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@github-actions github-actions released this 06 Nov 09:49
helper-v1
95fe618

Exec Hangar helper: setup guide

The helper is a small Windows program that watches your Star Citizen game log
while you play. When the executive hangar closes near you, it reports the exact
moment to the Exec Hangar timer, so the timer stays accurate for everyone, even
right after a game patch resets the cycle.

It runs quietly as an icon in the notification area (bottom-right of the
taskbar). It never touches the game itself.

1. Download

Get exec-hangars-helper.exe from the latest release:

Put it in a folder of its own, for example Documents\Exec Hangar helper.
The helper keeps its settings file next to the .exe, so avoid Downloads (gets
cleaned up) and Program Files (not writable).

Optional: each release also has exec-hangars-helper.exe.sha256. To check
your download, run this in PowerShell in that folder and compare the result:

Get-FileHash .\exec-hangars-helper.exe -Algorithm SHA256

2. First start

Double-click the .exe.

Windows may show "Windows protected your PC" because the program is not
code-signed. Click More info, then Run anyway. You only need to do this
once per version.

On the first start the helper creates exec-hangars-helper.json next to the
.exe, tells you what to fill in, and opens it.

3. Fill in the settings

{
  "server": "https://your-timer-site.example",
  "token": "paste-the-token-here",
  "log": "C:\\Program Files\\Roberts Space Industries\\StarCitizen\\LIVE\\Game.log"
}
  • server: the address of the timer website you use (the same address you
    open in your browser). The site's Helper page shows it with a copy button,
    and can download this file with the address already filled in.
  • token: ask whoever runs the timer site. Keep it to yourself.
  • log: only change this if Star Citizen is installed somewhere else. Point
    it at Game.log inside your StarCitizen\LIVE folder. Use double
    backslashes (\\) in the path.

Save the file and start the helper again.

4. Check it works

Look for the round icon in the notification area. If you don't see it, click the
^ arrow next to the clock (you can drag the icon out onto the taskbar to keep
it visible).

Icon Meaning
Green Connected and watching the game log. All good.
Amber Connecting, or waiting for the game: Game.log doesn't exist yet, so start Star Citizen.
Red Can't reach the timer server. It keeps retrying. Check the server address and your internet.
Grey Paused by you.

Hover over the icon for details. Left-click opens the timer.

5. Start with Windows (optional)

Right-click the icon and tick Start with Windows. The helper then starts
when you sign in, so you never have to remember it.

The menu

Right-click the icon:

  • Open hangar timer: the timer website.
  • Open log file: what the helper has been doing (useful when something's
    wrong).
  • Open settings file: edit exec-hangars-helper.json. Quit and start the
    helper again afterwards to apply changes.
  • Pause reporting: stop reading the game log. Anything that happens while
    paused is skipped, not sent later.
  • Start with Windows: on/off.
  • Quit.

Troubleshooting

  • "The server rejected the token": the token is wrong or was changed. Get
    the current one, update the settings file, start again.
  • "The helper is already running": it's already in the notification area
    (check behind the ^ arrow). Only one copy runs at a time.
  • Stuck on amber while playing: the log path is wrong. In the RSI
    Launcher, check where Star Citizen is installed and point log at
    ...\StarCitizen\LIVE\Game.log.
  • Red: the server address is wrong, the site is down, or a firewall blocks
    the helper. Open the address in your browser to check.
  • Anything else: right-click → Open log file. The log lives at
    %LOCALAPPDATA%\exec-hangars\helper.log.

Privacy: what it reads and sends

The helper only reads Game.log, the text log Star Citizen writes anyway.
It never reads or changes game memory or files, and never sends keystrokes.

From that log it picks out only these lines and sends them, with their times,
to the timer server you configured:

  • executive hangar elevator movements (this is how the closing time is measured)
  • entering or leaving the executive hangar (other locations are never sent)
  • the game version, server build and server (shard) ID, to tell game patches
    and servers apart

It also sends an anonymous helper ID (a scrambled code derived from your
computer's name, so the server can tell helpers apart without knowing who you
are), its version, and how far your PC clock is off.

It does not send your player name, chat, other locations, or anything else
from the log.

Uninstall

  1. Right-click the icon and untick Start with Windows (if you ticked it).
  2. Click Quit.
  3. Delete the helper's folder, and optionally %LOCALAPPDATA%\exec-hangars
    (its log file).

Full Changelog: https://github.com/fl3x1324/exec-hangar/commits/helper-v1

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