VSK Match Forum

by **Camster** » 22 Dec 2005 21:02

Hi all friends here. I hope you're all well and the club is thriving!
The locator does not seem to work for me so far. My website is compiled with Frontpage and uses Fronpage extensions - therefore uploads are not to an ftp. address but instead to a http:// address. I wondered if this was the problem, especially as the tm easy locator programme seems to want an ftp address in the dialogue box (not that I've actually used this programme).

by **admiral 1** » 27 Dec 2005 18:38

Seams to be more of a problem with rights then server and or netork protocols.

the protocol used is simple "http"

As an example my skin is at http://www.admirals.de/download/admiral.zip

how to
Upload your skin to a direcrtory on your web adress. (google for free web space if you don't have any)

In your browser go to the file -> Enter the file adress
in your browser. If all is right your browser will try to interpret the .zip file and if it doesn't know what to do it will ask you. (download or open with application ........)

- if it says access forbidden you have no rights to access (read) the file
- if it says file not found you either misspelled the file location, or you get "black holed"
(for security reasons a server may not respond at all to requests it cannot or is not allowed to answer, without telling why... it "does not exist")

Once you have access to the .zip file from a browser, copy the file location and paste it into a text file named yourboatname.zip.loc. Put the .loc file in the same vsk4 folder your skin (yourboatname.zip) is in.

Some free web space wil redirect visitors to manditory content before letting the vsitor access the actual content.... that will probably cause problems.

EDIT. locater file format! yourboatname.zip.loc

Edited By admiral 1 on 1136293330

by **Camster** » 03 Jan 2006 11:45

I solved it, I think.

The file on my PC was called Camster. There was no .zip extension. So the locator file Camster.zip.loc did not have the correct name. I have renamed my skin file to Camster.zip and I think it is working now.

Thanks for the advice Theo - it gave me the encouragement to have another look at the problem & not just assume it was my webspace setup!

Sandy

by **admiral 1** » 03 Jan 2006 15:05

In the explorer set the folder options to show all file extension especially known file extensions.

By default Windows hides the extension eg. "Camster.zip" is shown as "Camster". Adding an extension ".zip" would make the filename "Camster.zip.zip" ........ due to hiding the extension ".zip" Windos however would show you "Camster.zip"

Your boat name would show up in VSK4 as "Camster.zip"

Make sure to check the linkname with a browser.

You have to make sure you name the locaterfile,
Camster.zip.loc NOT Camster.zip.zip.loc

After creating the .loc file you should see the downloadable when you start vsk4 and it asks if it should update online files (yes) , and present you with a list to downloadables wich you can klick or not, your (new) skin should be mentioned.

by **Camster** » 06 Jan 2006 22:23

You were correct Theo. I made windows show all file extensions and there it was ... 'Camster.zip.zip' !!

So I'm back to square one. I've re-renamed the file to Camster.zip. The locator contains the url of the address in my website and is named Camster.zip.loc I've tested the url by copying & pasting into the browser and it offers to open or save the file as I would expect.

When I run vsk4, it offers to check if the online files are up to date - I click 'yes' but dont see any files listed. The programme just goes on to the Internet game lobby.

I guess I'll just go back to the original method without locators!

All the best, Sandy

by **euphoria** » 07 Jan 2006 01:50

When I run vsk4, it offers to check if the online files are up to date - I click 'yes' but dont see any files listed. The programme just goes on to the Internet game lobby.

Yes, what were you expecting? As far as I've understood, VSK4 will move on to internet lobby if your zip file is identical to zip file at the url. So yours is... If it's not identical, you will be asked if you want to download new version.

Does something indicate that your race mates does not get your skin from the url?

Harald

by **Camster** » 07 Jan 2006 18:11

Well since I had changed the contents of Camster.zip in my website, I expected the updater to say something!

Whwn I use the locator file, my skin doesn't seem to be seen by many skippers (and of course some have it already in their cache) and when I check my site stats, no downloads of Camster.zip have been recorded.

It's not a big problem, although when I dont have the locator files, my skin takes about a year to appear for others!I might try a new skin to make things clearer.

by **euphoria** » 07 Jan 2006 19:55

If the locator doesn't work, the others in the race will get the skin the regular way, as if the locator file was not there in the first place. It seems like your webhost doesn't support VSK4 downloads, just like my ISP doesn't. To check this yourself, delete the zip file from your skins folder, but keep the locator file there. Then when VSK4 ask if you want to autoupdate on internet connect, it will try to download the missing file. If it doesn't succede, then the webserver isn't compatible with VSK4.

Harald

by **Camster** » 07 Jan 2006 21:45

Ah ha - the definitive test!

Thanks Harald. I did what you suggested & it was not possible to download from my website, as you suggested might be the case. At least I can stop worrying about it now!

Sandy

Edited By Camster on 1136663161

by **Skiffie** » 08 Jan 2006 03:23

Question to Theo...

Since community sites like Virtual Winds or VSK Australia offer sharing/storage of skins, would it be possible to have the locators pointing there? I asked Paul (oobie) regarding the VSK-AUS site, and we found the Remository module there adds additional chars to the name, such as:
http://www.vsk-aus.com/downloads/2ee416d8Alfa_Romeo_2.zip (note this is a VSK3 skin).

So, in theory, even if the file is saved as Alfa_Romeo_2.zip in the skins folder on local PC, and the locator is Alfa_Romeo_2.zip.loc, it should matter that the URL stored in the locator file is http://www.vsk-aus.com/downloads/2ee416d8Alfa_Romeo_2.zip or http://www.vsk-aus.com/downloads/Alfa_Romeo_2.zip, correct?

Of course, the skin needs to be stored locally, etc, but this at least allows the author to maintain some "control" over distribution if changes are made.

Edited By Skiffie on 1136683458

by **admiral 1** » 09 Jan 2006 19:26

How does it go? In theory it always works.... if in practice it does not work, remember it is the theory that is wrong.

I suggest you try it out, or you wait till i tried it out a bit later today.

:beer:

by **admiral 1** » 09 Jan 2006 19:29

If it doesn't succede, then the webserver isn't compatible with VSK4.

Did anybody find out why?, how? and or what?

by **admiral 1** » 09 Jan 2006 23:44

If it doesn't succede, then the webserver isn't compatible with VSK4.

For vsk4 being able to read the zip file ist must open it,
aka execute/ or search. On an appache server (that is most webserver FYI the only one i tested) it means the yourboat.zip must be set to allow execute to others.
Usually the upload gives only read rights to others..
(for unix admins do: 'chmod xx5 yourboat.zip')
Using a more sofisticated ftp client you should be able to set an executable flag for others.

it should matter that the URL stored in the locator file is ttp://www.vsk-aus.com/downloads/2ee416d ... omeo_2.zip or http://www.vsk-aus.com/downloads/Alfa_Romeo_2.zip, correct?

It does NOT MATTER in what file "yourboat" at the location is.

your boat is named yourboatname

after vsk4 downloads it, it will be in the directory .../gamedata/skins/boats/boattype/
under the name:
yourboatname.zip

- the locater file MUST BE yourboatname.zip.loc

- the location in your locator file may be
'http://any.domain.top_level_domain/any_directory/anyname.zip'
other must have read AND execute rights (ie unixes rights: 755)

Edited By admiral 1 on 1136843178

by **euphoria** » 10 Jan 2006 19:20

The skins I have on my server does not have executable permissions for others, and it's not a problem to use them with loc files. Read permissions are sufficient.

Harald

by **Skiffie** » 12 Jan 2006 03:35

admiral 1 wrote:It does NOT MATTER in what file "yourboat" at the location is.

your boat is named yourboatname

after vsk4 downloads it, it will be in the directory .../gamedata/skins/boats/boattype/
under the name:
yourboatname.zip

- the locater file MUST BE yourboatname.zip.loc

- the location in your locator file may be
'http://any.domain.top_level_domain/any_directory/anyname.zip'
other must have read AND execute rights (ie unixes rights: 755)

Thanks Theo, I do know we have tried your "test" method above i.e. pasting the sample URL into internet browser, the file will open / request to be saved.

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