• Welcome to SC4 Devotion Forum Archives.

With LEX being down

Started by deanva, June 25, 2019, 05:02:48 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

deanva

It seems all the dependencies on SC4d and Simtropolis refer to the LEX which is down for who knows how long. Is there an alternate site we can use to get rid of the brown boxes?

mattb325

Hi deanva

The staff are working very hard to try and restore the LEX for public use.

In the interim, I would suggest bulldozing, then temporarily removing those files from your plugins and parking somewhere else on your system, any downloaded content that is giving you a brown box until the LEX is operational again and you can then add the dependency files as needed.

Tarkus

There's no real ETA to the end of the downtime--I don't know the current state of progress, and it may well be that it isn't fully fixed until we move the site (which is still pending), as the current server is part of the issue.

The content management system we use here on the forums, TinyPortal, does have a very barebones Download Section module (TPdownloads).  The RTMT Team previously used it for their private development exchange.  I'd rather see a controlled temporary distribution channel through SC4D than this turn into some chaotic file sharing free-for-all, so I've gone ahead and created a public "Temporary LEX" category. 

Here is a direct link to that section.  If you're a registered member on the forums, you should be able to see this section on the left sidebar as well--there will be a link that simply says "Downloads".  The Temp LEX will be made unavailable once the real LEX is online again.  (And no, the private RTMT files aren't visible unless you're an RTMT Team member).

I've already made SC4Mapper available again via the Temp LEX, and while I'm happy to make a few other critical files available there in the interim (probably no more than a dozen or so), please note that I will not be uploading the entire real LEX to the Temp LEX

-Alex

Tyberius06

#3
Hi Everybody!

Some of you might know that I started working on that couple of thousands files, which can be found on the LEX in *.exe installers format, to extract them and get a folder based format. Well, the recent problems with the LEX gave some motivations to kick-in the project again, specially that most of the general dependencies are now in the bench due to the temporary shut down of the LEX. I offered my help to Alex (Tarkus) to upload some or all of the dependency packages to the Temporary LEX, until the original is coming back online.
So I had some freetime and extracted all the mayor dependency packages from the installers and turned them folder based plugins, and ready to upload them onto the Temporary LEX. Not at once, but slowly-slowly in the next couple of days. I'm not even sure that I can (am allowed or am able to) upload everything, because we are talking about approx 250 files with 2GB data.
So first I need a confirmation from the admins, that it is possible to upload that much stuffs. Than I start to upload them. Apart from one they DO NOT contain any *.exe installer anymore. Also everything has a unified, standard, organized folder structure based on the most common BSC folder structure method. Also the folder names contains the type. Since in my back-up collection all of them has a designation which type of plugins they belong to, I left this in the names like these:

BSC_MEGA_Props_SG_01 (dependency - props)
BSC_EssentialFiles (dependency - essentials)
BSC_Textures_Vol01 (dependency - texture)

Some of the "dependency - essentials" is a bit of tricky. They originally were instructed to be placed directly into the root of the plugin folder and also the installer would place them their as well, so I kept their in the root of the main folder for now. But they are unlikely will be updated in the future, so it might change in the future and they get a dedicated folder too. We are talking about like 5 uploads.
Anyway I'm gonna post here which dependency packages will get an upload onto the Temporary LEX.

- Tyberius06

EDIT: I uploaded the first "pack" of dependency files.

You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

Indiana Joe

I love and appreciate the work to preserve and make available all of the important exchange files by everyone.   :thumbsup:

However I am curious why the STEX is not being considered as a place for redundancy of important files.  It already has great established infrastructure and many redundant dependency files anyway.  Why not upload the rest of the BSC packs and the like over there, as was done for PEG content?

Matt

twalsh102

Matt,
There are some important differences between PEG content and the content available here.

1.  Any content that already exists both here and over at STEX, is in both places because the content creators uploaded their content in both places.  PEG content (that didn't already exist on the STEX) was uploaded at the STEX only after Pegasus' website died, and not for the purpose of redundancy.

2.  Tarkus has previously talked about 'fall-back plans' being in place, without going into specifics as to what they are.  Because many of this site's staff are also members of ST, I'm willing to bet that the STEX is being considered as a landing place for LEX content, IF the worst case scenario happens and they are unable to get everything running again after their hosting and server switchover.

3.  While there might be some redundancy of the BSC content over at STEX, by and large the majority of BSC content only exists here.  My guess is that this is because BSC was "born" here, and content creators had their reasons for not uploading in both places.

4.  Self preservation is an important motivating factor.  Especially now that the site staff is "taking ownership" of this site, it is only natural that they would want to ensure the longevity of the site.  One of the most important ways to do so is to maintain exclusive content.  If they start with uploading BSC content, where does it stop?  What else is considered important enough to be "copied"?  How much other "important" content only exists here?  Pretty soon, the question would be "why not just join the two sites?"  One could certainly ask the same question of STEX Staff, i.e. why have they not uploaded all their content here for the purpose of "redundancy"?  Another part of the redundancy question is that having the files exist in both places for the sake of redundancy is not the same as having the files available for public access in both places.  Since most of this site's staff are also members over at ST, and since I'm sure more than one of them has access to a complete backup of this site's content, in effect, redundancy already exists.  What you're really after is redundant access.  I don't see that happening.

reddonquixote

Quote from: twalsh102 on June 28, 2019, 02:20:55 AM
4.  Self preservation is an important motivating factor.  Especially now that the site staff is "taking ownership" of this site, it is only natural that they would want to ensure the longevity of the site.  One of the most important ways to do so is to maintain exclusive content. 

This is an interesting point I hadn't considered... I think I only currently have about 9 or 10 uploads exclusively on the LEX so I was just wondering whether I should go ahead and upload these on the STEX as well. Should I wait instead?
Pay heed to the tales of old wives. It may well be that they alone keep in memory what it was once needful for the wise to know.

Simmer2

Quote from: reddonquixote on June 28, 2019, 05:07:40 PM
Quote from: twalsh102 on June 28, 2019, 02:20:55 AM
4.  Self preservation is an important motivating factor.  Especially now that the site staff is "taking ownership" of this site, it is only natural that they would want to ensure the longevity of the site.  One of the most important ways to do so is to maintain exclusive content. 

This is an interesting point I hadn't considered... I think I only currently have about 9 or 10 uploads exclusively on the LEX so I was just wondering whether I should go ahead and upload these on the STEX as well. Should I wait instead?

I have been mirroring all my work for quite sometime already but just recently decided to mirror my essentials and mega packs as well.
Only a handful of items are left to copy.

Nick
________________________________________________________________________________

mrbisonm

Whatever I have on ST and SC4Devotion, (Nexis) I have burnt on DVD also, just incase. So if one or two sites dissappear, I have a copy in a safe place. I also have more than 52,000 SC4 files from other sites on DVD, almost everything I downloaded since 2003.
Which makes a total of 103 DVD's x 4.7 Gb each = 484.1 Gb of Simcity4 material, including everything that Nexis produced and not even uploaded.

Fred



....Uploading the MFP 1.... (.........Finishing the MFP1)

matias93

Good people, do you know about any mirror for the PIM-X? I had to format the computer and for some reason I lost the installer.

"Lets be scientists and as such, remember always that the purpose of politics is not freedom, nor authority, nor is any principle of abstract character,
but it is to meet the social needs of man and the development of the society"

— Valentín Letelier, 1895

Andreas

http://simcityplaza.de/index.php/tools-und-andere-downloads/modding-tools/file/1200-sc4pim-extended-von-wouanagaine

I think I built a German installer for it, hopefully, that shouldn't be all too much of a problem.

SimCityKurier has many of the most popular files; obviously, everything has been translated into German, but the game itself shouldn't be affected in any case.
Andreas

Tarkus

Quote from: matias93 on June 29, 2019, 12:20:42 PM
Good people, do you know about any mirror for the PIM-X? I had to format the computer and for some reason I lost the installer.

I've just uploaded it to the Temporary LEX.

-Alex

tomvsotis

Quote from: mrbisonm on June 29, 2019, 09:40:49 AM
...which makes a total of 103 DVD's x 4.7 Gb each = 484.1 Gb of Simcity4 material, including everything that Nexis produced and not even uploaded.

:o

AsimPika3172

Quote from: mrbisonm on June 29, 2019, 09:40:49 AM
103 DVD's x 4.7 Gb each = 484.1 Gb of Simcity4 material, including everything that Nexis produced and not even uploaded.

Wow.....  :o 103 DVD? That was so big!  :thumbsup: How about burn into DVD 9 for fitting more files!  :P

Anyway, waiting for LEX to fixed very soon!  ;)
I loves Sim City forever!

fantozzi

#14
Quote from: reddonquixote on June 28, 2019, 05:07:40 PM
Quote from: twalsh102 on June 28, 2019, 02:20:55 AM
4.  Self preservation is an important motivating factor.  Especially now that the site staff is "taking ownership" of this site, it is only natural that they would want to ensure the longevity of the site.  One of the most important ways to do so is to maintain exclusive content. 

This is an interesting point I hadn't considered... I think I only currently have about 9 or 10 uploads exclusively on the LEX so I was just wondering whether I should go ahead and upload these on the STEX as well. Should I wait instead?

I often don't understand why people are forced into unlogical "this or that question". One of the strategy of nature to secure reproduction is to make millions of copies (f.e. fish eggs) and some of them will survive. So the strategy for content creator should or could be to upload wherever it is possible not even limited to STEX or LEX. The chances community and content will survive the evolution of the internet will  be much higher.

So at the end - to have many downloaders keeping the files is the best backup. Basically we, players and users, are the most powerfull resource of SC4 files - we are like a cloud a network of hundreds of hard drives and usb sticks and SSD memory ... so to spread out content on as many different carriers as possible - like (ehem) male mamals do with their sperm in nature - seems to me the most logical strategy instead of thinking: shoud I lay my eggs in this basket or in that basket.

Why not put it everywhere? Moral reasons? Monogamy? On content files  ???  ()what()  ()what()

My advice: use every basket you can get get and smile on the different children and offshoot growing from your work through time.

pontiff ofchrists

Any chance the 'SM2 LOTTEX' dependencies will be added? Thanks.

Tyberius06

Quote from: pontiff ofchrists on July 01, 2019, 06:14:51 PM
Any chance the 'SM2 LOTTEX' dependencies will be added? Thanks.

Probably not, but there is a chance that he will upload them to STEX. I'll ask him about his plans.
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

Simmer2

@pontiff ofchrists I should be able to upload the RRW Lottex packs to the STEX tomorrow.

Simmer2
________________________________________________________________________________