I vote a community owned repository/build... (Dev version builds/source and then community version builds/source) which can be controlled by community developers (to create less hassle of some jerk coming in and fucking it all up)

While I do not always agree with devn00b's presentation, I do have to agree that getting shite on (or even the perception of being shite on) by your 'team' warrants no effort to hand over my work. That would be like your boss coming up and saying "You're fired, but before you go can you complete your TPS reports?"

Uh, no. <finger> ;)

What I WOULD like to know is, how to detect these "hackurs", either via logging in the emu or 3rd party tools. I've been forced to run Abyss on a Windows server due to something going on that is crashing the Linux code. Now I am worried. I have 10 years of midget porn I need to protect.

Here, here, for midget porn!

From my understanding though, it's a buffer overrun that is created within the EQEmu code. I don't think that having Linux vs Windows (without knowing exactly what's happening to take action to prevent it) would make a difference.

Could someone in the know throw out a little info for us to look into? I'd be happy to monkeypaw around in the code and try to find it. I'm not a software dev (I did get an associates in CS back in college (it was so my credits would transfer for my bachelor's, long story, don't ask), but I do know systems and networking pretty damn well. If there's something that I could do to assist, I'd be delighted to help.

Dax

Project Communication & Collaboration
 

Hi all,

Most of you won’t know me, I kind of phase in and out of EQEmu. I originally got involved back with EQEmu 5.5 by writing some tools to add items to NPCs loot list and such. Since then, due to outside commitments, I've been phasing in and out.

I’ve seen eh team change so much, that the only people I remember now are LE, image and devnoob really.

Gee, that was quite a few years ago....

However, back to the point. After all my years of phasing in and out, long time reading, first time poster sort of thing I really wanted to get back involved in official dev'ing for EQEMU.. Why? Because it’s a fucken awesome project. However, from my own experiences, I have noticed things which prevent this.

First and foremost, the lack of communications which has already been drummed to death on this thread. Really there’s no too little communication between what’s happening with the project and whatnot.

This makes it hard to find out exactly what is going on. Then when you finally get the balls to ask what’s happening in IRC, majority of the time is attitude and smart arse remarks. I don’t know what this steams from, as I said, this I just my personal experience.

Secondly, as my own career has lead me too many senior development rolls, I’ve seen a lot of projects and the one thing which keeps a project is alive, besides communication, is collaboration. People working together and sharing ideas.

This does happen with EQEmu, but generally your only listen to if your known or have been around forever (but by no means I’m saying I’ve been around forever, haven’t not contributed to the office code in any form).

I think what EQEmu firstly needs is a clean stand on where it is heading, lay down some process, control, accountability. Now granted this is a community project, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have design documents, open forums between devs, admins and users.

I did talk to FWN(I think I got it right) and he did point me to some basic documentation on the wiki on the architectures used in EQEmu.

Hopefully he will agree in saying this, when it comes to EQEmu, it fails miserably on the topic of collaboration, certainly in the dev area.

Thirdly, al the pointes previously stated by other members, code not making it into the official release, and what code is made part of the official really is bandaids and hardly documented.

If we want EQEmu to succeed to a point where it’s stable and playable with all functionality to titanium, then we need to implement some process, control and accountability.

Lastly, this is more of a pet hate than anything else, which may or may not reflect on the site (so sorry for going off topic, but it’s *semi* related). The site is bloody dark.

Could we lighten it up, more recent updates, a better user experience?

Our own little community here in OZ, we have both EQ (EQEmu) and WOW (mangos) servers running and the portal for the wow server is simply amazing (granted I’m not a big fan of wow), but it looks good and it gets people attracted to it.

Now, this is all well and good you might say, but who’s going to step up to the task.....

Well I for one would gladly offer my skills in the software development and process & control sections. Having been a project manager on MANY different kinds of projects, I feel that my controbution could have a positive effect on the EQEmu project and community.

I’m also sure, there are a bunch of people feeling the same way, who feel that they could bring a new era to the project. So why don’t we?

In order for this to happen, realalisticly (and some people aren’t going to like this), the project needs a revamp, on a management level.

If the dev's have lost instrest (burn out is 110% normal, etc) then they need to either step down or be forced to step down and had over controller.

Does anyone (who is an official staff member) have access to the security for the CVS to grant new members official access to the source tree?

Also, let’s get the code documented, some processes & controls in. The Wiki could be the perfect spot for this...


Also talking with FWN, there’s no official bug list or anything like that... That is going to have to change with more process and control around it.

Now... DONT get me wrong, we don’t want to go Nazi with it, but I feel that the project needs some revolutionary changes to move forward and get out of this rut as it was.


All of which, I’m glad to donate my time and serves to helping, but thus far, 98% of my questions or ideas, have been met with smart arse remarks or land on deaf ears (or fingers as it is the case online).

Now also, as I stated, these are just my personal views and may appear very generic and broad, but they are made with the best intentions to get the project in full swing.

As someone said, it will only take a hand full of people to get EQEmu project energy levels up and though the roof again!

Froglok

P.S this is not an attack on anyone or the project; personally I just think it is time for change.

P.S.S I would also like to point out that previous devs have done a outstanding job in getting EQEmu to where it is today! (But, we need to change to move it forward)

P.S.S This post is intended to by constructive criticism

Sorry
 

Sorry all for the long and ungly post :(

I agree completely. I have nothing else to add to that. I harbor no ill will to the devs, and only want what's best for this project.

I've got a lot of infrastucture design, implementation, management, and documentation experience, as well as having worked as a project manager during the first part of my career. EQEmu is a very personal thing to me, and I am more than willing to contribute anything that I can offer to make this project soar again.

Let me know what I can do, and I'll get started

Dax

Yeah except that after releasing the LS originally as GPL, they pulled it back and refuse to distribute it, even though it was licensed GPL (once GPL, always GPL).

Thus, one point of failure was artificially created, which would be fine if that point didn't fail. But when even their own appointed liaison can't reach them, and they guard the code that allows people to use what IS out there.... well, you do the math ;)

Look, I respect the heads of this project a LOT. I just wish they'd explain why things are the way they are, and maybe do something to eliminate this bottleneck.

Login Server
 

Regarding the Login Server source code...

Don’t beat a dead horse. It’s only going to be seen as bad criticism and shut out the administration team more from our concerns.

The primary reason the logion server source code is not public availably is of the encryption that is needed for login details and ultimately... credit card details (used to be, dunno about now).

I Agree with the Dev Team on this one, The Login Server Source code being publicly available, have the potential to kill the entire Project... Why? Because (if I remember correctly, maybe someone with more expertise in the area can confirm or disprove this) is because it will bring the full wrath of SoE down on us.


Which we DO NOT WANT! We want EQEmu to thrive. EQEmu and SoE seem o be balanced and as such, SoE leaves EQEmu alone.

However that being said, if Minilogin could be adaptor to allow the running of private servers, just not enforce IP (this may not be possible, due to encryption) then I think it would be a goer.

But as it stands, Keep the Login Server source code, closed source and locked away, these no need to have it available.
However, if the encryption in live has changed enough to warrant the current encryption useless, they maybe I could be released and binary... hoping for anything more is just not going to happen.
Any who, let’s not turn this into a thread about login server... there’s millions on the same topic... let’s keep focused.

Agreed, Froggy (btw, welcome back :)). If people have not gotten it through their thick skulls by now the reason the LS source is NOT open source, then they never will. It's moot, it's not even the PROBLEM, and always ends in one sentiment: get over it.

It's not going to be released, no matter how many times you bring it up. Dreams of becoming your own Hub are not going to happen.

Here is the deal with the login server. The original were talkin the 1.2 days hgere guys login server was GPLed, However the crypto (a seperate project that compiled to a .dll) hat went along with it to make it all work was not. Quagmire never wanted it released. I released the old login server, along with the compiled .dll file. I'm sure if you wanted it you could find it. The current login server is a bastardized version written by doodman (and probably others but hey), wich is not under GPL as I understand it.

OK then I stand corrected in terms of the LS.

Hey Dev, remind me again what version that Login worked with.....

SOE does not take any action against EQEMU because EQEMU is no real threat to them atm. If EqEmu ever did get organized and developed into a large player-base, I can pretty much guarantee you, they will get shut down. Right now, all EqEmu is, is a "Demo" of what the real Everquest is, and if anything, will attract players to the live game.

very true Angelox, more than likly it will attact people back to live, but still, the less attention we get form SoE the better I say. :)

Id much prefer this project to stay alive then get the wrath of SoE :)

-froglok