onArcade Forums

OK guys (and girls), I have written a Tar Installer Mod for OnArcade.

It is based on the OnArcade admin template but should work on other templates just fine. On my server it took 60 seconds to install 50 games! Now you can have all the lovely ibproarcade games without having to manually un-tar, move files and install each one individually.

I have priced it at only $5 just to help cover the costs of hosting it and writing. There is also a Mod + Installation service for $20 and a Mod + Installation + FTP Access to thousands of tar format games via FTP (All packaged and categorized up) for $50 per year.

The next version will have an automatic installer whcih I am currently working on. It will be a free upgrade to version 1 purchasers.

I will pop some screen shots up later tonight and the script can be purchased from http://www.arcademagic.co.uk (Click on The Store from the top menu)

Cheers

arcademagic!

Screenshots now added below

(1)
Click on Tar Upload from the Admin backend



(2) You must select a category (dynamically generated from your categories) before you can proceed



(3) Now the Install link is active



(4) Once you have clicked on the install link, the game is installed and if there are no errors, it is marked as installed.

Awesome concept, I purchased your mod and there's a couple of problems.

1. You have no code change in the readme file to enable a link in the menu. You should probably add that or people are going to get real confused...

2a. You close the php tag and add an iframe in the template. I'm pretty sure you can just echo an iframe... but iframes are horrible!!! Why didn't you just add the html to the template code????

2b. In your readme file you don't tell users to change the iframe url from your site to theirs. How does that work...?

3. My database never would connect with your code. I had to replace it. I don't know why you are establishing a new connection with new variables when everything is already there in the arcade.

4. Per your instruction I uncommented the line of code to delete the file after it's added to the arcade. If anyone wanted to manually remove all the files after they are added, I would be highly surprised. The problem here is that your mod leaves the gamedata folder, and removes everything else.

5. There's no error trapping, we have 1000's of games. If we try to install a duplicate there should be some warning, and abort the install instead of overwriting everything.

The concept is great, the mod isn't horrible.... but I think it needs some work before you try to pass it off and sell it.

---

Correction - it didn't fail to delete the gamedata folder it failed to move it all first. It moved the txt file and left the xml????

Thanks for the comments. I've tried to address them below.

1. My bad, now fixed.
2a. Iframe works for me, each to their own.
2b. My bad again. Now fixed.
3. I have already done some tweaks with the code, the connection was just left over from my testing.
4. Some people like to keep a backup of the tars on the web (for offering ftp downloads etc), some people dont, hence the choice.
5. If the game name is found in the database it should automatically show as installed (Does in my testing).
6. The transfer of the gamedata folder worked on the games I tested it with. I couldnt possibly have tested every single game available so I will have to look into this for individual games (I think I know the answer).

Again, thanks for the comments.

(02-17-2009 07:51 PM)N2Flash Wrote: [ -> ]Awesome concept, I purchased your mod and there's a couple of problems.

1. You have no code change in the readme file to enable a link in the menu. You should probably add that or people are going to get real confused...

2a. You close the php tag and add an iframe in the template. I'm pretty sure you can just echo an iframe... but iframes are horrible!!! Why didn't you just add the html to the template code????

2b. In your readme file you don't tell users to change the iframe url from your site to theirs. How does that work...?

3. My database never would connect with your code. I had to replace it. I don't know why you are establishing a new connection with new variables when everything is already there in the arcade.

4. Per your instruction I uncommented the line of code to delete the file after it's added to the arcade. If anyone wanted to manually remove all the files after they are added, I would be highly surprised. The problem here is that your mod leaves the gamedata folder, and removes everything else.

5. There's no error trapping, we have 1000's of games. If we try to install a duplicate there should be some warning, and abort the install instead of overwriting everything.

The concept is great, the mod isn't horrible.... but I think it needs some work before you try to pass it off and sell it.

---

Correction - it didn't fail to delete the gamedata folder it failed to move it all first. It moved the txt file and left the xml????

Just tried another set of games, it will only move the .txt file named like the game and nothing else, so a lot of the scores aren't submitting and game assets aren't transferred over.

I am looking into this now.

(02-17-2009 08:21 PM)N2Flash Wrote: [ -> ]Just tried another set of games, it will only move the .txt file named like the game and nothing else, so a lot of the scores aren't submitting and game assets aren't transferred over.

I have emailed you with an updated file. This has now been fixed. Infact I believe all the issues you raised have now been resolved.

Cheers

Edit: I have had it confirmed the updated file is 100% working on another server.

(02-17-2009 08:21 PM)N2Flash Wrote: [ -> ]Just tried another set of games, it will only move the .txt file named like the game and nothing else, so a lot of the scores aren't submitting and game assets aren't transferred over.

Everything looks good so far with your updates. I've used the mod to add a few games today and everything looks ok. Thanks!

Note - I don't know if the problem with the mySQL connection was a problem with the mod or some misconfiguration on my part, as I have removed that part of your code and replaced it with the site's global DB connection.

The updated version uses the sites default connection now anyway. The original code had seperate connection info in while testing.

Glad its working for you now anyway, most bugs seemed to be ironed out from feedback I have been getting.

V2 will have the option of automatic installation once the category is selected, I'm busy coding that right now.

Cheers

(02-18-2009 05:53 PM)N2Flash Wrote: [ -> ]Everything looks good so far with your updates. I've used the mod to add a few games today and everything looks ok. Thanks!

Note - I don't know if the problem with the mySQL connection was a problem with the mod or some misconfiguration on my part, as I have removed that part of your code and replaced it with the site's global DB connection.

Also bought it today.
Did some tests adding games and no problems so far.

One thing that i needed to change is the game SWF folder (default in your tarupload script is files/file)
so if other people do use another folder they need to change that.

Do we get an automatic email when updates are available ?
Greetz

Vic

Hi Vic,

Glad its working for you.

I will make an annoucement on my site, and probably here as well. I will be putting a new forum up tonight hopefully so if you join there you will get an automatic email when the mod is updated and then have access to download the update. Its easier to do it this way than go to every different forum and make an annoucement.

The script does presume that defaults are used upon installation. If you change folder names and stuff then you will have to change them in the script. I cant know how everybody has tweaked their installations unfortunately

(02-19-2009 02:42 AM)zodiac Wrote: [ -> ]Also bought it today.
Did some tests adding games and no problems so far.

One thing that i needed to change is the game SWF folder (default in your tarupload script is files/file)
so if other people do use another folder they need to change that.

Do we get an automatic email when updates are available ?
Greetz

Vic