(April 28th, 2021, 20:30)HappyPart Wrote: I was previously getting errors from Xauth
The 'startPitboss.py' script normally should call 'xauth merge {COOKIE}' with a cookie file provided by the xvfb-run call. (Maybe this fails for you. If I remember correctly this works only in the second run of 'startPitboss.py', I do not know the reason.)
Quote:What do you do if you want to manage the server, however? I am curious to see how you do it. Or do you just not need to do that from the pitboss screen being output to the framebuffer
I do not use the Pitboss server window for managing. We just need to provide some output because the PB server sometimes throws error popups (You can not disable all popups by CivilizationIV.ini-settings.)
One reason for writing this modification was the desire to avoid the window completely. In its original version the PB Admin windows consumed a lot of CPU load (permanent redrawing).
We lowered the redrawing frequency ( time.sleep(0.01) -> time.sleep(0.1))
but on our server we use the radical solution and removed the window drawing completely (see "gui"-flag in pbSettings.json).
I only use ssh+screen to start the games on our server. Maybe you can also use screen/tmux to start games after a power loss?!
The managing can be done with three tools/scripts:
1. Use 'startPitboss.py / startPitbossEnv.py' for the start of the games. This wrapper scripts allows an easier way to start the server with the correct settings.
If the game crashed I would restart it with following steps:
a) python3 startPitboss.py 1 list # lists last saves of 'PB1'
b) python3 startPitboss.py 1 {filename} # loads given save
2. You can use PBSpy for managing task of running games.
In contrast to civstats this tool allows you to control your server! You will see the option only if you're logged in on the page and visit the page of your game. There is an 'manage' link which show you the options.
Set the autostart-flag in pbSettings.json on 1 and the game will skip the 'wizard' pages and directly loaded the last save.
Moreover you can add other accounts as game admins. So, if your absent this person can also reload previous saves, etc.
One disadvantage of this approach/our implementation is that you can only control the game if the server has loaded the game. It doesn't work if the game fails to load a game. In practice, however, the problem is not as big as it seems.
3. An other tool I've wrote is
https://github.com/civ4-mp/pyconsole (very advanced usage!)
This gives you a python like commandline interface and full control to a running game.
It contains predefined command for the most common admin tasks like PBSpy do.
And if you are a skilled Civ4 modder you can also run arbitrary Python code. This is useful to fix problems like wrong game options or wrong resources, etc.
You need to enable this in pbSettings.json (shell section) if you want use it.
For your fully automation I would suggest to set
• 'autostart': 1 in PB1/pbSettings.json
• Put (admin) passwords of games in pbPasswords.json
It is better to collect them in one file but not pbSettings.json.
The game will search for the correct password of the given save during the start.
• Use startPitboss.py to start the game.
• If the server doesn't start/crashs use SSH to connect and use 'startPitboss.py list' to find out a save which does loads.
Main issue for failures are wrong password/mods for a gives save file.
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