EdgeBeacon

Tiny Windows batch utility that pings a URL in a fast loop and launches Microsoft Edge the moment the site is UP (HTTP 200 or any 3xx).

📄 Documentation

_{2–3 pages · v1.0.0 · reproducible LaTeX}

• Tech note (PDF):
  docs/EdgeBeacon - A Minimal Windows Batch Utility for Instant.pdf
• LaTeX source (ZIP): docs/Documentation Maker.zip
• How to cite: CITATION.cff
• Latest release: Releases

🧭 Background — Why this tool exists

During Open Credit Course registrations, the portal often doesn’t go live exactly at the announced time. Students keep waiting and refreshing for minutes or even hours to see when the server actually comes online.

• Admins might say 12:00 AM, but it really opens later (e.g., 1:28 AM).
• Servers can be throttled/held to avoid crashes.
• Students keep the page open and refresh repeatedly—stressful and time-consuming.

🚀 What EdgeBeacon does

Paste the portal URL once. EdgeBeacon checks it every ~100 ms. The moment it’s UP (HTTP 200 or any 3xx), it automatically opens Microsoft Edge to that page.

• No more manual refresh—save your time and focus.
• Perfect for late-night or unpredictable registration windows.
• Redirect-friendly (SSO) because 3xx is treated as “UP”.

🧩 Typical use case

1. Run the tool.
2. Paste the registration portal URL.
3. EdgeBeacon checks quietly in the background.
4. When the server responds, it auto-opens Edge—that’s your cue to act.

Tip: You can increase the interval later if your admins prefer a gentler rate.

🛡️ Good-citizen notes

Use responsibly and only on portals you’re allowed to access.

• Checks availability via curl (HTTP status only).
• To reduce load, increase interval (e.g., INTERVAL_MS=200 or 500).
• Doesn’t bypass logins or security; when up, you still sign in normally.

🎯 Outcome

• Prompts for a URL
• Checks every ~100ms using curl
• On HTTP 200 or any 3xx → opens Microsoft Edge with that URL
• Visible console logs: timestamp, attempt, status code

⬇️ Latest Release Downloads

• Tech note (PDF): download
• Windows EXE: download
• Checksums: SHA256SUMS.txt

📊 Quick Start

1. Download scripts/WaitUntilUp_Visible.bat from the latest Release
2. Double-click → paste your URL (e.g., http://pmscs-sis.juniv.edu/)
3. Watch status lines (000 while down). When UP, Edge opens automatically

⚙️ Config

Edge pathInterval

set "EDGE=C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe"
set "INTERVAL_MS=100"   :: 100ms loop; use 50ms for faster; 0 = CPU heavy

🧠 How it works

• Runs curl -s -o NUL -w "%{http_code}" <URL> to read only the HTTP code
• Treats 200 and any 3xx as “UP”
• Uses tiny sleep: ping 127.0.0.1 -n 1 -w <ms> to keep CPU reasonable

❓ FAQ

Why status: 000? Usually connection refused / host unreachable.

Auto-reload tab? This script opens Edge when UP. For an in-browser waiting screen with auto-redirect, see the PowerShell+HTML variant in Discussions.

🔬 Reproducibility (Open Access)

• Script is ~30 lines, no external deps beyond Windows curl
• Tested on Windows 10/11 (22H2/23H2)
• LaTeX docs/tech-note.tex includes an experiment log + checklist
• Citation metadata: CITATION.cff
• Versioned releases with immutable ZIP artifacts

⚡ Design Decisions

• Fast loop (100ms) chosen for responsiveness; backoff removed by request
• 3xx treated as UP because portals often redirect to SSO
• Kept Batch for zero-install; PowerShell variant is optional

📜 License

MIT — see LICENSE.