Connecting

Revision as of 23:36, 26 June 2008

Compatible Viewers

• Linden Client (release version is the only fully supported viewer.)
• OpenViewer (early development)
• RealXtend (is not fully supported yet.)

Bug Reports

Though any Second Life compatible client should be supported, bug reports even in IRC should only be made if you are using 1.18.5.3.

• SecondLife 1.19.1(4) (official) on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows
• SecondLife 1.18.6 Windlight (works)

Browser Protocol Handlers

A browser-protocol handler is a quick way to connect to a grid, by just clicking on a hyperlink that has an "opensim://" prefix, The only thing you have to do, is instruct your browser how to handle the sl-viewer. Currently there are protocol-handlers for Linux and Windows. I'm pretty sure it's just as easy on the Mac, but since I don't own one, you have to find out for yourself(for now).

Linux

Firefox

You can setup firefox to open opensim://serveraddress links, so you don't have to specify the login-parameters every time you're connecting. Follow these steps in order to use this functionality:

• create a file named osurl.sh in your secondlife directory, and fill with:

#!/bin/sh 
exec= kdesu -c "/your/path/to/secondlife/secondlife -loginuri ${1:10} -loginpage ${1:10}/?method=login"

Notice that kdesu is optional. Somehow secondlife crashes when i run it as a normal user, so I run it as root.

• Make the file executable

chmod +x ./osurl.sh

Next you have to add a protocol handler to firefox, so firefox knows that it should run this shellscript.

• Enter about:config in your browser
• Add a new string, name it "network.protocol-handler.app.opensim"
• Enter /path/to/your/secondlife/dir/osurl.sh as value
• Add a new boolean, name it "network.protocol-handler.external.opensim", and set it to "true"

Now you can try to connect with the OS-Grid by opening "opensim://osgrid.org:8002"" in your browser. Please notice that using protocol handlers may cause a potential security hazard(http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/96163). I am not sure whether this script is vulnerable to the -autologin vulnerability, so be warned(ps. I don't take any responsibility for using this script).

Windows

Internet Explorer

You can do the same for windows, but it takes a little more work. Follow these steps to get the functionality:

• create a file named osurl.bat in your secondlife directory, and fill with:

@echo off > osurl.bat
SET rawUrl=%1
SET cleanUrl=%rawUrl:~10%
START "OpenSim" /HIGH /B "%~d0%~p0SecondLifeWindLight.exe" -loginpage %cleanUrl%?method=login -loginuri %cleanUrl%
EXIT

• We need to create a file named opensim.reg, fill with(modify paths to SL if needed) the text beneath, and save:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim]
"(default)"="URL:opensim"
"URL Protocol"=""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\DefaultIcon]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\SecondLifeWindLight\\osurl.bat\""
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell\open]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell\open\command]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\opensim\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\SecondLifeWindLight\\osurl.bat\" %1"

• Right-click the file, and import it to the registry

Firefox

• Follow the previous steps for Internet explorer
• add a protocol handler to firefox, so firefox knows that it should run this shellscript.

• Enter about:config in your browser
• Add a new string, name it "network.protocol-handler.app.opensim"
• Enter c:/Program Files/YourSecondLifedir/osurl.bat as value (use your own sl-path here)
• Add a new boolean, name it "network.protocol-handler.external.opensim", and set it to "true"

Now try to connect with the OS-Grid by clicking this link in your browser: opensim://osgrid.org:8002""

Mac OSX

There are two ways to do this, one is by making a file with shell commands in it as follows:

make a file called 'opensim-client.sh'

Using your favorite editor, put this line in:

/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://osgrid.org:8002/ -loginpage http://osgrid.org/loginscreen.php

be sure to hit 'RETURN' to put the cursor on the next line.

Close and save the file.

Then, on the command line, type this:

chmod +x opensim-client.sh

Now you are ready to connect to osgrid.org! (you may modify the URL information for the grid of your choice.

For localhost, just put in http://localhost/ instead, and leave out the '-loginpage http://osgrid.org/loginscreen.php information.

The second way to do that is to copy the above and paste it on a shell prompt and hit enter!

Enjoy!

End Mac OSX

Connecting with the Linden Viewer

Make a 'somefilename.sh' file, and put this in it:

/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://osgrid.org:8002/ -loginpage http://osgrid.org/loginscreen.php and set it to execute. That is it now run it. Vary easy! Thank you to TiffanyS for this vary usfull tip!

Or you can...

Use the -loginuri yourserver.org:8000 switch and the -loginpage yourserver.org:8000/?method=login switch. You may want to use the -settings switch to use a different configuration set as well (the default is settings.xml). Some examples:

SecondLife.exe -loginuri http://localhost:9000/ -loginpage http://localhost:9000/?method=login

SecondLife.exe -loginuri http://osgrid.org:8002/ -settings settings_osgrid.xml -loginpage http://osgrid.org:8002/?method=login

Setup the protocol handler for convenient connecting, or use the same syntax for other Grids. After the protocol handler is setup, you can try to connect to some grids, by clicking on of the examples below:

opensim://user.deepgrid.com:8002/

opensim://osgrid.org:8002/

opensim://logingrid.net:8002/

opensim://maingrid.centralgrid.com:8002/

opensim://eu-grid.eu:8002/

Another option is to try the 'Launcher' for Windows (.net required). http://www.openlifegrid.com/downloads/gridlauncher.zip
To login to the Public GRID examples registration is required first see OpenSim: Grids for Public Grids.

Warning!

One source of problem - like uploaded pictures not showing or not being able to move directly after loging in into a public grid - is having the "Maximum Bandwith" setting in the Preferences of the SecondLife viewer on the "Network" tab set too high. So set it to about 250 kbps, when you encounter such issues.

Technical issues

Platform Specific

Setup launcher for Mac

/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://localhost:9000/ -loginpage http://localhost:9000/?method=login
/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://user.deepgrid.com:8002/ -loginpage http://user.deepgrid.com:8002/?method=login
/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://osgrid.org:8002/ -loginpage http://osgrid.org:8002/?method=login
/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://logingrid.net:8002/ -loginpage http://logingrid.net:8002/?method=login
/Applications/Second\ Life.app/Contents/MacOS/Second\ Life -loginuri http://osgrid.org:8002/ -loginpage http://osgrid.org:8002/?method=login -settings settings_osgrid.xml

alternatively you can add arguments to arguments.txt on a mac by:

1. right-click secondlife choose "show package contents"
2. navigate to contents -> resources -> arguments.txt
3. add this on one line: -loginuri http://localhost:9000/ -loginpage http://localhost:9000/?method=login
4. save and run the application normally
   • note: you will not be able to connect to Second Life again until you remove this line from arguements.txt