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Paint.NET updating/stats


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I've seen lots of people ask where the stats come from and the answer was always something like "the updater requests a text file decorated with the OS version and language"

Which is exactly what it does. I fired up WireShark (previously known as Ethereal) and captured what it did. It does this:

If your OS is windows XP x64 and you're using English, the request url will look like:

http://www.getpaint.net/updates/version ... x64.en.txt (hover over to see full link)

I rather suspect it's build up like: http://www.getpaint.net/updates/versions.[windows version number].[bitness of OS (32/64)].[language].txt

The txt file itself is not very interesting, it contains things like download urls the version number and the required .NET runtime version number. Go have a look. I was surprised it wasn't XML though (seeing as XML is used in PDN files.. and XML is easy to parse)

So it didn't use magic after all :lol:

ps: what happens to the stats if you edit the url and put in random stuff?

I would write plugins, if I knew what kind of plugins were needed.. :(

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Well, of course I'm right. I created the system. Not sure how I could be wrong. I guess I just really don't understand the point of this post. The updater isn't magic, I just don't publish the schema because there's no reason to.

The Paint.NET Blog: https://blog.getpaint.net/

Donations are always appreciated! https://www.getpaint.net/donate.html

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Yes, you're right, but this post might calm the more paranoid users who are afraid you're performing some kind of magic that spies on private information etc

And not all paranoid people know how to use WireShark..

I would write plugins, if I knew what kind of plugins were needed.. :(

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