RL Viewer 1.04.1

The only thing I would warn is that if you are using the RealRestraint viewer, you're subject to several forms of griefing that wouldn't apply otherwise.

The RR viewer doesn't implement any consent system, it counts on the "toy" that is sending the messages to do that. It only pays attention to objects you own, but it does mean that it's possible for an unknown scripted object that you rez to do extra damage. It'd be silly to go into too much detail, but for example, as far as I can tell a rezzed object could remove your ability to receive IMs and _you would never know_. I think there's also at least one potential client crash attack, although it'd take a while to do.

In other words, make sure you have the "main" viewer ready and updated if you need it and you will probably be fine.

As in any thread I read, that discussed the RL viewer, people are afraid of the "danger" of 3rd party viewers. But this thread really tops it all if I read nonsense like "...playing it not with your life, but someone else's". I am really shaking my head, trying to understand this one... As if this open source program would be anything else but just this: an open source program like every other!

Those concerns should apply to each and every program you run on your computer. There ist absolutely no difference with this 3rd party viewer. Did you ever run any program you downloaded from the web? Any freeware, shareware, a video viewer, a picture viewer, a screensaver? Yes? And did you think about "playing with someone else's life" too? No? Why not? It's exactly the same.

Point 1: Worries running a 3rd party viewer on your computer because it may access parts of your harddisc and spy sensitive personal information apply to EACH AND EVERY program out there. It applies to the original SL viewer, it applies to your system tray e-mail-checker, it even applies to operating systems. It is all a matter of trust and protection. But there really is no reason to judge a 3rd party viewer any different then any other program that runs on your machine. Being colpletely open source, this viewer is way more trustworthy then any fancy desctop enhancer, jumping santa claus, mouse eyes, local weather bar, time synchronizer, or what else you may use! So this point is really nonsense besides of the general warning that applies to every program you are using!

Pont 2: A 3rd party SL viewer has one potential danger, and this is it's potential for automated access to your Inventory and to your Linden Dollars. And yes, this danger exists, especially using closed source viewers. But since noone seems to have problems using a closed source 3rd party viewer, many people seem to have some with an open source one. Kind of absurd!

The viewers can NOT spy sensivite data like your real name, your address or your credit card informations. Those sensitive data are stored on the Lindens server which won't give them to any client. So really, the maximum, a malware viewer could do are things, you could do manually with your normal viewer.

This is kind of dangerous too of course. But please note that every viewer can mess with your inventory and L$ account, even the original viewer, and Linden ignore such failures. I already lost several thousand L$ because of bugs in the original viewer. So please be aware that you permanently live with this risk.

I would not trust 3rd party closed source viewers from people I do not know. Ok. Many of you do without dramatic words of warning!!! But I have no worries in using the RL viewer, because it is open source, it is easy to see what the patch does and I believe in the project. I even use the precompiled version because I trust Marine that she really wants to realize this project instead of providing silly malware that would just ruin her business without any chance of getting away with this. But if I had any doubts I would just compile her viewer on my own, which means top level security for all your data and L$s. Way more security then you would have with any program that comes without the source code.

Point 3) The changes itself:

This viewer enhances the standard viewer with some very nice features that many scripters have waited for. So it is not only interesting for submissives. It is interesting for dommes too and for everyone, wo wants to automate some processes.

But regarding the submissives view: No, it does not take away free will, consensual interacting or "overkill". The viewer does not change anything on it's own. As by now, YOU need to wear an attachment which makes use of it's features and that means, you decide want you want to agree too and what not! If a device really realizes an overkill for your taste (like some surely will) simply do not wear it! Just like in real life: If some restraints would go too far, do not put them on. That simple. But IF you put on some restraint, it should be real and no fake. There is a reason why in real life for example, handcuffs with keys are used instead of the child's fake versions you could open yourself with a fingertip.

The viewer just adds a bit more realistic feeling to some situations, makes a difference between a handcuff and a diamond bracelet wou might be wearing and it allows content providers to realise a more intuitive interacting and feeling. The click of a handcuff now means something. Not very much more then before, but at least it adds to your experience.

For example: The one function alone, that a sit-on-object could prevent you from standing up, adds so much more to the feeling of a situation, of climbing on that object or "trying out" a cage in some foreign castle, that this feature alone would be reason enough to use the viewer (for subs of course). And the next versions feature of automatically sitting ON something really makes it interesting for everyone. This is one of the most requested features in scriper forums.

So, please cool down. There really is no reason to worry any more then with EVERY other program you run on your computer.

Second Life clients are of more concern than "any other program" because:

a) they handle more sensitive data (you have to type in your SL password, for most users, that is linked to their credit card)

b) they have to connect to an external network server - in other words the program can be attacked, there could be buffer overruns or other issues. Looking at the diffs now, I can confirm that there _is_ a potential crash attack in there, which I'll tell Marine about. (It would still have to come from an object you owned, though.)

I certainly would be reluctant to type any credit card data or equivalent into Open Source software, I am cautious with Firefox for exactly that reason..

There are plenty of ways to crash the official viewers, too :/

Yes, and you can access your credit card from within your original SL browser, so you could do this automated from viewers. You do not even need to intercept the password. I already mentioned that dangers in point 2. This danger is real. But on the other hand not THAT special for password sniffers can steal the passwords too and allow access to your credit card too. A malware viewer would just be a bit more SL specific. And, unlike password sniffers, using Marine's viewer means that you (or Linden) know who wrote it, so she would not get away with it.



Yes, please do so!! Marine already stated to have fixed some holes in the next version, but who knows if she catched that one too. Btw. that makes the viewer not being of more concern then any other program because any other program may crash too.



Wow, not even mozilla.org is trustworthy in your eyes? Ok, from that point of view every warning is absolutely ok.

QFT

as regards passwords and linking to credit cards, the only real risk there is L$ purchases (because they wiselystopped displaying card info on the web interface), which granted, is a big risk... unless you're like me and it's linked to a dead card/account =X

I just found this artice that might be of interest here:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Viewer_Authentication_Critique

Seems like Linden is working on this danger already. Hard to believe, but it really seems so!!

I browsed an earlier version of the source diff and I did not see anything that would have surprised me on the security front. Now, I'm not a security expert, and a clever person could have edited out any code from the diff file with malicious intent so everything appears all sunshine and butterflies ... but there was nothing obvious about the code that raised any red flags. I suppose someone could run a disassembler on the executable client and see if there are any changes to modules dealing with money or passwords, or keylogging/access to foreign sites involved.

Thanks to everyone for their input. After reading the responses and weighing the opinions I will use this viewer with confidence but I'll always make very sure I get any updates to the viewer directly from Marine's site. Yes, there do seem to be risks as with any 3rd party viewer, but life is full of risks and sometimes life seems just a bit more satisfying after taking one of those risks.

After posting this question my husband shared with me that he and many WoW players use 3rd party UI's and add-ons too so I suppose its almost a natural for 3rd parties to enhance viewers.

Also a thank you to Marine and thoes working with her, as well as the various scripters supporting her viewer, for their time and efforts.

Hi there, thank you all for your (kind or not) comments, I'm arriving a bit late as usual (someone headed me to this thread), but I'd like to rationalize things a bit about the RL viewer and to address some concerns :

The main one being about privacy and hacking into your computer. It has been covered in this thread but as a proof of honesty, as pointed out already, my name is fairly known around the BDSM community in SL, my reputation pretty good and my business successful. So I'm engaging my name on it. But make no mistake, it IS dangerous to install anything on a computer that you use to log on to SL (not just a viewer). Caches, histories and saved scripts can be stolen from you and you wouldn't even notice it until it's too late. To be totally secure, one has to recompile the patch I provide from a clean source after having reviewed the code. Like in any open-source project, very few people do that but one person is enough to find a bug or an exploit. I think my way of working on this matter could be better : the good way would be me coding some features, compiling on my computer then releasing the patch only, so other people can compile on Linux, Windows and MacOSX (I'm in charge of the Windows one, it's easier). But then, would you trust the other people as well ? Not sure. It's a hairy subject.

About the download link : People are not actually downloading from a website of mine, I have only a blog. The viewer is hosted on the eRestraint website, owned by Orchid who is very kind to let me squat there. Her website is fairly known in the BDSM community as well, and has been around for many years. So in a way she's putting her own name in the viewer. But of course it is right to say "only download from the 'official' link", which is the one on eRestraint. One exception to this is the Cool Viewer which includes the patch for all the features in the RL viewer, and more. Linux only, found on another website. This one is to be trusted too, because Henri is one of the people who have been actively working on some features.

About the dangerousness to your avatar : You are very vulnerable when using this viewer, provided you walk around with attachments that make use of its features and are available to others to operate (like cuffs with the keys on). And your session can really be screwed up, for it has many features (not yet released but soon) to prevent you from teleporting, chatting, opening inventory, reading notecards, putting clothes... But you would only be screwed up until your next relog with the normal viewer, where all the restrictions simply make no sense.

About its reputation so far : I purposedly don't advertize it. Firstly because it's free (open-source), secondly because advertizing would only make me look suspect ("come use my viewer, you'll see it's safe and fun, you have nothing to lose, really... except your soul !", and thirdly because it's still under development so the more people know about it the more questions and suggestions I get. While nice, it can really eat my time up and I have a RealLife(TM) job.

Now what does this viewer do ? At first it was meant to only make locked attachments (such as cuffs) undetachable. This was indeed a big gripe for most people in the community to be able to remove things even when not supposed to. This means the Detach and Drop items in the pie menu are gone when the item is locked, you cannot kick it off by wearing something else at the same spot, you cannot Detach All, nor save scripts in it, modify its contents, nothing. It is truly undetachable until you either unlock it, or relog with another viewer. With time more features have been added : selectively prevent a sub from IMing, chatting, hearing something (with exceptions if needed), teleporting, and soon force-sitting, prevent standing up, force removing clothes, prevent adding/removing clothes, prevent reading notecards (for isolation purposes), prevent opening inventory and many other minor features. This is all aimed towards one goal only : to make the sub *feel* truly under control, to have them feel that shiver along their spine when the restraints are locked and their abilities slowly removed from them, one by one.

It works in a very simple way : Objects that you own (and only them, although I had considered adding support for task IMs, it's not a good idea after all) send private messages to your avatar, called Owner Messages ("llOwnerSay" for the people who know what that means). These messages, when formed properly, are decoded by the viewer and executed. For instance, if your collar sends "@sendim=n", you're suddenly prevented from sending IMs to anyone (it can later specify exceptions, for instance for the keyholder). If it sends "@sendim=y", you're allowed to IM again. Same goes with all the other commands. There is no check as to who created the item, so this leads me to the next concern...

... who can use it : It is meant to be used by any restraint and not only my own stuff. This is why I would like people to stop calling it "RR viewer" (RR being my brand). It is called "RestrainedLife", so the code would be "RL". The pun is intended. I insist because I provide an API, a text file actually, that explains in detail how to make an object use the features of the RL viewer. It's free. Some other content creators have started adding support for it already, using that very API.

Thanks Daze and that's true, the original idea was yours



Agreed, except one thing : you would know as soon as someone IMs you, and that person would be made aware as well with an automatic reply stating that you can't hear what she says.



Please I'd very much like to hear about it, I am going to release the v1.10 this weekend...

Also special thanks to Lona for her very detailed review of the viewer, and to Klaus for pointing me to this thread

Some of us have taken to calling it the "RSL" viewer (Restrained Second Life, or ReStrained Life).. and "RSL" for short, because we kind of overuse RL a lot already.

It seems to work pretty good, once you read all the instructions twice, there are also instructions you get concerning the no-edit function that are in the read me files but not in world. it does what it says, only way to get out of it is to log in with a different viewer, then it also IMs the keyholder and puts alarm text up to let them know you been naughty.
You drop the function scripts into the items you want, and they activate when they are locked, so you can make a gag stop sending of chat & IM, leg restraints stop tp, hand restraints stop edit
And it looks like more updates to come

Hi Marine

I would like you to notice that your patch can not be applied as easily as it should. (No reason to worry!)

In this thread I stated that everyone who not trusted your compiled version simply should compile your patch to be absolutely safe. This is said easily, but I was not sure if it really was that easy so I simply tried it out yesterday.

First of all: You do NOT need to be a programmer NOR own any expensive programming suites to do it. Microsoft provides a free C++ studio (express) and every other stuff needed is free too. It is just some work to install the suite with all needed components. You need to install some things, like SDKs, a few files and two external tools.

But everything, including the links to everything you need, is explained step by step here: https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Get_source_and_compile and can easily be done by everyone who is able to copy files from one folder into another and who knows how to unzip archive files. No need to know anything about programming or stuff. Note that most of the libraries mentioned are contained in the libraries package already, so all you need to do by hand is installing the DX9 SDK, the MS platform SDK, the Quicktime SDK, fmod, gl and glh and the tools cygwin and ActivePython. Yes, you need some extra space on your harddisc to do so.

After you downloaded all sourcefiles, the artwork and libraries and put them all together in one linden folder (all described step by step so do not worry) you need to apply Marines patch. Simply copy it into the folder where your folder named "linden" resides, open a console and from within this folder, where the patch file and the linden folder are, type c:\cygwin\bin\patch -p 0 -i patch_1_18_5_3_v1041.patch. After that compile the project and you have build your own SecondLife.exe.

There is just a small problem with the patch:

Marine, you did the diff between your compiled folder against the compiled original folder of the viewer. And that means, your patch file also contains diff-messages about differences in SecondLife.exe or Buildlog.html for example. And cygwin is not capable of handling these messages if you try to apply the patch, so the patching fails. It was no problem to remove these lines, but for some people this might be a huge barrier.


Greetings, Lona

I've gotten that creepy call in the night. Internet related. No idea who, no idea why.

Nonsense? Your opinion might be radically different just after they hang up.

If it's never happened to you, all I have to say is that it's a lot more unsettling than it sounds.

I've got kids - it is *anything* but funny at that point. I still don't know how I was located.

* * * * *

I'm okay with Marine. Few unstable people would be able to respond sensibly with a forum post like that. She's got a rep and people to vouch for her, and she can come here and reply. That's great.

Still, downloading this sort of software is nothing like downloading OpenOffice, along with a million other totally anonymous people.

This SL client is for a highly specific community, to be used with someone you might be in a relationship with.

Forget about BDSM for a second. Let's consider how many SL relationships overall end with a smile and a friendly handshake.

There's a good possibility you'll be dealing with a vengeful soon-to-be-ex through an SL client like this. It's less likely with your OpenOffice Spreadsheet app.

Marine's safeguards are probably pretty good, if you can get everything direct from her or her validated friend. Even so, I think plenty would fall for 'oh, here, install this' (hacked one) if it was offered.

Another vote here for using "RSL" for this viewer instead of "RL". I have a RL viewer in every room of my house. I call them windows.

When you get to the point of an "isolation" mode where the user of the RSL viewer can't even move, edit things, or read note cards... how will the sub ever know their being punished by their Master or Mistress versus if they've been disconnected from the server?

Arg ! And to say Henri tells me that after every single release... What can I say, I'm a slow learner. lol. Sorry about that, I'm still trying to improve the process. As someone assumed earlier, yes this is my first attempt at modifying LL's code, and even worse, my first attempt at open source.



I agree totally. Looking at the age of your avatar I would safely assume that your account was part of the ones that have been hacked... early 2006 ? (not sure, I wasn't on SL at that time). Certainly not because of a custom viewer. But you are right, anything you install is potentially dangerous. It really comes down to how much you trust the maker(s), and the download source(s). Nicholaz, Dale and other people who provide custom viewers all had the same "acceptation" problem, but they have been acknowledged by LL in the first place for their work on the regular viewer. I did not help LL in any way, so I'm more of a "lone gunner" here, trying to live up to expectations and to not screw anything up. For the problems I'm dealing with are not only technical or legal, they are mostly social. Some people really hate it that I've released this thing, for their own reasons.

But let's be honest, the secure parts of the viewer (i.e. authentication, money transactions and basic hard-disk data) should have stayed in the hands of LL. I do not say "it would have been easy to do", this viewer is a project spanning on almost a decade now, but we developers are given so much power it hurts our credibility. It is fortunate that my name is well known and that I have the ability and time (not necessarily in that order) to handle both my business and development on the viewer. And other personal projects too.

After that, I could always advocate my own ethics, saying that I would never do such things like steal passwords, informations and money, but it would sound so phoney I prefer to shut up

The "hacking" incident occured in September 2006, but as far as anyone knows, no accounts were actually hacked. A hacker tried to steal some source code and increase their own L$ balance, but in doing so, they accessed the back-end database where account data is (or was at that time, I think it's separate now), and so the Lindens had to raise an alarm regarding it ASAP.

And you're right - the attack wasn't through a custom viewer. (If I recall correctly it was through the LSL Wiki.)

I did not say it was safe to use software downloaded from the internet. My intention is to point out that there is not much of a difference, so that common concerns regarding running unknown code on the computer HAVE TO apply to every other program too, where it usually does not concern anyone. This is a warning to be more careful with EVERY program and a relativization about 3rd party viewers at the same time.

Do you really think, many people care where they download their version of OpenOffice from? I do, I bet you do too, but honestly, how many would? And how many do not download it but just use a CD someone else gave them? Usually OpenOffice knows MUCH more sensitive personal data about you, and sensitive business data too. There is the same potential for hacks, the same danger. No, the danger is higher for OpenOffice, because it a a more worthwile target for hackers.

And those many small tools I already mentioned without the reputation of openoffice.org, which people easily give their e-mail passwords to, their telephone numbers, their name and address, and so on. Or those many plugins for the browser of your choice. I never read anything about concerns, although those tools are REALLY REALLY REALLY dangerous and are used by nearly everyone! Way more dangerous then using an open source viewer where you easily can browse through those view lines of changes.

The only difference is the data, the software has access to directly. While Openoffice, e-mail clients, friend organizers and such have access to your name, e-mail and address list, SL-viewers only have access to your ingame bank account and could transfer money from your credit card to it. The only other potential danger I can see is the possibility of logging your IM sessions. If you follow the golden rules about behavior for chatrooms, and SL is a chat room, you are safe... or as safe as with any other icq or irc client around.

Your approach to this is regarding the relationship between the chatters. Mine is from the technical view. Let's say you are interacting with your potential ex. So what? If you give away your telephone number to this person, he/she knows it and there ALWAYS is the danger that others could catch it too, even in private sessions. If not, noone knows it. So the maximum viewer could spy on it's own is your login/password. Ok, try it out right now. Imagine you were the hacker and had spied your login/password using a hacked viewer. And now... try to find out any personal data about yourself. Try to find out your real name and telephone number. Try it and you will see, that you won't succeed. The only sensitive information your account page on secondlive.com gives out is your e-mail address, nothing else.

Compile your own version of the RL-viewer and you are way more save then with most software running on everyones computer.

--

OT - Now for your personal experience: If someone called you who should not have your number I bet you are concerned. Maybe he just called any number. If not, if he knew anything about you he should not, try to trace his tracks back logically. Running antivir and anti-malware software is obligatory at this point. But careful, this software may be malware too if it's free... Most suspicius is any software that has access to your telephone number or your name and address. But do not forget the software with access to your network and internet. Everything your firewall lets have access to your internet is a canditdate for spying as is every program that uses an internet browser for displaying information. The malware does not even have to be on your computer, it might run on a friends computer and may have spyed their contact lists, address lists or something like this. But please let me point out this last thing: From my personal experience with secret data, I can tell, that in most cases the security hole is NOT the software or the security system, it usually is a user who gives away freely what should have been protected.

Hi Marine

Nice to see that your new version is out.

Right now, you did not update the released source code and the api description to 1.10. Just in case you forgot it.

I'll second that - another good step forward for the restrained life viewer.

And the hardware update inworld compliments it

Yes well realistically if you are using your main land owning alt for this with a $2,000,000L bank balance and random Dom/mes then you are being silly.
Other than that, Good work Marine, I had never heard of you previously but you aren't aflyin newb and plenty of other people are forming business relation ships with you which looks good.