Develop Reference

C# - Unable to write to app.config after deployment

I am developing a WPF application which runs well in visual studio v.2022 very well. My problem is when I deploy the application to another computer for testing it does not seem to be updating app.config data. When I change the ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None) to NONE it works well in both debug and release mode in Visual Studio but throws an error when deployed to another computer. The error I am getting is "System configuration.configuration error exception - An error ocurred while loading the the configuration file myApp.dll.config. Access denied "
I gather that the user has no write privileges on the Program Files folder where the app.config is stored. However, when I change the user level to either Roaming or Roaming and local, then nothing happens as the configuration file is not located and if at all the changes are made then they are not persisting. Here is my app.config file
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="Server" value=""/>
<add key="Port" value=""/>
<add key="Database" value=""/>
<add key="User" value=""/>
<add key="Pwd" value=""/>
<add key="Code" value=""/>
<add key="Access" value=""/>
<add key="Status" value=""/>
<add key="EndDate" value=""/>
</appSettings>
</configuration>
Here is my method for updating the the app.config
public static void UpdateSetting(string key, string value)
{
Configuration roaming = ConfigurationManager.OpenExeConfiguration(ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
ExeConfigurationFileMap fileMap = new ExeConfigurationFileMap();
fileMap.ExeConfigFilename = roaming.FilePath;
Configuration configuration = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(fileMap, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
var appSettings = configuration.AppSettings;
foreach (var keys in appSettings.Settings.AllKeys.Where(x => x.StartsWith(key)))
{
appSettings.Settings[keys].Value = value;
}
configuration.Save(ConfigurationSaveMode.Modified);
ConfigurationManager.RefreshSection("appSettings");
}
and here is an example of how the method is called Settings.UpdateSetting("Code", _Code);
Any help will be much appreciated

Following #Joe's comment it occurred to me that it was not possible to write to config application data at runtime. I opted to create a new section in the config file in the Properties.Settings folder in my solution and assigned the scope to User and not application since the user is able to update the data at runtime. Double click on the settings.Settings file to open in designer view and literally entered the settings names to be stored.
The stored settings can be saved and retrieved using the methods below.Properties.Settings.Default.yourSetting. to get the settings.
And to store/save the settings
Properties.Settings.Default.yourSetting= val;`
Properties.Settings.Default.Save();`
That solved my problem.

The X.509 certificate could not be loaded from the file

I am using the API SAML2.0 for ASP.net MVC and I used openssl to create the private and public key files and used a password for the private file. It generated two files ca.key and cas.pem, I used the ca.key file as the private key but I am getting this error
Additional information: The X.509 certificate could not be loaded from the file D:\Test Web Projects\TestSaml\TestSaml\Certificates\ca.key.
My users login to my mvc application the login process has nothing to do with SAML. I just check the users against my DB. The reason I am using SAML2.0 is because I need to direct my users for payment process to another external page which is my service provider. So once they click on a button on my page they should be redirected to the other website. The following is the sample code I built to verify if its working.
Web.config
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--
For more information on how to configure your ASP.NET application, please visit
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=301880
-->
<configuration>
<appSettings>
<add key="TargetURL" value="https://btat2.paybill.com/consumer/SSO/SSOLogin?clientId=ReadyCapital"/>
<add key="webpages:Version" value="3.0.0.0" />
<add key="webpages:Enabled" value="false" />
<add key="ClientValidationEnabled" value="true" />
<add key="UnobtrusiveJavaScriptEnabled" value="true" />
</appSettings>
<system.web>
<compilation debug="true" targetFramework="4.5" />
<httpRuntime targetFramework="4.5" />
</system.web>
</configuration>
Saml.config
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<SAMLConfiguration xmlns="urn:componentspace:SAML:2.0:configuration">
<IdentityProvider Name="https://TestSaml"
Description="Test Identity Provider"
LocalCertificateFile="Certificates\ca.key"
LocalCertificatePassword="readycapital"/>
<PartnerServiceProviders>
<!-- MVC example -->
<PartnerServiceProvider Name="urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion"
Description="MVC Example Service Provider"
SignSAMLResponse="true"
SignAssertion="false"
EncryptAssertion="true"
AssertionConsumerServiceUrl="http://www.paybill.com/V2/Test/Login.aspx"
PartnerCertificateFile="Certificates\btat2.cert"/>
</PartnerServiceProviders>
</SAMLConfiguration>
Controller
public ActionResult Index(Profile profile)
{
string targetUrl = WebConfigurationManager.AppSettings["TargetURL"];
string userName = "00373219101";// WebConfigurationManager.AppSettings["SubjectName"];
SAMLAttribute[] attributes = new SAMLAttribute[2];
SAMLAttribute attribute = new SAMLAttribute("UserEmailAddress", SAMLIdentifiers.AttributeNameFormats.Unspecified, null, string.Empty);
attributes[0] = attribute;
SAMLAttribute attribute2 = new SAMLAttribute("MiscellaneousData", SAMLIdentifiers.AttributeNameFormats.Unspecified, null, string.Empty);
attributes[1] = attribute2;
SAMLIdentityProvider.InitiateSSO(Response, userName, attributes, targetUrl);
}

Did you check that the WebServer can actually access the files? Maybe use Microsoft Windows Sysinternals Process Monitor and check that the read operation is successful.
Replace the standalone .key file with a .pfx file both containing the certificate as well as the private key and link to that in IdentityProvider/#LocalCertificateFile

Trying to get a working web.config section for this programmatic AD FS configuration

I have the following programmatic code which I know works when I try to validate AD FS tokens:
var configuration = new SecurityTokenHandlerConfiguration();
configuration.AudienceRestriction.AudienceMode = AudienceUriMode.Always;
configuration.AudienceRestriction.AllowedAudienceUris.Add(new Uri("https://application.local/"));
configuration.CertificateValidationMode = X509CertificateValidationMode.ChainTrust;
configuration.RevocationMode = X509RevocationMode.Online;
configuration.CertificateValidator = X509CertificateValidator.ChainTrust;
var registry = new ConfigurationBasedIssuerNameRegistry();
registry.AddTrustedIssuer("<Certificate Thumbprint>", "ADFS Signing - adfs.example.local");
configuration.IssuerNameRegistry = registry;
SecurityTokenHandlers = SecurityTokenHandlerCollection.CreateDefaultSecurityTokenHandlerCollection(configuration);
However, I am trying to convert that to a working configuration so that I can just mark this all up in my web.config. I have tried this:
<system.identityModel>
<identityConfiguration saveBootstrapContext="true">
<securityTokenHandlers>
<securityTokenHandlerConfiguration>
<audienceUris>
<add value="https://application.local/" />
</audienceUris>
<certificateValidation certificateValidationMode="ChainTrust" revocationMode="Online" trustedStoreLocation="LocalMachine"/>
<issuerNameRegistry>
<trustedIssuers>
<add thumbprint="<Certificate Thumbprint>" name="ADFS Signing - adfs.example.local" />
</trustedIssuers>
</issuerNameRegistry>
</securityTokenHandlerConfiguration>
</securityTokenHandlers>
</identityConfiguration>
</system.identityModel>
Using the following code (this time, not passing in my programmatic configuration):
SecurityTokenHandlers = SecurityTokenHandlerCollection.CreateDefaultSecurityTokenHandlerCollection();
But the error I get when I try to validate tokens is:
At least one 'audienceUri' must be specified in the
SamlSecurityTokenRequirement when the AudienceUriMode is set to
'Always' or 'BearerKeyOnly'. Either add the valid URI values to the
AudienceUris property of SamlSecurityTokenRequirement, or turn off
checking by specifying an AudienceUriMode of 'Never' on the
SamlSecurityTokenRequirement.
So it must not be reading the configuration correctly. What am I missing? Is the code wrong? Is the config wrong?

SecurityTokenHandlers = System.IdentityModel.Services.FederatedAuthentication.FederationConfiguration.IdentityConfiguration.SecurityTokenHandlers;
The config is correct.

Setting up of Selenium Web driver for SpecBind

I have been asked to create a remote selenium web driver using browserstack to test the functionality across all browsers. I have checked the repository to which I have received some of the felds needed:
RemoteUrl: http://hub.browserstack.com:80/wd/hub/
browserstack.user = username
browserstack.key = password
browserstack.debug = true/false
browserstack.tunnel = true/false
os
OS_version
Version = the browser version
I have got the code to create the driver below:
DesiredCapabilities capability = DesiredCapabilities.Firefox();
capability.SetCapability("browserstack.user", "username");
capability.SetCapability("browserstack.key", "password");
driver = new RemoteWebDriver(
new Uri("http://hub.browserstack.com/wd/hub/"), capability
);
this creates the remote webdriver. However as i am using this with specbind I need to create this driver within the app.config. which will be stored under a <browserfactory> however I am unsure on how to do this, please help!

I have now resolved this issue. From the start URL you need to then put in this browser factory setting:
<browserFactory
provider="SpecBind.Selenium.SeleniumBrowserFactory, SpecBind.Selenium">
<settings>
<add name="RemoteUrl" value="http://hub.browserstack.com:80/wd/hub/"/>
<add name="browser" value="IE" />
<add name="browser_version" value="8.0"/>
<add name="os" value ="Windows"/>
<add name="os_version" value="7" />
<add name="browserstack.user" value="username" />
<add name="browserstack.key" value="key" />
</settings>
The various settings configure this to Windows 7 and IE 8. This can be changed accordingly and the Username and Key is given to you by browser stack.

Read connection string from web.config file when deploy to IIS7

It seems to be pretty simple question but not for me. I am trying to read connection string from web.config file.
I have WCF service application which have web.config file. In web.config file I defined connection strings.
Then I deployed wcf application on IIS7 under default web site(One template which comes when you install IIS7).
Now when we read connection string then it is not giving me connection strings which define in wcf web.config file. Somehow I am not able to access it. And while debugging when I found a connection string which is actually not connection string which I defined in wcf web.config but it is default web site connection string which I don't want.
I want to access connection string which I defined WCF web.config file only. I am stuck in it. I tried all but with no luck. For reference I am putting code which I tried and web.config code also.
Web.Config code.
<configuration>
<system.diagnostics>
<trace>
<listeners>
<add type="Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Diagnostics.DiagnosticMonitorTraceListener, Microsoft.WindowsAzure.Diagnostics, Version=2.4.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35"
name="AzureDiagnostics">
<filter type="" />
</add>
</listeners>
</trace>
</system.diagnostics>
<appSettings>
<add key="ConnString" value=""/>
<!--<add key="ConnString" value=""/>-->
</appSettings>
<connectionStrings/>
<system.web>
<httpRuntime maxRequestLength="2097151"
useFullyQualifiedRedirectUrl="true"
executionTimeout="14400" />
<compilation debug="true" />
</system.web>
Code to read connstring
string connString = string.Empty;
string svcDir = System.Web.Hosting.HostingEnvironment.ApplicationPhysicalPath;
DirectoryInfo rootDir = Directory.GetParent(svcDir);
string root = rootDir.FullName;
string webConfigFilePath = root + "\\Web.config";
ExeConfigurationFileMap fileMap = new ExeConfigurationFileMap();
fileMap.ExeConfigFilename = webConfigFilePath;
Configuration configuration = ConfigurationManager.OpenMappedExeConfiguration(fileMap, ConfigurationUserLevel.None);
var test = configuration.ConnectionStrings.ConnectionStrings;
string connectionString = "";
if (configuration.ConnectionStrings.ConnectionStrings["ConnString"].ConnectionString.Length > 0)
{
connectionString = configuration.ConnectionStrings.ConnectionStrings["ConnString"].ConnectionString;
}
//var connectionString = System.Web.Configuration.WebConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["ConnString"];
//if (connectionString != null)
//{
//}
return connString;
I am using .net framework 4.0, IIS 7, apppool is .net framework 4.0 and windows 7 machine.
Thanks,
Awadhendra

The web.config has a dedicated section for connection strings, and the code you are using is using the configuration manager to access the connection strings section in the web.config. The problem you have is that you haven't put the connection string in the connection strings section, you have put it in the app settings. Move the connection string out of app settings and put into the connection strings section, or change your code to read it from app settings. Now storing a connection string in app settings was the way it was done in .NET 2.0, but since then (.NET 3.5) there has been a dedicated section made for connection strings.
please refer here
e.g.
<connectionStrings>
<add name="ConnString" connectionString="xxxwhateveritisxxx" />
</connectionStrings>
or code to read it from app settings (if you must have it in app settings, although I wouldn't recommend):
string connectionString = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["ConnString"];

Can u give a try to this :-
string connString = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["ConnString"].ToString()
return connString;
It will read the app setting section of your web.config.