user-agent

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vincentvp
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user-agent

Post by vincentvp »

Hello!

I'am working on OS/Browser detection tool and i want to do a detection of ReactOS too in order to distinguish ROS from Windows 2000, cause I know this system will one day completely remove Bills Win from user PCs ;-). The thing is, that Win2000 gives me the same user agent header as ReactOS and so I cannot recognize these two systems :(.
GvG
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Post by GvG »

Shows you how good ReactOS impersonates Win2k :D
I assume you're trying to do the detection from the web-server side? I don't think there's much we can do to change the User-Agent you receive, it's the application (browser) which determines what UA to send, not the OS.
vincentvp
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UA

Post by vincentvp »

The detection can be done from both server-side and client-side (by javascript -> navigator.userAgent). I think that user-agent string is not made just by browser, because te same browser and the same version of that browser can make different UA strings on different operating systems. But I don't know how :(.

For Example Opera 8.0 on WinXP
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; en) Opera 8.0
and on Win95b
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 95; en) Opera 8.0
frik85
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Re: UA

Post by frik85 »

vincentvp wrote:The detection can be done from both server-side and client-side (by javascript -> navigator.userAgent). I think that user-agent string is not made just by browser, because te same browser and the same version of that browser can make different UA strings on different operating systems. But I don't know how :(.
The browser client recieve the information from the operating system. Although, neither Opera nor Firefox, etc. does know about ReactOS and think it is Windows 2000. We have to report a windows version because several apps rely on this value (for legacy compatibility reasons).
vincentvp
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Re: UA

Post by vincentvp »

The browser client recieve the information from the operating system. Although, neither Opera nor Firefox, etc. does know about ReactOS and think it is Windows 2000. We have to report a windows version because several apps rely on this value (for legacy compatibility reasons).
Nevermind, but it's a pity. Maybe some other way how to do it - later. Thanks.
Simon
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Post by Simon »

you could add a complete new registry key, where the reactos version is stored. if software programmers know about that, programms can read out the version.

i think...
frik85
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Post by frik85 »

Simon wrote:you could add a complete new registry key, where the reactos version is stored. if software programmers know about that, programms can read out the version.
Remember: Such things could be used against ReactOS, too. (see Wine)
GvG
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Post by GvG »

Simon wrote:you could add a complete new registry key, where the reactos version is stored. if software programmers know about that, programms can read out the version.
There already is such a mechanism (type "ver" in the ReactOS cmd prompt and it will tell you it is running on ReactOS), but the browser writers would need to incorporate that. Which is why my first reply was that the applications need to be changed, not the OS...
Coviti
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Post by Coviti »

What frik85 said is true: Such an identifier could be used to detect "Non-Genuine Windows", which would cause many MS programs not to function.
Harteex
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Post by Harteex »

maybe there could be an option in some way to launch an application and hide reactos entries for it.
Coviti
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Post by Coviti »

That still wouldn't prevent the WGA ActiveX Control from detecting ReactOS. If this project is going to succeed, it needs to be completely identical to Windows.

A little idea; it may be that I didn't understand Harteex's suggestion, and am just restating it, but what if someone could design a "Virtual Genuine Windows" Environment, to run the ActiveX control in and allow WGA software to run. Hopefully this won't be needed, because ReactOS should be technically identical to Genuine Windows.
Harteex
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Post by Harteex »

Coviti wrote:That still wouldn't prevent the WGA ActiveX Control from detecting ReactOS. If this project is going to succeed, it needs to be completely identical to Windows.

A little idea; it may be that I didn't understand Harteex's suggestion, and am just restating it, but what if someone could design a "Virtual Genuine Windows" Environment, to run the ActiveX control in and allow WGA software to run. Hopefully this won't be needed, because ReactOS should be technically identical to Genuine Windows.
That was kind of what I meant. An option to hide everything ReactOS-specific.
GvG
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Post by GvG »

WGA is only required to update Windows components. We should not depend on MS Windows components anyway, so as far as I'm concerned it's no big deal.
MadWolf
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Post by MadWolf »

hi all

the WGA may not work if you are using Firefox
Phalanx
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Post by Phalanx »

It does, you just have to download and run a local program that gives you a code to enter into a form.
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