Licensed JoyToKey and Hyperlaunch HQ

[Faahrev]

I got myself a registred version of Joy2Key.

My problem is that every time I try to set up a system with HLHQ the key (which sits in the joytokey.ini) isn't copied as well.

The newly created profile opens with the 'free' version of joytokey.

JoyToKey profiles are kept in the profiles directory as it should be (created by HLHQ)

I can only assume that with the creation of a new system- emu- or game profile, the joytokey.ini is created from scratch.

Is there a way that the 'orginal' joytokey.ini can be used when creating a new profile (other than copying it manually to the newly created directory)?

Or is there a template in the LIB folder I can alter?

[brolly]

I don't have a licensed Joy2Key so need you to do a more detailed explanation of what exactly is the problem.

Afaik license info is stored in the License section of a file named JoyToKey.ini which resides in the same folder as JoyToKey.exe.

When you create a profile through HLHQ the only thing that's created is the *.cfg file in the respective profiles folder. No JoyToKey.ini is created at all, this file will always reside in the JoyToKey.exe folder.

Now this is where I'm not understanding the problem, you say the key isn't copied as well. What key and to where should it be copied?

The JoyToKey.ini file is unique and this is what contains the key, so please give me a better explanation so I can understand exactly what's the problem and what needs to be done.

[Faahrev]

Thanks for the quick reply.

OK.

Let me simplify my question.

Is it possible to let HLHQ copy the joytokey.ini from the ExeDir to the ConfigDir instead of doing it manually?

JoyToKey seeks the key in the ini-file (which isn't there) in the cfg directory which is used.

As you're saying; only the cfg is created (and a log file) which lets joytokey believe it's a free version.

See this logfile:

2013-10-30 00:47:50.475 Info   Starting JoyToKey Ver5.3.1
2013-10-30 00:47:50.475 Info   ExeFile = D:\HyperSpin\Hyperspin\Utilities\JoyToKey\JoyToKey.exe
2013-10-30 00:47:50.475 Info   ConfigDir = D:\HyperSpin\Hyperlaunch\Profiles\JoyToKey\Atari 7800\
2013-10-30 00:47:50.475 Info   Windows Version = 6.1
2013-10-30 00:47:50.485 Info   Loaded VistaAPI.dll (Utils\Utils.cpp#154)
2013-10-30 00:47:50.485 Info   IniFile=D:\HyperSpin\Hyperlaunch\Profiles\JoyToKey\Atari 7800\JoyToKey.ini (AppInfo.cpp#144)
2013-10-30 00:47:50.485 Info   LicenseKey "" is not valid
2013-10-30 00:47:50.515 Info   0 joysticks are detected (Joystick.cpp#102)
2013-10-30 00:47:50.515 Info   ConfigDir=D:\HyperSpin\Hyperlaunch\Profiles\JoyToKey\Atari 7800\*.cfg (ConfigFileManager.cpp#43)
2013-10-30 00:47:50.535 Info   Failed to find AppLink.dat (AppLink\AppLinkManager.cpp#32)
2013-10-30 00:47:50.555 Info   TimerInit: Initializing timer with x1 speed mode (interval = 16 msec)
2013-10-30 00:47:55.116 Info   Save config file "Atari 7800" (ConfigFileManager.cpp#407)

As you can see line 6 is the problem.

[brolly]

Wow that's just beyond stupid! So if you have 100 profiles in 100 different folders (think of 100 systems in HS each with it's unique config file) you need to have 100 JoyToKey.ini files scattered all over the place this is just silly. It makes no sense at all. Also since you'll end up with your license info written in several files (which by itself is already a basic security issue) it will be much easier for you to send this info to someone else by mistake, let's say if you want to share your profiles and forget to delete all those ini files.

Since you have a registered version can't you email the author of this and see if he can make JoyToKey always search for the ini file in the actual exe folder or if there is any way to configure this. I can't believe there's no way to disable this behavior.

And what about the rest of the ini settings, are they read from the ini file from the main folder or from the cfg folder? This would be even worse. Everything is read from the main folder on my end, so I'm actually wondering if something changed in the latest version.

[Faahrev]

From another perspective, If I would have been the author I never would have guessed that anywhere in the world there would be someone who thought up a system which uses these 100 different folders.

By default JTK uses the exe-directory for storing configs and the ini.

It seems that in the past there was a need to write the configs in another directory. Something to do with rights.

From then on where the configs reside, the ini has to be. Even without any content.

I'll email the author with the question if it is possible to configure the location of the ini.

[Polemicist]

JoyToKey programmers probably did not expect someone to want to use different configs for over a 100 different emulators. So HL used multiple folders and referenced the INI. As for security on the key it is written in plain text in that ini anyway so not secure from the get go.

[brolly]

Using 100 different locations is irrelevant, regardless of that licensing info should be centralized in a single location not scattered all over the place which is what the author is doing basically by wanting the ini file to reside in the same folder as the cfg file it's being used. This is not good.

Even if the key was encrypted that wouldn't make much difference since if you send your ini file to someone he would be able to use it anyway, unless encryption methods that used info from your actual hardware were used that is.

[Polemicist]

His license price is like $7 USD a copy and the license is not locked to anything. Doesn't even have a call home feature. So I would say he really isn't that worried about it being pirated. :-/

[Faahrev]

I received the following mail:

Hi,

Could you try to open the following folder in Explorer, and put the registered JoyToKey.ini file in that folder?

%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\JoyToKey\

Even though the config path is currently not configurable, JoyToKey.ini file is supposed to be loaded from that folder if it exists.

Please let me know how it goes.

Regards,

JTK

After doing that (copying the ini to C:\ProgramData\JoyTokey) the message that I'm using a free version indeed disappears when I'm creating a new profile.

On the other hand, the profiles created from the Hyperlaunch HQ are all named "Profile1" and are saved in the C:\ProgramData\JoyToKey folder. The _Default, Hyperspin and Hyperlauch profiles under Global also.

Except when I'm creating a emulator profile that I created (and deleted from HLHQ and the profile directory) before.

These are created in the corresponding folders in the Profile directory. Just describing what happens 'cause I have NO idea why.

I did ask the JTK author to consider a configurable config path option for JTK in a future version helping out thousands of Hyperspin users all over the world.

Can anybody explain the behaviour I described?

[brolly]

And that only started working after you moved the ini file? Maybe doing that it will screw up passing the profile full path through CLI? That's the only idea that crosses my mind because HLHQ will never create a profile named Profile1 and will never create anything in the JoyToKey folder. Also check if HLHQ isn't creating .cfg in the correct folders as well.

[Faahrev]

Euh...in order:

Yes - Yes - I know - It does

But opening the cfg through HLHQ opens up Profile1 again.

NOT the saved one under Hyperlaunch\Profile\JoyToKey.

[brolly]

Right, that's most likely because the CLI is broken after you moved the ini file, so if you feed JoyToKey any path to a .cfg folder it will probably simply ignore it. This needs to be fixed by the author.

Try creating and running a .bat file with:

joytokey.exe "FULL_PATH_TO_ANY_CFG_FILE_IN_THE_PROFILES_FOLDER"

(like joytokey.exe "c:\hyperspin\hyperlaunch\profiles\test.cfg")

And see if JoyToKey will start with that same Profile1.

From your answer I didn't understand for sure if HLHQ is still creating the .cfg files in the correct folders, but seems that's the case right?

It will be pretty hard to deal with this stuff since I only have a free version of JoyToKey so I can't test any of this.

[Faahrev]

It ignores it. It still comes up with the Profile1 cfg which is located in the C:\ProgramData folder.

The cfg I gave with the batchfile is located on drive D:\

Yes, HLHQ still creates cfg's in the profile directory. But that profile is blank (all entries are 0)

[brolly]

Ok, then it's confirmed if you move the ini file to that folder, JoyToKey no longer picks up the .cfg file you feed it through CLI.

This is something the author needs to fix.

[Faahrev]

This is something the author needs to fix.

And upon my request he did.

Version 5.4.2. http://joytokey.net/en/download is designed for use with applications such as Hyperlaunch HQ. See the 'about' also.

After unzipping you need to create a key in the registry telling the program where the ini is located:

create key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JoyToKey

create a string value:

IniFilePath=driveletter:\whateverpath\JoyToKey.ini

From then on the program reacts as it should.

[Polemicist]

And that sort of support is why paying donations and getting a license for awesome little projects like this is so damn important.

[Faahrev]

Couldn't agree more

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[brolly]

Excellent, so everything works fine with this new version?

What if you don't specify that info in the registry, will it use the one in the JoyToKey folder if it exists? HLHQ will need some changes to deal with this properly because the user can change the path in the registry pointing to another location.

[Faahrev]

Then it's back to the earlier problem.

Isn't installation of third party software the responsibility of the user?

[brolly]

It won't be back to the earlier problem because I can read the ini location from the registry and use that one in HLHQ instead of always using the one in the joytokey.exe folder.

[LuizRafael]

not correctly understand this problem, run JoyToKey before hyperspin not solve this problem?

[Polemicist]

not correctly understand this problem, run JoyToKey before hyperspin not solve this problem?

Gudday.

May want to read the entire post before offering assistance on something that has been rectified. This issue was rectified with a new version created by the creator of JoyToKey who's support is just awesome.