The main Armagetronad Resource Repository.

[compguygene]

As my life is starting to calm down some, and I am having more time to do geeky things in Armagetron, I realized that i would like to start to manage a Resource Repository of my own, as I have some maps I would like to use. That isn't a problem for me to setup, but I realized that it wouldn't take much more work to do this right and fix this for the community the right way. About 2 years ago, when Luke-jr relinquished control of the Resource Repository, he left a vacuum where nobody is adding new users to the Repository. At that time, he brought up the idea of somebody in the community doing it, and I considered it but really did not have the time. I do have that time now as my business is steadily growing and not needing as much of my time for said growth.
So, I would like to be considered by the community as somebody to manage the Resource Repository. I bring a couple simple benefits to the table. I would not only add my server to the rotation so the current Repository, which has no backup, would have one. Also, I would take the extra time needed to educate other server owners in how to setup a server on the rotation so as to ensure that the Resource Repository would stay up, no matter who's server goes down.

[LOVER$BOY]

I made a post about this, offering for people to use my service here: http://forums3.armagetronad.net/viewtop ... 22&t=22865

Can I join you in your quest, comp? I designed Vertrex.tk to be open for everyone to use and Z-Man asked a copy of it himself and I posted it online in hope that everyone would find my work useful.

So can I join you and help you our as well, please?

[delinquent]

I was wondering why my requests for a folder were being dropped in a black hole
I vote yes.

[compguygene]

Well, the first step should be to try to get the full regular repo going again and add every other repo to it to mirror.

If that is untenable, my backup plan is to setup an alternative set of Repositories, like yours and mine to start, that mirror every map possible out there, and mirror each other. The idea is simple, the main Armagetron Resource Repository is setup to be mirrored, and to hand out requests in a "Round Robin" such that no single server is answering all the requests. Sadly, there are no current active mirrors. I would prefer to fix that, and have all of our Repositories serve as mirrors of the main Armagetron ones.

Also, I was going to ask you if I give you the access you need to my webhosting, would you be willing to setup a simple page exactly like you have, but for Immortal Dynasty? It would save me the effort of duplicating what you have already done. As an incentive, I will gladly setup a hosting server on the Amazon Cloud hosting that I use that would cost neither of us anything but my time. The server could be hosted in Southern Cali, Oregon, Virginia, or Ireland. It would have 512mb Ram and enough power to safely run 2 or 3 active servers at the most.

[LOVER$BOY]

I was wondering why my requests for a folder were being dropped in a black hole
I vote yes.

Ah well

@compguygene:
I would if I have full time. I just received from mail assigning me with new assignments and then preparations for the exam. Time sure is being tight on my side of things anyway.

So you want me to make that very same page for your "Immortal Dynasty" clan? Although I don't like to help clans, in your case I'll make an exception as long as the website won't take too long anyway. Setting up my own took me over a week. I'm not complaining but I don't want to lag behind my study schedule. That's all.

As for the server, I am not sure...

[Z-Man]

I fully support this. I admit I completely don't know how the uploads in the old system and user management were supposed to work, that's why I asked LOVER$BOY for his code. At least in the current state of the resource system, I see no problem in just getting rid of user accounts.

[kyle]

I thought at one time there was talk about linking current accounts with GID's, and using that to push to the repository. Anyone new would just have thier GID for username.

[Titanoboa]

I thought at one time there was talk about linking current accounts with GID's, and using that to push to the repository. Anyone new would just have thier GID for username.

That would be very convenient. I wouldn't like scrapping user accounts completely, how would mappers get recognition?

[LOVER$BOY]

Yes, the system I implemented allows for ANYONE to upload while sending me a message of their uploaded map. I even made adjustments to the website viewing. It's a little bit neater this time I think. All uploaded maps are located at Alpha Project - Public Resource. The ones that exist under http://vertrex.tk/aa/resource/ were the ones I uploaded personally through Filezilla.

Although I don't have a system that converts map views into images, it's decent enough to shows us the full view of the overlay using svg. So it's cool

[compguygene]

Loverboy, would you be willing to share your code with Z-man so we could implement it on the main repository and do this the right way?

I still think that using the main repository with mirrors is the best design. What would be ideal would be to push maps to the main repo that are uploaded elsewhere with a daily rsync, and use the normal process on the wiki for the mirrors to rsync daily and have all the maps.

[compguygene]

Double post for an alternative idea.

Let's just say for the sake of argument that for whatever reason, we cannot easily implement a new uploading mechanism for the existing main Repository. I would be perfectly happy to just get mirrors going again and add one additional functionality.

After a mirror does it's daily rsync, it should rsync back any maps that have been newly uploaded and validated to the main Armagetron Repository. It might make the most sense to have the maps go to some sort of temporary directory until they can either be validated by machine or by hand. Then, after a validation check, the maps could be pushed to the main Armagetron Repository, and get pushed out to the mirrors on the next day's rsync. That way, people like CT, LoveBoy, AI, and myself who have map repositories could become mirrors. But, the maps would never be lost if they get tired of tron and take the repo down. All mirrors would have copies of all the maps. I would personally make sure to help give any support needed to recruit mirrors so we don't lose maps.

[delinquent]

What about magnetic mirrors? In other words, ones that monitor all known repo's and link to them, so that typing, for example, loverboy/racing/coolmap.aamap.xml would automatically be directed to his resources? That way, editing of the dedicated server would not be necessary, and it serves as a placeholder until the complete mirrors are in place?

[compguygene]

There is already a system in place that is simple to implement with cron jobs and unix commands. What you are talking about would not be so simple to implement.

[LOVER$BOY]

Loverboy, would you be willing to share your code with Z-man so we could implement it on the main repository and do this the right way?

I still think that using the main repository with mirrors is the best design. What would be ideal would be to push maps to the main repo that are uploaded elsewhere with a daily rsync, and use the normal process on the wiki for the mirrors to rsync daily and have all the maps.

The code to the website is located here. I hope it is simple for you all to use

Ya, I have no problems to work like that as well comp. Although I have one question though. If people were to have mirroring repositories, would that mean each of us need to have a copy or that it's fine as long as the other has the copy while the others don't?

Also, this is merely theory throwing out, what if I code a backup system for repository and throw in the locations of others in there so that the server / client does the job of mirroring? Could that way also work? I honestly never tried it but I think it's work a shot?

[compguygene]

Thanks for pointing me to the lauchpad location of the vertex files.
I think that your idea is overly complex. Let me explain just how simple the mirroring works now.
Luke-jr put some code into an IRC bot that manages the round-robin of mirror rotation. The mirrors stay in sync with a simple cronjob that runs nightly and executes an rsync command. The documentation is locatedhere.
Each mirror would have a copy of all the resources.
I am just proposing that the central server should do a daily rsync as well to get any newly uploaded files.