RPCEmu HosFS files invisible

I am having trouble understanding how HostFS works. I copied some programs to HostFS, worked on them in RISC OS and copied the new stuff to a zip file ready for transfering to a Raspberry Pi.
Unfortunately I cannot see the zip file from the Windows side. I guess it is some combination of read/write/authority/access settings but nothing I have tried seems to work. Attempts to changes RISC OS file Access settings are immediately undone.
FWIW this is Windows 10 running RPCEmu v8.13 and RISC OS 5.22.

I copied some programs to HostFS, worked on them in RISC OS and copied the new stuff to a zip file ready for transfering to a Raspberry Pi.
Unfortunately I cannot see the zip file from the Windows side.

Under HostFS RO saves the filetype metadata as a ,xxx tag on the end of the filename – invisble in RO but having the effect of holding the filetype. So over in Windows you are looking for “yourzipfile,A91” rather than “yourzipfile”
Open a directory browse window in windows and navigate to the RPCEMU/hostfs directory and then navigate to wherever you put the file. Right click over the file and do an “open with” option.

FWIW this is Windows 10 running RPCEmu v8.13 and RISC OS 5.22

If you’ve taken the default placement for RPCEmu then it’s sitting in the Program Files(x86) area and Win10 doesn’t like you looking or doing things in there (neither did Win8 or Win7) because MS changed their mind about what was protected and where people should put various bits.

So over in Windows you are looking for “yourzipfile,A91” rather than “yourzipfile”

More likely “yourzipfile.zip,a91”, or perhaps “yourzipfile.zip,ddc” depending on settings.

[…] because MS changed their mind about what was protected and where people should put various bits.

Er, no. No, they did not.

The Users\… hierarchy was there in Windows XP, was accessed via the same set of APIs as it is now in Windows 10, and was documented clearly. Software which followed the rules works on all systems just fine. The problem is software which broke the rules, because the authors couldn’t be bothered to read the manual…

[…] the default placement for RPCEmu […]

Although it might not be relevant. Virtual Acorn has issues with its default placement, but does RPCEmu?

Open a directory browse window in windows and navigate to the RPCEMU/hostfs directory and then navigate to wherever you put the file.

The only file that shows in explorer in Program Files(x86).hostfs.jr22 is the original folder of stuff that I put there. There is no other file showing. In RISC OS both files are visible.

Current RPCEmu version does not come with an installer, and this is intentionally and partly because there is currently no way to have the hostfs mount separated from where the code resides – there is a roadmap of changes needed in RPCEmu to resolve this, so that a sensible Windows installer can be provided again that works on all current Windows systems. In the meantime, unzip the RPCEmu archive somewhere different than C:\Program Files (which is incidentially l10ned, so e.g. C:\Programme on German Windows systems, which causes (caused) no end of trouble with hardcoded installers from the English speaking side of the world). Personally, I use C:\Software\x86 and C:\Software\x64 for “installed” software and C:\Software\portable for portable software. Nothing is ever installed in C:\Program Files.

The changes ideally needed would be: support multiple mounts for HostFS, and provide a UI for the user to configure those mounts.

I am also convinced that RPCEmu HostFS should respect MimeMap settings wrt extension vs. Filetype mapping, but the RPCEmu authors do not yet agree with me :-)

[…] because MS changed their mind about what was protected and where people should put various bits.

Er, no. No, they did not.

You obviously missed the change of location of the user profiles, “Users” appeared with Win7, previously it was profiles in “Documents and Settings”
As to where software authors put things, well if they copy what MS did and then MS say that’s wrong you can’t really chuck too much sh** at the third party authors and certainly understand their puzzlement.
I know the documented locations were published, but what’s wrong with copying the OS author?

The Users\… hierarchy was there in Windows XP, was accessed via the same set of APIs as it is now in Windows 10, and was documented clearly.

Although it might not be relevant. Virtual Acorn has issues with its default placement, but does RPCEmu?

If in the default placement – Program Files(x86) then the application (RPCEmu) needs to run as admin of it has no permissions to change/write files. I presume that is the issue that Virtual Acorn hits.

Not that “Users” is the right location for RPCEmu either…

If it’s a single user thing then sticking the RPCEmu in Users is OK up to the point you have profile size limits or roaming profiles and then things go badly wrong.

Current RPCEmu version does not come with an installer, and this is intentionally and partly because there is currently no way to have the hostfs mount separated from where the code resides

Indeed, that is the situation for the 0.9 (QT built) version released in recent days.
I was assuming most users round here would have the 0.8.xx version which did use an installer and defaulted to putting things in Program Files(x86)

If I could figure out what was causing the dynarec version to crash at startup I’d test and document RO5 with 0.9 – there’s a setting somewhere I’m missing…

I’ve just:

1) Downloaded rpcemu to ‘Documents.programs’ – I keep all programs that don’t use an installer there.

2) downloaded the RPC rom to ‘Documents.programs.RPCEmu.roms’

3) Downloaded HardDisc4 self extracting disc image to Documents.programs.RPCEmu.hostfs

4) rename the self extracting image HardDisc4utils,ffc

run RPCEmu

5) *configure filesystem hostfs close the window and restart.

6) in the desktop double click on ‘Harddisc4Util’ and Move the contents to $

This should get a basic working version.

The only file that shows in explorer in Program Files(x86).hostfs.jr22 is the original folder of stuff that I put there. There is no other file showing.

Don’t try this at home – I have found a way of making the hostfs files visible in Windows and can now see new.zip.A91.

I granted read, write, delete, execute etc rights to everyone and made it public. A bit like chucking a tin of paint at it.

The files did not appear immediately but did so when deleted and recreated in RISC OS.

Next step is to install the v9 RPCEmu somewhere other than in c:\Program Files.

This should get a basic working version.

Basic Interpreter version works fine, it’s the dynamic recompiler exeutable that does crashy things.

I granted read, write, delete, execute etc rights to everyone and made it public. A bit like chucking a tin of paint at it.

Yup, that’s the permissions change implemented in Win7 and above. As you’ve noted it’s either stuff the security settings on Program Files(x86) or put the whole install somewhere else.

Things that try to write to Program Files can be redirected to Virtual Store by UAC (AppData\Roaming\VirtualStore). In other words, things aren’t getting saved to Program Files.

Don’t put HostFS in Program Files.

I always put emulators in \Users\me\Apps\ (which you may have to make) and then put a link to their executable in the Start Menu (or whatever people are using these days).