Loginserver Woes

DeletedUser · #1 04-11-2002, 01:49 AM

As many of you have noticed, the login server has been having some problems lately.

We have been working at making it stable under a new Operating system with this load (it was fine under the low volume when we first started, but now it was causing problems).

So far, it looks good on the new code we created. We are sorry for any downtime which happened this week.

Hogie & da otder devs

malnutrition · #2 04-11-2002, 05:01 AM

Any chance the code will be released? Would alleviate the crowding issue.

sintor · #3 04-11-2002, 05:15 AM

Good reason why you should release the login server, If it is security Issues that you are worried about, Just release the .exe's . We should not have to connect to a 3rd party login server to use the EMU. I realize you could say use the minlogin, However it is limited and only allows one connection, not to mention to use it you need to modify boot5zones.bat. I run a dedicated server on its own machine, and the notion that i have to be logged into an outside server all the time for others to join is a little troubleing. Other than that it runs great.

Krugark7279 · #4 04-11-2002, 08:14 AM

hmm...so basically we wont be able to login at all until this problem is fixed? darn it, i haven't been able to play with this yet, grrrrr

sintor · #5 04-11-2002, 09:13 AM

The login server is working fine, I am enjoying a game now.

Shortlived · #6 04-11-2002, 11:10 AM

I personally like the idea of having only one login server.....that way I know where all the servers are. If everyone ran they're own loginserver.....how would people find your game?

devn00b · #7 04-11-2002, 12:04 PM

If you wanted to run a public server you could still use the centralized server.

But there are those of us that would like to host Smaller private worlds and dont want to deal with random people showing up, or want to keep everything centralized on there pc (some just feel more secure when they decide who can connect to them)

I can see both sides of this rather well. But i think giving out a more functional minilogin would be great.

Beers218 · #8 04-11-2002, 01:47 PM

I agree. I think you should release at least the EXE's and a new DB that includes the new login stuff. Some of us dont want the people that are playing as normal users to be able to buff themselves to 100 and then kill me while im trying to spawn some stuff.

I also think that having different accounts to login to are a plus. Also people would be able to host their own server networks.

Just my opinion, i think you should consider it. Don't worry about hackers tryin to get account info through this program, since if they really wanted it, im sure they could do it.

DeletedUser · #9 04-11-2002, 02:02 PM

It has been discussed more than you know...

TheClaus · #10 04-12-2002, 05:43 AM

Yes it has been discussed and was told no. Due to encryption or packets if they released it then script-kiddies could do bad things. What I would suggest is if you want no one else in the game then lock the server from inside the game(I think this can be done). Then people can't get in. If the command isn't inside the game then I would suggest that. That way you are safe knowing that whoever is online is who you let on. Also I am sure there is a kick command in the game to boot a user. If you don't want someone there then boot them off and lock the server.

Shawn319 · #11 04-12-2002, 06:19 AM

Not only that, it will be a HUGE hassle to support it. some/most/all of the devs would rather /quit than answer questions about loginserver

emufan · #12 04-12-2002, 06:22 AM

There is a compromise that perhaps the developers could make regarding a local login server. I understand that due to the encyption involved, they don't want to release the source to the full login server or the executable. Instead, perhaps they could extend the minilogin with more hard-coded accounts? Since they are already including one (namely eqemu/eqemu), why not include a larger number (such as 16) of them? They could be eqemu2/eqemu2, eqemu3/eqemu3, etc. This should satisfy almost all lan users, such as myself.

Shawn319 · #13 04-12-2002, 07:29 AM

There **MAY** be plans to extend minilogin to allow 12 accounts with ONE worldserver MAX (letting anyone connect). its still in the planning phase and may change or may not happen at ALL. keep your eyes open...

theCoder · #14 04-12-2002, 09:50 AM

I don't want to start (too big of) a flame war here. For now, I don't mind too much that the login server code hasn't been released. However, script kiddies is not a good reason not to release the code. Here are a couple of thoughts:

1) If someone has figured it out to make a login server, someone else can also figure it out (duplicate the work). Security through obscurity is only temporary. Maybe it's not your entry level script kiddie doing packet sniffing, but I'd bet some can (maybe not, I've never really met one).

2) I seriously doubt there's any real (as in modern) encryption in the packets. At best it's obfuscation. The data may have been permuted and rotated and otherwise transformed, but obviously not in any decent way (since it was figured out). If Verant used a simple public-private key system with 1024 bit RSA keys, the login server on eqemu wouldn't exist.

3) Having the only login server on eqemu.net is a single point of failure. If it goes down for any reason, everyone is locked out. The reasons could be anything -- technical, legal, loss of interest, etc.

4) Not that I don't trust the people that run eqemu.net, but they (a) are storing my (allbeit poor) password on their server, probably in plain text (one would hope not, but I don't know) and (b) they could use that to log into my server as me. Not that I'd think they'd do that, but as it stands I have to trust that they won't. If there were multiple login servers, I could choose who to trust.

5) Without a login server, you can't use the EMU offline. You have to connect to eqemu.net to play, even on your own server. While this may work for most people, it may not be the best situation for some (for example modem users).

As it stands, it is a good thing that there is a standard login server at eqemu.net. Even if the login server code was released, I would probably still use the login server at eqemu.net. However, the point of Open Source is to involve the whole community in the development of the program. With the login server closed, the community can't support it.

In the end, it's not really my decision -- it's the decision of the developers who wrote it. It's also not really a sticking point (now that the NAT patch works). The EMU is great, and the lack of an open login server doesn't take away from that. I hope I haven't offended anybody...

Lurker_005 · #15 04-12-2002, 10:12 AM

I think an extended minilogin like shawn mentioned would go a LONG ways to make everyone happy. Yes it would be nise to see the login server source avaliable also, but I don't think it that big of a deal. A second mirrored login server, and the 2nd addresses added to eqhosts.txt should solve the single point of failure. currently the minilogin with 8 characters works to a point, but isn't that great if there isn't comunication between users loging in. 12 or 16 accounts would be great! Allowing small lan parties, or serveral friends on the internet to play. This is expanded more if ther still isn't a check to see if an account is loged in. Perhaps add a check to see if the character is loged in though.