Impossible to download WebPACK?

Brian Drummond wrote:

> You're using Mozilla, yes?

I tried Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari.

> If so, this may be a long-standing Xilinx webpage bug.

Yes: Their webmaster is incompetent and should be fired. At least their
webmaster is not a trained monkey. Trained monkeys would do a better
job.

> You can either get creative about finding or guessing the actual
> download URL (works for me for most "register first" app notes and

It's not in the page with the download button. When you click the
download button, you go to http://www.xilinx.com/webpack/index.htm but
the server immediately redirects you back to the "register or download"
page. However, as I was writing this message I had a sudden idea, and
it worked.

#define SARCASM_LEVEL BITING | (BITTER << 4)
Oh, I am SO STUPID. CLEARLY the thing I should have done FROM THE START
was:

wget --user={username} --password={password}
http://www.xilinx.com/webpack/index.htm

then poke in the HTML file to get the direct download links (you can't
really read the HTML file easily without the CSS). And here they are:

Web install:
<http://direct.xilinx.com/direct/webpack/82/WebPACK_82i_WebInstall.exe>
<http://direct.xilinx.com/direct/webpack/82/WebPACK_82i_WebInstall.sh>

Full download:
<http://direct.xilinx.com/direct/webpack/82/WebPACK_82i_SFD.exe>
<http://direct.xilinx.com/direct/webpack/82/WebPACK_82i_SFD.sh>

Programming tools only:
<http://direct.xilinx.com/direct/webpack/82/WebPACK_82i_ProgTools.exe>
<http://direct.xilinx.com/direct/webpack/82/WebPACK_82i_ProgTools.sh>

ModelSim Xilinx Edition-III
<file:///ise/mxe3/license.htm>

(That last one is not a typo on my part. Yes, the ModelSim link in the
HTML file is a direct link to a file on the local hard drive of the
incompetent fool who gets paid to maintain this particular corner of
hell on the Internet).

> or try using another browser, if you can work out which one Xilinx test
> their webpages with.

Evidence at hand would suggest that Xilinx never tests anything -
neither their software, nor their documentation, nor their web site.
Someone hears a rumor that the current version kinda worked once on
some particular PC, and that's good enough to go live.

zwsdotcom@gmail.com schrieb:

> #define SARCASM_LEVEL BITING | (BITTER << 4)
> Oh, I am SO STUPID. CLEARLY the thing I should have done FROM THE START
> was:
> 
> wget --user={username} --password={password}
> http://www.xilinx.com/webpack/index.htm

I am sure that qualifies as hacking an effective copy protection
technology under the DMCA.

Kolja

Kolja Sulimma wrote:

> > wget --user={username} --password={password}
> > http://www.xilinx.com/webpack/index.htm
>
> I am sure that qualifies as hacking an effective copy protection
> technology under the DMCA.

:) Can it be considered a copy protection mechanism if it is advertised
as a copy-enabling mechanism?

zwsdotcom@gmail.com wrote:
> PeteS wrote:
>
> > I recently had this problem downloading the latest version at home. If
> > you have a standalone firewall in place, and you are running a Win32
>
> My Internet access, like most peoples', goes through a hardware router
> that NATs my local network onto a single real IP address. I can't
> connect directly to the Internet because there is other hardware that
> requires 24/7 connectivity - alarms will ring and pain will occur if I
> unplug the cable.
>
> > platform, then check the 'generic host process' permissions. I normally


>
> ... where? I've never seen a checkbox like this I don't use Windows
> Firewall. I use Norton Antivirus. But even on a machine where I have no
> software firewall, I get the same symptom.

I don't use Windows Firewall. because I recently had to 're-purpose' my
dedicated firewall / NAT / router box and have yet to replace it, I
installed ZoneAlarm Pro, which gives me a lot of control of processes
that may access different zones (for both inbound and outbound
connections). I got an email back from Xilinx that basically said
'that's the way it is. It's free'
My view on that is that so is their competition's.


>
> Xilinx's webmaster should be shot. His manager should be shot too, for
> not keeping the situation under control. And HIS manager should be
> boiled in oil, twice.

I started a thread a while back on the worst websites, and Xilinx is
quite up there. My comment was 'you need to know specifically what you
are looking for and where it is before you start'.
I had a call from my CM the other day asking about a download cable,
and I told them to check the Xilinx site - they called back after an
hour of frustration. Fortunately, I already had the PDF they needed at
the office so I logged in and got it for them.

>
> They never test anything. As a data point, I've spent 38 billable hours
> just trying to get to the point of getting a simple tutorial example to
> build and run. (Not counting this WebPACK shenanigan).

My experience too. Then there's the 'upgrade' to 8.1 - it's a bloated,
stinking hog. 1GByte full install download (I can do that, but it's
still huge). Where Impact started alost immediately before, now it
takes an age, and it won't let me just open it and right click - no -
EVERYTHING has to be associated with a f*ing project. D*mb sh*ts.

>
> > In addition, for some features, you need to turn on Java (which is even
> > more stupid - I never use Java on websites, and if a vendor requires
> > it, they are usually dropped from any designs I may be doing).
>
> I have to have Java installed because I do some development in that
> language, so that's not a problem.

Oh, I have it installed, I just don't permit remote sites to run java
applets.

And don't get me going on Webpack (well, ISE) requiring the use of
Internet Exploder for it's html rendering - how about using the system
browser? IDTenT error, apparently. IE is so locked on this system, it
can read text and that's it.

Cheers

PeteS

zwsdotcom@gmail.com wrote:

> Is it actually possible to download WebPACK?
> 
> I tried using my existing xilinx.com account to download it, and I get
> into an endless loop where I'm shown a button that says "click here to
> register" then another button that says "click here to download if
> you're already registered". The second button just takes me to the same
> page again, over and over.
> 
> I tried creating a new account on xilinx.com and with this account I
> can't even log into the abovementioned infinite-loop page; it doesn't
> accept the new username/password.
> 
> Has anyone ever worked out the magic combination of browser versions
> and whatever other magic the PITAs at xilinx require?

  Since this seems broken in so many ways, how about filing a request 
for a CD copy, every time this chokes or stumbles ?

  A beancounter in Xilinx will then notice that increase in CD despatch, 
and might actually (eventually) feel motivated enought to fix it.

  What happened to the old 'froth free' "site map" buttons ?

-jg

Jim Granville wrote:

>   Since this seems broken in so many ways, how about filing a request
> for a CD copy, every time this chokes or stumbles ?

A DVD copy is free, but you pay shipping. I suspect the cost of DVDs is
negligible... it would take a lot for the beancounters to notice!

As a data point, webpack just downloaded fine for me.  The
registration, questionaire and process was the same as the last time I
tried it (last year?)  It was 970MB and took 1 hour 44 minutes over
DSL.  I am using Firefox 1.5.0.5.

The hardest part was remembering my user name and password.

But I am in Redwood City, California, so it only had to go a few miles.

Alan Nishioka


zwsdotcom@gmail.com wrote:
> Jim Granville wrote:
>
> >   Since this seems broken in so many ways, how about filing a request
> > for a CD copy, every time this chokes or stumbles ?

Alan Nishioka wrote:
> As a data point, webpack just downloaded fine for me.  The

Amazing. Maybe they have multiple servers for load sharing, and the one
handling the East Coast is the one that's f#$cked up?

I think I went above the call of duty - I tried three different
browsers on three different machines, one of which was a completely
vanilla installation of MSIE on Windows XP - I had literally only just
unwrapped the machine. If a web site doesn't work on a system that
generic, it's WAY broken.

On 2 Sep 2006 08:32:07 -0700, zwsdotcom@gmail.com wrote:

>
>Brian Drummond wrote:
>

>> You can either get creative about finding or guessing the actual
>> download URL 
...
>wget --user={username} --password={password}
>http://www.xilinx.com/webpack/index.htm
>
>then poke in the HTML file to get the direct download links (you can't
>really read the HTML file easily without the CSS). And here they are:

Creative enough! I usually resort to "view/page source" for the same
purpose.

Now all you have to do is hope both ends stay up for a 970MB download.

(I pity anyone still in 56k-land who needs WebPack. I needed WebPack 
6.1 before ADSL got here, and 240MB was quite bad enough...)

- Brian

Brian Drummond wrote:

> Now all you have to do is hope both ends stay up for a 970MB download.
> 
> (I pity anyone still in 56k-land who needs WebPack. I needed WebPack 
> 6.1 before ADSL got here, and 240MB was quite bad enough...)

It didn't work most of the time in one download step when I tried it
(sometime only a few MB were missing), even with 2 Mbit DSL, like I have. A
download manager like LeechGet solved it. Maybe Xilinx should buy something
like this tool for their distribution, or setup a Torrent link.

-- 
Frank Buss, fb@frank-buss.de
http://www.frank-buss.de, http://www.it4-systems.de