Unkle Nuke

I agree with that, lecails. Creating your own patched repo is the best way. It helps you to become more skilled at patching the server, plus, you know exactly how your server is configured so it makes tracking fixes and bugs a lot more simple. The more you know, the better an administrator you become. Who knows, it might even lead to the path of becoming a developer!

You just keep impressing everyone with yet another brilliant improvement to server performance, Ambal. You're one of the shining stars here and I hope you will always prosper in return for everything you have given to this community.

I think X-Savior took over TBCDB and moved the source repository back to SVN. ( Those UDB and SD2 guys seem to hate Git. lol ) DasBlub's Github repo for TBCDB hasn't been updated in a long time. I'm not sure if he even runs the project anymore, since X-Savior is listed as the sole owner of TBCDB at Sourceforge. You can either grab the database by downloading it as a tarball here... http://tbc-db.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/tbc-db/?view=tar Or grab it via SVN here... svn co [url]https://tbc-db.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/tbc-db[/url] tbc-db Last update was Jan. 9, 2011. Also, thank you for taking extra pains to document mmaps. The development history for it has been a long and convoluted path, so a clarified overview would be most helpful. Thank you for all your hard work, faramir. You're one of the best.

I'm not sure what the technical merits are of using compiled DLL plug-ins vs. a scripting API. I favor the scripting method simply because it doesn't require the additional expertise of creating DLL files and would open the door for a lot more people to create mods. Although, I suppose xMods could be coded to compile included scripts as DLL files. xeross is a gifted programmer, who has done some rather inventive mods and patches in the past, but, like any artist, he works as it suits his mood. I sincerely do hope your mood is with this idea, xeross. I believe you will create something impressive. As the more youthful members might say of the completed xMods, "Dude! That's some serious code pwnage!"... or something to that effect. You do good work, period.

If it is open for discussion, then what's the next step or is this something you wish to do on your own, TheLuda? If this is a community effort, then perhaps inquiries can be made to the FSF, EFF, and similar organizations for advice and support.

To apply database updates, use Restore from SQL dump feature on SQLyog Community Edition. This command can be accessed by clicking with the right-hand mouse button on the database you wish to update (mangos, characters, realmd, scriptdev2).

Right To Education's goals are aimed at what they consider "minorities"... refugees, women, the disabled, homosexuals, lesbians, and political dissidents... mostly in 3rd-world countries. Don't you just love how charities for the oppressed use language that marginalizes the people they claim to be helping? Isn't it sufficient reason for helping them that these "minorities" are human beings? I believe The Sheep sees The MaNGOS Foundation fostering the "right to education" as a basic human right, much like the founders of my own country believed people should be guaranteed protections by The Bill Of Rights, regardless of race, creed, or status. Perhaps it might be better to describe the core TMF philosophy as "The Right To Knowledge" for every living person on this planet, without regard to their status or domain. The reasoning behind this idea being the terrible truth where intellectual freedom is under a far greater threat, in the "civilized" countries, thanks to copyright abuses and draconian intellectual property laws. After all, how can we truly educate those "minorities", whom Right To Education claims to represent, when we are not allowed to fully educate one another? That has been the driving force behind The MaNGOS Project, educating ourselves while learning from each other without censure. It is that legacy of this project which makes "MaNGOS" equally fitting as the name for the foundation which formalizes and promotes this philosophy.

You're devotion to constantly keeping MaNGOLin updated and improved is one of the best examples from which anyone should learn what it takes to be great in whatever endeavor one takes up, be it great or small. Starting what you finish takes commitment, but continuing to polish and nurture one's creation is a labor of love. That shows in your work, bannor. MaNGOLin has quickly become an indispensable tool in my server toolbox. Thank you for this update and the generous spirit you've displayed in offering it for free. Lang may your lum reek!

I think that is the intent, lecails, making small or modular patches easier to write by only having to consider the xMods API. This allows the mod developers to concentrate on adding new features or improving their code, rather than spending half their time tracking down core changes and fixing the broken mod code. I have difficulty seeing how a mod as large and complex as Playerbot would fit into xMods, and core mods that are intended to integrate directly with the core will continue to develop as they always have. That said, would xMods work better as a scripting engine? This could simplify mod creation by having xScript commands that can be used without wondering about all the plumbing and how it plugs into the core. You might use a command like modValue to set or alter an integer or string of a known value, such as character HP or a mount's flying speed.

You must make sure the version of spell_work you are using matches your client version. Every new client expansion or patch means spell_work must change to operate correctly.

Elegantly stated, good sir. Such a philosophy is most certainly worthy for everyone to pursue. With "freedom of education" being the theme, that is a broad category to encompass. I take it this means The MaNGOS Project represents only a small portion of what The MaNGOS Foundation wishes to promote?

If I understand your meaning, the proposed idea is that xMods would act as an API of sorts, operating as a layer between the MaNGOS core and a mod. Mod coders need not worry about core changes breaking their code. The mods would work as plug-ins for xMods. Is that close to the mark?

A starting point will be in deciding if The MaNGOS Foundation will be a non-profit entity. There are certain legal and tax exemptions for an organization of this type in many countries, but you have a more strict accountability for how funds are spent. As for financing, you can look to the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Free Software Foundation for ideas on what sort of financial model you wish to adopt. Until TMF can grow to the point that it has enough donations to cover its costs, a mixed approach of donations and sponsors may be the easiest way to get the wheels turning. Of course, you'd want to avoid the pitfalls of relying on commercial sponsorship for primary funds. Look at what has become of MySQL and other open-source projects that rely too much on the whim of corporate money. Businessmen have the habit of feeling their dollars buy them a say in how things are decided. Being open-source, MaNGOS may benefit greatly in seeking some advice from the FSF, since they do present themselves as the champion of the open-source movement. Linus Torvalds has most certainly benefited from his association with them. The biggest question any potential mentor, sponsor, or contributor will ask is, "What does The MaNGOS Foundation stand for?". You'd better be prepared to answer that in a single, concise sentence. Then you can elaborate further if they like the answer. Clear direction and plainly-spoken goals are what is needed to persuade others to back the organization you propose. Draw up a Mission Statement and a Charter, outlining the goals, philosophy, and methods of The MaNGOS Foundation. Having it written down in black-and-white will do much to impress upon people that you have your act together and know what you're about.

IDA Pro, when properly configured, can generate a pseudo - C++ code. You will need to be fluent with Assembly to properly interpret the decompilation and generate a working source tree. Believe me, if you have the skills, IDA can be used to create reverse-engineered source code that can be compiled into a working executable program. Anyone attempting to do this with any software which does not have a license permitting decompilation should check their local and national laws concerning if such work is allowed under a given circumstance. The following is based upon my own reading of U.S.A. laws and other sources. I'm not a lawyer, so you may wish to consult an attorney or make inquiries to the Electronic Frontier Foundation http://www.eff.org/. Contrary to what the media companies would have you believe, reverse-engineering of software, for producing original work, is legal under U.S. law. The reason you see many individuals under legal prosecution is for violation of the DMCA because copy-protection, or DRM, is argued to be protected intellectual work. However, there is a hole in their argument: You can't decompile a program for the purpose of creating a copy to sell or distribute, which is simply another form of software piracy, but you can reverse-engineer a program for creating new work, including software that operates in conjunction with the program being studied. MaNGOS fits that definition perfectly. A good publication regarding software copyrights and U.S. law, written for the layman, can be found online http://digital-law-online.info/lpdi1.0/treatise1.html Also, Chilling Effects has a Reverse-Engineering FAQ... http://www.chillingeffects.org/reverse/faq.cgi#QID195 ...which can provide useful answers to many programmers living under U.S. law. Then there's this article dealing with reverse-engineering software at WikiBoooks http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Reverse_Engineering/Legal_Aspects I sure hope the MaNGOS Foundation guys read this.

I'll second that, darkstalker. I think lecails has been hard at work with a template script. Keep up the good work, lecails! Unfortunately, this means that 90% of the work has now been moved into SD2 which means that Outdoor PvP mostly lies outside the scope of these forums. I suppose we should see new threads in the ScriptDev2 forums for further developments. Looks like my own work on Outdoor PvP is now redundant and I have not yet learned SD2 scripting. I'm still busy learning C++, so I'll keep working on my OPvP strictly for educational purposes. I don't know if any of the core devs read this thread, but thank you for the code committed to both MaNGOS master and One that makes Outdoor PvP more easily and correctly implemented ( even if you did cause any core work done here to be flushed down the tubes. lol ). With Outdoor PvP being a community project, I would encourage everyone interested in learning scripting, or those already possessing the skills, to pick a zone and start coding those Outdoor PvP scripts!

I did some digging through the MaNGOS core. It appears this recent patch for MaNGOS One has been in the MaNGOS master for quite some time. That's what happens when you're so busy tinkering with your own code that you neglect keeping apprised of core changes that can affect your work. Look closely at the SQL tables for 'characters_world' and 'mangos_world_template'. Those are enough to indicate the core does indeed allow for calling scripts on a per-map basis for both instanced and non-instanced maps.

In reference to this MaNGOS One commit https://github.com/mangos/one/commit/8cd46197e1efbb34fc1a5be27a7cdace3f57de98, discussed in the thread about Outdoor PvP for MaNGOS One... Will this patch also be implemented in MaNGOS or has similar functionality already been established? I glanced through the history for MaNGOS master and did not notice any similar code recently committed. Assuming it has or will be implemented for 3.3.5, am I correct in reading this as meaning Outdoor PvP can now be supported by the core and only requires SD2 scripting? EDIT: This feature is already implemented in MaNGOS Master. I read through the .cpp and SQL files to find the code. I'm feeling a bit stupid right now.

Those who like Arcane Mage will love you for that!

So long as you have corporate money paying for the ambitions of those who would hold a public office, there really is no safe harbor. The collaboration of governments with corporate interests is a type of corruption that ignores the law, so no law will protect you if it is decided your freedom is worth less in the balance. However, it is better to go down in defeat knowing you have been honorable and honest. Regardless of what the laws are for any of those participating in the development of MaNGOS, so long as none officially linked to this project are violating intellectual property laws in their country, the MaNGOS foundation should have no reason to hide behind any flag. Being out in the open and obeying the law gives a legitimacy and protection of its own, where you can wage battle in the court of public opinion and the media if it comes to it. It is time a stand were made by at least some few so that these laws might change for the better. Do we sit idly by and allow these matters to be decided for us, keeping our silence while the wagons begin taking more of us to the gallows every day?

No backport for MaNGOS One of the Outdoor PvP code exists, so far as I know. You are welcome to create such a backport. Should you encounter any technical issues, simply ask and I'm sure you'll have help in finding a solution. This is how you will make your small C++ skill grow. The MaNGOS One fans will be looking forward to the release of your patch. Good luck!

About da... uh... what I mean is thank you for not abandoning this important fix, Lynx! Even if the code isn't "pretty", it's rock-solid. Good work! :cool:

From an SQL coding perspective, using spaces to pretty things up with short queries is easier on the eyes, but I much prefer DasBlub's approach to long queries. Nothing annoys me more than having to work with a very large, one-line query that scrolls across the width of three screens! Both methods make reading and finding the data a lot simpler and more efficient, so I say we use those two. Delineating comments need to be standardized. I prefer the double-dash " -- " as it automatically provides a two-space indent to draw your eyes to a block of comments and looks less cluttered. Also, being less terse with comments would be great for those trying to learn what more experienced SQL devs take for granted.

That's too bad all that work was lost, but you're a mad genius for cobbling together a testing client from various sources in such short order! Hopefully, others will find it useful for testing their own patches. This community owes you a great debt for everything you've accomplished, faramir. Thank you, most sincerely! My server's hard drive burned out, but I do have an antiquated spare that should be adequate for getting things up and running so I can resume testing several patches, yours included. Can you provide some criteria and recommended Windows tools for gathering the data you need?

There is an Engineering schematic that allows a character to deploy a robot which has access to their bank. There was another one that created a portable mailbox, but it was dropped from the WoTLK release due to issues with using a mailbox without a fixed location. When the mailbot expired, in-transit mails could be lost or corrupted. It wouldn't be too far of a stretch to apply similar function to a playerbot, but you might encounter issues similar to the mailbot problem when a playerbot moves or is logged out by its master. The source would no longer exist from which the destination box would receive a mail. According to my nephew, the portable mailbox is back in 4.x and working perfectly. Somehow, the retail devs figured out a resolution to the lost/corrupted mail issues.

I know the PseuWoW client has been modified in the past to compile as a console-only program. crashuncle used such a modified version as a chat client for 2.43. Maybe shlainn could be persuaded to create a version to facilitate work like yours and other server-side code that deals with basic functions, a PseuWoW-Dev, if I may be so bold as to suggest a moniker. Sorry I couldn't be of more help to you, but it is your brain sweat and time so you would know best what to do. I'll keep cheering you on from the sidelines.