2026 week #46: SL Open Source UG Summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
Hippotropolis Theatre: home of the OSD/TPVD meeting
The following notes were taken from:

  • My chat log of the Open-Source User Group (OSUG) meeting held on Friday, November 13, 2026.
  • The video of the meeting, recorded by Pantera and embedded at the end of this article. My thanks to her for providing it.
Table of Contents

Meeting Purpose

  • The Open Source User Group (OSUG) meeting is an open discussion of Second Life development, including but not limited to open source contributions, third-party viewer development and policy, and current open source programmes.
  • This meeting is generally held twice a month on a Friday, at 13:00 SLT at the Hippotropolis Theatre and is generally text chat only.
  • Dates and times of meetings are recorded in the SL Public Calendar.

Official Viewer Status

  • Default viewer: Second Life Chat Modernisation viewer 26.5 – 26.5.0.42122621216, November 11.
    • Seamless integration of IM histories between clients / devices.
    • Support for the new Group Role activity to set who can post URL links to Group chats.
      • This is set to allow ALL roles by default, but can be toggled for specific roles by Group Owners / Officers.
      • Includes a preset whitelist of LL / SL URLs which can be posted.
      • This whitelist may be expanded in the future.
    • Camera and Travel improvements.
    • Create an account from within the viewer.
    • LEAP Camera API.
    • Portable viewer storage.
    • And more.

Viewer Notes

    • A new 26.5.1 Maintenance viewer is in development. This will include a fix in metrics reporting that will enable LL to get a higher quality view of stability, plus numerous bug fixes. 

Third-Party Viewer Policy and Directory – Potential Update and Discussions

In light of the sudden rise of various third party viewers … we’re considering a change to our TPVD policy that effectively shuts the door on closed source TPVs entering into the directory. Existing closed source viewers that are in the directory will likely get grandfathered. No final decision has been made on this policy change. To be clear this does not stop you from asking an LLM to make you a viewer, but it would require you to make said viewer open source in order for us to consider it for inclusion in the directory.

– Geenz Linden

  • This announcement was largely received positively by those at the meeting.
  • Such a change would not prevent new close-sourced viewers being used with SL, but it would deny them a voluntary listing in the Third-Party Viewer Directory.
  • Geenz additionally indicated that consideration is also being given to:
    • Potentially pruning those viewers / clients which are badly out-of-date with SL’s more recent protocol and server features.
    • Various measures to better inform residents about the overall safety of viewers and the like. This is unlikely to expand LL’s overall vetting process, but Geenz hopes to have more on this once internal discussions are further along.
  • Requests were made for LL to better define “safe” viewers and protecting user accounts, clarification on what being listed / not being listed on the Third-Party Viewer Directory (TPVD) means for the lay user, etc. In respect of the TPVD, Geenz reiterated LL’s long-standing official standpoint:
We’ve always noted that being on the TPVD is optional, and further that we don’t vouch for the security or stability of those viewers. That will still remain the case. Just that those TPVs are in some manner of “good standing” – in other words, we haven’t seen any red flags, no one’s given us any heads up about them that checked out, etc. That list is we did some basic vetting, we did some research, checked against our policies, and it checked out. 
I won’t list every consideration, but some examples: Does this viewer adhere to Second Life’s permission system? Is it appropriately licensed? What kind of track record do the authors have? Is the commit history publicly available, and can we audit it?  We consider many things for overall TPVD inclusion and compliance. For example, if you’re collecting user data – you’re probably not gonna get a lot of fans. We have had to pull the “shared experience” rule every now and then as well – which doesn’t mean make your viewer look exactly like the official viewer, but at least don’t break content.

– Geenz Linden

  • Code review on TPVs came up – but this is a matter of resources and time; viewer code is extensive, and trying to run through it all for every viewer is not practical. In response to the idea of using AI assistance, Geenz (wryly?) noted this would come down to token spend and goal.
  • Most of the meeting revolved around these subject and on the use and capabilities of AI tools in general, with the core of Gennz’s responses from the Lab’s point of view as give above (there were also some referrals to other user group meetings which might be better placed to answer non-viewer / open-source questions).
  • There were also various observations on the recent region crossing updates.
  • Please refer to the video below for these latter points.

Next Meeting

Linden Lab announces new Second Life Linden Dollar Packs

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab

On Friday, November 13, 2026, under the title Introducing L$ Packs to Support Second Life’s Creator Economy, Linden Lab announced the introduction of Linden Dollar Packs – “a simpler, more familiar way to buy Linden Dollars”, allowing users to purchase a preset amount of Linden Dollars for a fixed price.

Advertised as helping new residents in particular to more readily participate in SL’s economy through in-world and Marketplace purchases, the new packs are available to all residents. Each pack is for a specific amount, with larger amount packs including an additional bonus amount of L$.

L$ Packs help newcomers better understand how to buy Linden Dollars and makes it easier to begin shopping with Second Life’s creators and service providers. Making those first purchases simpler encourages broader participation in the economy and supports our goal of a healthy, stable LindeX. Packs are part of our ongoing investment in new Resident growth and retention, alongside improvements to avatar choices and community welcome experiences.

– From the official blog post

Pack Amounts

At the time of the announcement, the following packs are available.

WITH L$ Bonuses

  • L$5,000 (+ LS $100 bonus for a total of L$5,100) for US $24.99.
  • L$10,000 (+ L$500 bonus for a total of L$10,500) for US 49.99.
  • L$20,000 (+1,500 bonus for a total of L$21,500) for US $99.99.
  • L$40,000 (+L$4,000 bonus for a total of L$44,000) for US $199.99.

WITHOUT L$ Bonuses

  • L$350 for US $1.99.
  • L$1,000 for US $4.99.
  • L$2,000 for US $9.99.

Note: all US dollar prices are as of the time of going to press, and subject to possible future change, as are pack amounts.

How To Purchase

At the time of the announcement, packs can be purchased in one of two ways: via the Second Life website or via the official viewer.

Via Secondlife.com

  1. Log-on to your dashboard  at secondlife.com.
  2. Select Buy L$ from the menu bar to the left of your dashboard, under Linden Exchange.
  3. The main panel will open the Buy Linden Dollar page with the packs listed at the top.
  4. Select the pack you require by clicking on it.
  5. As a security measure, you will be asked to re-enter your Second Life password.
  6. On confirmation of your password, you will be taken to the Second Life Cashier page, where you can complete the transaction using the supported payment mechanism you use with Second Life.
  7. Your available L$ balance will be updated on completion of the purchase.
Buy L$ Packs: left – accessing the purchase page; right – the currently available packs and their US $ costs as displayed in the Buy Liden Dollars page of the website. note that purchases via the LindeX remain available on this page, and can be reached by scrolling down to them. Click this image for full size, if required

Via the Official Viewer

  1. Click on the buy L$ button towards the Top right of the viewer window, as usual.
  2. A new Buy L$ floater will be displayed, listing the available packs and prices.
  3. Click on the pack you wish to purchase; you will be asked to confirm the purchase.
  4. Once confirmed and payment method checked, the purchase will be completed, and the amount added to the L$ amount displayed in the viewer.

Additional Information

  • Currently, packs can only be purchased via the secondlife.com website (your dashboard) OR the official viewer.
    • The option to buy pack will be added to the SL Mobile App, hopefully by the end of 2026.
      • Note that Pack costs will be higher through the Mobile App than via the viewer / website. This is due to additional transaction fees charged by the App Stores concerned which must be covered in the cost of a purchase.
    • Firestorm should be able to offer support for purchasing packs with a formal release in early 2027.
  • Multiple packs can be purchased by repeating the steps above, subject to an account’s economic limits.
  • All pack purchases:
    • Are non-recurring. If you wish to purchase further packs you can do so at any time, but you will not be subject to automatic repeats purchases.
    • Are available to all Second Life residents eligible to purchase L$, subject to their account’s economic limits.
    • As noted, are not subject to additional fees above the stated pack cost.
  • If you wish to specify a L$ amount and purchase via the Lindex either via the website or the viewer you can still do so:
    • Website: scroll down the the Lindex Buy options on the Buy Linden Dollars page.
    • Viewer: use the Enter Your Own Amount field at the bottom of the Buy L$ floater.
    • Purchases in both of these cases will proceed as they did prior to the introduction of the new packs.
  • For Prices, Balances and Support, please refer to the official blog post.

Between the Tides in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Between the Tides, November 2026 – click any image for full size

Most of us are probably familiar with the old adage time and tide wait for no man; that we cannot slow the passage of time and we should always avoid delay doing things; that what needs to be taken care of, should be taken care of now, and not pushed off to the future.

In many respects the saying carries a lot of weight, but in others, it is lacking. The truth is, we all need time, be it to catch our breath or to step away from the pressures of life for a while – that not everything in life is so drattedly urgent it needs to be done right now, even those things surrounding us in the virtual as well as the physical world, no matter what the pressure.

Between the Tides, November 2026

As such, having places to wander with our thoughts, having the time to contemplate, to observe, to relax, and just be can be important. Places such as Between the Tides, recently featured in the Destination Guide.

The work of Faith Fairelander and located within a region called – appropriately enough – Peaceful Moments, Between the Tides sits as a series of interconnected spaces within a tropical setting where people can just unwind.

Between the Tides, November 2026
Created as a place to slow down, wonder, and simply be. Explore at your own pace, follow your curiosity, and may every visit leave your heart a little lighter. Rest is not an escape from life. Sometimes it is where life quietly finds us again.

– Between the Tides Destination Guide description

With the main Landing Point sitting at the south-western corner of the region, and the land then proceeding around the region to encapsulate a lagoon-like body of water. Located around this arc of land are numerous points of interest, starting with the lighthouse right next to the LP, offering as it does a quiet retreat.

Between the Tides, November 2026

All of the points around the land can be reached in a number of ways – on foot or (from the LP at least) using the easel-mounted map, or via the teleport system. The only exception to this being the SoundBathSky, a skybox location offering its own unique meditative relaxation.

I’m not going to list all the places to visit – you can discover them in exploring for yourself; suffice it to say much of the walk around the setting offers opportunities for photograph and to learn about ocean conservation, particularly with regards to whales, dolphins and turtles (particularly at the turtle hatchery in this latter case), and to light a candle in remembrance or thanks.

Between the Tides, November 2026

There is also much to do here, on land, over land, on the water and under it. From bumper boats to sailing and windsurfing to gently riding a swan boat or paddling around in a canoe or a rubber tube, the lagoon offers plenty of surface activities, whilst below the waves one can watch whales a turtles (the Still Waters destination on the teleport system being a good place to do this).

In addition, those who wish can take to a hang glider and drift over the region or seek out one of several outward-looking spots and simply relax. Local sounds should be on when exploring as the region has a rich soundscape, and the various information boards at the Landing Point offer hints on what to do and where to go.

Between the Tides, November 2026

There is a strong learn towards the Christian religion / faith (take you pick, depending on your viewpoint). Some might be put off by this – but speaking as someone who is very much atheistic towards the idea of a “god” in the manner of many religions, I didn’t find them obtrusive enough to prevent my overall enjoyment of the region – in fact, I found some elements interesting.

The key point here is that whilst Christian-centric, Between the Tides and its various environments have a completely inclusive feel. Information boards are informative, and absolutely no attempt is made to preach or cajole; just offer notes of interest.

Between the Tides, November 2026

That said, I think my favourite parts of the region proved to be Still Waters, with its above ground social area and underwater observation lounge, and the SoundBathSky. One aspect of my attraction to the former was the note about the work of Robert Wyland (together with that of Christian Riese Lassen) – an artist whose work I’ve long appreciated.

SoundBathSky, meanwhile is an atmospheric centre for meditation, complete with singing bowls and a gong ready for striking.

Between the Tides, November 2026

In all a rewarding, calming visit; ideal for those just wishing to wander and relax to the sounds of the tide, wind chimes and the call of birds.

Slurl Details

Sorcha’s Coastal Nook in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Coastal Nook, November 2026 – click any image for full size

Designing settings – be they region-wide or limited to a parcel or so – is addictive. Once bitten by the bug, it’s hard to stop – and I speak as one who has designed and built enough personal spaces for myself and friends to know this for a fact 🙂 .

Someone else bitten by the bug is Sorcha Tyles. Through her Dutch Pavilion name, she’s created a range of locations down the years, from individual regions through pairs of region to, most recently, a collection of parcel-sized and homestead settings taking as their central theme a café / coffeehouse, and all of which you can read about here.

Coastal Nook, November 2026

Coastal Nook is now the latest in the series, which opened (I think) earlier in November. It folds into itself elements from Sorcha’s past designs such as Stillwater Bay, the Boathouse, etc., whilst offering its own unique look and feel using a new building to house the café / bakery and a garden area hinting at a little self-sufficiency in home-grown produce.

Dutch Pavilion is brought back to life in a quiet coastal nook, where gentle stillness surrounds a small café. Watch the water from the pier, listen to the whispering breeze, or just sit and linger. Take your time, breathe, and stay as long as you wish.

– Coastal Nook About Land description

Coastal Nook, November 2026

The thematically similar elements of Sorcha’s builds – the piers, wild gardens, rocky foreshores, etc., should not be sneezed at; they are very much a mark of Dutch pavilion parcel and region designs, marking them as unmistakably “Sorcha”.

For those of us who are regulars to her builds, this gives each of Sorcha’s designs a welcoming sense of comfort; a sense of coming home again, encouraging exploration to see what’s changed.

Coastal Nook, November 2026

For Coastal Nooks, Sorcha has moved away from wood framed and panelled buildings in which to locate her café in recent designs, and gone for a stone-built structure. Being something of a Cory Edo fan myself, I immediately recognised it as the Trompe Loeil Soleil Greenhouse Cottage, and it is ideally suited to such a use.

With a large end-to-end interior design uncluttered by intervening walls with the inconvenience of doors, the Soleil is ideal for use as a café, and Sorcha has marvellously decorated it such that it’s a place that’s hard to leave once you’ve sat down.

Coastal Nook, November 2026

The path from the waterfront Landing Point to the front porch of the café carries a familiar touch of bicycles fully in keeping with the Dutch aspect of Sorcha’s brand whilst offering outdoor seating for those who prefer being outdoors.

A branch of the path slips around the side of the building to give chance to visit the little produce garden, where fresh eggs might be gathered for use in the bakery’s delights, and veggies are being grown under glass for both sweet and savoury dishes.

Coastal Nook, November 2026

Steps from this little produce garden access a split-level deck with more outdoor seating and tables for those seeking a place to sit and nibble/slurp. It is also home to some of the local geese and to two of Alpha Auer’s marvellous creations.

This is actually one of two large decks on the island – the other being the Landing Point – which may have been moorings for boats in times past. Now they offer a welcome, places to sit and for the romantically inclined, room to dance.

Coastal Nook, November 2026

These are not the only piers,. Nestled between them is a small, more recent pier sticking a stubby thumb out into the water. To get to it, you’ll need to follow the sign in the café’s front garden. It offers a further spot to sit and/or cuddle. Or, for the brave, to take a dip in the sea! For my part, I preferred to sit and fuss one of the Pususaari cats to be found within Coastal Nook.

As can be expected with a setting designed by Sorcha, Coastal Nook is simply rich in detail throughout, indoors and out and, needless to say, it is utterly photogenic as well as offering a place of peace and relaxation to all who visit it.

Coastal Nook, November 2026

Related Links

The landscapes of emotion in Second life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Emotion as Landscape, Marven Art Collective, November 2026: Leica Frame, Zia Branner and Bria Stone

One of the most fascinating science fictions novels I’ve ever read is Greg Bear’s Queen of Angels (1990), containing as it does themes of consciousness, psychiatry and – notably for me – psychology. Within it, Bear uses the concept of the Country of the Mind to explore the intricate relationship between personality, actions, and our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious.

In particular, the idea postulates that thoughts and emotions combine within us to create a “country” of shifting and changing landscapes which influence –in ways we might not consciously be aware of or recognise ourselves – how we interact with the physical world and those who occupy it at any given time.

Emotion as Landscape, Marven Art Collective, November 2026: Julana Allen

I was reminded of the entire idea – of which the above simple encapsulation hardly does justice – in visiting Emotion as Landscape, the new ensemble art exhibition which opened at the Maven Art Collective in Second Life on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, and hosted in a sky gallery above the Maven Art Quarter – just step through the teleport portal in the entrance of the ground-level gallery.

The exhibition brings together pieces by 16 noted artists working in both Second Life and the physical world, the central theme being the exploration of our relationship with our emotions and experiences, and how they shape the landscape of our lives – although some of the artists have leaned into emotions evoked by landscapes (which is still a fair direction to take).

Emotion as Landscape, Marven Art Collective, November 2026: Eta and Sisi Biedermann

As such, the art offered is both broad and deep in style and content. Featuring physical art brought into Second life, images which started life as in-world captures; and with abstract rubbing shoulders with landscape, photograph with painting and 3D with 2D – all of the pieces reflect the ever-changing landscape of emotions, whilst each piece in a series by an artist carrying an emotional theme of its own.

I don’t want to offer personal interpretations of any particular pieces here: several of the artists have their own thoughts to accompany their work, but from a consideration of Jaku (寂) through to an almost perfect personification of Bear’s Country of the Mind, these are works offering a richness of expression on the broad theme of the exhibition.

Emotion as Landscape, Marven Art Collective, November 2026: Duraya

In this as well, I thoroughly recommend reading the text pieces by Janus Fall accompanying her work as a first stop on arriving in the gallery space. It marvellously sets the tone for the exhibition as a whole.

Slurl Details

2026 week #46: SUG meeting summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Simulator User Group meeting place at Longfellow

The following notes were taken from the Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Simulator User Group (SUG) meeting. These notes form a summary of the items discussed, and are not intended to be a full transcript. A video of the meeting by Pantera is embedded at the end of this summary – my thanks to her for providing it.

Meeting Overview

  • The Simulator User Group (also referred to by its older name of Server User Group) exists to provide an opportunity for discussion about simulator technology, bugs, and feature ideas is held every other Tuesday at 12:00 noon, SLT (holidays, etc., allowing), per the Second Life Public Calendar.
  • The “Leviathan Office Hour” meetings are held on the Tuesdays which do not have a formal SUG meeting, and are chaired by Leviathan Linden. They are more brainstorming / general discussion sessions.
  • Meetings are held in text in-world, at this location.

Simulator Deployments

  • On Tuesday, November 10, the Olive simulator update was be deployed to the SLS Main channel, making it grid-wide. This update includes:
    • Pepper Linden’s region crossing code improvements for vehicles – feedback on experiences with the new code is requested here. He also indicated more work is to come on crossings.
    • The new Group Role ability to define who in a Group can post URL links to Group Chats (requires viewer support).
    • Support for the feature flag required by viewers to be able to safely send the GameControlData UDP message for the new Game_Control capability. Currently, the upcoming  viewer 26.5, (in RC/beta at the time of writing), supports Game_Control capabilities, the sending of GameControlData currently must be enabled via Preferences. This will change as Olive moves to being grid-wide.
  • Wednesday November 11 should see the RC channels restarted without any updates. The Lua channel servers will also be updating – but this will not be the update with the changes that will case script breakages.
  • The (theoretically final) simulator update for 2026 – codenamed Plum – is currently in development.
    • This will include a crash fix for a rare simulator crash, and Rider Linden is hoping to get the restrictions lifted in on accept and content types for HTTP, with Rider noting there will be constants that let you indicate that the payloads  (the body of the request or response in an http call) should be treated as base64 encoded so they can be brought in and out of scripts, which he hopes to include.
    • Leviathan Linden also indicated a number of further crash fixes lined-up for Plum, including one for a big memory leak.

General Team Updates

  • Leviathan Linden has been working on simulator crash fixes per above, and also “on some things to try to help game-control viewer get out”, although he also indicated he fell down a few rabbit holes on this and got side-tracked as a result.
  • Roxie Linden indicated there:
    • Are a few stability fixes going into the voice server which, once implemented, with result in fewer viewer service restarts.
    • Has been “good progress” in evaluating transcription technologies, and LL is now looking into what it would look like as far as where it is deployed, how it can be used, etc.
    • When asked why transcription isn’t simply viewer / client-side, Roxie noted that there are some security implications, and LL do not want people using their transcription mechanism for non-Second Life purposes, etc. Also, performance can be better optimised if transcription / translation is on the server.
    • Later in the meeting, the question of Voice instability at distances from the speaker was raised. While it is hoped the stability improvements mentioned above might fix this issue, but a bug report was requested on the issue.
    • Also later in the meeting, Roxie indicated she would like to add more control over attenuation (distance, drop-off, etc.) as well as effects like reverb, echo, EQ, etc; however, it is a matter of getting that work scheduled and designed.
  • Pepper Linden has been working to fix a grief mode related to conference chats. This is currently in QA and they are hopeful the fix will be in the Plum simulator update.
  • Kyle Linden reiterated his new from the week #45 CCUG that the SL Wiki update is complete, bringing  a new default theme, more moderation tools and brings it one stop closer to re-opening contributor access to all registered SL accounts – those who have already volunteered to help moderate should keep an eye out for further communications about helping.
A page from the SL wiki showing the updated theme / layout
  • Harold Linden (Lua):
    • Noted that good progress is being made on the Lua front and thanked all those who have submitted bug reports and contributions.
    • Indicated that some of the performance analysis pieces which need to be in place before upgrading the SLua VM are in the works by other teams within LL.
      • The above are what is holding-up the deployment of the Lua updates liable to cause script breakages. As such, this update might surface prior to Christmas 2026 or in early 2027.
    • Overall, if things continue on track grid-wide deployment of Lua should be some time in the first quarter of 2027.
    • Documentation for Lua now forms part of the SL Wiki work.

General Discussion

  • A discussion on extending PRIM_POINT_LIGHT radius in llSetPrimitiveParams(), pre this Feature Request, which was seen as relatively easy to do from a simulator point-of-view but a) would require viewer work; b) is more a question for either the Content Creation User Group or the Open source Development Group meeting.
  • Further discussion on Lua testing (which should be more informative when the “breakage” update has been deployed), and on documentation.
  • It was asked when “Combat 2.1” might start as a project – whilst Rider linden would like to get back to the Combat system work as he ideas for friend fire, teams, better respawning, etc., it need time to be allocated as an actual project.
  • A user discussion on allowing land to be “vertically parcelled” (so to speak) to allow apartment building in which people can have their own privacy, steaming etc. Something that sounds easy to express but much harder to implement.
  • More mention of the emerging vibe-coded  viewers starting to appear (Geenz indicated that LL is reviewing its TPV policy requirement in light of these).
  • A passing discussion on “void” regions: essentially temporary water region which would spin-up and allow air / water crossing between areas of SL not actually connected by any form of region bridge. Currently, there are no plans to implement this idea.

Date of Next Meetings

  • Leviathan Linden: Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
  • Formal SUG meeting: Tuesday, November 24, 2026.