Second Life Upgrade Adds XML-RPC, Partner Bonding

jstrauser writes "According to an email reprinted on the official boards, Linden Labs has released version 1.4 of its PC 'virtual world' MMO, Second Life. It includes many new features, among the most notable is support for XML-RPC. Taken from the email: 'XML-RPC allows data and commands to be sent back and forth between disparate systems over the internet... Some applications for XML-RPC include faster in-world blogging, the ability to send newsfeeds into Second Life and the capacity for store owners to manage their inventory remotely.' Will we ever need to leave the game to use functions like email and web browsing anymore?" Also mentioned in the Second Life update is: "The ability to upload custom animations, to stream music to your parcel... [plus] those of you with Second Life partners can now express your affection for all to see in your profile." We recently covered Second Life in relation to the development freeze for former rival, There Inc.

Windows, anyone?

[KDR_11k]

RPC? As in, "Remote Procedute Call"? As in "RPC vulnerability"? As in "something that should never have been in Windows in first place"? I don't like the sound of this...

Re:Windows, anyone?

[Carnildo]

No.

XML-RPC as in "A way to remotely call code on another computer, using XML over HTTP as the transport medium".

Windows just happens to have a buggy, braindead implementation of the RPC concept, which is why Windows RPC services keep getting wormed.

The reason XML-RPC has been added to SecondLife is to allow users to offload heavy data processing or persistent data storage tasks to computers better able to handle it than the SecondLife servers. For example, if you're developing a video game in SecondLife, you might want to use XML-RPC to store a copy of the high-scores list on a remote server, so you can view it on a web page somewhere.

Re:Windows, anyone?

[Tobias Luetke]

Uhhhhh dangerous half knowledge

In soviet russia, procedure calls you!

Custom Animations!

[DaveKap]

Break out the Poser software, it's time to finally do something I've wanted for a long long time. Actually have an MMO with avatars that do what you want them to do!

Re:Custom Animations!

[TellarHK]

Yeah, they'll be fucking in.. oops, people made those animations during the beta preview phase. They're fuckin' already!

(Alexander Blanc appreciates referral references on SecondLife, by the way. ;)

Re:Custom Animations!

[Carnildo]

So does Carnildo Greenacre, and probably most of the rest of the population.

Linux Version?

[Chilltowner]

I've heard a client was supposed to come out for Linux, but I haven't seen it materialize yet. Shame. I've been wanting to try out a lot of XML-RPC's possibilities, and I've got this nice Linux box here with a static IP that could make it happen--if only I could play their reindeer games.

[world's smallest fiddle starts tuning up]

Re:Linux Version?

[Carnildo]

SecondLife works fairly well under WineX. If you drop by the forums, there's a thread about running on Linux, with a link to a pre-compiled copy of WineX, and instructions on how to modify the WineX source to run SL.

Re:Linux Version?

[TellarHK]

I think the only problem with Linux distribution of an SL client is simply lack of resources to fine-tune things at this point. The backend is all on Linux machines, and the frontend is all designed for portability already having already been ported to OSX with the release of 1.3. The company is expanding the available land at a pretty quick rate lately and even hired a few new folks over the past couple months.

Eventually, they -want- to do a Linux client. It'll just take time and resources. Also, a ni

Re:Linux Version?

[DaveKap]

Mind letting the little people like me know what exactly you mean by "Top 500"?

Re:Linux Version?

[TellarHK]

Sorry, by Top 500 I'm referring to the Top 500 supercomputers in the world. Apparently the cluster of systems used for SecondLife is actually getting close to cracking into that list and might actually be there when the end of the year comes around and the new rankings come out. Every simulator is yet another computer that could contribute to a higher score for the system as a whole.

Second Life Addict

[Michael.Forman]

I signed up for a Second Life (SL) account and now I'm hooked. In addition to the gestures and RPC that's been added in version 1.4, there's an existing feature that readers of Slashdot might be equally interested in. Objects in SL can be animated, manipulated, and enhanced with scripts that have similar syntax to C, Java, and perl.

Having coded perl [michael-forman.com] for years, I was impressed when I read up on their scripting language [secondlife.com]. C, Java, and perl purists should get an account just to celebrate the absence of VB.

Michael. [michael-forman.com]

Hmm... I might be the first, I might not

[^me^]

took me 40 minutes to pick a SL name (choices taken), and now that I've picked one and signed up, I've forgot what the darn thing is... and shucks, I can't view the knowledge base without logging in ... which requires... wait for it.. my SL name!

Brilliant. Not to mention that their confirmation email is nowhere to be seen...

Re:Hmm... I might be the first, I might not

[replicate]

You should email them at [e-mail]. They'll tell you.