Update URL is broken, points to scam site

[craeonics 0]

Apex uses http://update.apexdc.net/version.xml as the update URL.

update.apexdc.net is a CNAME to vhost.sourceforget.net. Note the extra t. If you visit update.apexdc.net, you get redirected to some shady scam site: ww1.survey-prize.com

Meaning my system log after restarting Apex is filled with this, since Apex will not stop checking:

[20150716/1911] DHT bootstrap error: An attempt was made to access a socket in a way forbidden by its access permissions. (http://survey-prize.com/)
[20150716/1911] Update Check: could not download digital signature (An attempt was made to access a socket in a way forbidden by its access permissions.)

Perhaps the CNAME could be changed to point to the right host?

I don't know how long this has been broken. I only restart due to monthly windows updates.

 

[Crise 26]

When it comes to DHT bootstrap... that is hosted on StrongDC's SourceForge web space... so we have no real control over it, short of hosting our own copy (which we'd first have to develop since the code for the web bootstrap isn't readily available).

Re update check, thanks for spotting that typo... I'll make sure it is fixed as soon as possible. However, SourceForge recently had a catastrophic hardware fault, and basically all services are down since early yesterday evening. We don't know when these services will be restored, but DHT bootstrap should resolve when that happens (hopefully).

 

[craeonics 0]

Re: DHT bootstrapping, even with those errors, my DHT pool seems to have been populated right after starting the client (currently at some 1750+ nodes). I assume these partially came from the previous session. So would it still be necessary for Apex to try and bootstrap that if it's already populated?

[Crise 26]

Re: DHT bootstrapping, even with those errors, my DHT pool seems to have been populated right after starting the client (currently at some 1750+ nodes). I assume these partially came from the previous session. So would it still be necessary for Apex to try and bootstrap that if it's already populated?

DHT retains records of nodes from previous session yes, the web bootstrap is only vital when on a fresh install or when all the nodes from previous session are invalid (say ou don't run apexdc for a week for example and that becomes a likely scenario).

I agree that the boostrap could be delayed and then skipped if you already have valid nodes from previous session.

[Lee 84]

The typo has been fixed. 

Good spot - this issue was only for roughly 24 hours. Apologies to anyone who may have been redirected as a result.

Edited July 17, 2015 by Lee

[craeonics 0]

Hurray!

Unfortunately, SourceForge is still belly up:

[20150719/1233] DHT bootstrap error: HTTP/1.0 503 Service Unavailable (http://update.apexdc.net/version.xml.sign)
[20150719/1233] Update Check: could not download digital signature (HTTP/1.0 503 Service Unavailable)
[20150719/1233] DHT bootstrap error: HTTP/1.0 503 Service Unavailable (http://update.apexdc.net/version.xml)
[20150719/1233] Update Check: could not connect to the update server (HTTP/1.0 503 Service Unavailable)

This does not bode well for their already quite tarnished reputation.

I noticed there's a https://www.apexdc.net/version.xml that could be used as a replacement for http://update.apexdc.net/version.xml, but it's missing the version.xml.sign and a tad outdated.

[Crise 26]

Last time we tried to host the update check files on our own server we ended up unintentionally ddos'ing ourselves that outdated version file exists because of a bunch of very old versions that reference it.

SourceForge should be fully operational some time in the coming week... according to http://sourceforge.net/blog/sourceforge-infrastructure-and-service-restoration/