Tag: Simulator User Group 2017

Spring Spirit – blog post

Server Deployments

There was no deployment to the Main (SLS) channel on Tuesday, March 14th. As there had been a deployment & restart in week #10, the channel was not restarted this week.

On Wednesday, March 15th, the three RC channels should all receive the same new server maintenance package, comprising new internal logging output and changes to increase stability and security.

A major reason for the slow-down in apparent server updates is significant effort is being put into SL’s back-end services, much of which lacks any obvious user visibility. As Simon Linden said at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, March 14th, “Second Life needs that stuff for the long haul – we’re working on projects to keep SL going for years to come.”

SL Viewer

There is currently no change to the current official viewer list, which comprises:

• Current Release version: 5.0.2.324126, dated March 3, promoted March 6 – formerly a Maintenance RC viewer download page, release notes
• Release channel cohorts:
  • None at present.
• Project viewers:
  • Project Alex Ivy (LXIV), 64-bit project viewer, version 5.1.0.501863 for Windows and Mac, released on January 10th
  • 360-degree snapshot viewer, version 4.1.3.321712, dated November 23rd, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images – hands-on review
• Obsolete platform viewer version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8th, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.

It is anticipated that the 64-bit viewer will receive an update this week, which should include:

• An open-source wrapper for CEF called Dullahan (link for those who are curious about the etymology of Lab project names) which will replace llCEF, making it easier to render web content through the viewer
• The same versions of Dullahan / CEF and libVLC (audio handling) on both the Windows and Mac builds.

The 64-bit Mac build now uses MacOS Sierra, and will be backwards compatible as far as OSx 10.9 (Xcode 8). The 64-bit Windows build still uses Visual Studio 2013, and will support Windows 10, 8 and 7. Vista support is TBC.

Second Life Community Platform

The new Second Life Community Platform officially launched on Tuesday, March 14th. You can read my overview of the platform here.

Second Life Places

Second Life Places allows region and parcel owners to create a web browsable page for their location(s) in-world where they can be shared through blogs, websites, etc. Included with each page are buttons to allow visitors to the page to launch their viewer and teleport directly the specified location.

The programme has been in beta since November 2016, and you can read my overview here. However, it appears that beta will be coming to an end in the near future, and the programme will be open to all who meet the criteria for setting-up their own pages.

NorderNey – blog post

Server Deployments

On Tuesday, March 7th the Main (SLS) channel received the server maintenance package previously deployed to the three RC channels in week #9. This includes:

• Further improvements to off-line IM delivery when you log in.
• Objects that are unable to enter a parcel now generate useful error messages.
• IM to Email will no longer turn itself off.
• Improved internal logging
• Internal server changes.

There is no planned deployment to the RC channels on Wednesday, March 8th, and no restart planned.  Wednesday will, however, see a limited deployment to the Snack channel. There are no release notes associated with the deployment.

E-Mail to Snapshots

The deployment of the server maintenance package to the Main (SLS) channel means that at present, the ability to send snapshots to e-mail is broken across the grid. This is because changes made server-side mean that a viewer validation process for e-mails to snapshot will fail, breaking the ability to send them (see BUG-41443).

A viewer-side fix for the problem is on the way, but will take time to reach all viewers, once released.

Server Updates on Aditi

There are two new server versions currently on Aditi which will be making their way to the Main grid in due course.

DRTSIM-323: New Simulator Build

The DRTSIM-323 channel on Aditi contains a new version of the simulator code using the Lab’s latest build of the server operating system. The code is available on a number of regions, including:

• Fire Ants
• Bug Island
• Mauve

(Remember, these are beta grid regions, on Agni (Main) grid regions.).

Commenting on the code, Mazidox Linden said:

We would ask for your help in testing on DRTSIM-323 servers as much as possible, because basically anything you can do in Second Life could be affected. We have a bunch of tests, both user facing a not, that we’re running for this, but we will never test 100% of testable things. It just can’t be done.

So, rezzing objects, building / modifying objects, scripting, testing scripts, uploads – just about anything you can think of needs testing & any noted / reproducible issues JIRA’d.

DRTSIM-341: HTTP Asset Fetching

The DRTSIM-341 channel, which should be deployed to Aditi in the near future, will contain the updated code for fetching landmarks, gestures, animations, shapes, sounds and wearables (system layer clothing) , via HTTP /  the CDN(s).  The Lab is hoping that people will again be able to help with testing but this will be dependent upon a new project viewer (most likely) appearing which has the necessary viewer-side code as well. There is currently no ETA on when that will appear.

SL Viewer

The Maintenance RC viewer was updated to version 5.0.2.324126 on March 3rd, and then promoted as the de-facto release viewer on Monday, March 6th.

The Love Me Render RC viewer containing rendering pipeline fixes appears to have been withdrawn. This leaves the rest of the viewer pipeline as follows:

• Project viewers:
  • Project Alex Ivy (LXIV), 64-bit project viewer, version 5.1.0.501863 for Windows and Mac, released on January 10
  • 360-degree snapshot viewer updated to version 4.1.3.321712 on November 23, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images – hands-on review
• 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.

Community Platform

The transition to the new Community Platform is still in progress, I’ll have a review of it once things are live.

Deployments Schedule

Speaking at the Server Beta meeting on Thursday, March 2nd, Mazidox Linden briefly described the reason to the current slow-down in server deployments, saying, “As a general note: We’ve had several stability and performance fixes recently. While we can’t be more specific about timelines (or provide further details) they are taking up a large portion of our time to make a better Second Life.”

Server Deployments

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

• The Main (SLS) channel remains on the same release, 17#17.01.27.323172, with no restart on Tuesday, February 28th.
• One Wednesday, March 1st, the three RC channel all should receive the same new server maintenance package. This includes:
  • Further improvements to off-line IM delivery when you log in.
  • Objects that are unable to enter a parcel now generate useful error messages.
  • IM to Email will no longer turn itself off.
  • Improved internal logging
  • Internal server changes

Snapshots to E-mail Issue

As noted in my week #8 project update reports, the RC release introduced in week #8 increased privacy protection on e-mails – which is a good thing. However, in the process, it broke the ability to send snapshots to e-mail. Essentially, snapshots to e-mail have been handled a certain way between the viewer and the server, involving a viewer-side check.

With the changes made in the RC release of week #8, this validation check now fails for all viewers (see BUG-41443), and will continue to do so until a viewer-side update is issued by the Lab and adopted by all current viewers.

The current workaround for the issue – which again, only affects trying to send snapshots to e-mail from regions on an RC channel is to open the snapshot floater and select Send to e-mail while on a Main (SLS) channel then teleport to the RC region where you want to take the photo. Snapshots to e-mail will then work until you log out.

SL Viewer

No updates to start the week, leaving the various pipelines as:

• Current Release version: 5.0.1.323027, dated January 25, promoted February 3 – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer.
• RC viewers:
  • Maintenance RC viewer version 5.0.2.323567 dated February 14th – a range of improvements and features – overview here (initial release version number)
  • Love Me Render RC viewer version Version 5.0.2.323361, dated February 9th – rendering pipeline fixes and improvements
• Project viewers:
  • Project Alex Ivy (LXIV), 64-bit project viewer version 5.1.0.501863 for Windows and Mac, dated January 10th
  • 360-degree snapshot viewer, version 4.1.3.321712, dated November 23, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images – hands-on review.
• 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.

Server Deployments – Recap

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

• There was no deployment to the Main (SLS) channel on Tuesday, February 21st, again leaving it on release 17#17.01.27.323172.  However, all regions on the channel were restarted in keeping with the Lab’s policy of restarting a channel every other week, regardless as to whether or not it has received a deployment update.
• On Wednesday, February 22nd, all thee RC channels received a new server maintenance package containing “minor” changes. No release notes available.

RC Release E-mail Issue

One of the changes on the RC release is to increase privacy protection on e-mails – which is a good thing. However, it now means that the viewer is performing a check it doesn’t need to do, and as a result, sending snapshots to e-mail ((aka “postcards”) can fail or encounter problems.

There is a viewer-side fix for this in the works, but it has yet to clear LL’s QA, but will be appearing in a viewer once it has. It also means that all viewers which do not have the fix can encounter issues when trying to send snapshots to e-mails, and so will also have to include the fix as well.

SL Viewer

No further updates this week, leaving the various pipelines as:

• Current Release version: 5.0.1.323027, dated January 25, promoted February 3 – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer.
• RC viewers:
  • Maintenance RC viewer version 5.0.2.323567 dated February 14th – a range of improvements and features – overview here (initial release version number)
  • Love Me Render RC viewer version Version 5.0.2.323361, dated February 9th – rendering pipeline fixes and improvements
• Project viewers:
  • Project Alex Ivy (LXIV), 64-bit project viewer version 5.1.0.501863 for Windows and Mac, dated January 10th
  • 360-degree snapshot viewer, version 4.1.3.321712, dated November 23, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images – hands-on review.
• 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.

E-mail Verification Update

The Lab is proceeding with e-mail verification, so again, if you haven’t already done so, please read my post here. There is still no timeline for when the switch-over will occur, and the Lab will provide a blog post as things come into force. Also, while they won’t immediately be affected, this will mean that eventually IMs to e-mail and then marketplace notifications for merchants will ease working for all unverified e-mail addresses.

Other Items

Links Not Clickable in Group Notices

This is quite an old issue (see BUG-10498), but is apparently occurring again. Speaking at the Server Beta User Group meeting, Mazidox Linden requested if anyone encounters it and can reproduce it, could they please raise a new bug report, stating how they encountered and reproduced the issue.

Server Deployments

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

• There was no deployment to the Main (SLS) channel on Tuesday, February 21st, again leaving it on release 17#17.01.27.323172.  However, all regions on the channel were restarted in keeping with the Lab’s policy of restarting a channel every other week, regardless as to whether or not it has received a deployment update.
• On Wednesday, February 22nd, all thee RC channels should receive a new server maintenance package. The release notes had not be published at the time of going to press, however the changes are said to be “minor”.

SL Viewer

There are currently no changes to the SL viewer pipelines from the Lab, with the currently available viewer remaining thus:

• Current Release version: 5.0.1.323027, dated January 25, promoted February 3 – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer.
• RC viewers:
  • Maintenance RC viewer version 5.0.2.323567 dated February 14th – a range of improvements and features – overview here (initial release version number)
  • Love Me Render RC viewer version Version 5.0.2.323361, dated February 9th – rendering pipeline fixes and improvements
• Project viewers:
  • Project Alex Ivy (LXIV), 64-bit project viewer version 5.1.0.501863 for Windows and Mac, dated January 10th
  • 360-degree snapshot viewer, version 4.1.3.321712, dated November 23, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images – hands-on review.
• 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.