General Tool for Updating and syncing of Missions,Maps&Mods

[markushaze 10]

Hi all

I ve been using sickboys updater for a wile now, and boy, its some peace of code!

Actually, its the best thing ever!

If all MODS and Maps, even missions with their needed addons could all be synced and downloaded through It... i think that would be awesome.

Multiple times now i have found some cool missions, and addons, and thought it would be cool not having to check all the time for updates myself, just :

Launch the updater, it checks all selected mods, missions, and maps, updates those that need updating, done :-)

I know Yoma also has a tool, Addon Sync, which is i guess something similar. maybe Yoma and sickboy could work together and create the ultimate ArmA 2 sync tool :-)

just an idea.......

Edited December 28, 2009 by markushaze

[Grizzle 0]

I personally don't like the idea. Give me the files via HTTP/FTP and let me do the rest.

[Roe-31stMEU- 10]

I voted Six-Updater just because I've already got that working great, but personally I wouldn't mind a Six-Yoma collaboration either. Either way, updating is never easier now and if it can be applied to everything then why not make mission updating easy too.

[Binkowski 26]

Voted Six Updater. Even though it can be a bitch to set up the first time, once you get it working properly it's awesome.

[markushaze 10]

Yea you're right, setting up sixupdater is not easy for everybody, but hey... its still in beta.

The setting up processes will be made easier i am sure.

but thats where maybe yoma can join in?

his gui seems pretty user friendly on his addon sync.

keep those thoughts comin:-)

[Yoma 0]

I think my tool is better for Game Servers (it's easier for people without access to rsync on server to manage their own repository).

But sixboys atm might be better for "general mod distribution", due to enhanced mirroring support.

There is a very big difference between both things. The difference is that game server admins need to manage THEIR repo and six's is more pointed at general repo's with mirroring.

Also the comparison is not really fair as Six's is the default ACE distribution method, so surely it will get more votes in this poll.

Other then that I must say that AddonSync is getting quite popular too. Last release had 5000+ downloads.

There is no point in a "which one is better thread" ,neither of both applications are perfect. It's great to have multiple options so people that run into issues with either of the apps still have a possibility for synchronizing their files.

You can see this very well in the ACE2 beta release threads.

[sickboy 14]

Yay, AddonSync is IMO especially useful for (private) communities / clans etc, with custom packages. But as Yoma said, it's good to have options in any case.

The Six Updater platform is scheduled to open up Mods and Servers APIs to the public in Q1 2010, meaning a mod or server owner will be able to add / update their information and mod-files.

Other plans are:

- Additional 3rd Party and Official Mirrors

- As to the GUI state; This is part of the big plan. I hope to deliver a user-friendly GUI in the next weeks.

I am very much for cooperation / collaboration, but as Yoma mentioned, there are major differences between the approaches.

Altough I won't have time for much of anything in the coming weeks, I am surely open to building bridges :)

Edited December 31, 2009 by Sickboy

[Tobie 10]

actually i was always pleased with downloading the rar file and then creating a mod folder or an installer like some mods had. i havent tried out the updater or the addon sync yet.

[markushaze 10]

Well, sorry, i didn't want it to sound like which is better.. Both tools are fantastic, a thank you to both of you, sickboy and yoma:-)

@Tobie, Try it! :-)

The aim is to know, if a tool would be handy for users, map makers, mission designers and modders to exchange news and updates.

Wouldn't that be better and easier for the whole community? at lest for those just playing, and not reading countless threads....

If yomas tool is better suited for server admins, and sickboys updater can be used for client side update, well we seem to have a deal:-)

All we would need now is get the modding, map making and misson desingers on board to use that method of distribution, and of course the "ok" from yoma and sickboy......

I have seen more and more mods being added to six-updater, my favorite being JTD fireandsmoke:-)

This is just a thought, but it was already stated in some other thread to have a news section in Game main menu with mod, map and mission updates.

But since they have to be installed outside the game, a third party tool like thees 2 ( Yomas Addonsync and sickboys six-updater ) could fill that gap:-)

[[aps]gnat 29]

Two different tools, for 2 different tasks. Not really comparing apples.

Both great work.

But I generally prefer Yoma's magic.

If, and a big IF, the number of addons for ArmAII starts to approach the old days of OFP, then a great tool would be a "downloader" thats fed from a central database of ALL addons.

NOT really a database to hold the main files, but a database that lists all the details of the addon, pics, author etc, and then a link to places the "downloader" could get the lastest version of the addon.

You can then browse and DL

..... hmmmm. Now it just sounds like a tweaked portal into Armholic or Armed Assault dot Info.

[Yoma 0]

Yay, AddonSync is IMO especially useful for (private) communities / clans etc, with custom packages. But as Yoma said, it's good to have options in any case.

The Six Updater platform is scheduled to open up Mods and Servers APIs to the public in Q1 2010, meaning a mod or server owner will be able to add / update their information and mod-files.

Other plans are:

- Additional 3rd Party and Official Mirrors

- As to the GUI state; This is part of the big plan. I hope to deliver a user-friendly GUI in the next weeks.

I am very much for cooperation / collaboration, but as Yoma mentioned, there are major differences between the approaches.

Altough I won't have time for much of anything in the coming weeks, I am surely open to building bridges :)

The easiest bridge that could be built is a linux based repogenerator for addonsync so the repo's can be rsync'ed to other servers.

I could also hack in basic support for downloading the stuff from six repo's, but that would be bugprone, reinventing the wheel and potentially hard to keep up to date when six repo styles change.

Another route i've been thinking about/testing is a P2P approach which, given enough popularity, would totally remove the big bandwidth factors that come with popular mod releases. We'd just need a few seeding servers to provide the files when noone else is downloading.

Would be nice if people list popular P2P networks that accept "new files".

[sickboy 14]

Thought this might be relevant here too:

Six Updater - Happy New Year (Reflection and future)

@Yoma; P2P altough nice, is probably not usable with realtime delta patching, and therefore wasting a lot of bandwidth. (Even if it wouldnt be downloaded from central servers, the bandwidth (+time) has to come from somewhere :))

The reason for rsync realtime delta is that it doesnt matter which state the user's file is in, it will always be patched up to the correct version of the file, aswell as save a lot of bandwidth.

This is why I believe it is less important to have P2P, and less problematic to have central servers.

Making our own P2P Rsync hybrid thingy to me sounds a bit out of reach, and with current rsync on windows afairs, too unstable at best.

However, I guess options are great and where we can share or be compatible with eachothers features (or at least have them both aware of each) etc etc, could be beneficial to everyone.

Edited January 1, 2010 by Sickboy

[terox 316]

I think BIS should get their butt into gear and add this functionality into the engine

The best solution would be a combo of Both Yoma's and sickboy's with a centralised listing on a site such as OFPECS

with the biggest Red arrow pointing to it on every forum site within the community, including BIS's so that the newcomers to MP gaming dont get the continous headaches that this lack of engine functionality creates

We use six updater to get the server synced to the latest version of ACE and we use Yoma's to offer the complete mod package to our users, which in addition to ACE also includes our custom addon packs, such as islands etc

This we find is the most user friendly system to our members so they actually have the addons required to play on the server

Six is created by an extrememly competent and technically adept individual (Namely Sickboy), however like many more applications done by technically brilliant people, their creations tend not to be as friendly to the less computer literate, as far too much expectation is placed upon those individuals.

The whole aim of such applications is to make it easier for those individuals who do not know or understand the applications ability to use it and therefore any such application has to be designed to be used at the lowest user level of competence. Within ArmA2 thats pretty damned low

Edited January 2, 2010 by Terox

[nicolasroger 11]

What we really need is BIS to modify their game so that we directly download/update the required addons when we join a server (like in counter-strike for exemple).

Right now I use yoma tool, but i've never tried six updater.

[PuFu 4600]

What we really need is BIS to modify their game so that we directly download/update the required addons when we join a server (like in counter-strike for exemple).

Right now I use yoma tool, but i've never tried six updater.

You can do that with Yoma, if the server has been setup correctly.

On Topic:

You can't compare 2 different solutions available: six updater and yoma.

Each has been designed with a different scope in mind, and each works exceptionally well for that very purpose.

I use both on the KH server, and they have both saved me headaches, endless searches and bandwidth

[Kristian 47]

Voted for Six updater, I wish i could download CAA1 from it

[Inkompetent 0]

I like both. For the specific purpose they are designed, and sure - they could be combined to get the function of both in one and the same tool, but it'd still be one part of the tool for "general updating" and one for "specific server versioning" which makes it kind'a redundant to put them in the same tool to start with.