XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-10, alt.comp.os.windows-11   
   From: mariond@facts.com   
      
   ProxyBridge (pb.bat)   
      
   Here's a (probably) final summary of the ProxyBridge pb.bat proxy utility   
   (as I haven't felt any need to update the script as I've been testing it   
   by using it all day, every day, for weeks, on my desktop Windows PC).   
      
   BTW, the pb.bat script is doing more than just launching ProxyBridge   
   that it adds the functionality I felt was missing from the native tool.   
      
   Andy Burns might be right that they removed basic functionality to   
   differentiate their free product tier from their payware after all!   
      
   Speaking of Andy Burns, I need to thank him for cluing me in to the   
   existence of PAC files about a month ago & at the same time I need to thank   
   Allan Higdon for letting me know about ProxyBridge at about the same time.   
      
   I knew nothing about either PAC nor ProxyBridge until they suggested them.   
   Starting with their suggestion, I was able to write the psiphon.bat   
   previously described, and the ProxyBridge wrapper script (pb.bat).   
      
   The ProxyBridge (pb.bat) script is essentially a management layer   
   that adds basic features that I felt ProxyBridge needed, but it lacked.   
      
   The pb.bat batch file does four main things:   
      
   1. Elevation & setup   
       Checks for admin rights & re-launches with UAC if needed.   
       Sets up a log directory & builds a timestamped log filename.   
      
   2. Rules handling   
       Reads rules from rules.txt (or rules_psiphon.txt, rules_tor.txt).   
       Strips comments & builds a single %PBARGS% string.   
       This solves ProxyBridge's lack of import/export for rules.   
      
   3. Launch & logging   
       Kills any existing ProxyBridge_CLI.exe process.   
       Starts ProxyBridge with the defined arguments.   
       Uses PowerShell Tee-Object to mirror output to console & log file.   
       Ensures one Ctrl+C cleanly stops ProxyBridge & the batch script.   
      
   4. Cleanup & usability   
       Ensures only one console window is used.   
       Avoids the "Terminate batch job (Y/N)?" prompt by wrapping in cmd /c.   
       Provides examples of rules for proxy, block, direct, & port-based   
        actions, making it easier for others to adopt.   
      
   Overall, the ProxyBridge setup is more than just a proxifier in that   
   it hooks into the Windows networking stack & applies rules per process,   
   host, port, & protocol.   
      
   The script bridges the gap by making ProxyBridge far more practical for   
   daily use by adding rule persistence, logging, & clean process control.   
   --   
   On Usenet you can often find people who know a lot more than you do.   
   When that happens, it's our job to expand our knowledge from there.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)