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: 4.0.2.312269, March 17 – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer download page, release notes
HTTP updates and Vivox RC viewer updated to version 4.0.3.312684 on March 18 – combines the Project Azumarill RC and Vivox Voice RC updates into a single viewer (download and release notes)
Thursday, March 17th saw Firestorm release version 4.7.7.408706 of their viewer. Coming four months after the last release, this update is slightly later than planned, but includes a number of important updates from the Lab as well as a good mix of updates, improvements and fixes directly from the Firestorm team and contributors.
As per my usual MO, what follows is an overview of the release, highlighting some of the more significant / interesting changes, updates and fixes to be found in the release, and which I feel will be of most interest to users.
For full details of all changes, and all due credits to contributors, etc., please refer to the official release notes.
This update means that Firestorm 4.6.9 will be blocked in approximately 3 weeks time.
Lab Derived Updates
Firestorm 4.7.7 brings the viewer up to parity with the Lab’s 4.0.1 code base, and so includes the TLS 1.2 and CEF changes. These and other Lab derived changes are outlined below.
TLS 1.2 and Viewers
The reason this release might be regarded as becoming a mandatory update for Second Life users is the integration of TLS1.2 into the viewer – and by “viewer”, I mean all current or upcoming viewer releases, LL or TPV.
TLS, the successor to Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), is a cryptographic protocol for communications security intended to provide privacy and data integrity between two communicating computer application (such as the viewer and the Lab’s servers).
TLS 1.2 is currently being implemented by Linden Lab under the umbrella of their work of fiscal compliance, This involved changes to both the viewer and LL’s servers, the upshot of which means that, once TLS 1.2 has been fully implemented, any viewer that does not support TLS 1.2, will not be able to do any interactions with cashier or anything that involves L$. While there is no precise time frame for this work to be completed, indications from the Lab are that it will be sooner rather than later.
Again, this is not an arbitrary decision on the part of either the Firestorm team or Linden Lab; the work is being carried out as a compliance requirement.
Chromium Embedded Framework
Firestorm 4.7.7 includes the Lab’s implementation of Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) for media management (and more). CEF completely replaces the old llQTwebkit for media management within the viewer, replacing it with current web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3 support and WebGL, which can allow direct manipulation of objects on a browser page displayed in-world with ease.
CEF should also enable things like viewing PDF files in-world, editing PDF documents via Google Docs, etc. See the CEF forum thread for more.
CEF integration into the viewer means that Flash and QuickTime content require third-party support (see this Knowledge Base article on enabling Flash support for CEF viewers, for example). However, because they do rely on plug-in support, there is no guarantee given by Firestorm or Linden Lab that either will work, and are regarded as unsupported.
Other Updates from the Lab
Materials (texture / diffuse, bumpiness / normal and shininess / specular) in the Build floater Texture tab can now be selected via radio buttons, rather than picking from a drop-down list, to make locating and selection them easier (see BUG-10149).
Firestorm replaces the materials drop-down selection menu (seen in version4.7.5, left) with the radio buttons for materials types (right), as also seen in the official viewer
A fix for ALM enabled + full bright + shiny objects failing to display texture on Mac (see FIRE-12681)
A fix for activating Show Avatar Complexity disabling all llSetText (hovertext) viewer is restarted (see BUG-10488)
A fix for show land owner colour overlay is only visible where there is water in deferred rendering (seeFIRE-11654)
A fix for a black screen if ALM is enabled while in wireframe mode and then wireframe is disabled (see BUG-4543)
A fix for rotating an object that is used as grid reference going crazy (see FIRE-2593 and BUG-9419)
A fix for “Ban Member” in the group chatters list context menu being greyed out (see FIRE-16160 and BUG-10500)
A fix for animated agents at high altitudes randomly showing up at 0,0,0 (see bug FIRE-14439 and BUG-6648)
A fix for having to open ‘About Land’ twice to get parcel ban timings to load in the parcel ban list when banned names are not cached (see bug FIRE-17408 and BUG-10831)
A fix for a stuck freeze frame state if snapshot floater is closed with freeze frame left enabled and the viewer window is subsequently resized (see FIRE-16739 and BUG-9952)
A fix for opening a note card with the same name as one already open failing to work (see VWR-2981)
A fix for replacing current outfit with contents of a non-outfit folder creates a folder link in the Current Outfit Folder (see BUG-11274)
A fix for opening an experience compiled script in an object in an adjacent region failing to show the script is compiled with an experience in the script editor (see BUG-8980).
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.
Quick Graphics RC viewer updated to version 4.0.2.312297 on March 11 – provides the new Avatar Complexity options and the new graphics preset capabilities for setting, saving and restoring graphic settings for use in difference environments / circumstances (download and release notes)
Maintenance RC viewer version updated to 4.0.2.312269 on March 10 – 38 updates. fixes and tweaks for memory leaks; viewer crashes; UI, permissions and mesh uploader bugs; visual muting issues, autopilot issues and duplicated calling cards (download and release notes)
HTTP updates and Vivox RC viewer updated to version 4.0.2.312094 on March 9 – combines the Project Azumarill RC and Vivox Voice RC updates into a single viewer (download and release notes)
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.
HTTP updates and Vivox RC viewer updated to version 4.0.2.311980 on March 4th – combines the Project Azumarill RC and Vivox Voice RC updates into a single viewer (download and release notes)
Maintenance RC viewer version updated to 4.0.2.311770 on March 2 – 38 updates, fixes and tweaks for memory leaks (download and release notes)
Project viewers:
Project Bento (avatar skeleton extensions) updated to version 5.0.0.311861 on March 2 – an updated set of bones for the Bento skeleton. The skeleton changes are (download and release notes)
Nicky Perian announced the release of Kokua 4.0.1.37934 on Tuesday, March 1st 2016.
The update sees Kokua gain parity with the latest release version of the viewer from Linden Lab (version 4.0.1.310054 (Maintenance release) at the time of writing), and also with the February 26th release of RLV version 2.9.16 from Marine Kelley.
Not that if you are currently still using a test version of the viewer, the automatic update feature will not function. A separate download and install is required.
CEF Updates
This release incorporates the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) updates for media from the Lab, as well as the assorted crash and bug fixes from the Maintenance release. Also included for CEF are a series of contributed updates for Linux, coming by way of Drakeo and including work by Nicky Dasmijn of Firestorm and Henri Beauchamp of CoolVL. Commenting on this, Nicky points out:
Drakeo’s development focus is media and providing Slackware viewer packages. Upstream CEF frequently issues security updates and Drakeo puts those into his own Slackware packaged viewers and contributes updates to Kokua. These security updates from CEF come more often than the Kokua release cycle, however, our Test viewers can be used to maintain a level of currency. Please remember that Linux viewers are Alpha and that is even more the case now that we no longer have the benefit of Linden Lab’s Quality Assurance run through of new features added to Linux viewers. We do our best to provide stable Linux viewers, but with the vast number of Linux distributions problems will occur that may not have timely solutions.
Inventory Updates
Transferable Items Filter
Kokua 4.0.1 includes a new Transferable Items Only inventory search filter. When active, this will limit the main inventory display to transfer enabled items only.
To prevent possible confusion / worry about inventory loss, the option does not persist between log-in sessions when enabled.
The new Transferable Items Only filter will display only those items which are transfer enabled in your inventory
OpenSim Exportable Parameter
Kokua 4.0.1 adds an Exportable parameter to the Item Profile floater for OpenSim grids, allowing content creators to easily mark items they build as being exportable to other grids. The option is not displayed by the floater when logged-in to Second Life.
The OpenSim only Exportable parameter
Do Not Let Me Fly
A new option added to Preferences > Kokua and to the Commands menu is Do Not Let Me Fly. As the name suggests, when checked, it prevents your avatar from flying even where flying is enabled. The option is specifically intended for use in combat zones where flying within the region may still be enabled, to prevent any risk of accidentally flying (such as when jumping an obstacle) and interrupting the combat flow.
The Do Not Let Me Fly option will prevent you avatar for accidentally flying whilst still allowing Page Up to be used for jumping
Under the Hood
In addition to the above, the release includes numerous under the hood improvements and updates, all of which are listed in the downloadable change log for those interested.
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.
Maintenance RC viewer version updated to 4.0.2.311655 on February 26 – 38 updates, fixes and tweaks for memory leaks (download and release notes)
HTTP updates and Vivox RC viewer updated to version 4.0.2.311302 on February 22 – combines the Project Azumarill RC and Vivox Voice RC updates into a single viewer (download and release notes)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 