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• SharedActiType

Shared ActiType

This article presents an easy way to share your ActiType on Windows.

The goal is to allow others to format their input files on a dedicated computer by just copying input files to a shared folder and picking up the result. This must work even if no one has logged on this computer.

I am assuming that the dedicated computer is running Windows (on other systems it also possible to achieve the goal, but the receipt will be different. If you know you are not on Windows, than you do not need a receipt at all). It has a copy of DiType installed with default options. Here are the steps to share ActiType on Windows:

1. remove C:\Documents and Settings\myname\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\ActiType.lnk (to prevent ActiType from starting twice)

2. create a new shared folder: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Shared DiType Hot Folder

3. add this new folder to C:\Program Files\RenderX\DiType\Actitype\actitype.conf like this:

        <folder path="C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Shared DiType Hot Folder"
                output-path="C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Shared DiType Hot Folder"  
                output-format="application/pdf"  
                state="started">
          <rule name="FO" ext=".fo"/>
        </folder>

4. open "Scheduled Tasks" from the "Control Panel"; add a new task with the following parameters:

   • Run:

     C:\PROGRA~1\RenderX\DiType\FRAMEW~1\Common\env\Python2.4\pythonw.exe -E .... 
     "C:\Program Files\RenderX\DiType\Actitype\actitype.pyw" ....
     --non-gui-mode --config actitype.conf

     This line is split with '....' only to feet the page. It must be a single line in the dialog, without '....'s.

   • Start in: C:\Program Files\RenderX\DiType\Actitype\

   • Run as: <your credentials, password required>

   • uncheck Run only if logged on, check Enabled

   • on the "Schedule" tab select At System Startup

   • on "Settings" task uncheck all boxes
5. reboot and do not log in

6. from another computer, in Windows Explorer locate the dedicated computer and its SharedDocs folder. Inside this folder there is the newly created folder called Shared DiType Hot Folder.

7. copy an FO file there, view the log (actitype.log), and pick up the resulting PDF.

Simple, isn't it ?

A few notes. DiType service must start automatically on dedicated computer. SharedDocs should be shared so that the dedicated computer allows to read and write in this folder (and it's sub-folders). Running ActiType like this is called "console mode".

Michael Sulyaev