[Opensim-dev] Grider: a client for the secure HyperGrid

[Cristina Videira Lopes]

Hi everyone,

As some of you know, I've been working on a client whose goal is to 
explore architectural options for a safe HyperGrid. This client comes 
from a discussion here earlier this month about security and 
authentication, and from the conclusion that there is no chance for a 
secure decentralized VW system without client-side cooperation.

So, it is my pleasure to announce the first public release of Grider. 
Grider is not a viewer; it's a grid-proxy-based viewer-wrapper for 
LL-based viewers. It works with any OpenSim servers out there as of 
today, so r8931 and higher. The basics are described here:
http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Grider

There is a WHOLE LOT more to it then what it's on that page. But I'd 
rather code than talk, for now. This first version is like a baby trying 
walk, at points still holding on to the grownup's hand. But it proves 
the two main concepts that I wanted to illustrate, teleports and 
inventory access. Don't expect too much. In fact the whole experience is 
fairly anticlimatic, since you probably won't notice any difference from 
the normal viewer :-)

Two important points about the role of Grider, as I see it:

(1) I would like to give Grider to the OpenSim community, and not just 
figuratively speaking. In particular, I will gladly give commit rights 
to the entire opensim core developers group, or at least those who are 
interested and have time to work on the emergence of a Web of Virtual 
Worlds in some form. Having this level of control on the client side, 
while still using the official LL viewer, will enable us to take 
OpenSim-based systems to an entire new level. It helps the server-side 
too, immensely, as many things become a lot clearer.

(2) While Grider is perfectly usable by non-techie people, I don't 
necessarily see it as a production client. Grider is an excellent 
playground for experimentation, really easy to modify the viewer's 
behavior, but I can imagine (hope:-) that as these experimentations are 
solidified, other viewers will take those lessons and run. But, who 
knows! The proxy architecture is awkward at first, but when you think 
about it, it might make sense to architect a universal client like this! 
(By universal client I mean a client that integrates several viewers for 
several different virtual world technologies)

Cheers,
Crista