"Please select a directory", does not show network drives

[teddyrogers]

Tribler 8.0.7, when being asked for a directory Tribler is able to list volume drives, when at the root folder.

Tribler does not show/ or list the network drives. It is possible to manually enter in the network path. Tribler accepts the path and is able to use the network location as a destination folder.

Please provide visibility of the network paths at file request prompts or, preferably, use the operating system open and save file requester dialog. When, "Import torrent from file(s)", Tribler opens the operating system dialog, why not use it for all directory and file requests?

[qstokkink]

That seems like a nice enhancement. To answer your question:

When, "Import torrent from file(s)", Tribler opens the operating system dialog, why not use it for all directory and file requests?

The idea here is that the Tribler process might be running on a remote host, or inside of a Docker filesystem, etc. In those cases, there is no Operating System dialog to open.

[teddyrogers]

The idea here is that the Tribler process might be running on a remote host, or inside of a Docker filesystem, etc. In those cases, there is no Operating System dialog to open.

Is it possible for Tribler to detect instances when it is not running on a remote host and utilise the system dialog?

[qstokkink]

To that, my answer is: yes and no. Yes, it would technically be possible to detect and do. My "no" is that this would make Tribler's code slightly schizophrenic: we'd be doing the same thing in two different ways. I think we should consider that when our number of issues is a bit closer to 0.

[teddyrogers]

I think we should consider that when our number of issues is a bit closer to 0.

All good, was querying if it were possible. If it requires a lot of work and there is a functional and working method Tribler implements selecting network drives it makes little sense spending time on the feature for little gain.

[qstokkink]

If I piece together https://stackoverflow.com/q/50528180

from os import listdir
from os.path import join
from win32com.shell import shell, shellcon

NETWORK_SHORTCUTS_FOLDER_PATH = shell.SHGetFolderPath(0, shellcon.CSIDL_NETHOOD, None, 0)
network_shortcuts = [join(NETWORK_SHORTCUTS_FOLDER_PATH, f) + "\\target.lnk" for f in listdir(NETWORK_SHORTCUTS_FOLDER_PATH)]

should give us the network folders. Currently, I have no way to test if this actually works, though.

[teddyrogers]

Currently, I have no way to test if this actually works, though.

If you can compile a build I can test it here if it helps?

[qstokkink]

@teddyrogers If you want to help with testing, I created a custom win64 build: https://github.com/qstokkink/tribler/actions/runs/12990311432 (direct artifact link: https://github.com/qstokkink/tribler/actions/runs/12990311432/artifacts/2490742067)

Could you check if your network location appears along with the disk drives?

EDIT: In the spirit of open source, I should also show you what you are testing. This is the change: main...qstokkink:tribler:test_network_paths

[teddyrogers]

@qstokkink it does not seem to be working. I can go back a folder all the way to "C:" and it stops as there is no way to go ".." to go back/ up.

The file in the link you provided is of Tribler 8.0.2, is this correct?

[qstokkink]

Thanks for checking, then the StackOverflow answer is not applicable here. We'll have to look for another way.

(Trivia: The 8.0.2 version is because I built from my personal GitHub fork, which does not have up-to-date git tags)

[im-vmn]

I don't know about MS Windows, but on GNU Linux it's not a problem, I mount directories from remote hosts with sshfs and it works fine with no modifications in Tribler. Maybe there are similar instruments for MS Windows?