Angus Robertson

I've updated SVN with new Common and VCL C++ Builder packages, the contributor warns there is still work to be done with the WinCrypt units. I get too many errors trying to build them, but by C++ knowledge is zero. Please try yourself. Won't be in the overnight zip until midnight. Angus

Another ICS user created new C++ packages for ICS last week, but he is still trying to fix a long term errors building the OverbyteIcsWinCrypt unit which has too many errors, should be something in SVN in the next couple of days. In the worst case, I'll change the defines so C++ does not build WinCrypt as it doesn't for Posix. Angus

Not sure why you wrote such complicated code, none of our examples look like that for TSslHttpRest, only the old THttpCli component . TSslHttpRest includes TSslContext, TIcsCookies and TMemoryStream so they are all redundant. The IcsLogger is also unnecessary, since the component has logging built in, using the OnHttpRestProg event. The OverbyteIcsSnippets sample has a function doHttpRestReqClick that makes a request with only a few lines of code. But before writing any code, I would use the OverbyteIcsHttpRestTst sample to test the URL and parameters. Angus

Thanks for your help, you've sent some updated C++ units already, look forward to the rest. Angus

As has been mentioned once or twice, no-one supporting ICS does C++. So when I make changes, I try to keep C++ working, but without being able to test anything error occur. 10,4 and later only use 'New' packages which have $auto suffiux so work with all new compilers, avoiding all this messing with versions. So all those 110 references should be New. When you have it working, please zip and email me any changed or new files, so I can update SVN. Probably best to discuss problems by email rather than here, my email is in many source files. Angus

Delphi 11.2, after editing a unit and trying to save it, I get an error: Unable to rename 'C:\DelphiComp\ics\Source\OverbyteIcsWebSocketSrv.pas' to 'C:\DelphiComp\ics\Source\__history\OverbyteIcsWebSocketSrv.pas.~74~'. and can do nothing else than abandon changes. The version 74 does not exist, only 73. Is there a clever way to save the changes, other than copy/paste to a new file? Suspect it happens if I edit the same file in another version of Delphi on the same PC, a couple of days ago. Angus

I often have two or three bds.exe running, but different versions, and all on the task bar. The problem is when they are not obviously running... Angus

Just had this IDE problem again, D11.3, edit a source file, unable to rename to history file. After having the problem with one file and fixing it by renaming the source file, had it with a second file, despite closing and reopening the IDE, three times. Finally discovered there was bds.exe instance still running holding open several source files, so I guess it did not close cleanly during one previous restart, yet allowed another instance to open. Angus

Sorry, skimmed the message... Angus

ICS used to use self signed SSL/TLS certificates when there was nothing better, but issuing your own CA signed certificates is almost as easy and more friendly. ICS has a sample that does it manually, or the servers do it automatically, there is also a function to install the ICS root CA into the Windows store for clients. Angus

I'm attempting to build ICS for Linux, to help with the MacOS support. I used Hyper-V Quick Create to create an Ubuntu 18 VM, took about 10 minutes and a few key clicks, except xRDP no longer works on that build and without it you can not connect to install the fixed packages. Started again with Ubuntu 20 which works fine and displays a Gnome desktop with full connectivity. Installed PAServer and running it in a terminal window, expected port and IP address. But when I create a profile in 10.4 with those details, just get connection failed. There is no Windows firewall, maybe Ubuntu 20 has one? Or am I missing something obvious? Thought I'd try and setup Apache web server, but can not find it. Angus

Thank you for your Linux contribution @wright. But how did you test it. Running any ICS FMX samples in Linux using the WSocket unit just freezes the application when TIcsEventQueue is created, and I can not trace into it with the debugger. I have made progress with Linux support for Ubuntu 22.04, OpenSSL now loads correctly, albeit Ubuntu has a two year old version 3.0.2 and seems not to want to upgrade to newer versions. I have a new PemTest sample that views and creates SSL/TLS certificates on Linux, not in SVN yet. Unfortunately, older Ubuntu releases don't include OpenSSL 3 so can not be used with ICS. Angus

Component, Import Component wizard, Import Type Library. Angus

The best solution is for the web server to provide valid SSL certificates, Let's Encrypt for public hosts, your own CA for internal domains. For your own CA, the root certificate needs to be installed on client devices, easy for Windows, less easy for mobiles. The ICS component library does all this automatically for ICS web servers, but can also generate certificates for other web servers. Angus

REST server is just another name for a web server that support API type requests as well as web pages and media. Start with the sample OverbyteIcsSslMultiWebServ which is effectively a complete web server, and add code for your specific APIs and probably authentication. Most servers are run as Windows services, so OverbyteIcsDDWebService is almost the same but can be run as a GUI or installed as a service. Both samples also include websockets which can be useful for simple API requests with less overhead than HTTP. Angus

It should only take a few minutes to update Midware to the latest ICS, read my notes carefully, fix the compiler errors and correct the uses in the packages. Angus

Yes, there were massive changes in ICS V9.1 that meant many projects and derived components need updating, mostly relating to SSL/TLS, but also some unit split in two, and new package names for D10.4 and later, the important stuff is at: https://wiki.overbyte.eu/wiki/index.php/Updating_projects_to_V9.1 but you should also read the release notes for V9.1 and readme9. I only maintain and support ICS, Midware is supported by François Piette and I guess it has not been updated for V9.1, his web site says last release was in 2020. Angus

ICS V9.2 is now also available from GetIt for Delphi 11 and 12, thanks Embarcadero. Angus

These problems all came down to a missing line in the configuration file, so the ICS proxy behaved as a TCP proxy instead of an HTTP proxy, and did not modify HTTP headings. I'll look at writing a configuration GUI for the IcsHosts files, to make it all easier and self documenting, it's not obvious which settings relate to the several protocols IcsHosts servers support. Angus

Please take this problem to email, it seems specific to your application rather than a general ICS problem. I've replied. Angus

To sum up, you are unable to make the ICS proxy work with a specific web server or web broker, really no idea what that is. How do you know this is an ICS problem? Have you tried using the ICS proxy with other more modern web servers like Apache, as I have it, Your service example is undocumented, no setup instructions, I've no idea what is supposed to do, and I don't have time to debug it for you. Angus

I've tested the ICS proxy as a reverse HTTP proxy for HTTPS<>HTTP, I've emailed you the URL, everything seems to work fine with a browser, with web pages of varying sizes. The servicetest zip you posted seems to use web broker, never used that, and nothing to do with ICS. I'm afraid I don't have the spare time to build, install and test such applications that are unconnected to ICS. Angus

I only managed to tick a few boxes, guess I've managed without all those tools for 25 years. My experience is the IDE is more stable to less third party stuff you install. Angus

There are no simple solutions to supporting multiple cloud providers. The free ICS component library has the HTTP REST and OAuth2 support you need, and has components to access cloud email at Google and MS, so should not be hard to add support for cloud storage, but someone will have to dedicate a few days to supporting and testing each cloud service. Angus

Each of these cloud providers has its own REST API to access storage services. You can sign up to each of them, read loads of API documentation and write code using various REST components for each one, and hope they don't change the API too often. Or search GetIt for commercial components that have done all this hard work, and hope the authors keep them up to date as APIs change, TMS Software and /n Software come to mind, never used them myself. Angus