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dispatcher

★ 57 Open GitHub ↗

Process forwarder (stdin/stdout/stderr)

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dispatcher
==========
Powerful process forwarder (or proxy) for Windows. It can be considered as a open source, free and more powerfull alternative to
[chocolatey shimgen](https://chocolatey.org/docs/features-shim)

# How to use
Rename/duplicate `dispatcher.exe` to `[something].exe`.
Write a `[something].config` file next to it to configure redirection.

Configuration file syntax is :
```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="PATH" value="[relative of full path to the exe you want to call]"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>
```

# Download
Find all downloads in [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/131/dispatcher/releases)

# Motivation  - sample usage
I use a lot of command line tool in windows (interpreters, encoders, git & related tools)
All of them need to be in my **`PATH`** (that I don’t like to change).
Merging them all in the same folder is a no go (.dll conflicts / overrides)

Using [dispatcher.exe](https://github.com/131/dispatcher) allows me to register only ONE directory in my Windows **`PATH`**, with very simple .exe forwarding processes to their genuine installation path.

```
# Current setup tree
C:\Program Files\node\bin\node.exe
C:\Program Files x86\php\bin\php.exe
D:\weird\directory\turtoisesvn\svn.exe
C:\cygwin\bin\git.exe

# I create  a single, well balanced directory
C:\dispatchedbin\

# I dispatch all binaries I want in it
C:\dispatchedbin\node.exe
C:\dispatchedbin\node.exe.config => D:\weird\directory\node-testing\node.exe

C:\dispatchedbin\php.exe
C:\dispatchedbin\php.exe.config => C:\Program Files x86\php\bin\php.exe
```

# Advanced usage, few things to understand
* There is a fundamental difference in console applications  & desktop applications for windows
* therefore [dispatcher](https://github.com/131/dispatcher) comes in 2 flavors - respectively dispatcher_cmd.exe &  dispatcher_win.exe.
* You cannot spawn x64 executables located in c:\windows\system32 from a win32 application.
* therefore [dispatcher.exe](https://github.com/131/dispatcher) is available in 2 architectures : x32 & x64

## Forced args
You can force additional args (injected before args that might have been sent toward `[dispatched].exe`
``` (node.exe.config)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="ARGV[XXX]" value="[optional argv 0 to XXX]"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>
```

## Env vars
You can define custom env var in dispatcher.config
``` (node.exe.config)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    
    <add key="PATH" value="D:\apps\System32\bash.exe"/>
    
    <add key="ARGV0" value="-c"/>
    <add key="ARGV1" value="/usr/sbin/sshd -D"/>
    <add key="USE_SHOWWINDOW" value="true"/>
    <add key="CWD" value="c:\my\working\dir"/>

<add key="ENV_FOO" value="bar"/>
    <add key="ENV_OTHERTHING" value="something"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>
```
## %dwd% macro
* `%dwd%` is replaced with the absolute path to the `[dispatched].exe` directory

## Multiple flavor
Using the env var `DISPATCHER_*NAME*_FLAVOR` you can toggle multiple flavor of an exe with the same dispatcher
```
node.config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>

set DISPATCHER_NODE_FLAVOR=8 # will toggle node 8
set DISPATCHER_NODE_FLAVOR=16 # will toggle node 16

```

## DETACHED flag
When using dispatcher_win, you can use the `DETACHED` flag for the dispatcher NOT to wait for the child to exit.

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="PATH" value="putty.exe"/>
    <add key="DETACHED" value="true"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>
```

## spawn a command line app with no window (WSL bash.exe)
If you dispatch a console app (e.g. WSL bash.exe) from a desktop app (i.e. dispatch_win_x64.exe) you'll hide the window

```
# In my current configuration
D:\apps\wsl-init.exe (dispatch_win_x64.exe)
D:\apps\wsl-init.exe.config
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="PATH" value="C:\Windows\System32\bash.exe"/>
    <add key="ARGV0" value="-c"/>
    <add key="ARGV1" value="/usr/sbin/sshd -D"/>
    <add key="USE_SHOWWINDOW" value="true"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>
```

## Pre-executation command
Using the `PRESTART_CMD` flag make **dispatcher** run a command before another (useful for services).

## Using dispatcher to run Windows service
Using the `AS_SERVICE` flag make **dispatcher** expose a Windows Service compliant interface. (therefore, you can use **dispatcher** to register any nodejs/php/whaterver script as a service. You'll have to manage the registration by yourself - see [sc create](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/sc-create),[sc start](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/sc-start), [sc stop](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/sc-stop), ... APIs). Also, if needed, you can run a service in an interactive session (interact with desktop - use [murrayju CreateProcessAsUser](https://github.com/murrayju/CreateProcessAsUser) ).

When using "auto" as value for `AS_SERVICE`, dispatcher will use the service mode only if running as NT_AUTHORITY.

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="PATH" value="node.exe"/>
    <add key="ARGV0" value="main.js"/>
    <add key="AS_SERVICE" value="true"/>

<!-- prevent execution during UWF servicing sessions ->
    <add key="UWF_SERVICING_DISABLED" value="true"/>

<add key="AS_DESKTOP_USER" value="true"/>

</appSettings>
</configuration>
```

## UWF_SERVICING_DETECT
Using the `AS_SERVICE` or the `UWF_SERVICING_DETECT` flag will populate the `UWF_SERVICING_ENABLED` env variable with wether or not servicing mode is in progress.

## Redirect output to a file (usefull for services)
Using the `OUTPUT` flag redirect stderr & stdout to a dedicated file. Date modifiers are available.

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="PATH" value="node.exe"/>
    <add key="ARGV0" value="main.js"/>
    <add key="OUTPUT" value="%temp%\logs-%Y%-%m%-%d% %H%-%i%-%s%.log"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>
```

# Service restart policy
In service mode, dispatcher will restart your process every time it exit, with an exponential (pow 2) backoff delay.

## SERVICE_RESTART_ON_NETWORK_CHANGE
Dispatcher can monitor network interface status change.
Use the `SERVICE_RESTART_ON_NETWORK_CHANGE` flag to reset the backoff delay.

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
  <appSettings>
    <add key="PATH" value="node.exe"/>
    <add key="ARGV0" value="main.js"/>
    <add key="AS_SERVICE" value="true"/>

<add key="SERVICE_RESTART_ON_NETWORK_CHANGE" value="true"/>
  </appSettings>
</configuration>
```

## Configuration lookup path
dispatcher will lookup for configurations directives in

* if existing `[dispatched].config` (xml file)
* if existing `[dispatched].exe.config`  (xml file)
* all matching `[dispatched_directory]/[dispatched].config.d/*.config`  (xml files)

Any directive defined multipled time will be overrided with the latest value

## Using multiple versions of the same software
```
install php 5 in
C:\Program Files x86\php5.0\bin\php.exe
install php 7 in
C:\Program Files x86\php7.0\bin\php.exe

Create to dispatcher (php5.exe & php7.exe)
```

## Make a portable binary out of any shell/script
Using dispatcher.exe is a nifty way to create portable binaries out of shell scripts (.bat,.js,.php)

# How does it work
dispatcher use kernel32 Process spawn to force stdin, stdout & stderr handler to the forwarded process. Therefore, supports PIPE, Console or FILE as process handle (& all others handler). The dispatcher & the underlying process are bound to kernel32 Job group (tied together, you cannot kill one without the other). Exit code is forwarded.

# Running the command is slow
If you have a fresh install of Windows, you may have to build native images to [improve performance of managed applications](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/framework/tools/ngen-exe-native-image-generator).

Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run these commands:
```
%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\ngen.exe executeQueuedItems
%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\ngen.exe executeQueuedItems
```

If this does not solve the issue, it may be the application that Dispatcher is calling itself having slowdown issues.

## Tested & approved binaries (for reference)

* cmd apps : git (msysgit-1.8.4), php, node, python, svn, xpdf (pdftotext & ..), openssl, rsync, bash, gzip, tar, sed, ls, tee & co (from msysgit), ffmpeg, gsprint, 7z, ...
* desktop apps : nwjs, process explorer

# Credits
* [131](https://github.com/131)
* [murrayju](https://github.com/murrayju/CreateProcessAsUser)
* Code signing, courtesy of IVS Group.

# Relatives/alternatives
* [run.exe](http://www.straightrunning.com/projectrun.php) kinda stuff
* [shimgen](https://chocolatey.org/docs/features-shim)

# Shoutbox, keywords, SEO love
background cmd, wsl bash, linux subsystem, process forward, kernel32, USE_SHOWWINDOW

dispatcher

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