/main/resources into target/classes. So if there is src/main/resources/META-INF/manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml it will be automatically copied into target/classes/META-INF/manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml - this is controlled by Maven Resource Plugin.

Isn't this enough to achieve what you want?

Basically this is strictly QoL, it can be done with unmodified version by creating (or more likely copy-pasting from Google) a manifest.xml file, then setting the "manifest" param to point to that file.
This patch simply makes it a quick, newbie friendly true/false switch.

People are still asking how to use Launch4j to require admin even though it's easy to find - with this you can add "we officially support admin mode now" in a big juicy letters in the version history.

That's why I included the warnings "make sure this is what you want, write your own if you can", that file can specify half a dozen other options I won't pretend to understand fully. Something about DPI with high resolutions for example.
The file itself doesn't have to be included in the resulting exe-jar at all, it is merged as Windows resources, along with .ico file and configuration strings for Launch4j "head" part.

The relevant part is this:
https://github.com/mirror/launch4j/blob/c48081b48b4483663395e5736ed310904a611cc2/src/net/sf/launch4j/RcBuilder.java#L352

Other than that it's normally passed transparently by Launch4j plugin to Launch4j core to windres.exe" called by Launch4j core.

Yet I cannot understand why a custom copy/paste operation is needed as this is already supported by the plugin.

Another thing if this doesn't have to be included in the final JAR and only integrated in the final exe file I would store the file in src/etc and do not copy it to other place. The manifest parameter should point to the file and that's all.

I'm not sure changing anything in /src would be a good idea (with the exception of plugins such as code formatters etc)
If I'm understanding you correctly then

when the param is set to true, the manifest would be created somewhere in /src , an user that just wants it to work would have to idea why that file suddenly appeared and what to think about it. And their Git would propose to commit it which makes no sense.

when it's switched back to false, that file would needlessly remain there, again possibly creating confusion.
2a) or it could get deleted, but deleting stuff from /src by a plugin seems even worse than adding.

worse, if a user decided to customize it, their changes would be overwriten on next build.

I think, considering the above, that would defeat the "on/off, just works" idea.

But maybe just create it in %temp% ?
Leaving it in /META-INF seems reasonable but then it could confuse users when they try to delete it from a resulting exe-jar using 7z or another ZIP software, and then don't understand why the exe still asks for admin.

Wait, but this is the plugin and not a user's project. So you need a way to distribute the manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml file with the plugin so it must be integrated into plugin's JAR. Then in mojo there must be a logic to read the file from resources via getClass().getResource("manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml") and copy into a folder (can be %temp) while preparing the exe file.

Now I'm getting confused

1 Right now it's in here
launch4j-maven-plugin\src\main\resources\META-INF\resources\manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml

2 When plugin gets built it gets copied to here
launch4j-maven-plugin\target\classes\META-INF\resources\manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml

3 And packed here
launch4j-maven-plugin-2.4.1-test.jar\META-INF\resources\manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml

4 When user project is built it gets copied (if needed) here
demo-project\target\classes\META-INF\manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml

5 Then packed here
demo.jar\META-INF\manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml

6 Then linked to exe-jar from demo-project\target\classes\META-INF\manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml

Which step(s) exactly would you like to change and how?

Ah, right I got tricked by too many resources in the path :D

Lilianne-Blaze added 3 commits January 7, 2024 04:07

Added requireAdminRights parameter

a43a73a

Create manifest-requireAdminRights-v1.xml

50143dc

Update Launch4jMojo.java, create FileUtils.java

b19fa74

Lilianne-Blaze mentioned this pull request Jan 7, 2024

Please add "require admin" option (patch included) #340

Closed

Update Launch4jMojoTest.java

1723c37

lukaszlenart reviewed Jan 7, 2024

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Lilianne-Blaze added 2 commits January 7, 2024 11:29

Small changes

344683a

Update Launch4jMojo.java

f8a8c1c

Merge branch 'master' into patch3-require-admin1

39b20ec

lukaszlenart reviewed Jan 15, 2024

View reviewed changes

lukaszlenart approved these changes Jan 15, 2024

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lukaszlenart merged commit c3a9f46 into orphan-oss:master Jan 15, 2024
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"Require admin rights" option for Windows exes #341

"Require admin rights" option for Windows exes #341

Lilianne-Blaze commented Jan 7, 2024 •

edited by lukaszlenart

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"Require admin rights" option for Windows exes #341

"Require admin rights" option for Windows exes #341

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Lilianne-Blaze commented Jan 7, 2024 • edited by lukaszlenart Loading

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lukaszlenart commented Jan 15, 2024

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Lilianne-Blaze commented Jan 7, 2024 •

edited by lukaszlenart

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