Belligero Productions

NetworkManager Automatic Web Authentication: 0.3 pre-release

Wednesday, 03 December 2008 12:35 Jason

Well, it's about that time of year when assignments are due, and we're all looking forward to a few weeks off between semesters. I still have other assignments I need to work on today, so I'm not going to make a full post like I would like right now, but I just want to say that the NetworkManager Automatic Web Authentication 0.3 release for OSD600 is done, and this is my nearly-official announcement of it.

Main thing is, I'm hoping some people will test it out, and I'll be making a longer post later. So, without further ado, instructions:

WARNING: 32-BIT X86 LINUX ONLY

Download and extract the tarball
From the release director, install into Firefox the nmAutoLogin-x86.xpi file
Run the nmAutoLogin.py file from the release directory
- python nmAutoLogin.py
- if the permissions held true...
  - double-click and run
  - ./nmAutoLogin.py
Make sure Firefox is open and the extension installed
connect (or reconnect) to a wireless network with NetworkManager
Watch as a window opens and submit itself

Any suggestions, idea, glitches, bugs, errors, comments, etc. are helpful and requested. The easiest way to do this is to just add a comment to this post.

Comments (7)

Python is Some Sort of Wonder Drug

Saturday, 29 November 2008 19:26 Jason

Do I know python? No, no I do not. Do I like coding in it? You bet your britches I do!

Bet your britches...? Does anybody say that anymore? Well, I guess they do, since I just said it, but really, when did you last hear it said? Does anybody even wear britches anymore, and if they do, why would they want to bet them in th first place? Just to get another pair to wear over top their first pair? That would just be weird, and likely, uncomfortable. Now, once I figure out why I'm talking about wearing two pairs of britches at a time, I should be set.

Anyways, enough about britches, and on to the point of this post: Python is like somesort of wonder drug after drudging my way around through C all semester. Messing around with it earlier in the semester (trying to learn DBus through a language you don't know is NOT a good way to do it), I was able to get a few things done, rather quickly. With this in mind, I set out to use it again, in the hopes of learning it, and using it to very quickly build up what I need done.

I have not been let down.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 December 2008 14:32 Read more...

Comments (9)

NetworkManager Automatic Web Authentication updates

Wednesday, 12 November 2008 20:07 Jason

From my previous blog post for my 0.1 release...

Stated 0.2 expectations:

Submit a bug report for NetworkManager about the automatic web authentication
Start hacking the NM code to allow signals to be sent to the extension for various events
Get the extension to be more like an event listener for the signals being sent

Hopefuls/What I was thinking would be good:

Double-check that my memory management is proper
Make the dbusClient constructor accept arguments for DBus interface and object paths, to make it better for others to use
Along with the above, change extension settings for the XPCOM side to let it be compiled without the name "nmautologin" alowing for the components to be used without the other half
get the XPCOM to work on all systems (that part of the article simply has "TODO" there)

Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 December 2008 14:33 Read more...

Comments (6)

NetworkManager Automatic Web Authentication 0.2

Saturday, 15 November 2008 12:53 Jason

Well, it's been a few weeks since my 0.1, and while I've been busy with other assignments, I've managed to get my 0.2 working.

Changes since 0.1:

Memory management is now proper (releases the DBus Connection)
dbusClient now requires more verbose naming
- used to just pass "inside" and full name would become "org.freedesktop.nmautologin.inside", now full string has to be passed
- sendSignal requires object name, interface name, message name, and message to be sent, rather than just message name and message. the first two were built-in to the client
With the above, dbusClient has been split into its own extension, allowing others to make easier use of it withoutthe nmAutologin extension installed
- Better compiler settings for output. Verbose and silent, currently compiled with verbose output
Sent a message to the NetworkManager mailing list about the idea, and got replies
- They do not want the information stored in NM itself
- Will be using a daemon to be the in-between
The nmAutologin extension has pushed the dbusClient processing into a background thread
- Now able to use Firefox/Minefield while it islistening for incoming signals
- Pops up alert box when message received
- Makes sure listener is stopped when last browser window closed
For simplicity's sake, this is being released x86 only. It has not been tested on a 64-bit system

Last Updated on Wednesday, 03 December 2008 14:35 Read more...

Comments (4)

Dive into Mozilla Modifying Firefox using an Extension Lab

Friday, 31 October 2008 19:22 Jason

After doing my 0.1 release, and the previous labs of looking into code, I didn't really learn a lot from this lab. If I hadn't already done most of this, it would have been more interesting.

Labs like this I would reccomend doing earlier in the semester, when those who need to learn what the lab teaches can learn it, making assignments a lot easier. By this point in the course, anybody who needs to know how to make an extension would already have learned to do so, making it a bit pointless.

Comments (6)

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