Conform Universal - 4.0.0

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface and Alpaca protocol specifications. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Highlights

This release can check conformance of drivers and Alpaca devices that implement Platform 7 Interfaces in addition to testing Platform 6 drivers and devices.

Potentially Breaking Change

The format of the Alpaca protocol log files has changed, and is now consistent with the format used for conformance checks. If developers currently parse the Alpaca protocol log to extract conformance information, the parsing scripts may need to be re-coded to match the new format.

Changes since version 3.1.0

• General
  • The Help section has been updated with information on the latest features.
  • The Windows operating system is now more clearly shown in the status bar and in conformance reports.
  • The alpaca protocol check log format has been updated to add a timestamp and make it consistent with conformance check logs (thanks go to Ingvar Stepanyan for implementing this change).
• Switch
  • Added a test for the optional SetSwitchName method.
• Telescope
  • The pulse guide test has been extended to clearly identify synchronous / asynchronous behaviour and confirm whether dual axis pulse guiding is supported.
  • Added a test for ITelescopeV4 devices to confirm that Tracking throws a ParkedException when the telescope is parked.

Bug fixes

• Logging
  • UTF8 characters are now preserved when console output is piped to child processes
  • Some duplicated entries in the console log have been removed.
• Alpaca Protocol Tester - This now waits for the telescope to complete unparking before moving on to test FindHome
• Telescope - The DoesRefraction state is now preserved across a conformance run.
• Telescope - ConformU now ensures that tracking is enabled before undertaking PulseGuide tests.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows x86, x64 and ARM64
  • The Windows installer (ConformU.X.Y.Z.Setup.exe) supports both 32bit and 64bit Intel/AMD processors as well as 64bit ARM processors. The installer will create the expected start menu entries and optionally create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application (ConformU-Installer.dmg) is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives (conformu.linux-X.tar.gz) that must be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal - 3.1.0

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface and Alpaca protocol specifications. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Highlights

This release can check conformance of drivers and Alpaca devices that implement Platform 7 Interfaces in addition to testing Platform 6 drivers and devices.

Changes since version 3.0.0

• Alpaca Protocol Checker

  • Missing Value parameters in error responses are no longer flagged as issues in tolerant mode.
  • The Connected SET test has been extended to repeat the PUT command using differently ordered parameters. This is to confirm that the device doesn't have a dependency on specific parameter ordering.

• Telescope

  • Confirm that drive rates, which are non-implemented, are rejected with an invalid value exceptions.

Bug fixes

• The 64bit process closes as expected when "operate as a 32bit process" is selected.
• The CoverCalibrator Brightness tests function correctly when the device changes state in less than 1 second.
• SensorType is handled as optional in line with the interface specification.
• TrackingRates SET is handled correctly when it is not implemented.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows x86 / x64
  • The Windows installer (ConformU.X.Y.Z.Setup.exe) supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• Windows Arm64
  • The Windows Arm64 installer ConformUWindowsArm64-Untested.zip is a zip archive that must be manually uncompressed in the desired application location. ConformU.exe runs the application .
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application (ConformU-Installer.dmg) is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives (conformu.linux-X.tar.gz) that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal - 3.0.0

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface and Alpaca protocol specifications. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Highlights

This release can check conformance of drivers and Alpaca devices that implement Platform 7 Interfaces in addition to testing Platform 6 drivers and devices.

Changes since version 2.1.0

• Application

  • Updated to check Platform 7 interface versions for conformance.
  • Conformance test results are preserved rather than cleared when navigating between application pages.
  • A driver / device stress test feature has been added to the home page that will continuously loop the conformance test until the STOP button is pressed.
  • The Alpaca protocol check now accepts not implemented errors as well as 400 errors in standard (not strict) mode.)
  • A timing report is now displayed at the end of the conformance test showing how long each interface member took to complete. Each time is compared to one of three response time targets:
    • 0.1 second for state reporting properties
    • 1 second for all other properties except for synchronous methods, Camera.ImageArray and Camera.ImageArrayVariant.
    • 10 minutes for synchronous methods, Camera.ImageArray and Camera.ImageArrayVariant.
  • The log file location is now shown in the status bar at the end of a conformance test

• Camera

  • Camera - Asynchronous operation is now required for the ICameraV4 StartExposure, StopExposure and PulseGuide methods.

• CoverCalibrator

  • The new CoverMoving and CalibratorChanging properties are now used as completion properties for ICoverCalibratorV2 devices.
  • Improved ordering of cover open / close tests, depending on the initial open/closed state of the cover.
  • Added support for testing Platform 7 and later async interfaces.
  • Added a CalibratorOff() call to post-run checks.

• Telescope

  • The extended rate offset tests have been optimised to reduce time spent slewing.
  • The presentation of extended rate offset test outcomes has been improved.
  • Rate offset test high and low test values are now configurable and the defaults are more realistic.
  • The Park test now slews to a "non-parked" test position before calling the Park() method.
  • Added full descriptions of the RightAscensionRate and Declination rates that Conform uses to the log.
  • Added tests to confirm that InvalidOperation errors are returned by ITelescopeV4 devices when setting offset rates and the drive rate is not sidereal.
  • In ITelescopeV4 and later interfaces, only ParkedException is now accepted when rejecting commands like SlewXXX and MoveAxis instead of any exception type. Details are now provided on exceptions thrown when parked .
  • The DestinationSideOfPier test now slews to HA +3.0 before testing target destinations at HA +2.0.
  • SideOfPier/DestinationSideOfPier tests have improved debug messaging and selection of test target coordinates.
  • Slewing is now allowed to be TRUE for up to 30 seconds after AbortSlew().
  • Added a configurable wait for Slewing to become false after every command to stop movement using the Move(axis, 0.0) method.

• Dome

  • Added tests to confirm that AbortSlew() stops in-progress azimuth and altitude movement.

• Rotator

  • The test code has been reviewed and validated.

Bug fixes

• Fixed bug introduced in 2.1.0 where log files on UNIX systems appeared in the Documents folder rather than in Documents/ascom.
• Fixed bug introduced in 2.1.0 where NotImplemented errors returned by Alpaca devices in mandatory members were not recorded correctly.
• Ensure that any Alpaca Protocol Check information messages are reported when the "Issue, Information and OK" display option is selected.
• The Alpaca protocol checker will no longer auto-run when the target device is a COM device.
• Telescope - Fix incorrect status messages during RA/Dec rate tests.
• Telescope - Omit the test to abort a SlewToCoordinatesAsync operation when CanSlewAsync is false. Fixes issue #13.
• Telescope - Fixed bug when selecting a test declination in the southern hemisphere.
• Dome - Fix bug in Altitude movement AbortSlew() test where the dome was commanded to move in azimuth rather than altitude before issuing AbortSlew().

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows x86 / x64
  • The Windows installer (ConformU.X.Y.Z.Setup.exe) supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• Windows Arm64
  • The Windows Arm64 installer ConformUWindowsArm64-Untested.zip is a zip archive that must be manually uncompressed in the desired application location. ConformU.exe runs the application . This version hasn't been tested, feedback welcome!
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application (ConformU-Installer.dmg) is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives (conformu.linux-X.tar.gz) that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal - 2.1.0

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface and Alpaca protocol specifications. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Please note that:

• Conform Universal now requests acceptance of risk by the user similarly to the original Conform application.
• The v2.x.x command line interface has been revised to support future growth and is not compatible with the syntax used in version 1.x.x.

Changes since version 2.0.0

• Application
  • A new setup configuration option has been added to suppress Alpaca protocol test "OK" messages.
  • By default the Alpaca protocol PUT tests will no longer flag an incorrectly handled ClientId or ClientTransactionId value as an issue. Instead a more extensive informational message is provided. The previous behaviour can be restored by setting the new "Strict ID casing checks" checkbox on the Alpaca and COM setup tab.
  • The Windows installer now has an experimental feature to install Conform Universal on Windows ARM64 platforms.
• Telescope
  • The extended declination rate offset tests now move the declination axis x15 further than previously so that they move the same angular distance as the RA axis moves in the right ascension rate offset tests.
  • Added optional extended MoveAxis tests that can be enabled on the setup telescope tab.
  • Conform now confirms that mount movement is stopped following a call to AbortSlew().
  • The duration of the extended rate offset tests can now be configured through the Setup Telescope tab.
• Switch
  • A new configuration option has been added to to disable "value offset" tests if required.

Bug fixes

• Fixed spelling errors in the safety warning acceptance dialogue.
• Fixed failure in the extended telescope tests when SideOfPier is not implemented by the driver.
• Fixed a timing bug when FindHome is implemented asynchronously.
• Fixed a bug in Telescope PulseGuide tests where an incorrect operation timeout was used.
• Alpaca protocol tests now stop more reliably when the STOP button is pressed.
• Alpaca protocol tests no longer fail when the device HTTP response does not have a CONTENT_TYPE header or when the header is badly formatted.
• The application now reports that it does not support early IFocuserV1 interface devices.
• The Telescope rate offset tests now respect CanXXXRate property values.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows
  • The Windows installer (ConformU.X.Y.Z.Setup.exe) supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application (ConformU-Installer.dmg) is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives (conformu.linux-X.tar.gz) that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal v2.0.0+16486

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface and Alpaca protocol specifications. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Please note that:

• Conform Universal now requests acceptance of risk by the user similarly to the original Conform application.
• The command line interface has been revised to support future growth and is not compatible with the syntax used in previous versions.

Change summary

• Enhanced Alpaca protocol checks.
• Enhanced command line capabilities.
• More extensive Telescope tests for MoveAxis, PulseGuide and RA/Declination rate offsets.
• Improved memory headroom when testing 32bit COM in-process (DLL) camera drivers.

Changes since version 1.2.0

• Application
  • The application gives a warning if run with admin privilege on Windows.
  • User signed https certificates can optionally be trusted to aid development.
  • Out of memory exceptions are reported as Conform errors rather than as device issues.
  • The 32bit executable has increased memory headroom enabling it to test image sizes comparable to the original Windows Forms Conform application.
  • Improved messaging when the device does not return expected JSON discovery responses.
  • Improved error reporting if a COM driver is not registered correctly.
  • Configuration alerts rather than test issues are now reported when parts of a device test are disabled through configuration.
  • Improved consistency of messaging in Alpaca Protocol checks.
  • Alpaca protocol checks now include tests for missing mandatory parameters.
  • Revised command line syntax providing a clean interface for multiple capabilities and straightforward addition of new features in future.
  • The revised command line interface is documented on the application help page.
  • Added risk acceptance dialogue similar to that on the original Conform application.
  • Added a disconnect stage to all device conformance checkers to ensure that Connected is set false at the end of the test.
• Telescope
  • The Telescope SideOfPier test settings check boxes have been moved from the Conform tab to the Telescope tab.
  • More extensive tests for RightAscensionRate and DeclinationRate rate offsets.
  • More extensive tests for Telescope.MoveAxis.
  • More extensive tests for Telescope.PulseGuide.
  • The additional tests are enabled by default but can be disabled through the Settings Telescope tab.
  • Added tests to confirm that SiteXXX properties can be changed to new values and returned to their original values.
• Camera
  • Improved memory cleaning in the Camera tester.
  • The maximum X size and Y size of images requested by the Camera tester can now be controlled through the Camera settings tab. This enables testing of 32 bit in-process COM drivers that return images greater than 24MPix.
  • Improved messaging when Camera.StartExposure times out.
  • Improved camera tester robustness.
• Filter Wheel
  • The FilterWheel test timeout is now configurable through the FilterWheel settings tab.
  • Added more extensive tests including longer distance moves and determination of whether the wheel is uni-directional or bi-directional.
• Focuser
  • Improved messaging when Focuser.Move detects a synchronous move.

Bug fixes

• Fixed issue when determining the valid Camera.SetCCDTemperature range.
• Fixed exception in the Rotator post-run check when testing IRotatorV2 devices.
• Removed dependency on having a working Internet connection.
• Fixed bug in Dome.OpenShutter Alpaca protocol check.
• Fixed bug in Focuser.Connect test stage where failure to connect was not reported.
• Fixed bug that prevented some errors being reported when retrieving Camera.ImageArray.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows
  • The Windows installer supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal - 2.0.0 - RC1

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface specification. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and, supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Please be aware that if you upgrade from version 0.9.0 or earlier this release will reset Conform Universal's configuration to default values.

Introduction

This is an early access release to test a bug fix in the Focuser device where exceptions when setting the Connected property did not result in the application abandoning the test run. A full list of changes will be provided in the next release.

Only the Windows installer is provided in this release.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows
  • The Windows installer supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

ConformU - 1.2.0

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface specification. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and, supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Please be aware that if you upgrade from version 0.9.0 or earlier this release will reset Conform Universal's configuration to default values.

Changes since version 1.1.0

• New Discovery Diagnostics page that checks Alpaca device discovery responses for conformance with the Alpaca standard.
  • Includes tests for incorrect / incomplete discovery responses and missing management API information.
• New Check Alpaca Protocol page that tests responses from the selected device for strict conformance with the Alpaca protocol.
  • This includes sending commands with incorrectly spelled and cased commands and parameters.
  • A set of tests can be optionally enabled to show responses to a variety of non-Alpaca standard commands such as using POST instead of PUT and sending URLs outside the defined /management and /api URLs.
• The application can now be configured to run as a 32bit process on a 64bit Windows OS.
• The Device Selection page now opens the COM tab if the current device is a COM driver.
• Improved responsiveness to the Stop test buttons.

Bug fixes

• To align with the Alpaca API specification, Switch tests now send the 'Id' parameter name cased as 'Id' instead of 'ID'.
• A bug that prevented COM drivers from operating on a thread with a running Windows message loop has been fixed.
• The Windows installer now creates a start menu item when configured to do so.
• Fixed an exception when trying to restore relative focusers to their original position when testing is complete.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows
  • The Windows installer supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal - 1.1.0

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface specification. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and, supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Please be aware that if you upgrade from version 0.9.0 or earlier this release will reset Conform Universal's configuration to default values.

Changes since version 1.0.0

• A new Discovery Diagnostics page has been added to aid Alpaca developers. This provides information to support debugging the discovery process and correctly implementing the Alpaca management API. Discovery Diagnostics confirms correct operation and reports issues such as:
  • Incorrect JSON discovery response casing or structure
  • Incorrect supported API version numbers
  • Missing or empty manufacturer name and version fields
  • Incorrectly spelled ASCOM device types
  • Missing or empty unique ID
• Focuser move tests now report an ISSUE status, rather than an INFO status, when moves are outside Conform's standard tolerance of ±3 position counts. The tolerance can be changed in Conform's Settings page if required.
• Rotator status messages have been improved

Bug fixes

• Conform's User-Agent is now set on all HTTP calls to Alpaca devices.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows
  • The Windows installer supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal - 1.0.0

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface specification. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and, supersedes the original Windows Forms based Conform application, which will not be developed further.

Please be aware that this release will reset Conform Universal's configuration to default values.

Changes since version 1.0.0 Release Candidate 1

• The Alpaca Discovery Map page now automatically populates when the page is selected.
• Status messages for Camera, Dome, Switch and Telescope are extended and improved.
• Safety messages for Dome and Switch now appear on the home page after device selection.
• The success / fail outcome of loading configuration settings now appears on the home page at start-up.
• All command line options are documented on the Help page.
• The settings file is versioned to enable otherwise breaking changes to be handled transparently.
• All enum values are now persisted as string values rather than as integers to make it easier to edit the settings file.
• Valid values for enums in the settings file are documented on the Help page.

Bug fixes

• The application no longer fails when testing the COM Video.LastVideoFrame property.
• Browser refreshes no longer hang the application.
• The Switch tester now applies the specified read or write delays after every call.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows
  • The Windows installer supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu

Conform Universal 1.0.0 Release Candidate 1

Introduction

Conform Universal (ConformU) is a cross-platform tool to validate that Alpaca Devices and ASCOM Drivers conform to the ASCOM interface specification. ConformU runs natively on Linux, Arm, MacOS and Windows and, when out of beta, will supersede the original Windows Forms based Conform application.

Please be aware that this release will reset Conform Universal's configuration to default values.

New Features since beta 0.9.0.0

• The application will now look for and report application updates that are available on Github.
• The 32bit and 64bit Windows versions are now provided through a conventional installer, which removes the need to manually install and update the application.
• The MacOS version is now provided as an Apple signed DMG file that installs a Universal Mac App that contains both Apple and Intel silicon binaries.
• All long running operations now provide dynamic status progress messages.
• At startup the application's server component now automatically chooses a free IP port on which to run. The port number can also be configured to any required fixed value through the Settings page.
• A select device button has been added to the application home page
• The application now returns directly to the home page when a new device is selected instead of staying on the device selection page. This behaviour can be disabled through the Settings page.
• COM exception messages are now translated to more meaningful descriptions e.g. COMException (0x8004040B) is translated to "Invalid Operation.
• The Camera "wait for exposure to complete" time is now configurable through the Settings page.
• The Rotator is restored to the starting position after tests are complete.
• The Telescope "wait for slew to complete" time is now configurable through the Settings page.
• All Linux application executables are now supplied with the execute flags set so they are ready to run and no longer need to be chmod'd before use.

Bug fixes

• Errors during telescope pre-run checks are now handled gracefully.
• Excessive font sizes have been reduced.
• Window resizing is now more responsive.
• Occasional JavaScript exceptions when starting and closing the application have been fixed.
• The application now terminates reliably on all operating systems. By default, the server component will close 2 seconds after the browser page closes but this value can be changed as required on the Settings page.
• The bug that prevented testing of the COM Video.LastVideoFrame property has been fixed.

Installers

All installers are completely self-contained and do not have dependencies on any other packages.

• Windows
  • The Windows installer supports both 32bit and 64bit OS and will create the expected start menu entries. Optionally it will create a desktop icon.
• MacOS
  • The MacOS application is supplied as a DMG file that self mounts when double clicked and displays a basic GUI. Using this you can drag and drop the application to the Applications folder and can then use it as normal.
• Linux
  • The Linux 64bit and Arm 32/64bit versions are supplied as compressed archives that need to be expanded using tar -xf before use. The application can then be run from the command line by the command ./conformu