Linux based dedicated server

[Nobody96]

A Linux based dedicated server doesn`t work.

 

I tried to use one of my mostly unused boxes to set up an open dedicated server for Black Shark, running some of Dragons fine missions. But it is simply not possible. For everyone else who is trying the same, here a list of things I tried:

 

qemu-kvm based virtulisation: not possible because the server needs direct3d

xen based virtualisation: not possible because the server needs direct3d

virtualbox based virtualisation: not possible with Version 1.0.2 because of starforce

wine based virtualisation: not possible with Version 1.0.2 because of starforce

 

Thats the point when I stopped trying and started hoping that ED will provide a dedicated server. If you cannot play with it, it doesn`t need starforce or an activation key since and hopefully could work without 3d support. The advent of a common DCS backend for BlackShark, A-10C and hopefully FC2 might be a perfect moment to introduce such a piece of software, but beeing a programmer myself I know that there might be some factors that prevent a dedicated server from happening anytime soon. Also DCS mostly focuses on the singleplayer experience and therefore it will not become a priority.

 

so long

Mathias

[acdarc]

Hear hear.

 

I would also like to see a dedicated linux server for DCS games. I triple dare anyone to come up with a decent reason why one shouldn't be possible (meaning copy-protections and such). Clients are authenticated anyways, and if you have a headless multiplayer that also verifies its integrity from eagle servers then everything is solved. If nothing else make it a binary release for different platforms with static libraries.

 

Hosting a multiplayer takes resources and always needs to have somebody setting it up and everything hinges on his connection and timeframe.

Giving the opportunity to host games dedicated on some random server in the midst of the internet would dramatically increase the amount of multiplayer action and would help develop the community.

 

Please, developers, make this happen.

[Nobody96]

It does not have to be a Linux program. You can setup a Windows environment in a virtual machine or with wine pretty easy. A client without starforce and maybe without direct3d would work.

 

so long

Mathias

[acdarc]

A virtualized windows takes unnecessary space, memory and cpu. Why build a system to run another system?

You can just make a software that runs on Linux which is a vast majority of headless servers out there. A server software that either has a text console or a small http service running where you can select the map and manage players. It's much more compact, a gazillion times faster and gabillion times easier to manage than a virtualized windows.

[Nobody96]

You can just make a software that runs on Linux which is a vast majority of headless servers out there.

 

Well, you cant. The DCS is at last for networking, depending on the Windows API. I am pretty sure they are using a lot more Windows libraries or external libraries that are only available on Windows.

 

so long

Mathias

[Haggart]

Sorry, this experiment in many flavors was already done a year ago, I even took it up to the next level and tried a VMware ESX-cloud. No chance at the moment.

[acdarc]

Well, you cant. The DCS is at last for networking, depending on the Windows API. I am pretty sure they are using a lot more Windows libraries or external libraries that are only available on Windows.

 

 

I beg to differ. As you said, "I am pretty sure" - we don't know. However TCP/IP-stack is quite universal, and setting up a hub that replicates data throughout clients and manages the traffic is very simple to make, atleast if compared to the complexity of the DCS Simulator. They already have the network code and algorithms to handle multiple aircrafts on different computers on the same sky. Making one headless server to manage them is only a small port away. I don't think A-10C is coded with .NET, Basic or ActiveX.

[sebbomann]

...However TCP/IP-stack is quite universal...

I disagree.

A network stack is never universal. A Stack is a individual implementation of a protocol-suite. So for every OS it should be different. And it absolutely is different for Windows and Linux.

Even the API, which is used to communicate with the stack, differs.

 

and setting up a hub that replicates data throughout clients and manages the traffic is very simple to make, atleast if compared to the complexity of the DCS Simulator.

I don't understand, what you want to tell us there, but compared to the complexity of the DCS everything should be simple. :smilewink:

 

Making one headless server to manage them is only a small port away.

And this statement clearifies, that you are not a software developer. No offense meant.

 

Don't misunderstand me, i would really appreciate a headless server, but it's not a simple task...

[acdarc]

I don't understand, what you want to tell us there, but compared to the complexity of the DCS everything should be simple. :smilewink:

 

I'll keep it short: Making DCS (and multiplayer with a central server) happen clearly states that the skills and tools are there, what's missing is the will (or funding).

[GGTharos]

Or, you know, time?

[acdarc]

Or, you know, time?

 

More funding = more staff = more time in manhours.

 

Of course you can't just put an ad to the paper, grab Ken the Coder off the street and tell him to make this happen. It would just be encouraging to know that something like this is coming someday.

 

And please don't take my message as an offensive one. I absolutely love the fact that you already provide a centralized multiplayer hub that has worked just fine for what it is - it's just that games like this which are this concentrated around dedicated people (who create their own close communities to play together) should deserve a dedicated server software.

[Rhinox]

Sorry, this experiment in many flavors was already done a year ago, I even took it up to the next level and tried a VMware ESX-cloud. No chance at the moment.

I do not agree with your last statement... ;-)

[GGTharos]

If it was possible to just throw money/people at the problem it would have been done. ED has been looking into a dedicated server (not necessarily linux) for some time now. :)

 

More funding = more staff = more time in manhours.

 

Of course you can't just put an ad to the paper, grab Ken the Coder off the street and tell him to make this happen. It would just be encouraging to know that something like this is coming someday.

 

And please don't take my message as an offensive one. I absolutely love the fact that you already provide a centralized multiplayer hub that has worked just fine for what it is - it's just that games like this which are this concentrated around dedicated people (who create their own close communities to play together) should deserve a dedicated server software.

[acdarc]

If it was possible to just throw money/people at the problem it would have been done. ED has been looking into a dedicated server (not necessarily linux) for some time now. :)

 

Thank you for considering this. However, Linux would produce a ton more of FFA-servers (imho) since it's easy to install and maintain remotely. Please please, or atleast make it runnable with wine (or how many headless servers in public farms have you seen running windows compared to any other OS?).

Edited November 4, 2011 by acdarc

[sebbomann]

ED has been looking into a dedicated server (not necessarily linux) for some time now. :)

 

Excellent. That's all i wanted to hear. :thumbup:

[GGTharos]

@sebbomann - You're welcome :)

 

@acdarc - The devs are well aware of all this, but again, there's a very real time available problem, and they can't just keep hiring people for one part of a given project. It will take a while, but they're looking into it :)