NL_Info: Content plugin showing information about NTFS links

[Flint]

Do any chance exists that your fine tools (nl_info, ntfs_links) will support this new link type?

Yes, sure. It's one of the first features in my to-do list. But unfortunately I'm very busy currently and cannot find enough free time to work on the plugin.

[DrShark]

Do any chance exists that your fine tools (nl_info, ntfs_links) will support this new link type?

Yes, sure. It's one of the first features in my to-do list. But unfortunately I'm very busy currently and cannot find enough free time to work on the plugin.

2Flint
Have you still plans to update this plugin? "Symlink target" is really need feature. I asked Lefteous to add it to DirSizeCalc but he haven't programming environment for Vista

[Flint]

Have you still plans to update this plugin?

Yes. Currently I'm working on the NTFS Links program update to support these Vista-style symlinks, my next target will be the NL_Info plugin, so that they could work together.

Unfortunately, these symlinks proved to be much harder to implement than I thouhght before: the corresponding API functions need elevated admin privileges to work, even when you create links to fully accessible files/dirs. Hence I have to invent something similar to TC's approach with tcmadmin.exe tool. Just another brilliantly ruined idea, thank you, MS…

[Lefteous]

. I asked Lefteous to add it to DirSizeCalc but he haven't programming environment for Vista

I will try to create a working environment on my beta version of Windows 7. I'm not sure if this will work.

[DrShark]

Flint, Lefteous
Thanks, I'll wait.

Unfortunately, these symlinks proved to be much harder to implement than I thouhght before: the corresponding API functions need elevated admin privileges to work, even when you create links to fully accessible files/dirs. Hence I have to invent something similar to TC's approach with tcmadmin.exe tool. Just another brilliantly ruined idea, thank you, MS…

Well, for button with NTFSLinks currently it's possible to add Elevate command. But it cannot be used for content plugins like NL_Info, of course.

[Flint]

Well, for button with NTFSLinks currently it's possible to add Elevate command.

I don't want to start NTFS Links always as elevated, because hard links and junctions can be easily created without any special privileges. Only new Vista symlinks need them.

But it cannot be used for content plugins like NL_Info, of course.

I did not investigate it yet, but I think that reading existing symlinks does not need elevated privileges. At least, TC can read their targets (to jump to the target directory if the link itself is not "followable").

[DrShark]

...hard links and junctions can be easily created without any special privileges. Only new Vista symlinks need them.

You need elevated privileges if targert dir (%T) requires them (e.g. "Program Files" dir on Vista and later).

[Flint]

You need elevated privileges if targert dir (%T) requires them (e.g. "Program Files" dir on Vista and later).

Yes, I know that. I meant that the operation of creating a junction by itself does not need special privileges, higher privileges may only be required to access some path (normally inaccessible). Creating a symlink, to the contrary, always requires elevated privileges, no matter which paths you are using.

At first I planned to implement Vista symlinks only, without any "as admin" functionality, and then (as the next to-do item) work on the UAC nightmare, while users would finally be able to use the new link type (at least, it's possible to start NTFS Links with admin privileges manualy, if necessary, so it's not a critical thing).
However it just happened to be impossible. Otherwise the new version of the program would have been released already…

[ghisler(Author)]

2Flint
No problem, I can create a modified version of my tcmadmin tool for you which runs the needed functions elevated. What I need from you is a C/C++ function which takes a Unicode string as a parameter, performs the operation, and returns either a number (error code) or a Unicode string as result. If your function needs multiple parameters, you need to encode them all in a Unicode string in your program, send them to the modified admin tool via a pipe, and read the result.

Just contact me by e-mail for the details. The tool will of course be signed by our certificate, so it gives a less dreading message to Vista users...

[Flint]

ghisler(Author)
Thank you very much for the suggestion!
I will surely contact you as soon as this function is ready.

[Flint]

NL_Info 1.20:

• Plugin now uses Unicode strings.
• Added 64-bit version.
• Added support for Windows Vista/7's symbolic links (files and directories).
• Added new field "Relative".
• Source code is published under the BSD license.

x32+x64 / mirror (43 Kb)
Source code (C++) / mirror (14 Kb)