Author Topic: Uploading new mods to a headless server  (Read 1005 times)

tomreyn

  • MegaGlest Team
  • Airship
  • ********
  • Posts: 2,764
    • View Profile
    • MegaGlest - the free and open source cross platform 3D real-time strategy game
Uploading new mods to a headless server
« on: 7 August 2012, 23:38:27 »
People keep asking whether it's possible to play non-standard mod X on a given headless server, and in most cases the answer to this is 'no'.
So I'm wondering how much work would be involved in making it possible to have an FTP upload account where people whom the server admin(s) trust(s) (and is/are happy to pass a shared, or - slighly preferrable - unique, password to) could upload additional mods.

I guess this would require making the FTP server available continuously, but if it can be assumed that the current implementation of the FTP protocol (the modifiesd featheryftpd) is mostly stable then this should be doable.

Clearly, the lack of extra mods on headless servers is an issue to date. I remamber that Treba had provided a script to at least install those mods which had been approved, but the real issue is that most mods are never approved because their makers never apply for it. Which, in the end, means that people are unable to play these mods on headless servers. That's not really the fault on our end, but I guess we still want to make things easy, so it maybe good to revisit the options available on this layer.
atibox: Ryzen 1800X (8 cores @3.6GHz), 32 GB RAM, MSI Radeon RX 580 Gaming X 8G, PCI subsystem ID [1462:3417], (Radeon RX 580 chipset, POLARIS10) @3440x1440; latest stable Ubuntu release, (open source) radeon (amdgpu) / mesa video driver
atibox (old): Core2Quad Q9400 (4 cores @2.66GHz), 8 GB RAM, XFX HD-467X-DDF2, PCI subsystem ID [1682:2931], (Radeon HD 4670, RV730 XT) @1680x1050; latest stable Ubuntu release, (open source) radeon / mesa video driver
notebook: HP envy13d020ng
internet access: VDSL2+

· · · How YOU can contribute to MG · Latest development snapshot · How to build yourself · Megapack techtree · Currently hosted MG games · · ·

Pizza90

  • Draco Rider
  • *****
  • Posts: 282
    • View Profile
Re: Uploading new mods to a headless server
« Reply #1 on: 9 August 2012, 20:44:17 »
Would not be easier/better just to sync the mods of the mod centre with the headless server? So if the mod centre has 5 factions the headless server has the megapack + 5 factions, if another faction goes in the mod centre the headless servers get it too. Of course this should work also for updates so that players can always play the latest version and the headless servers have it.
I translated Megaglest in italian and i keep the translation updated.

tomreyn

  • MegaGlest Team
  • Airship
  • ********
  • Posts: 2,764
    • View Profile
    • MegaGlest - the free and open source cross platform 3D real-time strategy game
Re: Uploading new mods to a headless server
« Reply #2 on: 9 August 2012, 20:54:03 »
Yes this would be easier, and it could be automated, and treba has already provided proof of concept.

But this only works for the few mods which both mod menu/DB inclusion is requested for and which meet the criteria. Unfortunately this is only a small percentage at this time, usually due to lack of interest, improper packaging or unclear or non-free licensing terms.

So the question of how the other mods (and updates to them) can be made available on a headless server, if the server owner is not interested in keeping track on this manually, but knows someone who would would be happy to, but doesn't want to share administrative server access with this/these person(s).
atibox: Ryzen 1800X (8 cores @3.6GHz), 32 GB RAM, MSI Radeon RX 580 Gaming X 8G, PCI subsystem ID [1462:3417], (Radeon RX 580 chipset, POLARIS10) @3440x1440; latest stable Ubuntu release, (open source) radeon (amdgpu) / mesa video driver
atibox (old): Core2Quad Q9400 (4 cores @2.66GHz), 8 GB RAM, XFX HD-467X-DDF2, PCI subsystem ID [1682:2931], (Radeon HD 4670, RV730 XT) @1680x1050; latest stable Ubuntu release, (open source) radeon / mesa video driver
notebook: HP envy13d020ng
internet access: VDSL2+

· · · How YOU can contribute to MG · Latest development snapshot · How to build yourself · Megapack techtree · Currently hosted MG games · · ·

Pizza90

  • Draco Rider
  • *****
  • Posts: 282
    • View Profile
Re: Uploading new mods to a headless server
« Reply #3 on: 9 August 2012, 21:03:49 »
Well i think that for stand alones mod we should find another solution, while for non stand alone mods well, modders should use the mod centre! It's there to be used not to take dust and modder should understand it i think :) Implement something more complicate while you can implement an easier one because someone doesnt want to use the easier one seems a little time wasting.
I translated Megaglest in italian and i keep the translation updated.

tomreyn

  • MegaGlest Team
  • Airship
  • ********
  • Posts: 2,764
    • View Profile
    • MegaGlest - the free and open source cross platform 3D real-time strategy game
Re: Uploading new mods to a headless server
« Reply #4 on: 9 August 2012, 21:23:17 »
It's meant to be complementary, I do not intend to replace the mod menu / database at all. It's just that I acknowledge that it doesn't fit every purpose, so it would be good to have another option if the primary option (mod DB) doesn't work.

That said, I'm sure we all do want modders to use the mod DB, since this allows for a better presentation and ease of use of their mods.
atibox: Ryzen 1800X (8 cores @3.6GHz), 32 GB RAM, MSI Radeon RX 580 Gaming X 8G, PCI subsystem ID [1462:3417], (Radeon RX 580 chipset, POLARIS10) @3440x1440; latest stable Ubuntu release, (open source) radeon (amdgpu) / mesa video driver
atibox (old): Core2Quad Q9400 (4 cores @2.66GHz), 8 GB RAM, XFX HD-467X-DDF2, PCI subsystem ID [1682:2931], (Radeon HD 4670, RV730 XT) @1680x1050; latest stable Ubuntu release, (open source) radeon / mesa video driver
notebook: HP envy13d020ng
internet access: VDSL2+

· · · How YOU can contribute to MG · Latest development snapshot · How to build yourself · Megapack techtree · Currently hosted MG games · · ·

titi

  • MegaGlest Team
  • Airship
  • ********
  • Posts: 4,240
    • View Profile
    • http://www.titusgames.de
Re: Uploading new mods to a headless server
« Reply #5 on: 10 September 2012, 11:55:42 »
I think its all a bit complicated...
The most practicable suggestion so far is the mod menu idea, but even this has problems:
Imagine things grow a bit more and you start your headless server the first time he will download a lot and even now MG gets quite big.

In general this should be possible and can be a maybe general update option:
"-update-install-all-mods" This automatically gets all new mods and updates on startup

or two seperate ones:
"-update-all-mods"
"-install-all-new-mods"

In general this gives more importance to the mod center and maybe more people contact us to include there maps/mods there :)
Try Megaglest! Improved Engine / New factions / New tilesets / New maps / New scenarios

 

anything