New Master Server

What's the point of having a master server if no one uses it? If everyone had their own, no one would use anyone elses, or they would just use the official one.

I don't need your reasons, but if you must know its for certain people to do what they want in SRB2 without dealing with n00bs. With different rules.

Heh, you can ignore my reasoning all you want, but you're wasting your own bandwidth if no significant amount of players use your server.

I can work with that. So, how?

"So, how" what? You probably don't understand how much a master server takes to run.

Ash said:

What's the point of having a master server if no one uses it? If everyone had their own, no one would use anyone elses, or they would just use the official one.

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I totally agree on this.

Why make a new master server? All its going to do is make people make their own which will make nobody join.

If it's not on when it's regularly scheduled, then it's an unreliable master server. If there's not a specific reason for why it exists, that's probably even worse. What you need is a master server that people know how to get to, when it's on, and what it's for. Redundancy is terrible; purpose is necessary.

Let me give a few examples. You've got the main master server; it's on all the time. You decide to make a master so people can visit it. You haven't ensured it'll be on when you say it will, and you don't have any key features that differentiate your MS's purpose from the main. This is wrong.

Then, you've got the main master server, but the host only keeps it on during weekends. You decide to make a master server so people can visit it. It's on only during weekDAYS, and you can ensure it'll be up all that time. This is right.

So, let's see where we're at. We have the main master server, which is very unstable because when it's supposed to be on all the time, it's been increasingly having downtime on random intervals. It also has certain rules to it that restrict certain kinds of netgames. What if someone created a master server that they could ensure was up all the time? What if someone made a master server that purposely doesn't have the restrictive rules that the main master server has? Would that be right?



I had an idea recently. I've got a website, right? I can surely create my own master server, but there's no way that either of my two computers would be able to run it 24/7. So, instead of using my IP, why not use my website's IP? I'd compile the source code, upload it to my website, and get the master server running on that website. Simple. But there's a few problems with that.

First off, how would I activate a master server that's on somebody else's computer? I mean, I've got the administrative capabilities, I'm sure; my control panel has a shell interface that might be of use.... Would I activate the master server by using the shell program? Or do I have to ask my service provider to activate it for me?

And if I did get it running, what about those "memory leaks"? More specifically, what are they and what do they do to the master server? If I have to restart the master server every now and then, that would be inconvenient - I'd rather have the master server restart itself somehow... perhaps, every midnight it automatically runs some sort of script?

And lastly, but certainly not least, how exactly would I display the master server page? I mean, I know I'd add the php page to the website and crap... but where? Does it have to be on the index of the site, or the same directory as the master server?... Does the master server have to be on the index of the site?

The second problem I listed probably wouldn't be too important, but if I could just get those other two problems solved, then I think we could seriously benefit all around from another reliable master server.

its PRIVATE!!!! But if you want to annoy all this time, go ahead. I'm not even gonna bother making one.

Actually blue warrior is thinking of making a ms for his website as well ...

Running the MS on a basic web hosting shell account isn't a good idea, the heart beat rate is 2 heart bears per second per server, not to mention the memory leaks and such...

SilverESP said:

Why make a new master server? All its going to do is make people make their own which will make nobody join.

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I don't consider that a valid argument. To have your own master server would require compiling the source code for it, and noobs generally lack that ability.

Miles said:

SilverESP said:

Why make a new master server? All its going to do is make people make their own which will make nobody join.

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I don't consider that a valid argument. To have your own master server would require compiling the source code for it, and noobs generally lack that ability.

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[placeholder for future thread containing the master server files pre-compiled]

Geddit?

Cue said:

Running the MS on a basic web hosting shell account isn't a good idea, the heart beat rate is 2 heart bears per second per server, not to mention the memory leaks and such...

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2 heart beats for per second per server...? Hang on, do you mean servers hosted on that master server? If so, how? I mean, technically, the ping of an individual server shouldn't have anything to do with the ping of the master server. And if you mean the ping of the master server is 2 bpm... well, I don't see the problem with that since you're going to just look at the master server and visit one of the servers that's on there.

I also still don't understand what you mean by memory leaks; what exactly causes the memory leaks, and what do they do?

I officially give this topic to BW. Good luck.

Maybe the memory leaks are something to do with the program not throwing out old server details? Am I right?

I would like some more feedback on this, as I'm still fairly interested in creating a master server.

Every server registered sends an "I'm still here!" heart beat/message every 2 seconds. As I said, there is also the case of the memory leak. The MS is basically on a "You use it, you deal with it." issue since we code folk have more important things to be doing than helping every man and their dog set up a master server...

Cue said:

Every server registered sends an "I'm still here!" heart beat/message every 2 seconds. As I said, there is also the case of the memory leak. The MS is basically on a "You use it, you deal with it." issue since we code folk have more important things to be doing than helping every man and their dog set up a master server...

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I still don't know what exactly a memory leak means, but I can take a good guess by now that a server on the website won't work... I don't know about the actual speed of the computer the website is hosted on, but if I tell the person running the computer, "Hey, go run this master server and restart it everyday," chances are they won't do it.

So, I guess if I make a master server, it'll have to be on my old crap computer. 24/7? Hell no. My parents wouldn't be okay with our internet bandwidth getting screwed with. But if I can schedule certain times for it to run...

And then there's always the possibility of a plan B, so, yeah.

So, I guess I better get to work!

Well, a memory leak is a fault in coding that makes a program take up more and more RAM then it should. Like not discarding old pointer data, for example.

Hi, thread! Remember me?



I recently got another computer; it runs great, has excellent online connectivity, and can forward ports; it's the perfect candidate for a master server.

My only problem is, while I know what to compile, I don't know how to compile. More specifically, I don't know what tools would be appropriate to compile the master server source code with.

Can someone lend me a hand here?

EDIT: Mind me not, I just got a precompiled master server exe. Problem solved.