Notepad++ v8.8.4 Release Candidate

donho

Notepad++ 8.8.4 RC is available here:
http://download.notepad-plus-plus.org/repository/8.x/8.8.4.RC/

Notepad++ v8.8.4 regression-fixes, bug-fixes & new features:

Fix -notabbar & asNotepad.xml stop hiding tabbar regression (from v8.7.9). (Fix #16794)
Fix “Edit with Notepad++” not removed by uninstaller regression (from v8.8.3). (Fix #16896)
Fix possible heap memory leak. (implement #16883)
Increase search input length from 2046 to 16383. (Fix #1088, #16749)
Add warning tip for the max length on search input (Find/Replace). (Fix #16749)
Fix JavaScript listed twice in Language & Indent settings of Preferences issue. (Fix #4521, #16861, #16884)
Fix external lexers showing several time in Indent settings issue. (Fix #16462)
Add button to insert variables in the run dialog. (implement #16820)
Enhance “Go to settings”: guide users to the related setting explicitly. (Fix #16846)
Add a clear button for filter field in Shortcut Mapper. (Fix #15742)
Make NFO font overridable by adding font name in Lexer “nfo” of stylers.xml. (Fix #16839)

donho

I’m changing the old release machine to a new one.
It seems no problem, except for NppShell (context menu command “Edit with Notepad++”):
When I recompile it from the latest change of master, it doesn’t work completely.

Here are 3 installers with rebuilt NppShell:
https://download.notepad-plus-plus.org/repository/MISC/NppShellNotWorking/

You can see the installers on above link, with x64 installer, it doesn’t show on context menu, you have to click on “Show more option” to see “Edit with Notepad++” command item; whereas with x86 installer, same problem with x64 one, but the “Edit with Notepad++” command doesn’t work at all.

Due to the issue described above, I use 3 NppShell DLL of v8.8.3 to not have the regression in this RC.

I’m searching the cause, please confirm me this issue also happens to you. I will provide info as soon as I find it.

xomx

@donho said in Notepad++ v8.8.4 Release Candidate:

I’m searching the cause, please confirm me this issue also happens to you.

I can confirm the issue.

Maybe a restriction for the current self-signed NppShell certificate in Windows?

donho

@xomx

I can confirm the issue.

Thank you for the conformation.

Maybe a restriction for the current self-signed NppShell certificate in Windows?

I don’t think so. If you check the certificate of NppShell.dll in the current v8.8.4 RC (after the installation), you will see it’s signed by the one issued from Notepad++ self-signed certificate - the same certificate used in the installers which doesn’t work. OTOH, thanks to you hypothesis, I’m wondering if the system (Windows 11) has got the fingerprint of old NppShell.dll binaries without/before the signature.
Can anyone here confirm my hypothesis?

xomx

@donho said in Notepad++ v8.8.4 Release Candidate:

Maybe a restriction for the current self-signed NppShell certificate in Windows?

I don’t think so.

You’re right. I did the following test:

Uninstalled N++.
Installed the working v8.8.4RC - new Win11 NppShell ctx menu functionality ok.
From your “the installers which doesn’t work”, I manually extracted the NppShell.dll & NppShell.msix (+ also the notepad++.exe to be completely sure) and replaced the working ones in the “C:\Program Files\Notepad++” and - new Win11 NppShell ctx menu still ok!
Tried logoff/logon sequence - new Win11 NppShell ctx menu still ok!
Uninstalled N++.
Installed your problematic “the installers which doesn’t work” - the new ctx menu is not visible.

So the problem should be in your latest installer (procedure?) and not in the NppShell.

donho

@xomx said in Notepad++ v8.8.4 Release Candidate:

So the problem should be in your latest installer (procedure?) and not in the NppShell.

The building installer procedure was almost not changed (same as v8.8.3, with even the same certificate), here’s the only change, so I don’t think the problem comes here.

BTW, I used the 2 old PCs + 1 new PC to recompile NppShell (latest master + NppShell v15 + NppShell v14) and build installers - not working as well, so it’s not about the compiler’s version, either about NppShell’s source code (regression).

That’s why I suppose it’s due to old NppShell build’s fingerprint.

xomx

@donho

Ok, I did another test and now I think it’s about the latest (“the installers which doesn’t work”) NppShell failing during the registration regsvr32 process.

I took Registry snapshots before&after installing v8.8.4rc and also after installing “the installers which doesn’t work ” over the working v8.8.4rc. Result is clear - your latest problematic installer removes the needed NppShell extension records from the Registry.

So my previous test was misleading, as I used the ok NppShell from the v8.8.4rc installation for the registration (“regsvr32 NppShell.dll”), which created the necessary records in the Registry 1st. Then the manual replacing with the problematic latest NppShell files were ok, as the needed registration has been already done before the replacement.

So you need to debug the NppShell module during its “regsvr32 NppShell.dll”.