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2010-09-30 17:10:22
TheDonkey
Eat my bearrrrrrrrrrr, Tonighttt
+163|5991|Vancouver, BC, Canada
So I haven't posted in a while, but I'm working on a project at school.

Basically, the projector in our school theatre has a web interface that can control the main functions. (Shutter, inputs, power, etc). THe interface has image-links in the form of http://ip/$shutter=on or something similar. (they're CGI scripts)

Basically what I'm looking to do is create windows shortcuts on the desktop of the computer that hyperlink to the functions.

I have it working so far, but I'm running into two problems.

First off, it requires authentication, it opens up a standard login dialog box(like more wireless routers do).
And secondly, it opens up a blank browser window every time you open hit the link.

So I'm looking to request the page from the server, but not bother saving or showing it.

Thanks, guys.

On linux I remember I've done something similar by running wget on the link to either a temp directory or the "black hole" directory(forgot what it's called, it's been a while)


EDIT: I just figure out that I could probably do http://USERNAME:PASSWORD@ip/whatever to get past the first problem, I'll check later tonight when I go back to school.

Last edited by TheDonkey (2010-09-30 17:11:40)

2010-09-30 18:24:02
JdeFalconr
Lex Luthor, King of Australia
+72|6816|Sammamish, WA
I think this depends in part on how the webpage requests authentication. If it can be passed via URL variables you might be able to pull that off.

Don't know if you realized this yet but you can access a webpage via the Run prompt; just make sure you include the http:// so it knows which protocol to use.

Also if your web browser accepts command-line switches you could use one of those to open a webpage and just have a batch file on your desktop.

The one thing I'm not sure of is why you'd want separate shortcuts for all functions. Why not just load the webpage, authenticate, and use that interface to access all of the needed functions?
2010-09-30 21:25:28
TheDonkey
Eat my bearrrrrrrrrrr, Tonighttt
+163|5991|Vancouver, BC, Canada
The authentication is done with a "you need to login dialog", a la
https://www.menai.ac.uk/siteimages/loginss.gif

I tried shortcutting to http://user:pass@ip/link (which I've managed to do on FTP sites from windows explorer) but it failed to authenticate.

The browsers installed are IE and Firefox, I could in theory install something else but only if there's no other option.

Executing a url from the run prompt just opens that URL in the default browser, which is essentially the same result as my existing shortcuts.


The theatre is used by a whole bunch of different groups, so what I'm trying to do is make a fool-proof setup that makes sense that peo-ple won't fuck with(right now, to run a powerpoint, you have to jump through 20 different hoops, setting inputs, logging in, finding your USB stick, and so on). The web interface lets you do everything from refocusing the lens to moving the image all over the place, which I don't want random kids doing because we currently have it configured just right.

So I'm aiming to set up a bunch of shortcuts on the desktop for properly configured programs, and make a wallpaper with text on it that basically says "USE THIS PROGRAM FOR PLAYING DVD'S" "CLICK BELLOW TO PERFORM PROJECTOR REMOTE FUNCTIONS" and so on.
2010-09-30 21:35:16
Morpheus
This shit still going?
+508|6273|The Mitten
Hmm. that seems... complicated.
We're looking at running more projections in my schools theatre too... right now, our projection system the projector hung under the cats, and (usually) me in the balcony with a laptop, lol.

We've been talking to the computer tech staff, and are looking into an extron control system...
EE (hats
2010-09-30 21:40:11
TheDonkey
Eat my bearrrrrrrrrrr, Tonighttt
+163|5991|Vancouver, BC, Canada
Our projections system is amazingly expensive for a public school with ever-increasing budget cuts. We have full audio snake and video runs to the booth, another video run on stage, $500 video baluns.


The most basic way of wording what I want is I want to download a web page but not actually display/open it, and do it from a shortcut on the desktop.
2010-09-30 22:18:07
TheDonkey
Eat my bearrrrrrrrrrr, Tonighttt
+163|5991|Vancouver, BC, Canada
wget -O - --http-user=username --http-passwd=password 'http://dynamic.zoneedit.com/auth/dynamic.html?host=www.mydomain.com'

that's the exact command I'm looking for...but on windows. This one loads a page that tracks the IP it was requested from and updates a dynamic DNS server.

But the URL can be changed to the projector commands.
2010-10-01 02:07:55
FFLink
There is.
+1,380|6964|Devon, England
Could you not just make a script to open it minimized, then add an extra line to close it straight the way? I guess the log-in issue is your only issue, but there must be a way around that. Looked into VBScript..?
2010-10-01 20:08:15
TheDonkey
Eat my bearrrrrrrrrrr, Tonighttt
+163|5991|Vancouver, BC, Canada
I'm assuming that somewhere there exists a command-line program to download files/pages that can do authentication. If so then I could just make a batch file that runs the downloader and saves the result to temp or something. But I'm not sure what would happen after you click it two or three times. )Since the page is already in the temp directory, would it overwrite or get renamed or spit out a "What do?"

EDIT: Wow, fail. Turns out there is a version of the real wget for windows.... I shall try installing/using on Monday.

Last edited by TheDonkey (2010-10-01 20:09:37)

 

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