Category: Second Life

SL project updates 39/1: server, viewer

Posted on by Inara Pey

The Mill; Inara Pey, September 2017, on FlickrThe Mill – blog post

Server Deployments for Week #39

As always, please refer to the server release thread for updates and the latest news.

  • On Tuesday, September 26th the Main (SLS) received the server maintenance package previously deployed to the BlueSteel and LeTigre channels. 17#17.09.14.508549 comprises improvements to address some problems that could degrade simulator performance in rare cases.
  • On Wednesday, September 27th, the RC channels should be updated as follows:
  • BlueSteel and leTigre were still “TBD” at the time of writing.
  • Magnum should receive a new server maintenance package, 17#17.09.22.508905, containing improvements to e-mail verification logic (IM to e-mail) which sees the system checking whether the receiving e-mail address is verified or not. Sending to unverified addresses is not blocked – as yet.

In light of the Magnum change, those who have not verified their e-mail address, should seriously consider doing so.

SL Viewer

The Wolfpack and Maintenance RC viewers were updated on Friday, September 22nd; however the updates were pulled to allow time for Microsoft to assist with resolving an issue with Windows SmartScreen flagging new releases of the SL viewer as possibly “unsafe”. This matter (due to the expiry of a code-signing key) was resolved over the weekend, and the two updated RCs  were once again made available through the Alternate Viewers wiki page on Monday, September 26th.

This leaves the current viewer release pipeline as follows:

  • Current Release version 5.0.7.328060, dated August 9, promoted August 23 – formerly the Maintenance RC
  • Release channel cohorts (please see my notes on manually installing RC viewer versions if you wish to install any release candidate(s) yourself):
    • Maintenance RC viewer, version  5.0.8.329115, dated September 22.
    • Wolfpack RC viewer,version  5.0.8.329128, dated September 22 – this viewer is functionally identical to the release viewer, but includes additional back-end logging “to help catch some squirrelly issues”
    • Alex Ivy 64-bit viewer, version 5.1.0.508209, dated September 5
    • Voice RC viewer, version 5.0.8.328552, dated September 1
  • Project viewers:
  • Obsolete platform viewer version 3.7.28.300847, dated May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7. This viewer will remain available for as long as reasonable, but will not be updated with new features or bug fixes.

 

Going to the Max in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
With thanks to Sophia Harlow

On September 22nd, Maxwell Graf issues a deeply personal, heart-breaking request via Plurk. Related to a personal situation, it included a request for people to buy from his store (in-world or on the Marketplace). The news was broken by Prim Perfect, and quickly circulated by other bloggers (my own report can a little late in the day, so to speak).

For obvious reasons Max didn’t feel comfortable in asking for more than this, despite the severity of his situation, but that hasn’t stopped friends and fellow creators from rallying around; and on Monday, September 25th, Going to the Max, a special shopping event, organised by Charlotte Bartlett, Sophia Harlow and Blazin Arubet, was announced.

Sponsored by Callie Cline, the event will run from Tuesday October 3rd through Tuesday October 10th. Details are still being put together, but the initial announcement for the event, posted to Plurk by Sophia Harlow and reproduced above,  reveals the line-up thus far.

Responding to the news, Max said:

I don’t know how to receive the massive amounts of love and kindness from so many I know and so many more I don’t…It is a foreign concept to me to get such a cosmic blast of positive affection and concern from so many people at once. It’s really overwhelming and I’m so small right now I can’t do anything but say this over and over, I am humbled beyond my ability to express.

In gaming parlance, this would be like if I was a tank amid a team of 10,000 healers and they all suddenly got very gracious on me at the same time and I started growing and then glowing and then my mana reached peak and my head exploded as I turned in to a demigod and could face any enemy.

Full details on the event  – SLurl for the region, etc. – will be posted in due course, again as things come together, as will more details on how people can get involved. Plurk is one place to keep up with the news, as is Scarlett Creative Facebook page (no Facebook log-in required). In the meantime, don’t forget you can still help Max directly by visiting Rustica in-world or on the MP and buying an item or two … or three!

Links

Holly Kai Park: Caitinara remodelling

Posted on by Inara Pey
The new Caitinara Bar façade (with thanks for the inspiration to Dandy and Belle)

In February, Holly Kai Park went through a revamp, which included the introduction of a new subterranean Caitinara Bar. When I started on the park re-design, Caitlyn and I mulled over numerous ideas for taking the bar underground, including looking at various ideas for containing an entire building within a rocky structure. In the end, nothing seemed to fit until we opted for the “subway” style of layout we’ve had in place since February.

However, if I’m totally honest, the front façade of the club hasn’t entirely sat well with me; the cave-like entrance fitted the broad theme of the club being within a rocky plateau, but it didn’t really draw attention to the place. Simply put: if you didn’t know it was there, you wouldn’t know it was there; Which is a bit of a shame, given the public waterways passing by the park. The problem has been what to do about it.

The new saloon bar sits within its own façade to one side of the dance floor

I didn’t really come up with an answer until CAitlyn and I visited BarDeco and Kekeland, the fabulous region designed by Dandy Warhloll (Terry Fotherington) and Belle des Champs (Bridget Genna) (see my review here). As soon as I saw the façade they’d created, I realised what Caitinara Bar was lacking. So taking their idea, I set out to see what I could do with it, and dropped them both a line to let them know what I was doing.

My first port of call was to ArmyStone’s store. He produced the façade used at BarDeco, and frankly, I wanted to use the same item, just modified somewhat to suit our needs. It comes in a pack of units, and I wasn’t sure if it would be something the creator would be prepared to modify as a one-off. My concern was ill-founded. Not only was he more than willing – the work was done within 24 hours of my request being made, the only condition being I bought an entire version of the kit (for the same retail price – L$600) containing the updated section. This also turned out to be a benefit, as looking at the other items, the idea of a complete rebuild of the club presented itself to me, from dance floor, through bar to art display area.

The Gallery area overlooking the dance floor – staircase by

So, cutting a long story short, the new bar design is now up and running. For those familiar with the “old” design, the club is smaller than it was – which is no bad thing. It’s also now spilt into three areas: the dance floor (with a mezzanine gallery above the entrance), flanked on either side by a new saloon bar and the art display area.

The idea for the snug-style saloon bar came as a direct result of another of the buildings in the pack from ArmyStone: a wall with an ornate lintel over the doorway simply demanded to be used. I also had a wall panelling set from LISP I’d never put to use, and that fitted the idea of the saloon bar perfectly. With additional table and wall lighting from Maxwell Graf, we were all set.

The Saloon. Panelling from Apple Fall, lighting by Maxwell Graf

We’re not planning any kind of grand opening or suchlike, but we do hope those visiting the park will pop in to Caitinara and have a look around – and if the mood takes, hop along to either our Wednesday or Friday music evenings, both of which start at 4:00pm SLT. Should you do so, projected lighting is used throughout the design (as it was in the “old” bar), so a visit with Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled is recommended (you doe not have to enable performance-killing shadows to see projected lighting effects). If your Windlight doesn’t change on entering the bar structure, please flick over to Midnight as well.

SLurl Details

  • Caitinara Bar, Holly Kai Park (Holly Kai Estates, rated: Moderate)

2017 Viewer release summaries week 38

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation

Updates for the week ending Sunday, September 24th

This summary is published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.

Official LL Viewers

  • Current Release version 5.0.7.328060, dated August 9th, promoted August 23rd – No change
  • Release channel cohorts (notes on manually installing RC viewer versions):
    • Wolfpack RC viewer updated to version 5.0.8.329128, on September 22nd – this viewer is functionally identical to the release viewer, but including additional back-end logging “to help catch some squirrelly issues.”1
    • Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 5.0.8.329115, on September 22nd.1
  • Project viewers:
    • No updates.
  1. These two viewers were updated on September 22nd and withdrawn shortly thereafter pending action from Microsoft re a Windows SmatScreen issue affecting the most recent viewer updates (see here and here for more). This issue has now been resolved and the two RCs are once again available.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V5-style

V1-style

  • No updates.

Mobile / Other Clients

  • Lumiya updated to version 3.4.1 on September 21 – hot fix for Sprint subscribers.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Wizards, monsters, bar-rooms and femme fatales

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

It’s time to kick-off another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home at Holly Kai Park, unless otherwise indicated.

Monday, September 25th 19:00: A Wizard of Earthsea

Gyro Muggins reads Ursula K. Le Guin’s first Earthsea Cycle.

The boy is born on the island of Gont in the archipelago of Earthsea. This is a world infused with magic. Not everyone can control this magic, but those who know the right words and have a wizard soul can learn to utilize the power of the Earth to manipulate objects and events. The boy’s name is Duny; I can tell you that name because the name has no power over him. His true name is something he can only reveal to those he trusts absolutely beyond question.

I know his true name, but fair reader, I’m not sure yet that I can share it with you.

His aunt knows a few things, a handful of words, that can be used to bind things or call animals to her. Duny is particularly adept at calling falcons and other birds of prey. His agile mind soon surpasses what his aunt can teach him. He burns to know more. He is assigned to a mage, Ogion, who tries to teach him about the balance of magic with the Earth. There is always a cost for using magic. Understanding the levy for sorcery is the difference between being just impulsively talented and being wise about what you know.

(Commentary by Jeffrey Keeten.)

Tuesday, September 26th 19:00: Monsters of the Midwest

Join Kayden Oconnell for true tales of bigfoot, werewolves and other legendary creatures!

Wednesday, September 27th, 19:00 Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon

Corwyn Allen reads Spider Robinson’s 1999 anthology.

callahansThe titular saloon is a haven for lost souls; a place where the patrons come for one drink and a chance for a second – but only if they offer an unburdening toast at the fireplace. Mike Callahan, the owner, never judges but sometimes advises in as few words as possible.

The stories in the volume are:

  • “The Guy with the Eyes”
  • “The Time-Traveler”
  • “The Centipede’s Dilemma”
  • “Two Heads Are Better Than One”
  • “The Law of Conservation of Pain”
  • “Just Dessert”
  • “A Voice is Heard in Ramah…”
  • “Unnatural Causes”
  • “The Wonderful Conspiracy”

Also presented in Kitely (hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/108/609/1528).

Thursday, September 28th 19:00 Kiss Me Again, Stranger

Daphne du Maurier is perhaps best known for her period novel Jamaica Inn and her romance / thrillers My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca (the latter also being infamous for the claims of plagiarism made against – and not the only story by Du Maurier to face such claims). However, see also turned her hand to writing short stories in the horror genre as well, of which The Birds – immortalised by Hitchcock and also accompanied by claims of plagiarism is the most well-known.

With Kiss Me Again, Stranger, du Maurier sets out a tale of revenge framed by loneliness in what is a classic tale of a femme fatale, and which has itself enjoyed numerous short film and television adaptations.

London, England, not long after the end of the Second World War. A lonely car mechanic goes to see a film. At the theatre, he encounters an attractive usherette – and is immediately smitten; so much so that after the film has ended, he waits around outside the cinema for her to finish work, then follows onto the late-night bus, which they share with a man in a RAF uniform.

Paying a fare to the end of the bus route for both of them – he has no idea where she might get off – the young man sits beside her, secretly thrilled that she doesn’t seem surprised, nor does she reject his company. He even ventures to put an arm around her, which she appears to accept, telling him it’s not every day she gets a free ride – or free pillow, as she rests her head on his shoulder with the instructions that he’s to wake her “at the bottom of the hill, before we get to the cemetery.” He doesn’t, content to bask in her company, and they miss the cemetery. But she doesn’t mind, “Oh, there’ll be others,” she says. “I’m not particular.”

And thus is the young man drawn into her dark world…

With Shandon Loring (also presented in Kitely hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai/108/609/1528).

 

 

Please check with the Seanchai Library’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for August and September is Little Kids Rock, transforming lives by restoring, expanding, and innovating music education in schools.

Lab issues important update for international credit card users

Posted on by Inara Pey

Linden Lab has issued an important notice for international users who have a credit card filed with the company for the payment of services.

The blog post, issued on Friday, September 22nd, reads in full:

Due to some unexpected changes with our International Billing system, some Residents outside the United States with a Credit Card on file may have difficulty with their current payment method as of September 30, 2017.  

In order to avoid any service disruption, we encourage all Residents outside of the United States to please take a moment to log into your account and re-enter your existing Credit Card information. Doing so now will prevent any disruption in in-world and Marketplace purchases, as well as recurring monthly billing for Premium Accounts, Private Regions and monthly Mainland maintenance.  If you have difficulty with your payment method after September 30, 2017, updating your payment information will resolve the issue.

We apologise for this inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we continue to upgrade our billing systems in order to best service our Residents around the world.  If you have any questions regarding this notice, please visit https://support.secondlife.com to contact our Support teams.

To re-enter your credit card details, go to your account dashboard at secondlife.com, click on Account (top left) and then on Billing Information on the list of options that opens. This will display your billing information summary (sample image below).

Make a note of the services the card is Used For on the right, then Remove your card details (option on the left) and then click Add A Credit Card (circled). This will open the form for you to enter your card details. Make sure to click Add Card to add the card to the system.

When your card has been recorded, you can check the details under Payment Method, then review the services the card is Used For. Should you need to change any of the latter, click on the Change option (circled under Used For on the right) to display a pop-up of services charged to the card and check / uncheck as required.

Billing information summary page sample