oe7drt-website/content/posts/2022/30-winlink-on-linux-fix-invalid-handle-on-logfiles/index.md

+++
title = "Properly open Logfiles in RMS Express on Linux"
aliases = '/posts/2022-11-01-winlink-on-linux-fix-invalid-handle-on-logfiles'
summary = """Removes the error message in RMS Expert when trying to open
             Logfiles"""
date = "2022-11-01T22:58:49+01:00"
#lastmod = ""
categories = ["amateur-radio"]
tags = ["linux","winlink","windows","emulation","wine"]

+++

Do you use Winlink regularly? Did you ever looked into the logfiles directory?

Most users won't need to look into the logfiles. Usually. But someone may be
interested in them just out of curiosity or someone may have to look something
up, maybe an abnormal behaviour of the program or why the recent update failed.

## The Error

Anyhow, you may end up opening this screen here and might not get what you wanted.
At least when you use RMS Express with wine on a linux computer.

![winlink program with logwindow opened](01_openlogs.png)

Per default you may get this error message.

![error message "invalid hadnle"](02_errmsg.png)

## The solution

You may have to register `.log` files to a program that opens up as default
application. We do that with the Windows-Registry-Editor `regedit.exe`.

{{< video "fix-winlink-reg" >}}

There are two solutions that I have thought of.

First, we declare `.log` files as text documents and handle them as normal `.txt`
documents. We open these files with the built-in editor `notepad.exe`.

As second solution, we create a new entry for `.log` files and declare them as
`logfile`. We open these files with our native text-editor built into Gnome.

### textfile approach (notepad.exe)

Create a textfile with the ending `.reg` like `openlogs.reg`.

```reg
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.log]
@="txtfile"
"Content Type"="text/plain"
```

After saving the file, import it into the windows registry like this:

```console
$ wine regedit openlogs.reg
```

This should work instantly.

[Download](/files/winlink_openlogs.reg) this file.

### logfile approach (native text-editor)

Also create a textfile with the ending `.reg`, but fill it with these contents:

```reg
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.log]
@="logfile"
"Content Type"="text/plain"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\logfile]
@="Logfile Document"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\logfile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\logfile\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\logfile\shell\open\command]
@="\"winebrowser\" \"%1\""
```

Load this into the registry:

```console
$ wine regedit openlogs_native.reg
```

Also this should work instantly. Opening the logs should open your application
on your linux computer that usually opens `.log` files. That is
`gnome-text-editor` on my computer.

[Download](/files/winlink_openlogs_native.reg) this file.

## The end

Have you ever clicked on the Log menu in VARA or VARA FM? Well, that works
without those registry tweaks... I'm just saying :smile: