Is it possible to read the existing program from Pronto?

In a single word.... no. No workarounds

The proper term is upload and this subject has been discussed MANY times before in this forum. Searching for the word "upload" should provide more information.

Actually, the proper term would be download.

The button in ProntoEdit that says "Download" is wrong. If you are moving the data from your local system (PC) to a remote system (Pronto), you are actually uploading the data.

If there was a feature on the Pronto remote where you could initiate the copying of a new config file from the PC, then that would be a download.

Jon,

In today's computer industry, you are correct. ;-)

The reason I stated the term "upload" is to coincide only with terms used in ProntEdit (Classic Pronto) and later editors as well as the Menu Items in the software (or lack there-of of an upload) menu item.

I disagree.

Uploading is going from a client to a server.

In this case, the Pronto is the client, and your PC is the server.

That's why I said in today's computer industry without trying to be too argumentative. Uploads do occur from client to server and downloads go in the opposite direction as Peter points out.

Most of the time we don't even thing about this. In fact the browser you are using to read this post is the "client" browser and RemoteCentral website is the server. So, we upload files to the server and download files from it.

Philips has always considered the Pronto to be a client of the Server/Host PC.

;-)

Having started in the BBS days, upload has always meant sending something away from me, and download means getting stuff sent to me. I've never thought of it in terms of a hard coded definition of hardware client/server, but rather what I'm doing with the data... ie. centered on who is initiating the data transfer.

In that light, I find the Pronto terms may be correct from a client/server relationship, but that's being overly confusing when the vast majority of terminology that users are likely to encounter and become familiar with are going to teach them that the opposite is how it should be referenced.

Who's right? Who's wrong? Does it really matter? In all honesty, I think not. I guess it does though, as 3 top Pronto posters have now chimed in.

:-)

The end result is that a Pronto Configuration should be treated just like any other software asset. It should be backed up to offline storage (some place other than your Pronto or your working computer) as if either is lost or dies, you lose all your work. I, too was disappointed a few years back (I think it was 2006) when PEPV1 was introduced and the upload capability was forever lost.

I understand why this was the case. If a customer does not pay an installer/programmer for the work, the installer is not obligated to provide a config file and therefore the customer cannot take their remote elsewhere to another installer, who can then upload the configuration to a computer and benefit from someone else's work.

Lyndel

Here's a way around the terminology.

Send to...
Receive from...

:-)

Didn't mean to start anything....

Most users today basically use the term "download" to refer to sending data. It doesn't matter to them where to, where from, etc. They just "download", that's all they know!

To be technically correct you can pull down from / out of the Pronto a Pronto program. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do with it. It is a compacted binary file that has undergone a non reversable transformation so you can not get back the original program, the "xcf" which is really what you want. The Pronto is a linux based machine and there is a standard directory structure that would be familiar to linux literati. In one of those directories (/bin if I recall right) is a very large file useless to anyone/anything except the Pronto itself.

Interesting true trivia: With regard to upload download, there is a whole tribe of people that do not understand front back left right. Their language has no such words nor semantics. What they do understand is the concepts of north south east west. Put them anywhere on the face of the earth and within a minute or two their brains deduce the cardinal directions and can tell you for example that you are standing north of them but have no idea that you are in front of them. To them directionality is not egocentric it is geocentric. When they give directions it is like hearing map coordinates from a treasure map. The huiman brain is amazing.

Hehee - semantics...I still refer to it as uploading FROM the Pronto and Downloading TO the Pronto.

Regarding the ever-present block on uploading from 94/96/98 I wrote a note to the Pronto Team (again) the other day giving them some current information from their customers. I get 6 calls a month from Pronto owners who paid for programming, received it and have been running it. Now need updates for changed equipment, etc. Problem is their installer went out of business and didn't bother to give the clients the config file and they are pissed and SOL and blaming Philips for the problem. Especially when they learn that Philips purposely put the block in there to satisfy what is likely a very small percentage of the consulting-installers who pushed for this, as some form of protection-scheme. Lyndel - the case you pointed out is likely a very-very small percentage. if I recall the big push behind the block was that installers who spent a lot of time on custom graphics did not want their work stolen and re-used. Not the programming really, just the graphics.

I always give the client the config. In my view they paid for it and deserve to have it. Not all installers feel this way and that is the prerogative.

But, any way you look at it these clients are pissed at Philips for not being able to help in any manner and somewhat less-pissed that their installer went out of business.

Dave
RemoteQuest.com