VStar 2.24.0 release

Affiliation
Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSAU)
Sat, 02/03/2024 - 08:39

Hi all

VStar 2.24.0 release is available here: https://github.com/AAVSO/VStar/releases/tag/2.24.0

While the driver was AAVSO's change to authentication, there are other improvements and bug fixes.

The change log has the details.

The authentication changes only impact member-only plugins (AAVSONet, APASS) and discrepant observation reporting.

See also Bert's VStar guide for authentication.

Other than several bug fixes Max and I worked on, there were also a few additions/improvements:

  • The load from AID dialog now allows times to be entered as calendar dates & times as an alternative to JDs. That's been on my list for a long time but Max took this on.
  • Support was added for observation source plugins to allow multiple observation files to be loaded as if they were a single file load. So far only the Kepler/TESS, QLP, and Lightkurve plugins take advantage of this, but more will in future. I added this initially in response to an email request relating to TESS file loads.
  • A Help or ? button in the Plug-in Manager and some other dialogs allows plug-ins to provide a link to documentation. Max implemented this. 

Thanks to Max (Maksym Pyatnytskyy) for his contributions as always, and to Bert and Aru for their help and patience re: Auth0 in particular.

Please report problems here: https://www.aavso.org/bug-reports

David

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
2.24.0 Defender blocks the exe from running

Greetings,

Today I updated from 2.22.0 to 2.24.0.  The 2.24.0 zip was unpacked to its normal file directory, no problems.  However, when I run the VStar.exe wnidows defender complains and won't run it without extra user interaction.  Properties of the exe are easy to set "Unblocked".  My question then  is that the only file that needs to be unblocked?  Any bat, jar files need to be unblocked?  If so which ones?

Thanks for creating such a useful piece of software.

Jim (DEY)

Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Hi Jim,I think, VStar.exe…

Hi Jim,

I think, VStar.exe is the only component that needs to be unlocked. The reason is that it is not digitally signed and the modern paranoid (unfortunately necessary)  security approach makes the system suspect everything unknown. I compiled this executable myself and guarantee that it is safe

Best regards,

Max