Auto Update Script

[L1A]

I have written a script that I use to upgrade my seq client on RedHat 7.3. It assumes you have tested manual compilation of seq sucessfully first.

It is FULLY automated. Just type runit.sh and take a nap.

What it does { I am doing this from memory so I might miss a trick or two}:

1. Archives old version of seq and libEQ with date/timestamp
2. Logs into CVS and gets new version
3. Gets libEQ
4. builds new client
5. installs new client

Beta test results were very good. Documentation is detailed and is included.

***********************************************
Is this something that you want to add to the source tree?


L1A

[S_B_R]

Yah wrote one a long time ago.... ;)

$ ./seq-update.sh -help

Usage: seq-update.sh [option]
Options:
-update Backup current build of the appilcation,
download new application code and install it.
-backup Backup current build of the appilcation.
-restore Restore the most recently backedup copy.
-new Download new application code.
-compile Compile and install code.
-libeq Download a new version of libEQ.a
-help Print this messages.

[L1A]

I figured that someone had to have done it already. I guess that I was so used to the manual method that I never noticed it.

How about a GUI version? I can whip up a TCL/TK GUI pretty fast.

L1A

[bonkersbobcat]

Please remember that the goal is to NOT make this too easy.

SEQ has a barrier to entry that keeps VI off our backs.

If the barrier to entry gets too low then too many people (who don't care to spend the time, and who don't get what it's all about) will be using SEQ and VI may (will) be more pro-active about making our lives difficult.

[S_B_R]

Yep that's why I have not, nore will I ever, post the actual script. :D

[L1A]

Ok consider this thread ended. I will not distribute.

[fryfrog]

this is an auto-update script that only works if you have made sure it works the first time... doesn't get you qt or anything like that. at least, thats what it seemed like :)

you should make the options use short "-h" and long "--help" options ;)

[S_B_R]

Yeah I know.... that's a minor change that would only take a minute or 2, but I'm sure I'll never get to it. ;)

[rizwank]

auto update makes it TOO accessible?

[Cryonic]

It does if it is also capable of building the app from scratch, (and possibly include dependencies). There is a thread in the help section that has a shell script attached that does just this. Maybe that thread or the attachment should be nuked.

[rizwank]

thats true..

I compiled about 5 new updates a few months ago before I realized to make install..


that was a fun time.

[throx]

OMG.

Someone figured out shellscripts for

tar blah blah
make distclean
wget libeq.a
cvs update
make
make install

Wow.

Next thing you know, people will be arguing that makefiles are making SEQ too easy to use. In fact, get rid of that damn GUI as well - mob coordinates please. It's far too easy to use.

The *real* barrier to entry at the moment is the simple fact it runs on Linux and even that is an assumption.

[BlueAdept]

actually it is too easy as it is....at least compared to how it used to be. There never really used to be guides or anything of that ilk. It basically just used to be "you need QTX and what ever else...good luck".

Putting a script out that does everything for you is stupid because those that will use it shouldnt be running SEQ in the first place.

Linux is a great operating system. If someone is going to spend the $200+, take the time of setting up linux, getting the network to work right, why the hell shouldnt they take the time to actually learn how to use what they just did.

Dont like it? Go buy one of those stupid pre-installed SEQ boxes on player auctions, just dont expect anyone to answer questions on it when it breaks or needs updating.

[throx]

They have preinstalled SEQ boxes? That's just sad.

Then again, I believe using SEQ for anything to give you an in-game advantage is pretty sad as well.

[fryfrog]

hehe, how can you use seq w/o giving yourself an "in game advantag"? i mean, the first time you glance over BAM, in game advantage ;)

[throx]

Well, seeing you put it that way, yeah. I just wasn't quite going to spell it out - people take offense when you tell them they are cheating. ;-)

Personally I find SEQ an interesting reverse engineering project and an interesting tool to figure out some of the server side game mechanics as well as a neat programming exercise.

Other people use it of other reasons...

[fryfrog]

personally, i use it for a screen saver. i would never think of using it to keep from getting lost or finding out if i should even bother looking for that rare mob. oh yeah, and i certainly don't use it to help people get their bodies back. spell tracking is nice, for people who don't use it as a screen saver :)

[Lisa]

cd ~/showeq
cvs update
make -f Makefile.dist
./configure && make -j3 && make install


Seems to work for me! :p

[JustACoder]

I have to agree that SEQ was way to easy to install with all the guides. I was and still am a complete linux n00b alls I did was read the code snipets and I was good to go.. of course now i'm realizing it didn't help me out i'm having to do it all over again and have no clue how to do it, I think that the guides should be discontinued even if that means I dont know how to set it up, that will just make me get off my ass and work for it like it was obviously ment to be.

[SkackDuck]

RedHat 8 makes it easier.

I had to install redhat twice (stupid laptop powersave)

after that SEQ went in flawlessly...

and I *AM* a real newb... and probably do not "deserve" SEQ at my linux skill level.

[bonkersbobcat]

Originally posted by SkackDuck
and I *AM* a real newb... and probably do not "deserve" SEQ at my linux skill level. If you are willing and able to learn, then you deserve SEQ (and linux.)

[Musashi]

Originally posted by BlueAdept
Dont like it? Go buy one of those stupid pre-installed SEQ boxes on player auctions, just dont expect anyone to answer questions on it when it breaks or needs updating.

All I could think of when I read this was "Yeah, and now those schmucks have a broken SEQ box..." muhahahaha...

[zfod]

Originally posted by BlueAdept
actually it is too easy as it is....at least compared to how it used to be. There never really used to be guides or anything of that ilk. It basically just used to be "you need QTX and what ever else...good luck".

Putting a script out that does everything for you is stupid because those that will use it shouldnt be running SEQ in the first place.

Dont like it? Go buy one of those stupid pre-installed SEQ boxes on player auctions, just dont expect anyone to answer questions on it when it breaks or needs updating.


Honestly,

This is on par with people who argue for 'security through obscurity'. It's ridiculous.

The guy who made the comments about 'oh no somebody learned to shell script, use wget, etc'.. and 'pretty soon Makefiles will be deemed making seq too easy' is right. So, essentially anyone wanting to run a 'script' or a 'program' shouldn't be doing so because they obviously don't understand what it does since they execute it instead of manually type out each necessary command? Hmm.

Linux on its own is about the easiest *nix to install, configure and get binary packages for all the dependencies.. yet I don't hear anyone saying 'Linux is too easy'.

Lets generalize some more, while we're at it. Some of the dumbest people I've ever met can get Linux up and going and install just about anything on it. What does this mean? Port all new versions of seq to VMS, because Linux is too easy?

BlueAdept, your filters make it a lot easier to track spawns to a certain extent within SEQ so that people don't have to come up with their own filters and have a baseline/starting point. Should this be taken away as well to make things more 'difficult'?

I guess in such a ridiculous argument/concept, where do you draw the line? How do you confirm all these assumptions on difficulty?

.z

[BlueAdept]

Originally posted by zfod



Honestly,

This is on par with people who argue for 'security through obscurity'. It's ridiculous.

The guy who made the comments about 'oh no somebody learned to shell script, use wget, etc'.. and 'pretty soon Makefiles will be deemed making seq too easy' is right. So, essentially anyone wanting to run a 'script' or a 'program' shouldn't be doing so because they obviously don't understand what it does since they execute it instead of manually type out each necessary command? Hmm.

Linux on its own is about the easiest *nix to install, configure and get binary packages for all the dependencies.. yet I don't hear anyone saying 'Linux is too easy'.



Actually Linux is too easy. It has become a lot easier than it was in the past. I personally like minux, mainly because it is small and will work on an 8088. It is actually challenging to get a webserver set up on it. I think a lot of the distributions have become bloated and becoming too "windows" like.


Lets generalize some more, while we're at it. Some of the dumbest people I've ever met can get Linux up and going and install just about anything on it. What does this mean? Port all new versions of seq to VMS, because Linux is too easy?

Sounds good to me. I havent been on a Vax since I went to the University of Miami. Ill break out my punch cards and put SEQ on to that.


BlueAdept, your filters make it a lot easier to track spawns to a certain extent within SEQ so that people don't have to come up with their own filters and have a baseline/starting point. Should this be taken away as well to make things more 'difficult'?

You never know, I may just do that... There have been many times that I had thought about removing them and taking down the site. Im tired of getting emails saying "How do I use these filters to HACK everquest?" or "d00D J00 aR3 W@y L3Et. wH4T K3wl h@XoR PROGgiE5 J00 90+? 1 w@nT +H3M. i 4L5O W4N+ 50M3 uBER $H1+ oN 3VERkwE5+. S3ND 1T t0 ME 4+ [email protected]"


I guess in such a ridiculous argument/concept, where do you draw the line? How do you confirm all these assumptions on difficulty?
.z

Well lets see... It is a known fact that Veant does not like SEQ. When a version came out for windows, Verant rotated the encryption on almost a daily basis. Too many people with SEQ = too much attention = Verant breaking SEQ = problems for the SEQ project. This is not one of those cases where more is better.

[datadog]

"d00D J00 aR3 W@y L3Et. wH4T K3wl h@XoR PROGgiE5 J00 90+? 1 w@nT +H3M. i 4L5O W4N+ 50M3 uBER $H1+ oN 3VERkwE5+. S3ND 1T t0 ME 4+ [email protected]"

Now that's FUNNY!!!

[BlueAdept]

Originally posted by datadog


Now that's FUNNY!!!

Heh...

Dont worry I didnt sit there and type all that L33t talk. I used this handy dandy little program from here.

http://www.ryanross.net/leet/

I still want SEQ on punch cards :D

[Musashi]

Texas Instruments TI-99 (http://www.99er.net/) , but only if you can get the voice add-on module to let you know in that early 80's computer voice emulator "Would you like to play a game"-type drone that Stormfeather has popped.

[smoothielover]

Im floating both sides of the fence on this one.

Linux by its opposition and users demands will always get easier.

I only had about 2 weeks of playtime with it before PoP patches and found that i had no idea what CVS was as i have never programmed on.for linux. i did a servh on web and found info etc and came back to the forums and did a search for a how to.

My hoenst opinion here is

remove the guides from hackersquest.com forums as they are too easy to find. make them come here and do a search.

auto update script ----well i made a notepad file in x somewhere which i have the commands in and i use the window terminat to coy and paste.

same diff who cares not hard.....

the tutorials are the main issue in my view if we have an issue.....

a list of rpms and a a fwe links would be fine let them learn how to compile or show enough care to a Read the smoothi 9.9 pdf
ask in help forum a decent question like

ok i have got all the rpms installed i believe qt is down got my eqlib. started to do the compile

commands were ....

heres the result. im having a look at the help and man pages etc and cant seem to get the right answer

ill be honest i think of myself as a decent NT/windows IT guy whos dabbles in linux. i coded a bit . security a bit and obviously have a little knowledge in many areas.

having not programmed on ANY Linux/Unix based system i have NO IDEA on what the compile errors mean in real terms from the output. i can make educated guesses etc but i would again still be going to the forum

i would suggest making the tutorials more like a tutorial and LESS like a walkthrough.. ie how to compile programs in linuX and common errors found in seq installs based on errorcodes.

this would be more like getting them to learn something for the experience.

SOMETHING TO NOTE
seq isnt really an advantage to the avid gamer who would invest time into an install of it. most avid gamers would actually know what mobs to look for in what zone where they generally hang etc etc etc. seq gives people the advantage to reap richer awards for time invested. they still need to develop freindships guilds and characters etc so its not really an OBSCENE advantage to the essence of the addiction to the game.

if VI had not implemented TRACK as druid ranger only skill and just made a limited size top down map as you see in say C7C, GTA2/3 Driver etc games then it would be a feature.

the mathmatics of the game can be worked out through theory and by lord they want us to play as long as possible so an educated person would develop the mathmatics anyway.

the only ADVANTAGE other than the track ranges is litterally its ability to Parse information you already now into a much more precise and developed system

filters can be made easily enough if you search the web etc. the fact that drop information doesnt go to the client makes it pretty much not an advantage when your talking about the mobs at that stage.

i dont have the spawns on my maps atm but i have movement on a map.

IF the tracking component of seq was to fail it would still be a great and useful tool to all gamers.

the decryption of spawn locations and informations is probably the only thing they have any Problem (you cant get that without cheating )

all this being said / wandered through

I have enjoyed immensly the time i have spent working out following tutorials installing linux with right rpms searching for how to add the ones we missed and now how to add samba on rather than anaconda install .

im looking more into the packet stuff now after seeing stuff ive seen alot in security stuff im intrigued.

this is the essence of hacking program and thus i am happy with my experince

i did have some issues but ive had more fun looking at the opcodes dumps updating working out how to recompile etc.

also showeq isnt common knowledge its still held amongs select peoples i beleive as many people who are not linux previous dont get offered it.



preinstalled SEQ boxes. you mean people would actually BUY a PC for the sole purpose of SEQ. doubt they sell many


smoothie lover

giving a noob to showeq/llimited linux opinion for your view.


this appeared to be a bit of an opinion poll so i thought id pipe up

[Aurelius]

Just couldn't let it pass. Nostalgia hit me. I do believe the TI 99 and 99/4a were my first puters . . . period. And my son's as well (hand me downs have to go some where). I'm trying to remember the past and I think it was 1982 or 83. Now that was a tinker set. ))

Sorry for interrupting your as ever balanced debate )).

[BlueAdept]

My first computer wasnt really even mine. A friend got a Trash 80 model 1 with a tape drive. I couldnt afford one back then. We became good friends but it was mainly because he had the computer. I used to be at his house almost daily just to use the computer.

The trash 80 used to have a program called Eliza. It basically was a shrink program. It asked you questions and then would take elements on what you said to ask more questions. From disecting that program, I learned how to write my own programs. I made quite a few different programs back then.

I went to UofM and trained on the Vax. I also got into apples then. I left UofM and went to another school and trained on the Data General 2000 and finally a year before I left, they got PCs. I thought dos was great. Now that everything is windows based, linux has drawn me in.

Anyone need an assembly programmer for the Data General 2000? I think I still have my book somewhere. I also know how to create a black hole on the DG2000....go in a directory and move the directory into itself. It will keep doing it until it uses up all the resources and grinds to a halt. :)

[MeTh_HeD]

Aren't we using computers to help make life easier? All this stuff about something being too easy or the fact you praise minux for being challenging with setting up a webserver seems absurd. While I agree that a OS shouldn't be bloated and a resource hog, saying something sucks because it's conventional is just stupid.

[ThePowerTool]

Wow, that brought back memories.

I had a TRS-80 Model 1 Level II with 16k of RAM... YOU'LL NEVER NEED MORE THAN 16k OF RAM (remember that!?).

I had the tape drive and I remember the long hours of keying in Eliza. I played with it a bit, but after keying it in, the responses just weren't sophisticated for me and I got bored with it... I did spend several weeks trying to make it sound more human before giving up.

It was another game that dragged me in. I wish I could remember the name. It was something like "Traders Quest" or "Galactic Trader" -- that sounds right, it might have been Galactic Trader.

Well, one day after two days of working hard to win the game, I finally won. It was hours of old Star-Trek text style multiple choice ABC stuff. What did I get for my reward?

You have won Galactic Trader
OK>

heh - well, that blew my mind. There was a cool story for the game and the goal was to make it to safe haven with I pictured as a space station. The game cost $19, too (if I remember correctly).

My first serious coding endeavor was finding that last routine (no small task given the tools available at the time) and creating an ending more appropriate. I wish I could say it was something cool. It was cool to me. All I did, once I identified the final routine was build my ASCII space station and dock my ship.

My very first computer? It was an AIM-65. Who remembers that?! To the uneducated, it looked like a fancy calculator.... the size of two loaves of bread =)

Now, I relish the time I can spend on Linux. I really enjoy having SEQ up and running. I take great satisfaction out of keeping it running as well as the "cool" factor. I wouldn't change a thing about SEQ. I would add a few new things. From day one, I would have put in a raid manager to build balanced groups from a list. A way to load the list with a check box by names to remove people grabbed by accident. Putting up health for each person in each group (when range makes that an option) in discrete windows. I'd also add a data-collection feature that would grab details from any /who command I perform in game to save time going back through logs to get data on guilds or PCs. Finally, I'd add color and font options to the message windows so I could associate an individual color and font with each message type (unless this has been done with the new XML... honestly, I haven't checked yet--but I will). These aren't requests, and please don't think I'm trying to create a personal forum here for my requests. They are intended to communicate how much fun and use I get out of the application as it stands... that those are the only things I would add.

Thank you very much. I really enjoy SEQ. That's why I posted on hackers quest (I know, a long time ago). To give back because I appreciate your work so much.

[ezzaps]

Well... I have read all this thread, and I"m new.. so flame on. ;) Anyways.. I have had many problems w/ SEQ and Man 9, but that's probably user error. I think that there is plenty of information out there, that there needs to be no more simplicity in this project. I'm totally new to any Linux client.. and I have very limited knowledge of Vax systems, but there is something in being able to recapture the adventure I felt when my parents got me a Trash 3 when I was a wee lad.. This is like breaking into a new area for me, and I'm glad that I chose SEQ as my first adventure into it. I think that many are correct that VI, in their infinate oddness, believes that as long as the SEQ users are a minority, we can't cause a problem (at least until EQ2 comes out and they stop caring about SEQ). Let all noobs such as myself learn the 'hard' way of compiling and getting rpms, and leave the little twinks out of it. I am tired of little 12 yr olds w/ uber loots.. ;) Anyways.. I'm sure this is off topic and all, but thank you for SEQ, and keep up the good work.

SpZ

[BlueAdept]

Originally posted by MeTh_HeD
Aren't we using computers to help make life easier? All this stuff about something being too easy or the fact you praise minux for being challenging with setting up a webserver seems absurd. While I agree that a OS shouldn't be bloated and a resource hog, saying something sucks because it's conventional is just stupid.

That was not quite what I meant to convey.

I still feel that making SEQ easier to set up is, in my opinion, bad. The reason for this is the past history of SEQ and Verant/Sony's position on it. The more people who use SEQ the more Verant/Sony wants to get rid of it.

One of the reasons I like minux is that it is small, works on almost any computer and it isnt bloated.

It seems when an operating system becomes geared to simplicity, it also becomes bloated, a memory hog, a system resource hog and a system requirement hog.

Even though computers were made to make things easier...they werent ment to make easy for the brainless. I think they were made to enhance our talents not to take place of our brains.