Making Open Grid ourselves

A short while ago I made a topic asking about the status of the Open Grid project. For those who don't know, Open Grid means anyone being able to host their own sim / grid outside of LL, and anyone else being able to access it with the right client. This system is currently not yet invented, and from what I was told is a work in progress that, like everything else made by Linden Labs, is likely going to be ready by the time computers won't even exist any more. The release of an Open Grid system is currently the best thing that could ever happen for the people who play Second Life, and the worst thing that could happen to Linden Labs.

A few days ago I was looking around, and suddenly, this just struck my mind: The SecondLife community is made of at least 1.000.000 people. The SL source code is up for downloading and compiling, while installers are all available for download and modifying. This just makes me wonder, is there absolutely noone out there who is good in coding and programming, and could take a few weeks from their life to build a server-making program and a client to connect to it, separately from LL?

Just to make it clear, my idea on a community-made Open Grid refers only to a system -completely- separate from the Main grid of SL, and the system ran by Linden. It refers to a relation between 2 or more computers, the first one being the server that hosts a certain sim or grid, while the second one would be anyone with the right client, who connects to the server using a correct IP address or server name. This could (and should) be even made to not require a SL account at all, just a nickname or a local account for the certain SIM. Those who played a game like Unreal Tournament or any today's multiplayer game, or know how something like a IRC server (for example) works, know the system and the idea.

That would indeed mean separate characters, inventory and everything else from the Main grid. The inventory, objects, textures, sounds and everythings of a person would be either on the computer of the person who connects to any server. The person would be either uploading its inventory with it on each server he/she connects to, either the stuff gets saved on the server for every user / nickname in side when they connect there (or either both for certain items). But finding a way to store all of the content and settings between the server and the connecting user wouldn't be the worst problem. As for money, they would either be just virtual money you use there, or no money system at all. But yes, this would mean that every server has it's own grid that has absolutely nothing to do with anything else outside of it and who connects there.

So I wonder... can't we form a group here or something that can finally take a source code, or just mod an installed SL client, and create such a system? Like I said, if we wait for Linden we get nothing, as nothing is everything we ever got from these people. I am almost completely unknowing in coding and programming, but if I had a starting point and a chance to understand how it works, I would immediately start working on this myself.

That's why, either way, I would like to separately ask if anyone knows: Where do I find necessary tools to modify a SL source code (in general), and afterwards how do I compile it? Are there any such tools out there?

Either way, I deeply hope it is possible to build this if we try it, but I don't see what would make it impossible as long as the source code is out and there are people who even managed to do things like cracking Windows Vista and it's online verification as easily as they did. I am determined to see this invented, and I deeply hope I will get positive answers on this one.

There's this ...

http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page

I looked at OpenSim and another similar thing. These are downloadable sims that you can use as stand-alone or supposedly network them.

But I couldn't get either to even open as vital folders didn't even download.

I remember seeing that page once and downloading that but it didn't work... or I didn't find how to use it. Was told there's no such thing as a open-sim yet so I mostly gave up on looking for it again. I should try to test that soon.

Hmm... I see they're working quite a bit on it. A little surprised cuz I thought it could be as easy as just changing a few addresses in the viewer and making a small server-hosting program.

I wonder if it contains both parts... as I would still see the 2 applications needed (a server-making program that just keeps a sim running on a machine, and a special client that connects to a specified server instead of the main grid). I also hope it doesn't need the SL accounts, as that would make it much more free and safe from Linden.

I've actually built & installed OpenSim in the recent(ish) past, and it is getting better. The thing to remember is that this is very much a work in progress - v0.4 last I checked - and most stuff is NOT working. Eventually, they aim to allow separate grids, just like SecondLife, but run by non-LL groups or individuals - but for now, it's pretty much a sandbox. Plus, I really doubt you'll ever be able to connect OpenSim grids to the main SL grid. For that, you're going to have to wait for LL. I think it will happen - I'm POSITIVE it will happen - but it will take quite some time. I imagine many of the things (physics, for example) that make up the simulator code are NOT open-source licensed, so it's not going to be an easy thing to do technically. My one concern is actually how much LL will charge to connect a non-LL simulator to the SL grid - I can't imagine it will be free - and what hoops you'll have to jump through to get a license to do so.

Believe me, I'd MUCH rather host my own island than pay LL - of course, I have the bandwidth to do it, not many people do. Depending upon the connection charge, I'll probably have a small group of islands up & running two days after LL opens the gates, just for my own use

If you are *really* interested in this -- including learning what Linden Lab is doing rather than throwing off a random flame, as well as how hard it is -- I recommend taking a look at this:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Architecture_Working_Group

Zero Linden is holding meetings in-world with the community about updating the Second Life architecture. The first step is an architecture redesign for efficiency and scalability at LL, but the design is being done in such a way that it will become possible for other metaverse providers to hook in to the same network of worlds, allowing people to traverse between them.

Welcome to the forum, Prospero. Idea sounds very cool. Any idea when this might happen?

And don't worry, we're having a flame-free Sunday

Croquet is a powerful new open source software development environment for creating and deploying deeply collaborative multi-user online applications and metaverses on and across multiple operating systems and devices. Derived from Squeak, it features a peer-based network architecture that supports communication, collaboration, resource sharing, and synchronous computation between multiple users on multiple devices.

http://www.opencroquet.org/

Ahh, the Linden viewer is used to connect to OpenSims... you just have to specify the login server as a command line parameter

It's quite interesting and you should go find an OpenSim grid right away {:

I won't get into talk about Linden Lab after what I seen them doing, as it will surely not be something very nice I would say.

I've been hanging around with the group, after I was amazed to see it actually works... been hosting my own sim too, never hoped I'd get to see that day *nod. Currently things like inventory, moded avatars, scripting, etc. are impossible, but will be soon.

I just can't wait to see this done. And like it says on their site, everyone is allowed to join in and help with building. I want to see this out fast, so I will do my best to help OpenSim grow with what I know.

I have read bit about OpenSim it seems like you would need to have the know how to code and resources to do it.
Done bit of searching for other similar things out there and cheapest Game world creation program that was advertised as user friendly, that anyone could use also required servers and other cost I personally wouldn't be able to handle.