Are there any network subsystem architecture docs, links etc?

[Are there any network subsystem architecture docs, links etc?]

I'm a long-time software engineer of distributed systems who has taken an interest in networked multiplayer games.

I am familiar with many of the netcode designs/architectures employed by games from Id, Valve and some others but am interested in Real Virtuality, having owned and played several of the ARMA series titles and being familiar with the scale of the object graph being synchronised on multiplayer. Have the BIS developers ever produced any documentation, blog posts, podcasts, GDC presentations etc on the design of the networking subsystem for Real Virtuality 3 or 4?

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

[A2OA Linux Server beta 1.59.79548]

Yeah, I suppose you're right. Can't help ignorance ;)

[A2OA Linux Server beta 1.59.79548]

I think I'll just do it and submit it to BI for approval.

I will still use it to simplify patching of my own boxes.

I guess it will just become a question of whether or not BI support the server hosts who create a market for their games.

P.S. I'm guessing by your name that you like the Mac desktop + Linux server combo? I miss my Mac.

Yeah, like I said I've used linux as my desktop since 1995, but a few years ago I was upgrading my Dell laptop and decided a Macbook Pro was a better quality+value proposition. I thought I'd give OSX a week to win me over. I've been using it on my personal laptops now since 2006.

But there's nothing that will replace my linux servers on the horizon yet.

[A2OA Linux Server beta 1.59.79548]

Ubuntu also has a server edition, which does not include any of that GUI bloat. That is what we use.

Yes. It's basically Debian stable at the time the Ubuntu release was cut. (This is an oversimplification.) It has nothing to recommend it over Debian for a power user.

---------- Post added at 02:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 AM ----------

On another topic, I don't understand the pointless dependency upon gcc and it's transient dependencies simply to compile the tolower.c tool. Development tools on a production server are a big no no.

Here is a bash script which does the same thing as install without the gcc dependency:

#!/bin/bash

function usage {
   echo "
   $0 [-h|--help] [-v|--verbose] [<arma2oa root directory>]

   Options:

   -h | --help
       Display this usage information.

   -v | --verbose
       Be verbose.

   <arma2oa root directory>
       The root of your ArmA2 Operation Arrowhead installation. (default = .)

   "
   exit 1
}

# Parse command line arguments
while [ $# != 0 ]; do
 case "$1" in
   -h|--help)
       usage
       ;;
   -v|--verbose)
       verbose=1
       shift
       ;;
   *)
       root=${root:-$1}
       shift
       ;;
 esac
done
: ${root:="."}
root=$(cd $root; pwd)

function convert() {
   local path="$1"
   local filename=$(expr match "$path" '.\+/\([^/]\+$\)')
   local dir=$(expr match "$path" '^\(.\+\)/[^/]\+$')
   if [ -z "$dir" ] || [ -z "$filename" ]; then return -1; fi
   local counter=0
   [ -w "$dir/$filename" ] || return 0

   # make the file user-writable
   chmod u+w "$dir/$filename"

   # lower-case conversion
   newfilename="$dir/${filename,,}"
   if [ "$newfilename" != "$dir/$filename" ]; then
       mv "$dir/$filename" "$newfilename" && counter=$(($counter + 1))
       [ $verbose ] && echo "$dir/$filename -> $newfilename"
   fi

   # traverse subdirectories
   if [ -d "$newfilename" ]; then
[ $verbose ] && echo "processing contents of $newfilename"
       for child in "$newfilename/"*; do
           convert "$child"
           counter=$(($counter + $?))
       done
   fi
   return $counter
}

echo
echo "ArmA 2 - Operation Arrowhead - Linux Dedicated Server 1.59"
echo "Converting ArmA 2 OA directory: ($root)"
convert "$root"
echo "$? file-names were converted"
$(cd "$root"; rm -f *.{exe,chm,dll})
echo "ArmA 2 - Operation Arrowhead Server was installed."
exit 0

---------- Post added at 03:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:59 AM ----------

I plan to start maintaining a DEB for this. I don't know if BI will allow me to distribute a finished package (would mean redistributing the Windows game content).

Alternatively I could do a slightly messier DEB which assumes prompts for somewhere to retrieve the Windows content from.

Would you guys prefer to just apt-get install arma2oa-server?

[A2OA Linux Server beta 1.59.79548]

It crashes on Ubuntu aswell.

Guys. Ubuntu was developed as a more user friendly desktop derivative of Debian. While I never had trouble with Debian as my desktop OS for more than 15 years many Windows refugees needed a simpler installation process.

If it's broken on one, it's probably broken on the other. Being more release oriented than Debian, Ubuntu releases tend to lag behind the testing and unstable Debian branches. But if you're using stable on Debian you're using practically the same deb packages simply recompiled and retagged on Ubuntu.

Ubuntu isn't so much bloated as it is installed with the kind of things a desktop interactive user wants or needs by default. By comparison Debian is principally a server OS, installing nothing but the bare essentials by default. No X, no GUIs, nothing to waste CPU cycles or accidentally leave any back doors open. doonbugie is correct but tactless.

If you are a Windoze refugee or you want to use Linux as your desktop - Ubuntu is great. If you want a lean optimised server, install Debian from a testing netinst image and select only sshd during the install. Then apt-get your way to happiness and recompile your kernel optimally for your hardware.

It's almost funny though to read a Debian v Ubuntu flame war though. Could be worse - you could be using RatHed Ancient Linux.

Dave