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-   -   MeanLoader Server Startup (http://forums.bots-united.com/showthread.php?t=3474)

robbob4 25-01-2005 06:36

MeanLoader Server Startup
 
How do you get the meanloader to get past this?

http://members.cox.net/robbob3/other/temp2.jpg

(To get it to [click] the start button), It opens up hlds fine but I still have this window to bypass or to continue with.

botmeister 25-01-2005 06:55

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
In the meanloader.ini file, place -console in the startup command line

Example

[Process_0]
StartDir =
AppName = C:\HLServer\hlds.exe
CommandLine = -game cstrike -console -noipx +maxplayers 16 +map de_dust

robbob4 25-01-2005 15:20

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
AHA! -console did it thank you =) -- now to get it to stop crashing with realbot... lol

lextalionis 05-02-2005 03:57

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Hey gang,

I just started using ServerLoader for srcds.exe (CS-S deticated server) and a .dat to html converter script .exe for uploading stats to my webserver. The proggy works great; however, I can seem to config the ini file to hide the proggy dialog windows...I want srcds.exe and my script to run behind the scenes w/o having to be manually minizized. I've used every config i.e. hide etc.

Also, is there a way to make the app load the antivirus or the steam client where it's minimized on the bottom right?

Thanks,
Lex

botmeister 05-02-2005 11:19

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Some programs won't recognize these load settings (many don't, including Microsoft's own programs).

In the INI file put


; Window = <state>
;
; hide hides process window
; showinactive sets process window as inactive
; show sets process window as active (default)
; minimize set process window as minimized
; minimizeinactive set process window as minimized inactive
;
; Optional: Default setting is "show"
; Note: Not all programs will support these window settings.


The other thing you can try is

UserInterface = No

; UserInterface
; Yes = the programs interface will be made available
; No = the programs interface will not be made available
;
; Note: This setting is applied only during the initial
; installation of the service, therefore starting and stopping
; the service will not reload the UserInterface setting. Only
; reinstalling the service will reload the setting.

lextalionis 09-02-2005 00:32

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Still can get the darn apps to minimize or run w/o active window!

Darn!
Lex

botmeister 10-02-2005 01:00

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
PMB gave me something new to try out, so perhaps I can fix it if I can somehow get the pointer to the apps window process. Currently I am using the process pointer, but some processes are simply ignoring whatever window messages that are passed to them.

botmeister 10-02-2005 10:20

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
I seem to have found a solution to get the windows minimized. I just ran a test and my HLDS server and some other apps will now minimize on start up. I have to do more tests to see if all the windows commands work, but it looks real good so far.

robbob4 10-02-2005 15:34

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
would having -noipx cause problms or cause problems wuthout or neither?

botmeister 10-02-2005 21:16

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
-noipx simply disables the netware ipx protocol, which most people do not use. For me I always have disabled ipx without any problems.

lextalionis 12-02-2005 17:27

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by botmeister
I seem to have found a solution to get the windows minimized. I just ran a test and my HLDS server and some other apps will now minimize on start up. I have to do more tests to see if all the windows commands work, but it looks real good so far.

Kewl,

So have you incorporated this solution into your latest release? If not, then what's the solution?

Thanks,
Lex

lextalionis 12-02-2005 17:40

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Ureka! It works! Now nothing is shown...both my srcds.exe console and stats writer ftp cmd session are now completely invisible but run resident in the background.

Only drawback now is that I don't have console access...if there were only a way to make a process minimize to sys tray...hint hint :D

Thanks!
Lex

botmeister 13-02-2005 00:23

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Thanks to the code sample I got from PMB, it *may* be possible to minimize to sys tray. Something to do for the next release if you can wait for it.

ps: I think I can implement a quick fix that will restore a hidden window without resorting to the sys tray, stay tuned ....

lextalionis 13-02-2005 04:29

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
I'll wait, but I am salivating....;-)

BTW, I'm using this for multiple CS-S deticated servers and I feel that many people don't know about your simple approach (which works) and it needs better advertising some how.

Thanks!
Lex

botmeister 13-02-2005 09:07

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
You won't have to wait long. I got the "quick fix" working already. I can now show or hide process windows at any time, it works great.

As for advertising, you are right, the server loader could use more exposure. Any ideas?

lextalionis 13-02-2005 15:49

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Where's the fix? Maybe I overlooked it. I'll look again.

As for advertisment, can I put this banner on my MOTD?

http://lextalionis.rchomepage.com/pics/serverloader.gif

Thanks,
Lex

botmeister 14-02-2005 02:01

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
I'll post a link in here to the lastest revision as soon as it is ready, perhaps tonight. Yes, by all means you can use any of my website images for advertising.

http://www3.telus.net/mean/mean/imag...rverloader.gif

lextalionis 14-02-2005 03:56

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Alright...it's in my MOTD: http://lextalionis.rchomepage.com/

Lex

botmeister 14-02-2005 05:06

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Version 1.2 has been released

lextalionis 17-02-2005 01:27

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Still using 1.1 and I must say that I've been seeing a frequent amount of srcds.exe runtime errors. So I stopped using it an I've been running srcds.exe via manual cmd line and no crashes for over two days (whereas before with serverloader service ver. 1.1 it would crash w/in 24hrs...hummm...has anyone experienced this?

I'll give 1.2 a try soon.

Thanks,
Lex

botmeister 17-02-2005 10:19

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
I guess you did not have any crash problems with v 1.02? I wonder if the problem has to do with hiding the console, srcds may not like the hidden window. I am running hlds under 1.2 without any problem, but I am only minimizing the console window.

BTW I have another release comming, but it's just a minor change to improve the log entries some more.

lextalionis 17-02-2005 17:35

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Yes it was so that 1.02 I had no issues, but I've now have seen an srcds.exe runtime error pop-up box w/o using meanloader service...so...it's not meanloader, but I think it's a problem since I last updated MS hotfixes...damn MS!

I'm running a test with 1.2 with user interface = yes and app = minimized and priority at normal (I always had this set at above, w/no probs before my MS hotfixes, but I've read a few cases on the steam fourums that people are having issues with srcds.exe process set to above normal. I just hope my srcds.exe runs as good on norm vs. above norm.).

Thanks,
lex

lextalionis 17-02-2005 17:39

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Oh, I forgot to ask...with regards to crash protection...if my srcds.exe process that's now a NT service via meanloader, shouldn't it ignore the srcds.exe error and reload the service upon the error? I did disable the app error thingy in drwatson like the install says to (did that during my first install of v. 1.02). I woldn't mind the srcds.exe error box occuring once every 24 hrs if somehow the process would be ignored and the server restarts.

Thanks,
Lex

botmeister 17-02-2005 20:39

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Quote:

shouldn't it ignore the srcds.exe error and reload the service upon the error?
Ah, that one. I know exactly what you are talking about where a pop up message box appears stating that the program just bombed out. There's a [OK] box for you to click on.

What you are experiencing is normally considered to be bad programming practice and you should complain to Valve (or whoever is programming their stuff these days) to revert to an error logging facility instead of pop up messages that require user action to correct.

In this case of the pop up message, it happens when the software manages to trap the error before the program bombs out. It's funny (to me anyway) because we're actually better off without any error trapping. Although normally error trapping is considered as good programming practice, the problem is that pop up errors that suspend the entire application are terrible for a service application.

Think about it, a 24/7 service should NEVER require a user action to restart after an error, it's just plain silly.

Now perhaps there's an obscure setting that you can put into one of the srcds.exe config files which will disable the pop up messages, if so then that would solve the problem. You'll have to ask on the steam forums or elsewhere to try and get an answer.

I do plan on adding a further "crash" check to the server loader which attempts to detect the case when a program freezes, but remains as a loaded process. The problem is that when the pop uo message appears, the process remains loaded, and the service loader has no idea that the process has crashed. There is a way to check if the process is "responding", and if I can get it to work then if the program fails to respond for a user configurable period of time, then the loader will try and kill the process, then restart it.

The question remains if after a pop up message will the program continue to "respond" or not?

The other trouble I'll have is in testing such a feature out, since I do not have a way to reliably freeze applications or generate pop up errors.

lextalionis 17-02-2005 21:55

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
If only you lived next to me...then you could test on my box ;-) I'll ask Steam Forums about this...you could be right about a server cfg entry to eliminate the pop-up.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...62#post2295362

Thanks,
Lex

botmeister 18-02-2005 02:17

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Well thanks to the internet we're practically neighbours. Since you have a reliably crashing server (now that's a good oxymoron!) I can send you the update for tesing when it's ready.

robbob4 18-02-2005 02:31

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
lol 9_9

botmeister 20-02-2005 11:03

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Lextalionis, this beta test update is designed to detect hung programs and shut them down for a restart. Give it a try and let me know what happens.

meanloader121.zip

lextalionis 27-02-2005 04:46

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Just installed 121, so I'll let you know how it goes...didn't get any srcds.exe runtime error for some time and just got one so decided to give 121 a try.

Lex

lextalionis 01-03-2005 19:03

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
So far so good...btw, how will this latest version take a dialog box with an "OK" button and okay it or close it and restart the service?

Lex

botmeister 02-03-2005 11:03

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
I don't yet know what it will do with either a hung program, or with an error dialog box. I did a test with an infinite loop, but the Windows API call that is supposed to detect a hung program did not think that an infinitely looping program is hung.

robbob4 02-03-2005 15:26

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
But some programs may do that by accident so it would be better if it did that too...

Drek 15-06-2005 14:46

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
This is a 1.21 question. How often does it do a response check? I just want to have an idea whether its best to leave the response cvar at 1, or perhaps try something like 3 or 10 maybe. I just don't want there to be any chance the server will restart because its loading a map or something of that sort.

And does this version fix the crashing when logging off issue?

Now all you need to completely blow the competition away is some kind of web interface... :)

botmeister 15-06-2005 21:16

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
If RestartInterval = 5000 (ms) then a response check will be done once every 5 seconds.


The value of NumOfRespChecks determines how many response checks have to fail in a row for a process to be detected as "dead".


If RestartInterval = 5000 and NumOfRespChecks = 2, then it has to detect no response from the process two times in a row, which will take 10 seconds.

Version 1.21 is working for me in general, but I have not yet seen it detect a hung server. I've tried simulating a hung server using an infinite loop, but as far as the process is concerned, it's humming along just fine. What needs to happen, is the process actually "crashes" by executing a GPF or somehow gets to a point where the API call made to check up on the process no longer gets a response.

Web interface? Hummm, that's a posibility but I won't promise anything until after it's done.

botmeister 15-06-2005 21:19

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Quote:

And does this problem fix the crashing when logging off issue?
Not yet. I did change a few things to try and resolve the problem, but without any luck.

I may have some fresh ideas to explore.

Do you know of any other server restart program that will get around this issue?

Drek 15-06-2005 22:53

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Ah, sorry, ServerLoader was the first restart program I used that I ran as a service, and hence the first one I ever tried to log off with. I used to use the "donation" version of Serverdoc, but it didn't run as a service, and when I tried FireDaemon a few years ago, it was beyond me at the time.

A web interface would be sweet. :)

Drek 15-06-2005 23:08

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Quote:

As for advertising, you are right, the server loader could use more exposure. Any ideas?
I've got a link on my website, I've given ServerLoader good press in the second busiest thread I've seen on the Steam forums, and I posted its own thread on that forum. Eventually you'll have so many hits on your website it will crash, and have to be restarted itself... :)

edit: Wasn't paying attention, sorry for posting twice in a row... :|

edit again:
Quote:

've given ServerLoader good press in the second busiest thread I've seen on the Steam forums
Ok it isn't the second busiest by a long shot, but it is in the top twenty...

botmeister 16-06-2005 10:55

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
Hey thanks for the thumbs up :)

skeletorsue 27-06-2005 08:40

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
ook.. i think this was discussed a lot in this.. but was just wondering if anything has been found out.. and that is on my server i always get the reference memory at blah blah and something or another.... something about performing a physical memory dumb... and this stops anything from restarting the server... cuz you have to click ok. i tried making this batch file that automatically restarts it if it crashes... but not if that happens.. just like i just tried the mean server loader.. and it did the same thing.. cuz i have this map.. that EVERYTIME i switch to it.. it gives me this error, and i did this.. got the error.. let it sit for about 2 mins.. and it didn't do anything.. clickd ok.. and server started right back up... sooo yea.. i was just wondering if this could be workd around? or something.

botmeister 27-06-2005 09:36

Re: MeanLoader Server Startup
 
You have to turn off "Visual Notification". There's instructions on how to do this in Step 2 found in the readme1st.txt file.


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