Category: Simulator User Group

Server Deployments week 40

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest news and information.

• On Tuesday, September 29th, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with the server maintenance package previously deployed in week #39 to all three RC channels, comprising internal fixes to improve inventory performance.
• On Wednesday, September 30th, the three RC channels all received the same server maintenance package, comprising:
  • A fix for Region Debug Console help text
  • A fix for a server crash issue.

Following the Tuesday restarts there were assorted reports of issues being encountered on various regions – teleport failures, external communications issues (e.g. IMs to e-mail forwards, scripted object e-mail failures, etc). These appeared to be related to possible capabilities (caps) failures on restarts. Further restarts appear to have cleared some – but not all – of the issues encountered.

SL Viewer

On Tuesday, September 29th, the mesh uploader RC viewer, version 3.8.4.305119, was promoted to be the de facto release viewer. This viewer comprises a modified mesh uploader to (optionally) improve debug output, perform name-based LOD association, and handle models with many materials. It allows models with more than 8 unique faces to be uploaded. At import, these models are automatically split into pieces so that each satisfy the current face limits for a volume.

Also on Tuesday, September 29th, the Quick Graphics project viewer updates to version 3.8.4.305380, with further fixes for issues occurring with the Avatar Complexity options (such as avatars failing to render correctly after having been previously “Jelly Babied”). However, there still appears to be some issues which may require further updates (e.g. BUG-9962) before this viewer progresses to RC status.

Other Items

FmodEx Update

The Lab has received a contribution for FmodEx which should fix the “chirp” windows 10 users hear when launching the viewer.  This requires testing and a license update for the Lab to use, but should hopefully be making its way into a viewer update at some point.

STORM-2121

Cinder Roxley identified an odd little bug recently: if an object is set for sale at L$0 from the Object Profile floater, it will revert to a minimum price of L$1.00, rather than leaving it at L$0, as is the case when setting the price via the Build floater.

It’s not clear how long the bug has been around, but if it has been for a while, it hasn’t caused that much of an inconvenience – possibly because price may well price via the Build floater. Cinder has already contributed a fix for the issue – see STORM-2121 – and it is unlikely to encounter issues in being incorporated in a future Snowstorm viewer.

Pandora’s Box of Dreams September 2015 – blog post

Server Deployments, Week 38

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest updates.

On Tuesday, September 15th, the Main (SLS) channel was updated with the server maintenance package previously deployed to the three RC channels, comprising internal simulator fixes and a fix for BUG-9504 “Clicking on any object that affects the navmesh while in Mouselook dirties the navmesh”.

On Wednesday, September 16th, the RC channels were updated as follows as noted below.

Magnum and LeTigre

Magnum and LeTigre received a server maintenance package providing llGetAttachedList(), which returns a list of all visible attachments worn by an avatar in the same region (i.e. it does not currently include details of any HUDs)  as per feature requests BUG-9683. The wiki page for the function is still appears to be in preparation. Also completes feature request and BUG-9891.

Commenting on data relating to HUDs during the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, September 15th, Simon Linden said, “I’m likely to change that a bit in the future to maybe allow some restricted access to HUD info, so you can get info on those too, but I need to figure out the right restrictions so it doesn’t become a privacy issue … I’m concerned about it as a  privacy thing, like I give you something, you rez it, and it sends me an IM listing all your HUDs.”

BlueSteel

The BlueSteel RC received a further roll of the server maintenance package containing internal simulator fixes to improve inventory performance. These updates had previously been deployed in weeks #36 and #37, only to be rolled back due to various issues (e.g. the “zombie eyes” situation and problems with note cards and scripts as reported in BUG-10183).

SL Viewer

On Wednesday, September 16th, the Quick Graphics project viewer updated to version 3.8.4.305063, with further tweaks to the Avatar Complexity elements. On Thursday, September 17th, the mesh importer viewer RC updated to version 3.8.4.305119.

It appears that the obsolete viewer supplied for users on XP and OS X 10.6 or earlier (version 3.7.28.300847) , may cease working with anything involving monetary transactions (e.g. the Marketplace, buying L$ through the viewer, etc.), possibly by the end of the year. This appears to be the result of compliance reasons preventing the Lab from continuing to provide that backward compatibility.

llGetEnv

During the Simulator User Group meeting, Simon threw out a question and comment relating to llGetEnv:

How useful would some new items for llGetEnv() be about simulator health? … I can imagine wanting to know both temp and normal rez counts, maybe for a specific item too – like if there are 10 projectiles already waiting.

He requested a feature request be filed on the matter, which was duly filed by Lucia Nightfire – see BUG-10263, and simon requested the people add their thoughts / ideas, noting that, “simplest ones are most likely to get attention and stand a chance of getting done.” If adding to the feature request, remember to specify how any additional data requested will help improve the SL experience for those using the function.

Tranquility Dreams September 2015 (Flickr)

Note: Due to a lack of concentration on my part, I managed to originally publish this article in Private mode, and only realised when looking to obtain the details of BUG-9504 for the Week 38 update! I’ve now flicked it to public for completeness of reports.

Server Deploys – Update

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest information / updates.

• On Tuesday, September, 1st, the Main (SLS) channel received the server maintenance package deployed to all three RC channels in week #35, comprising:
  • A fix for BUG-9504 “Clicking on any object that affects the navmesh while in Mouselook dirties the navmesh”
  • Internal simulator fixes
•  On Wednesday, September 3rd, the BlueSteel RC received an updated version of the server maintenance package first deployed (and subsequently rolled back) in week #34, which comprises internal fixes aimed at improving inventory performance.

BlueSteel Issues

The BlueSteel deployment was followed by issues with note cards and scripts, including issues trying to create / save scripts and note cards created on BlueSteel regions and when trying to open scripts / note cards created on other channel regions while in a BlueSteel region (see BUG-10183).

As a result of these problems, and following investigation by the Lab, the BlueSteel deployment was rolled back on Thursday, September 3rd.

SL Viewer

The Quick Graphics project viewer, comprising the new graphics presets capabilities and Avatar Complexity options updated on Thursday, September 3rd to version 3.8.4.304761. An overview of the capabilities can be found in this blog, and official information on Avatar Complexity can be found in the SL wiki.

Le Avaline Village August 2015 (Flickr) – blog post

Server Deployments Week 36

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest information / updates.

• On Tuesday, September, 1st, the Main (SLS) channel received the server maintenance package deployed to all three RC channels in week #35, comprising:
  • A fix for BUG-9504 “Clicking on any object that affects the navmesh while in Mouselook dirties the navmesh”
  • Internal simulator fixes
•  On Wednesday, September 3rd, the BlueSteel RC received an updated version of the server maintenance package first deployed (and subsequently rolled back) in week #34, which comprises internal fixes aimed at improving inventory performance.

Due to the issues experienced when this latter package was deployed to all three RC channels (such as the “zombie eyes” situation), the package is only being deployed to the one RC; Magnum and LeTigre will remain unchanged from week #34, keeping them on the same release as the Main channel.

SL Viewer

On Tuesday, September 1st, the Mesh Importer RC viewer updated to version 3.8.4.304605, making its promotion to the de facto release viewer in week #36 unlikely, but not impossible.

Region Restarts and Caps Failures

A problem often encountered following region restarts is that some regions come back with a caps failure (so a lot of things that should work, don’t). While less frequent an occurrence than has previously been the case, the problem does still occur. The problem is thought to be at the server level, as regions hitting the problem tend to all be located on the same server.

Commenting on the matter at the simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, September 1st, Simon Linden said:

I have a good theory about caps failure on the rolls but the last time I tried to fix it, the update went badly and we rolled back :). My theory is good, the side effect was bad.   When we restart regions, we do them all at once.   My fix was to pace that slightly, and not overwhelm the caps system.   However, the delays confused the system starting the grid, and it started the same regions multiple times, which didn’t go well. And of course it didn’t do that on the beta grid.

Since his initial attempt at correcting things, Simon has been engaged on other work (such as getting group chat fixed), but he is hoping to get back to working on this problem at some point in the future.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – blog post

Server Deployments

As usual, updates and feedback may be available through the forum deployment thread.

There was no main channel roll on Tuesday, August 18th. The LeTigre and Magnum release candidate channel will also remain as they are for week #34.

The BlueSteel release channel received a new server maintenance package on Wednesday, August 19th, which includes internal improvements for inventory performance.

Commenting on the changes rolling to BlueSteel, at the simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, August 18th, Simon Linden said:

If you notice anything on the Bluesteel RC channel after the roll, please file a jira on it with all the info you can about time and place and what happened … these changes aren’t about per[mission]s, I believe, but items and folders getting mixed up … Someone dug deep into the inventory system and identified some problems and tried to fix them.

The mention of permissions in his description of the update was the result of a question on whether the update would correct “perms bypassing”,  which he addressed directly:

I know there’s been some talk about permission issues but from what we can tell, there are no _new_ permission problems. The best advice I can give is that you have to be extra careful about changing permissions in inventory (or in an object inventory) and then transferring it before it gets rezzed. And what I mean by “be extra careful” is, “don’t do that.” 

There is a possible conflict if you change permissions while in inventory, and then pass it (without rezzing) to someone else.  In that case, the “next owner” permissions can conflict with what you tried to set, so the result may not be what you expect. That’s been around forever and is often the reason people end up making copyable objects that they want “no-copy”.

 SL Viewer Updates

On Tuesday, August 18th, the Lab promoted the summer Maintenance RC viewer, version 3.8.3.304115 as the de facto release viewer. This viewer includes over 50 maintenance fixes and update – please refer to the release notes for details.

The anticipated arrival of the Avatar Complexity / Graphics Presets project viewer in week #33 failed to occur, so perhaps it will arrive later in week #34.