Pay very close attention in this post to text in bold type!
I've been working a while on this, and it's finally here!
MCWebLauncher is a protocol handler for the minecraft:// URL scheme.
As a few (or many) of you might have noticed, you can now have the new Minecraft Launcher connect directly to a server upon login. This is where MCWebLauncher comes in.
Say that a server owner at example.com wants a way to let users directly connect to their server. If their server name is mc.example.com, they can put a link on their website pointing to minecraft://mc.example.com/, and people with MCWebLauncher who click on the link will be presented with a login window, as follows:
Once the user has entered their credentials (which aren't sent anywhere, by the way - they're just passed to the official Launcher) and clicks the "Log In and Join" button, provided they've entered the correct username and password, they will be connected to the server.
If you don't understand, download MCWebLauncher and click this link: minecraft://s.hailxenu.net:25565/
(note: didn't mean to advertise, but I had to use some server to make a valid URL as an example!)
If you're using one of the supported browsers, it should (after a few prompts) bring up the MCWebLauncher window.
Demo videos:
MCWebLauncher demo (Watch in HD!):
How to compile MCWebLauncher yourself (Watch in HD!):
Download (Beta 3.1): http://mirror.forairan.com/MCWLInst.exe
The MCWLInst.exe file requires administrative privileges to install MCWebLauncher on Vista/7 (as it needs to add the URL handler to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and put a few files in %ProgramFiles%\MCWebLauncher). Some antivirus programs may also incorrectly say that it's unsafe due to the UPX-packed files inside - make sure you run it outside of their "sandbox" or it won't work!
Works with:
[*:tjmvk8mo]Internet Explorer
[*:tjmvk8mo]Mozilla Firefox
[*:tjmvk8mo]Google Chrome
I haven't tested it with Firefox.
Also, it may work with Opera and Safari too, but I haven't tested this.
[*:tjmvk8mo]Please run the MCWL uninstaller (MCWLUninst.exe) before installing this release!
[*:tjmvk8mo]Removed ResetOptions.exe, as the Options panel can now be accessed by running MCWL.exe.
[*:tjmvk8mo]Put the source code on GitHub - if you're feeling adventurous, go ahead and download the latest source and compile it! (Note: the source code on GitHub may be unstable or even completely broken. User beware!)
2011-03-06 (Beta 3):
[*:tjmvk8mo]Some antivirus programs may mistake the MCWLInst.exe file that will be coming with Beta 3 as an "unsafe program" (Avast did for me, which confused me at first). The only reason they will say this is because the ResetOptions.exe and MCWLUninst.exe files are included within MCWLInst.exe using AutoIt's FileInstall().
[*:tjmvk8mo]Added the ability to save your username/password. Username saving is enabled by default, password saving isn't. Once again, your password still isn't sent anywhere but to the official Minecraft authentication servers - when you have the "Remember Password" option ticked, it will be saved locally IN PLAIN TEXT (therefore, don't use that option on a shared computer!)
[*:tjmvk8mo]If you have both "Remember Username" and "Remember Password" enabled, you can also choose to bypass the MCWL user interface entirely when clicking a minecraft:// link and directly connect to a server. You cannot turn this off without resetting your MCWL options using the ResetOptions.exe file that is now installed along with MCWL.
[*:tjmvk8mo]The new ResetOptions.exe file (as well as a MCWL uninstaller!) can be found in %ProgramFiles%\MCWebLauncher (%ProgramFiles(x86)%\MCWebLauncher if you're on a 64-bit OS).
[*:tjmvk8mo]The uninstaller does not yet remove the URL protocol - this will be fixed in a future release (however, it is low priority, as it does not seem to effect the system if the URL protocol handler file is missing).
[*:tjmvk8mo]Made the UI more compact.
[*:tjmvk8mo]Please redownload MCWLInst.exe to install this release!
2011-03-06 (Beta 2.1):
Only change was in the source code - you do not need to redownload MCWL.
[*:tjmvk8mo]Removed old MCWL.au3 that I used in the testing phases.
2011-03-06 (Beta 2):
[*:tjmvk8mo]Added "Homebrew Mode" to the installer. When activated, it will not try to download MCWL.exe from my site.
[*:tjmvk8mo]Added an about box to MCWL.
[*:tjmvk8mo]Fixed a few problems with the window caption buttons.
2011-03-06 (Beta 1):
[*:tjmvk8mo]Initial release.
Enjoy, and reply with any feedback/issues :smile.gif:
(This post may not make sense and there might be quite a few issues with MCWL, but from the little testing I've done, it works perfectly. It's 12:39 AM here at the time of this post )
I understand in your post that you claim that the information entered is not passed anywhere except straight to the launcher, but I have my doubts.
I've seen way to many programs and "mods" for other games that supposedly pass along information to the game launcher, but in fact just harvest the information.
Now, don't get me wrong... I think this is really awesome, and an innovative way to pass along and quickly connect to servers (I'm thinking like the irc:// and steam:// protocols). Unfortunately, I don't thing the server I am on, nor myself personally will use this, unless it's officially endorsed or implemented by the creators of minecraft, for my own personal account safety.
Good on you though, for trying to be innovative. -thumbs up-
I understand in your post that you claim that the information entered is not passed anywhere except straight to the launcher, but I have my doubts.
I've seen way to many programs and "mods" for other games that supposedly pass along information to the game launcher, but in fact just harvest the information.
Now, don't get me wrong... I think this is really awesome, and an innovative way to pass along and quickly connect to servers (I'm thinking like the irc:// and steam:// protocols). Unfortunately, I don't thing the server I am on, nor myself personally will use this, unless it's officially endorsed or implemented by the creators of minecraft, for my own personal account safety.
Good on you though, for trying to be innovative. -thumbs up-
I could just release the source code if that'd be proof enough (doesn't mean I'd stop maintaining it).
It's created in AutoIt 3, so anyone could easily download and compile it themselves if they don't trust the official version :smile.gif:
Even so, people could monitor the packets sent/received by MCWL if they wanted, possibly by entering a fake username/password and using something like Wireshark. MCWL.exe itself sends no packets - MCWLInst.exe only communicates to download the required files.
I was already thinking about this when I started creating it, so I placed the "Privacy Policy" button in a very prominent position. The Privacy Policy says:
Your password is never stored without permission.
We will only store your password if you tick
the "Save Password" box (not yet implemented).
Your credentials are only sent to the Minecraft
login servers. Nobody else.
Don't believe me? Monitor this program's TCP/IP
activity.
Why? This program is simply a wrapper for the
Minecraft Launcher to enable joining servers
directly via the minecraft:// URL scheme.
EDIT: I've released the source code in the main post with a small license.
[*:1ovj45fb]I've released the source code as well as a video on how to compile it yourself for paranoid people out there.
[*:1ovj45fb]I've released a video demo if you didn't understand the main post.
[*:1ovj45fb]I've released Beta 2 with a few fixes.
I've been working a while on this, and it's finally here!
MCWebLauncher is a protocol handler for the minecraft:// URL scheme.
As a few (or many) of you might have noticed, you can now have the new Minecraft Launcher connect directly to a server upon login. This is where MCWebLauncher comes in.
Say that a server owner at example.com wants a way to let users directly connect to their server. If their server name is mc.example.com, they can put a link on their website pointing to minecraft://mc.example.com/, and people with MCWebLauncher who click on the link will be presented with a login window, as follows:
Once the user has entered their credentials (which aren't sent anywhere, by the way - they're just passed to the official Launcher) and clicks the "Log In and Join" button, provided they've entered the correct username and password, they will be connected to the server.
If you don't understand, download MCWebLauncher and click this link:
minecraft://s.hailxenu.net:25565/
(note: didn't mean to advertise, but I had to use some server to make a valid URL as an example!)
If you're using one of the supported browsers, it should (after a few prompts) bring up the MCWebLauncher window.
Demo videos:
MCWebLauncher demo (Watch in HD!):
How to compile MCWebLauncher yourself (Watch in HD!):
Download (Beta 3.1):
http://mirror.forairan.com/MCWLInst.exe
The MCWLInst.exe file requires administrative privileges to install MCWebLauncher on Vista/7 (as it needs to add the URL handler to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and put a few files in %ProgramFiles%\MCWebLauncher). Some antivirus programs may also incorrectly say that it's unsafe due to the UPX-packed files inside - make sure you run it outside of their "sandbox" or it won't work!
Works with:
[*:tjmvk8mo]Internet Explorer
I haven't tested it with Firefox.[*:tjmvk8mo]Mozilla Firefox
[*:tjmvk8mo]Google Chrome
Also, it may work with Opera and Safari too, but I haven't tested this.
GitHub page: https://github.com/forairan/MCWebLauncher
Source code (latest version):
MCWebLauncher was created in AutoIt 3.
Stable download (Beta 3.1): https://github.com/forairan/MCWebLauncher/zipball/1.0b3.1
Unstable download: https://github.com/forairan/MCWebLauncher/zipball/master
Use of this source code is bound under the FRSL 1.0 and all future versions:
IRC channel: irc.esper.net #mcweblauncher
Changelog:
Enjoy, and reply with any feedback/issues :smile.gif:
(This post may not make sense and there might be quite a few issues with MCWL, but from the little testing I've done, it works perfectly. It's 12:39 AM here at the time of this post )
I've seen way to many programs and "mods" for other games that supposedly pass along information to the game launcher, but in fact just harvest the information.
Now, don't get me wrong... I think this is really awesome, and an innovative way to pass along and quickly connect to servers (I'm thinking like the irc:// and steam:// protocols). Unfortunately, I don't thing the server I am on, nor myself personally will use this, unless it's officially endorsed or implemented by the creators of minecraft, for my own personal account safety.
Good on you though, for trying to be innovative. -thumbs up-
Visit now and bookmark!
nginx/0.7.65
I could just release the source code if that'd be proof enough (doesn't mean I'd stop maintaining it).
It's created in AutoIt 3, so anyone could easily download and compile it themselves if they don't trust the official version :smile.gif:
Even so, people could monitor the packets sent/received by MCWL if they wanted, possibly by entering a fake username/password and using something like Wireshark. MCWL.exe itself sends no packets - MCWLInst.exe only communicates to download the required files.
I was already thinking about this when I started creating it, so I placed the "Privacy Policy" button in a very prominent position. The Privacy Policy says:
EDIT: I've released the source code in the main post with a small license.
[*:1ovj45fb]I've released the source code as well as a video on how to compile it yourself for paranoid people out there.
[*:1ovj45fb]I've released a video demo if you didn't understand the main post.
[*:1ovj45fb]I've released Beta 2 with a few fixes.
Is this still a thing?