Total Commander

Hi,

Given the following:
1) TC 2.80 (on 2.72 reproduces too)
2) Paragon USB Plugin for TC

Steps:
1) Mount the USB drive via plugin
2) Open it directory in TC and perform some file operations (watch video in foreground)
3) Return to main TC menu using "back"
4) Open "installed apps"
5) Go back and try to open USB Plugin's menu item by tapping it

Actual Result:
- Nothing happens, button taps (i.e. app doesn't hang) but nothing happened after.
- If I try to navigate into Plugin root folder into TC using Plugin GUI button I end up in main TC menu with the same behavior as described above
- Adb logcat doesn't show any corresponding logs during those taps.

Expected Result:
Plugin root folder is opened (either with mounted volumes or empty)


If this behavior TC issue or Plugin's issue?
It looks like that some kind of pointer/descriptor for the Plugin becomes incorrect after using "Installed Apps" (is it kinda native TC plugin?). Or maybe plugin got killed by the system and TC loses it's descriptor?

The behavior becomes expected if I restart the TC (i.e. swipe it out from Running apps and restart)

If you open a different plugin in the SAME panel, TC will unload the previous plugin - in this case, it will unload the Paragon plugin. However, when you then return to that plugin, it will be loaded again.

Could you check whether this works with other plugins, e.g. the LAN plugin? If yes, then it's a Paragon problem.

Thanks a lot for the response!

Just tried the "USB-Stick Plugin" with exact same behavior as described in the first post.

However, I think I get your explanation.

Could you please specify,

However, when you then return to that plugin, it will be loaded again.

When I tapping the plugin's menu item in TC main menu - does it fit the "return to that plugin" in this quote or should I re-open the plugin app itself instead of trying to get into using TC main menu?

There is no plugin item in the main menu (3 dots menu in upper right). Do you mean the home folder which you can reach by tapping on the house icon? Yes, TC should reload a plugin when you tap on it there. For example, when you tap on "Totalbox" plugin, you will see message "Totalbox service started" each time the plugin is loaded, and "Totalbox service stopped" when it's unloaded. I removed these messages from my own plugins, though.

Yes, I am sorry.
You are correct, I meant not the main menu but home folder of Total Commander.

I managed to reproduce the issue on LAN plugin too. Looks like it is crucial for the reproduction to have opened media player with some Video:
>>2) Open it directory in TC and perform some file operations (watch video in foreground)

Without watching video (not only this operation probably) the issue doesn't reproduce: plugin is being re-loaded by tap on the corresponding home folder item.

For the LAN Plugin the steps will be:

1) Install LAN Plugin and setup the share connection (I used SMB share connection over wi-fi)
2) Open share and watch video (play foreground in VLC)
3) Tap "Back" until you reach the TC home folder
4) Open "Installed Apps", then go "Back" in TC home again
5) Tap on LAN Plugin home folder item

Playing video keeps the LAN plugin loaded in the background. It should be re-used when re-entering that plugin. I just found a bug in that re-use function recently, and it's already fixed in the latest public beta from the play store. Can you try it please?

You can get the beta via this link:
https://www.ghisler.com/betatc

Just tested on beta (2.81b7) -- the issue does not reproduce on this build anymore! Thanks a lot

Moreover, it seems that beta also does not have an issue with infinite "getting directory <whichever plugin root directory>..." spinner on quite similar scenario (behavior could be achieved if add the additional step of minimizing both TC and Plugin and reopen TC home folder again or Plugin Root Folder in TC)

Do both of the issues have the same root cause?

Yes they do! But please let me know if the problem shows up again.

ghisler(Author) wrote:Yes they do! But please let me know if the problem shows up again.

Will do!

Thanks once again. By the way, when the beta is expected to become stable release?

Hello again, dear Christian.

I have another (probable) bug-report:

Steps to reproduce:
1) Run copy operation from plugin to internal memory
2) Wait until couple of percent are done and then tap on Cancel

Expected result:
Operation canceled

Actual:
Zero reaction on first Cancel.
After a few additional taps on Cancel progress bar window with Cancel button dissapears (like operation is canceled). But if minimize Total Commander, copy operation restores (it is shown on notification bar). If open TC, progress window is there again and copy operation keeps running.

Notes:
1) It reproduces on both Paragon and LAN plugins and on both release 2.80 and beta 2.81b7 builds.

2) Reproduction is not 100% - sometimes operation cancels correctly. It seems that opening and minimizing both plugin and TC before starting the reproduction steps have some influence. But I am not sure.

3) By debug it seems that global abort variable (copy, move, delete operations) somehow does not change it's value to true.

It depends on the plugin when it reacts to cancel - the plugin does the file operation in a background thread, and sometimes it can take a few seconds until a server/device responds.

It is OK that response to Cancel tap is not immediate.

The concern is more about Automatic restart of "cancelled" operation (see actual behavior). In fact, if issue reproduces, there is no way to cancel such operation (it will be restarted each time until it will be fully completed) for user instead of Force Stop the TC and/or Plugin.