TinyMUSH/Mac FAQ Answers
Last update: December 8, 2004
Author: Josh Juran <wanderer@metamage.com>
URL: <http://www.metamage.com/mush/faq.html>
Table of Contents
1. About TinyMUSH/Mac project
1.1. What is TinyMUSH/Mac?
TinyMUSH/Mac is a virtually complete Macintosh port of TinyMUSH 2.0.8-p10. TinyMUSH is a descendant of TinyMUD -- a multi-user, on-line, interactive, text-based world (much in the style of some adventure games) in which users can communicate and manipulate their environment in realtime. TinyMUSH brings object-oriented programming to this universe by allowing users to define stimuli and reactive behaviors for objects they create. TinyMUSH/Mac is an implementation of the MUSH server engine targeted for Macintosh.
MUD stands for Multi-User Dungeon, or Multi-User Dimension. MUSH is said to stand for Multi-User Shared Hallucination.
1996.09.25: Josh
1.1.1. You said "virtually complete". What's missing?
A few Unix-specific items, mainly.
- password encryption
- database compression
- dumps via
fork() - @list process
Also, you have to type out the entire help topic.
1996.09.25: Josh
1.2. What's the latest version of TinyMUSH/Mac?
The latest released version is 0.7.0.9.1 (for the entire distribution). Individual components are as follows:
- Netmush 0.7.0.9.1
- Game Wiz not included (on sabbatical)
- MakeIndex gone (built into Netmush)
1998.12.17: Josh
1.3. Where can I get more information about the project?
From the project Web page, <http://www.metamage.com/mush/>.
1998.09.20: Josh
2. Requirements
2.1. Do I need to have Internet access to use TinyMUSH/Mac?
No. You only need an Internet connection to allow Internet users to connect to your MUSH.
1996.09.25: Josh
2.2. Do I need any special software to use TinyMUSH/Mac?
You need MacTCP or Open Transport. You also might want a Macintosh mud client.
1996.09.25: Josh
3. Connecting
3.1. How do I connect to the MUSH?
- Make sure Netmush is running normally. It should say "Ready to play."
- Using your mud client, open a TCP connection to the server's host, specifying the port. If you're using Open Transport, you may use the loopback address, 127.0.0.1, to connect to a MUSH on the same machine. Unless you have changed it, the port is 6250.
1996.09.25: Josh
3.2. Why can't I connect using Local 6250?
Probably because you're using MacTCP, which doesn't support loopback. Change the address in MUDDweller or MacMUSH to your host's address.
1996.10.23: Josh
3.3. How can I connect without dialing my ISP?
Neither MacTCP nor Open Transport (as of 1.1.2) support multihoming, simultaneous use of multiple networks. In particular, they don't distinguish hosts that are accessible when the network is down.
Set up a different TCP/IP configuration using Ethernet or AppleTalk instead of PPP or SLIP. John Norstad's MacTCP Switcher makes this easier for MacTCP users by saving configurations.
1996.09.25: Josh
3.4. Why do I get the message "Connections are not allowed from this site" when I connect?
Because you're logging in from a site that is configured as forbidden.
TinyMUSH/Mac ships configured to accept connections only from the local host (127.0.0.1). If you're running Open Transport, you may connect to IP address 127.0.0.1 without further action. MacTCP does not implement loopback, so to it that address does not exist.
To add sites or otherwise change site security, edit sites.conf. See the very end of wizhelp.txt.
1996.09.25: Josh
4. Configuration
4.1. What's the syntax for sites.conf?
Here is the sites.conf that's now distributed.
# sites.conf # # How this works: # A player's host is compared to each configured site. # The first match determines the connect/create privilege. # A match occurs if (host & netmask == site & netmask) # # Directive Site address Netmask # --------- ------------ ------- # # Allow local logins (under Open Transport, at least). permit_site 127.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 # # Allow a specific host. #permit_site nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn 255.255.255.255 # # Allow a specific class C site. #permit_site nnn.nnn.nnn.0 255.255.255.0 # # Keep out everyone else. forbid_site 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0
Please bear in mind that all lines must be either directives or comments. Blank lines are not allowed.
1996.10.23: Josh
As of Netmush 0.7.0d2, blank lines are allowed.
1997.07.04: Josh
4.2. Why doesn't setting the master room work?
Probably because you typed @admin master_room = #21 instead of @admin master_room = 21. The '#' character begins a comment, so the room number is ignored.
Yes, this is stupid, and yes, I'll change it.
1996.11.22: Josh
I changed it.
Lines beginning with '#' remain comments. A '#' as the first non-space character of an expected integer value is ignored. In all other cases, it has no special significance.
The new behavior is present in Netmush 0.7.0d2.
1997.07.02: Josh
4.3. Why are my config settings reset at startup?
Because they're not stored anywhere, and have to be set each time. One solution is to put them in a config file which is read at game startup. The base config file is netmush.conf, and all other config files are included by it or one of its descendants. A good place to put your own config options is local.conf rather than in one of the shipped files (which may change with the next distribution).
Another solution is: @startup #1 = @admin config_option = value. This has the advantage that the setting is stored in the database and not the external config files, but also the disadvantage that you can't examine the options without starting up and logging into the game (at least, not until the fully scriptable version of Netmush is released...)
1997.01.27: Josh
4.4. Why can't I set the guest character?
If you're trying to do @admin guest_char_num = number then it won't work because even #1 doesn't have permission to set that. You'll have to put it in a config file.
Why #1 can set master_room but not guest_char_num is a curious question, and one that I won't attempt to answer.
1997.01.27: Josh
The option guest_char_num defaults to god access in Netmush 0.7.0d2 and later.
1997.07.02: Josh
4.5. Why are none of my config settings working?
If a configuration file has Unix line breaks, the file reader treats it as one line. If it's a comment, it will be silently ignored. All configuration files must have Mac line breaks.
1997.07.02: Josh
5. Playing
5.1. How do I make an object that does...?
Huh? Type "help" for help. :-)
Pick up a copy of Croaker's MUSH manual, of course. :-) This is a copy that I found on my hard disk from 1991, and started marking up.
Croaker's manual applies to all MUSH derivatives, to my knowledge. There is also Amberyl's MUSH 2.0 manual for information specific to games of that lineage.
1997.02.26: Josh
6. Future Plans
6.1. When are you going to do MUSH 2.2/PennMUSH/TinyMUX/whatever?
Not soon. These are difficult to port because they use Unix-specific system calls and symbols, which have to get implemented for the Macintosh. Omission of ANSI function prototypes doesn't help.
Perhaps once the interface between Game Wiz and Netmush stabilizes I will again examine the possibility of porting other games.
1996.09.25: Josh
Well, the interface is proceeding well, although it's not close to completion yet. In any case, I've taken another look at all three games -- TinyMUSH 2.2.2, PennMUSH 1.6.9-p0, and TinyMUX 1.2.0 -- and in the state that they are now, I don't think I will port them. Here's what would have to change:
- the code brought up to standard ANSI C, with C++ compatibility
- machine, library, and other platform dependencies abstracted out of the main code
- the code divided into discrete, compartmentalized modules, and the event loop factored out
Unless these things happen, I won't be willing to invest my time and effort into a port, when I could be developing software instead.
However, if someone else wants to take this on...
1997.01.27: Josh
Well, guess what -- GUSI author Matthias Neeracher has ported TinyMUSH 2.2.3. (I know because he hit me up for a dbconvert.) :-) "If you got a kick, sir... talk to him!" -- from Sweeney Todd
1997.02.26: Josh
6.2. Will you add features of other games to TinyMUSH/Mac?
That depends on a number of factors. First of all, some features require modifying the database format, of which I'm especially wary at the moment. I'd like to complete the database conversion tools before I explore those features.
Another factor is criticality -- is the feature essential, or can its absence be worked around? Also, I prefer not to add to the existing MUSH code since I ultimately plan to remove it all anyway.
Finally, I want to distinguish TinyMUSH/Mac as a truly great Macintosh program, rather than just "the MUSH port that runs on a Mac". It is out of this commitment that I have been implementing scriptability in Netmush instead of adding new text-formatting functions.
1997.01.27: Josh
6.3. What are you adding to TinyMUSH/Mac, anyway?
I'm glad you asked! Here are some planned features:
- server maturity: The server application can now start up and shut down a MUSH instance (to the point where it can start it up again) without leaking any memory. I plan to eliminate the use of global variables for instance-specific data completely. Other data, such as structures for the parser and the help system will be shared by multiple instances. Discrete services such as the help system and logging facility will be factored out.
- scriptability: I'm developing an Apple Event Object Model support library, Apple Event Assistant, that groks object specifiers, lists of tokens, the whole eight bits. I'm creating a new suite of Apple events to drive Netmush. Already supported are the new Startup and Shutdown events, as well as Get Data for objects themselves (returning an object specifier by default) and for properties as I implement them, most notably the names of instances (including list support -- which is what Game Wiz now uses). A terminology resource is included, so you could use the Script Editor to run '
get the name of every game'. All of this works now. Coming later is the scriptable database -- 'get the name of every player whose creation date > lastTimeIChecked'... - client utility: Game Wiz now supports multiple remote game servers through Program Linking and Apple events. (Yes, this means that the remote access must occur over an AppleTalk network connection, until we get the PPC Toolbox over TCP/IP.) However, Game Wiz' event model hasn't been brought completely up-to-date with Netmush yet, so only Remote Quit (formerly Shutdown) works right now. Startup, Shutdown, and Reset Database will be fairly simple to implement.
1997.02.26: Josh
