The version dropdown sat silently empty when the GitHub manifest
fetch 404'd (private repo, network down, etc.) and there was no
DORKNET_LOCAL_MANIFEST to fall back to. Two fixes:
- csproj copies the repo-root versions.json next to dorknet.exe on
build, and LocalOverrides.GetLocalManifestPath checks that path
as a fallback after the env var. Dev checkouts against a private
repo now Just Work — no env vars needed.
- When the manifest can't be loaded, RefreshManifestAsync now
inserts a disabled placeholder "(no versions - check internet or
set DORKNET_LOCAL_MANIFEST)" in the dropdown so the user sees the
problem at a glance instead of a silent blank.
- LocalOverrides.DescribeManifestSource shows in Settings whether
the active manifest came from the env var, the side-by-side
fallback, or the live GitHub fetch.
The single Copy button left it on the user to format a message and
get the code into Discord/email. Added a layout that makes sharing
obvious:
- QR encodes the join code text so a friend with a phone can scan
the host's screen and forward the code without typing it
- "Copy as message" formats a one-line "Join {server} on DorkNet!
Download at github.com/... and paste this code:" pitch
- "Email to friend" opens the default mail client with subject +
body prefilled, code in the body
- QR built via QRCoder -> WriteableBitmap directly (no
System.Drawing dependency); palette matches the launcher
Initial v0.1 (commit df9dac0) used PhotinoNET wrapping WebView2 + HTML/JS,
but rendered as a blank window on first run — WebView2 + file:// URI
quirks. Switching to native WPF: built into the .NET 9 Windows SDK
(no NuGet), single-file self-contained publish, instant window open.
All Backend/*.cs orchestration logic carried over unchanged (they're
UI-framework-agnostic). Replaced:
- Program.cs (PhotinoNET bootstrap) -> App.xaml(.cs) + MainWindow.xaml(.cs)
- ui/index.html + style.css + app.js -> MainWindow.xaml (XAML views) +
App.xaml resource styles
- Backend/MessageBridge.cs (JS<->C# router) -> direct method calls in
MainWindow.xaml.cs code-behind
RecRoomPicker now uses Microsoft.Win32.OpenFolderDialog (added in .NET 8)
instead of WinForms FolderBrowserDialog — keeps the project WPF-only.
Backend files needed explicit 'using System.IO;' since the WPF SDK
doesn't include it in implicit usings.
Single-download .NET 9 self-contained launcher for hosting / joining
DorkNet servers. Reads versions.json from main to discover supported
client builds, fetches the matching server binary + client patcher
from GitHub Releases per branch, manages the server subprocess +
Cloudflare quick-tunnel, and wraps it all in a PhotinoNET window.
Code layout:
- Program.cs PhotinoNET window + message bridge bootstrap
- Backend/ AppPaths, AppState, VersionsManifest,
ReleaseDownloader, ServerProcess, ClientPatcher,
Tunnel, RecRoomPicker, JoinCode, MessageBridge
- ui/ index.html + style.css + app.js (no build step)
- RELEASES.md GitHub Releases artifact contract per-version
branches must publish to
Per-version branches need to ship two release assets per tag:
- dorknet-server-{version_key}-win-x64.zip
- dorknet-clientpatch-{version_key}.zip
(see launcher/RELEASES.md for the full naming + arg contract)
Photon AppIds, JWT secret, and the picked Rec Room path stay
per-machine; the launcher never bundles them.
Alexa