Connecting
From OpenSimulator
Obtaining OpenSim Available Viewers
OpenSimulator doesn't have the client program in its distribution. You'll need to download an OpenSim compatible client before connecting to OpenSim grids.
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*** THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE *** Although OpenSimulator encourages the development of third party software for OpenSimulator, no support can be provided on this. For help with this software, contact the developer of this software directly.Please do not contact the OpenSimulator team with questions about this software. |
If you find a viewer, which can connect to OpenSimulator, then please add it to the bottom of the appropriate list.
Compatibility issues
Since OpenSimulator and viewers development is done by different teams with different timing and even goals, compatibility can not be assured. To connect to an older version of OpenSimulator, you may need to use an older version of your favourite viewer, which also could limit Hypergrid capability. In this case you should consult the support of your grid or chosen viewer.
Viewers
- FireStorm Viewer - C++ based viewer for Linux/Mac/Win. Forked from Linden lab Second Life viewer. Successor to Phoenix viewer. Currently the most widely used viewer on Second Life.
- Firestorm VR Mod - A modification to the Firestorm Vierwer to allow use of a Virtual Reality Head Mounted Display (VR HMD).
- Dayturn - C++ based viewer for Win/Mac only. Forked from Kokua. Dayturn source code available on Bitbucket.
- Cool VL Viewer - C++ based viewer for Linux x86_64/Linux aarch64/Mac/Win. Forked from SL v1 viewer (former name: Cool SL Viewer, first release 2007/11/16).
- Radegast Metaverse Client - Radegast-ng is Light client, evolution of Radagast from libopenmetaverae project.
- Scenegate - C++ based viewer with a focus on accessibility and onboarding. With a simplified UI more suitable to just visit worlds, rather than building (but the full UI is still accessible). Forked from Alchemy.
Beta Viewers
Dayturn for Windows and MacOS https://bitbucket.org/dayturn/
Phoenix-Firestorm Windows - Linux - MacOS https://www.firestormviewer.org/early-access-beta-downloads/
OpenSim PBR Viewers
Cool VL Viewer stable release with PBR, ALM and forward rendering modes.
OpenSim WebRTC Viewers
Phoenix-Firestorm-Alphax64-7.1.9.75657
Text-only Viewers
These are lightweight viewers, which either do not offer a graphical component or where the graphical component is not used by default. The function of these viewers however is to connect to a grid, chat, manage inventory, etc. Useful on systems with low specifications or for bringing an alt (alternate avatar) online without having your main avatar log out, or to quickly take care of messages, inventory, etc.
- Mobile Grid Client - A Second Life and OpenSimulator messaging client for your Android powered device (mobile phone, cell phone, tablet...).
LLSD API Libraries
These are open source libraries for building viewers, clients, and tools that can connect to OpenSimulator.
Maintained Libraries:
- libopenmetaverse - C# LLSD implementation. Maintained by OpenSimulator developers. BSD License
- llbase-py - Python LLSD implementation. Maintained by Linden Labs. MIT License
Currently Unmaintained Libraries:
- llsd-cpp - C++ LLSD implementation, last updated in 2010. MIT License
- llsd-perl-new - Perl LLSD implementation. Last updated 2011. MIT License
- llsd-php - PHP 4 LLSD implementation. Incomplete, supports XML serialization only. Used internally by Second Life developers. Last updated 2010. MIT License
- llsd-java - Java LLSD implementation by Xugu Madison, last update ca 2014. BSD License.
- JOpenMetaverse - Java LLSD implementation, last updated 2012. Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android Compatible. Also see jopenmetaverse introduction. LGPL 2.1 License
- llsd-js - JavaScript LLSD implementation, last update in 2011. MIT License
Inactive Viewers or in unknown state
- 3Di viewer Rei - C# based Web-browser plugin OpenSimulator viewer. 3Di website gone but 3Di Rei viewer source is still available on Github
- Alchemy Viewer - C++ based viewer for Linux/Mac/Win. Forked from Linden lab Second Life viewer.
- Ascent - C++ based viewer for Linux/Mac/Win. Started as a fork of Inertia Viewer. Abandoned in 2010.
- Dolphin - C++ based viewer for Linux/Mac/Win. Dolphin v1 was a fork of the Cool VL Viewer, with changes focused on sailing. v2/3 was a fork of SL viewer. Abandoned in 2015. Dolphin 3 Source still available on GitHub.
- Emerald - C++ based viewer forked from Snowglobe (the second version fo the LL/SL open source viewer). Project halted and abandoned in 2010 after Emerald developer linked to DoS attack on SL and banned. Emerald source code still available on GitHub and Google Code Archive.
- Hippo - C++ based viewer for Linux/Mac/Win. Forked from SL viewer and Cool VL Viewer. Abandoned in 2010. See also Hippo Viewer website.
- Idealist - C# Multi-platform 32 bit viewer intended to be OpenSimulator focused
- Imprudence - C++ based viewer forked from SL viewer v1.21. Development ended in 2010 and shifted to a new viewer called Kokua. Imprudence Viewer source is still available on GitHub
- Inertia - C++ based viewer forked from Snowglobe SL viewer). Abandoned in 2010
- LookingGlass - C#/Ogre based Viewer prototype. Development Ended in 2011. LookingGlass Viewer source is still available on GitHub
- Meerkat - Viewer for Linux/Mac/Win in C++. Fork of SL viewer. Meerkat source available on GitHub. Meerkat binaries available via Google Code Archive. Development stopped in 2009
- OnLook - C++ based viewer forked from Singularity. Inactive since 2014. OnLook Viewer Source is still available on GitHub.
- Nicholaz Beresford's viewer - The first third party viewer. Fork of SL viewer. Development stopped in 2010.
- OpenSim-Viewer - C#/C++/Xenko based, BSD licensed viewer written for OpenSimulator. Inactive since 2018.
- OpenViewer - C#/Ogre based, BSD licensed viewer written as a companion to OpenSimulator. ca 2007/2008. Website went dark in 2009.
- Phoenix - C++ based viewer. Forked from SL viewer. Replaced by Firestorm viewer.
- RealXtend Naali/Tundra - Written from scratch C++/Ogre3D based viewer for Linux/Mac/Win, required ModRex in OpenSimulator. Development stopped in 2016, OpenSimulator support dropped in 2013.
- Singularity - C++ based viewer for Linux/Mac/Win. Forked from the Ascent Viewer. Goal is to combine look of old SL viewer with modern features. Singularity source code available on GitHub.
- Xenki - XABP-based OpenSimulator viewer prototype for IE web browser. Abandoned in 2009
Some other viewers that can connect to Second Life can also connect to OpenSim. You can find them in Downloads#Second Life Wiki.
Connecting to the Grid with Grid Selector (Recommended)
If you can find the grid you want to connect in the grid selector (The dropdown menu at the bottom of the screen to the right of the login button. If you can't find it, try Ctrl-Shift-G), then simply choose it and enter username/password provided by the grid administrators when you created your account on the grid.
Basically, you can't login to OpenSim grids with other grid's accounts, including Second Life. You need to create separate accounts for each grids you want to login. When you choose the grid, some viewers shows the link to signup page, so create your account as per its instructions.
If you can't, then lookout for the Grid Manager interface. If there is, you can find it near the grid selector or in preference window. Usually, the only fields you have to fill in are:
- Grid Name (or alike) - The name you can easily identify. OpenSim grids doesn't use this information, so you can name it freely.
- Login URI - The most important information. It should be like "http://someserver:9000" or "http://someserver:8002". For instance, for osgrid, this is "http://login.osgrid.org/".
You will find the button "Get Grid Info" or alike. If you click it, it might fill other blank fields with some URIs, or show error dialog, or freeze. If you have problem with this button, don't click it and leave other fields empty. This problem is not so much an issue. It works anyway without them.
If it succeed, you will find the new entry in the grid selector.
For detailed instructions, see the documentation for each viewer.
Connecting to the Grid with Viewer Parameter
If you can't find grid selector, or you can find it but can't find the grid you want to login in the list and can't find grid manager, there are some other methods.
In any case, all you have to do is to pass this loginuri command line parameters to the viewer and launch with it. If you are using Second Life Viewer or Snowglobe-based viewers, see this wiki page (Viewer parameters#Using Viewer Parameters) how to do that. The Linden viewer has a number of other options. Some are useful, some are not. See Parameter Reference from Second Life Wiki for detail.
For example, Second Life Viewer on Windows, and want to connect to OSGrid, quick-and-easy way would be like that:
SecondLife.exe -loginuri http://login.osgrid.org/ -loginpage http://www.osgrid.org/splash/
On OSX, you can even use ActionScript, which enables you to select multiple grid to connect to. OSX_Grid_Selector_Script
Connecting to your locally hosted server from behind a DSL router using NAT
Loopback
Most DSL routers/modems prevent loopback connections as a security feature. This means that a NATed IP address ( such as 192.168.2.40 ) can not connect to your forward facing IP address ( such as 199.149.252.44 ) from behind your DSL router/modem. In a case like this, external IP addresses may connect to your server/region but you can not ( this applies to both standalone and grid modes ).
List of routers featuring NAT Loopback : NAT_Loopback_Routers
Router solution
If you are using a ZyXEL DSL router/modem from Embarq, please read this guide. This will show you how to reconfigure your DSL router/modem to fix this problem. Similar solutions may exist for other DSL router/modems. A google search for the make and model of your DSL router/modem may provide you with a loan modification manual to assist you in this.
A word of caution : be VERY careful what you change and take good notes along the way so you can undo any changes you make in error.
DNS solution(Linux)
It's possible to host your own DNS-server, so you can prevent some of the dns-naming problems mentioned before. If http://example.org resolves to the external ip, and that loopback connection is prevented by your router, you could point your resolv.conf to a local nameserver like:
nameserver 192.168.2.2
Now you need bind/named installed in order to handle the dns-requests. You can find a bind example configfile here.
Alternative Connection Approaches
Via a Web Browser
You can also set up a Browser Protocol Handler which will make opensim:// links in your browser do the expected thing, and launch the right OpenSim viewer.
