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About OpenSim

What is OpenSim?

OpenSim is a platform for operating a virtual world, and supports multiple independent regions connecting to a single centralized grid. This is somewhat similar to the web, where anyone can run their own web server, tied together through the internet. It can also be used to create a private grid, analogous to a private intranet.

What is a region?

A region is what you see when you log into OpenSim. It is the physical place (well, virtual physical space) where avatars move and interact. It is a square patch of land which may contain an island, mountains, a plain, buildings, etc., or just an ocean.

What is the grid?

The grid is the level that organizes the regions and their positions in the world, and handles things that need to exist across regions, such as a user's inventory. You can think of it as similar to the world map.

What does ... mean?

See OpenSim:Technical Reference for definitions of some terms commonly used in OpenSim.

Configuring OpenSim

First, read OpenSim Configuration.

Where can I get a new UUID for my sim config?

• See OpenSim Configuration

Can I run multiple regions with OpenSim?

• See OpenSim Configuration

What databases can be used with OpenSim?

• See OpenSim Configuration

What about PostgreSQL or NHibernate?

• NHibernate support, which enabled OpenSimulator to access PostgreSQL database, was removed on October 2009 (r/11252) due to lack of users and mainteners (Opensim-dev: NHibernate status).

Running OpenSim

An error is thrown while trying to start up OpenSim

See Troubleshooting.

Connecting to OpenSim

I've set up my OpenSim server and it looks like the login works but the client hangs on 'connecting to region'

There are 2 steps to login.

1) When you start up the client and enter your name/password, it sends those details to the OpenSim login service. If your password is correct, it tells the region simulator that you're coming. It then sends back to you (the client) the ip address and port to use to enter that region (as gleaned from your Regions.ini file).

2) Your client then connects to the region using those details.

If the client hangs on 'connecting to region' then the details being sent to it in step 2) are not allowing it to connect. Check your Regions.ini carefully and try to telnet to the ip & port that should be available.

If you're seeing this problem after you've made your sim available to the outside world (where people outside your network can connect to it but you cannot) then you probably don't have a router that supports NAT loopback. This allows you to connect to a local machine through your router via an external address. See NAT Loopback Routers for a list of routers that support this feature.

OpenSim in the Wild

Are there test servers running OpenSim I can connect to?

Yes. Check out our Grid List! There are often many private servers up for testing. Hang out on the IRC channel (Freenode #opensim), and troll for URI's.

There are also several private organizations offering directories and search engines. They include:

• Hyperica -- a categorized directory of hypergrid-enabled OpenSim destinations, currently over 250 locations
  
• MetaverseInk -- ha key-word-based search engine for OpenSim grids, mostly those running the Diva Distro
• GridHop -- a list covering the major OpenSim grids, currently over 150 destinations accessible over hypergrid teleport
• HGURL -- a key-word-search database for all grid, all accessible via hypergrid (in progress API for acces to search engine and info in world).
• The HyperGates -- The first dynamic, auto-updating HyperGrid directory for both HyperGrid 1.5 ( OpenSim 0.7.x ) and HyperGrid 1.0 ( OpenSim 0.6.x ) standalones & grids. Download the HyperGate from the site now and Join the HyperGate Network. The most reliable HyperGrid directory.

Are there any companies that will host my grid for me?

Yes there are dozens of independent OpenSim hosting providers. The following are not affiliated with OpenSimulator.org.

• DreamLand Metaverse
• ReactionGrid
• SimHost
• YourSimSpot
• Edocio (Educational Sims Only.
• World Star living virtual world's (Sim Host, Support)

More vendors listed here: Hypergrid Business Vendors Directory -- a categorized directory of OpenSim vendors, currently listing about three dozen providers.

Can I teleport from the Linden Lab Second Life grid to my Sim?

No. In 2008 and 2009, there had been the connection to vaak grid, which enabled us to teleport from Second Life over to an OpenSim grid before LindenLab closing it. As of 2010, "The vaak grid is currently unavailable as we transition from OGP based services to VWRAP based services."("Open Grid Public Beta" in Second Life Wiki)

MySQL

How do I isolate and delete a user's Trash items in a MySQL grid database?

NOTE: BACK UP YOUR DATABASE!

CAUTION: The Linux default directory for the MySQL database is /var/lib/mysql Many backup tools (e.g. backupPC) do NOT back up /var/*! Make certain that the database and not just the MySQL code (/usr/bin/mysql) is included in your nightly backups! The actual paths will be different for different operating systems and databases, but the problem is the same.

1. Locate the avatars UUID you wish to find the trash items of, in the users table
This query will locate a specified users UUID: (replace User/Test with username/lastname)

SELECT `UUID` FROM `users` WHERE `username` LIKE 'User' AND `lastname` LIKE 'Test' LIMIT 0 , 30;

2. Use the avatars UUID to search the field_name AgentID in the inventoryFolders table, using Trash as the folderName to isolate the users Trash folderID
This query will locate the users Trash folder entry: (replace 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 with UUID of user)

SELECT `folderID` FROM `inventoryfolders` WHERE `agentID` LIKE '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' AND `folderName` LIKE 'Trash'
LIMIT 0 , 30;

3. Use the folderID UUID obtained in the last query to find all of the trash items in the inventoryitems table, you can then delete them once you have isolated them.
This query will locate the trash items of the avatar in question: (replace 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 with Trash folder UUID obtained in the last query)

SELECT * FROM `inventoryitems` WHERE `parentFolderID` LIKE '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' LIMIT 0 , 9999;

NOTE: These steps will not remove the associated assets from the assets table, just the items in the inventory inventoryitems table.

How do I isolate and resolve duplicate inventory folder entries in a MySQL grid database?

NOTE: BACK UP YOUR DATABASE!

1. It's first a good idea to search for the affected avatars UUID in the inventoryFolders table to see the duplicate entries. When you see this, you'll see the problem of duplicate entries. The key here will be to find out which is being used.

2. Upload a file inworld and name it something unique. This will isolate the UUID of your root folder that is being used (even though there are dups only one is being used)

3. Search the inventoryitems table for your uniquely named item and locate it's parentFolderID

This query will isolate the parentFolderID based on your search for the unique item (replace unique_name with your unique item name)

SELECT `parentFolderID` FROM `inventoryitems` WHERE `inventoryName` LIKE 'unique_name' LIMIT 0 , 30;

4. Check the inventoryfolders table against the parentFolderID UUID obtained in the last search. That is your root folder that is being used.. you can delete all duplicate entries that do not match that parentFolderID. In the end, you should only have one of each type (Trash, etc)

This query will return all values that are NOT the parentID obtained in the last search. (replace 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 with the parentID located in step 3)

SELECT * FROM `inventoryfolders` WHERE `folderID` NOT LIKE '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' LIMIT 0 , 30;

In World Questions

Does in world scripting work yet?

Not fully implemented, but most of it works, and there is a lot of work going on here. Please see ScriptEngines, LSL Status and OSSL Status for the latest info.

Can I customize my avatar?

Yes. In order to do this:

• Click the Inventory Button
• Create -> New Clothes -> Shirt, Pants, etc
• Create -> New Body Parts -> Hair, Shape, etc
• Edit those from your inventory
• Wear them

Your avatar doesn't always face a nice direction for doing this, so you'll need to use the camera operations to see your face for some of the modifications. This is a known issue, will be fixed in the future. Also, you'll need to rewear you parts once you first join the environment. Right now default appearance is always "Ruth".

Why do I look like I gas cloud right after I did the the previous steps?

Second Life eliminated Ruth from their client. The Ruth we see in OpenSim is our own attempt of a yoga teacher and not truly Second Life's Ruth. When you create a shirt, pants, skin and shape and wear them without changing any parameters, the Second Life Viewer understands you are not Ruth. Since Ruth is no more, you become a cloud of gas. To fix it, either change a parameter of one of them before wearing all 4, or, if you already are a gas cloud, right click one of these items in your inventory and click edit. That should bring up the edit appearance menus. Just move any sliders and voilá.

I used XEngine, but my recent update caused DotNetEngine to come on again

There were some changes and you will need to change or create the line DefaultScriptEngine = "XEngine" in the startup section to get XEngine back. See ScriptEngines

Why doesn't my world map update when I edit the terrain?

There are three approaches depending on just how adventurous you want to be. From the least to the most adventurous:

• Wait two days. You will need to restart your sim at the end of the two days to get the updates.
• Exit the .xml file for the region. Change the value in the "lastmap_refresh" attribute to "0". You will need to restart the sim.
• Not for the faint of heart! Edit the "WorldMapModule.cs" file and change the "LazySaveGeneratedMaptile" method to change the "RefreshSeconds" value to something less than two days. Be sure to read the comments and understand why things are the way they are.

Once your terrain stabilizes, this won't be much of a problem, but it is nice to see the updates while you're furiously developing something.

Why are my knees bent when I stand idle?

This seems to be a result of the ODE Physics Engine on 64 bit systems. A fix is to edit OpenSim.ini and change the following line:

• av_capsule_standup_tensor_linux = 550000

to

• av_capsule_standup_tensor_linux = 1700000

Note that this line of code is under the [ODEPhysicsSettings] section of the OpenSim.ini file.

when I create a new skin and shape, the thing goes bonkers creating new assets constantly

you have not configured an asset cache

you need to configure either the cenome cache or the flotsam cache

without an asset cache, temporary assets can't be held which means they are continously rerequested

copy either config-include/CenomeMemoryAssetCache.ini.example, or the relevant flotsam file, to .ini edit and set it up for your needs then check GridCommon.ini or StandaloneCommon.ini uncomment the line for that cache

(standalone defaults to cenome grid to flotsam)

How do I give a user God Mode privileges?

Open the Opensim database, select table useraccounts and set the UserLevel to 200 for the account that should have God Mode privileges.

Then, in the viewer Advanced menu, the user should select View Admin Options and select Request Admin Status.

Scripting

System.Reflection.TargetParameterCountException: parameters do not match signature

The parameters for the states doesn't match with required. For example, this script should show the error above.

default
{
    touch_start() // SHOULD have a parameter there
    {
        llApplyImpulse( <0., 0., 10000.>, FALSE );
    }
}

Region Statistics on a Web Page

Information about your regions.

Region statistics such as region name, avatar name, avatar position<x,y,z>, number of prims, and a lot of other information can be obtained on a web page by:

• Adding the following to the bottom of the OpenSim.ini file

 [WebStats]
 enabled=true

• Using a web browser and typing in the "Login URI" + "/SStats/" of your standalone server.

 For example- http://127.0.0.1:9000/SStats/

The resulting web page is continually updated using AJAX, so there is no need to refresh the page to obtain current information. One possible use for this web page information would be to see who is logged on to the region in real time - without actually logging in.
This web page provides region information similar to the kind generated by using various server console commands to obtain region statistics. See Server Commands

Misc

You guys like April 1st, eh? Looks like the joke is on us...

Yes, every year we've had a piece of non destructive code in the unstable, unreleased, upstream subversion tree. The source tree that is only designed for testers and developers. In each case it has shown something that is possible in OpenSim that most people might not have realized. In 2008 this was an avatar created entirely from a Region Module (no user), in 2009 it was making all users a giant (and I mean giant) stick bug avatar. There will be more in the future, don't worry. The developers seem to have a sense of humor.