Drupal 6 was EOL in 2015, there are already exploits in the wild and there is always a chance that more will come. I don't see the upside to still host it with drupal?
It doesn't matter if it's EOL? If it works, it works. Security can always be patched in manually when you find what is being exploited (if there is even an exploit happening). I have a lot of PHP 5.3 servers that are technically EOL too, but who cares? My software still works, and I know exactly how to work with it.
Just because something is old doesn't mean it's broken or bad. I've been iterating this point several times over the years here. For example, it's great that Reborn is being updated so it works on later versions of Visual Studio, but rather than wasting all of that time there, the time could have gone into actually getting a reborn release out using whatever old tools work rather than playing with new utilities, operating systems (XP is still fine), frameworks, the next hot thing, etc. It's been suggested that some people here will write a node.js solution to what existed. Because that's easy... not. I wrote a PHP platform that replaces craigslist (even that was a large undertaking) that could be converted to handle mod categorization, uploading, and downloading, but even that would take me a few weeks of work...
Though it may not be ideal or very well implemented, a lot of time and effort went into the AAAA DP6 setup. It would be a shame to have to do it all over again unless we can come up with something similar that is better and can be done relatively quickly... a lot of problems with the DP6 AAAA platform could be mitigated (if I remember correctly from when I last touched all this stuff in 2016), and it could continue to serve its purpose as a mod DB. Nothing more, nothing less. And, it essentially would be run in its own virtual container (as Todesengel mentioned) to keep it from possibly affecting anything else. A lot of files would need to be cleaned up to prevent the possible inclusion of additional random exploitable scripts, which is what was happening to AAAA recently. It wasn't viruses or malware... it was PHP scripts that have nothing to do with the majority of the site that come from other places or were left on the hard drive in randomly accessible places for no reason that attackers have figured out how to exploit.
Browse MOHAA Servers Post GameSpy Era
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Medal of Honor: Game Server Browser Fixer - Patches your MOHAA, MOHSH, and MOHBT game binaries to allow you to retrieve a list of game servers within the multi-player menu in-game even after GameSpy ceases operation!
Medal of Honor: Query Launcher - Find, browse, organize, join, get your ping, and get more information regarding all Medal of Honor (AA, SH, & BT) servers from your PC at any time!
Medal of Honor: Web Server Master List - Find and browse all Medal of Honor servers online using your browser!
Add your Medal of Honor Server to the Master List
YouTube Video for Medal of Honor: Query Launcher and MOHAASERVERS.TK!
MOHAA Mods and UtilitiesOwN-3m-All's Mods
Make Me Stock - A program that allows you to easily move-in and move-out non-stock mods and other files at the click of a button. Automates adding / removing mods without having to copy / move files manually.
Quality Game Servers
Rent dedicated Dallas Texas, Kansas City, Las Vegas Nevada, Chicago, Pennsylvania, and Sofia Bulgaria MOHAA and other game servers from We Be HostiN starting at $10 a month.
The current site has languished for quite a long time. Security issues first then compromises and attacks next. Searches that do not work. Most people have been using google to search for mods rather than coming to the site and visiting and perhaps seeing other things (like the forums) to build interest. I'm not saying it was badly done, it just had issues after development was complete and those issues seemed to never get revisited.
I could host it on a lamp stack immediately if it was a matter of the server going down 'tomorrow'; I'd be willing to take the risk if that was the case. But it's not - I was willing to pay for a few months to keep it in-situ (ie. at arms length) till it could be cleaned or re-implemented or re-written as the situation calls for. A side benefit was buying time for the people moving other services (the gameservers and the forum).
I am less concerned about the technology used to write it. The last thing needed is weeks of discussion over what new whizbang shiny object technology should be used. Let the folks who are prepared to donate their time and shoulder the burden use whatever stack they are comfortable with. Of course, I agree there is a reasonableness (maintainability) test - it wouldn't be cool if someone wrote it in Visual COBOL just cause that was their thing.
I was hoping to collaborate with Shadow such that he and I could both admin the thing, spreading the workload (in the past he's indicated that would be a good idea). It's easiest for me to support it if I'm involved in the architecture. That's been a driver in the way I approached it, FWIW.
In summary, I'm glad there is a vibrant community interested in not just preserving it but enhancing it. I probably go looking through it most days and I suspect many here do as well. No one wants to see it go away. I was ready to jump in and spearhead but will step back if that's appropriate. Given this group, I'm sure the final solution will be awesome whatever it is!
Best,
Tode
I'm reading the post and I see that it's going to point that we will wait for HSB to chose one of guys, but in my opinion decision should be made by what will be the best for MOHAA community and fastest. Honestly, and no offense, but I think that if Todes already raised hand to help, took actions, have time and because he is seen in dev community everyday, then he should be let to do it firstly. Instead of starting long essays about ideas and who would what do there could be initial things already started.
Also:
I have impression that "It works enough well" approach was already implemented into aaaa, but... it didnt worked too well.It doesn't matter if it's EOL? If it works, it works. Security can always be patched in manually when you find what is being exploited (if there is even an exploit happening).
its already a success as far as I’m concerned. As James requested we have brainstormed and come up with multiple solutions possible to save a resource we all use, the community has come through! I honestly don’t care which solution is chosen. I’ll get behind whatever is decided as long as it keeps the resource up and at least searchable.
1. Make a dump of the mods database
2. Move all the files (around 150 - 200GB) somewhere
3. Write a simple frontend with search option for legacy DB (readonly for now) - better solution can be developed as time goes on
4. Add missing sections to xNULL forums so people can find their place here. Maybe also move some relevant threads etc. that are of some value
5. Clans that had game server hosted and they paid will have to look for hosting elsewhere, or try options proposed by own3mall if they are ok with pings
6. TeamSpeak - I don't know how many people used it. If not that much - maybe it's better for them to migrate to Discord (which is free, at least for now and has voice chat as well). If there is serious demand for TS - maybe Todesengel or own3mall will be able to help
Important thing - if traffic moves over here - I would try to be extra sure we are safe and have frequent backups because we can attract hackers/attackers that were pita for MOHAAAA
Hi all read through the posts means a lot to be honest that you all rallying to keep it going.... mmm
So look I need to point out a few things and to be fair agree with all the posts above...... Because myself and own3mall and James spent a few months trying to upgrade the dog I need to state that what Own3mall is saying is perhaps a better direction short term....... Secure keep running then other options can be worked on.....
To be fair when I built it on Drupal 6 it was cool - loads of support and loads of third party modules filled the gaps I needed to create the site and DB - the forums have never been the issue we moved platforms a few times on forums and most recent we moved the forums to VB but couldnt find a solution to the DB and when me Own3mall and James tryed to migrate to Drupal 7 / 8 the third party mods would not auto migrate as not supported so we were loosing to much data.......
So I am no longer a decide factor on its migration its up to you guys and really thankfull you are looking at saving it all so thank you !!! means a lot something I have ttryed to update and maintain with help for a while..........but failed doh the main issues is Drupal is evolving to quick and they neglect for it been open source and do NOT support legacy doh.... So for every none supported code I used its left it none upgrade-able but honestly at the time I was able to deliver a solution that many have used but that flocked upgrade path - my fault I used third party modules that are not supported so hence the migration nightmare legacy of Heatsink doh ---- but with out Drupal 6 I would have struggled to deliver so at the time it was best fit..........
So suggested path................
Funding ok perhaps short term to keep AAAA running but MAW clan who have been a major supporter of AAAA have downsized this month still remain onboard - and honestly miss our Linda rest in peace you were legend xxxxxxxx
So suggest path forward.......
Secure up as is - I had to roll back two months as the Forum was corrupt so I think I lost some of the security fixes Own3mall and James did my fault the backup failed after the last attack but must add after your fixes the site and server were stable for a month so sorry I lost your work.............
Because I have tryed so hard to update the architecture its a nightmare sorry so do take the following path .......as a suggestion
Re attempt manual patches to secure existing site they worked and community will hopefully fund a few months.......
Teamspeak hosting low cost copy and paste directory will run on any windows server ----if you convert to linux fine but the users are paid up......
Database as above keep it running secure up and then review options but allow development and bloody shadow keeps on finding stuff to add so needs to be able to add.... thanks dude !!!!!
Only thing to add on forums is is they need to be kept loads of helps on legacy AAAA and VB reboot with james but yeh not loads of new traffic on AAAA but loads of good old fixes on the old forums - example legacy one old AAAA Drupal 6 forum still online and think its good security issues but shows up on google so many fantastic posts from users on all sorts....perhaps restrict posting and redirect to new home but dont loose the data its important ----players talking about mods you guys created 15 years + go !!!!!
So do break fix and then may be make it better but seen so many large scale projects fail keep it running dudes !!! legends love you all !!!!
So access to the AAAA dedi is James and Ubersoldier - Ubersoldier is keeping it running James access to download and secure and improve but already hosting is reporting lag due to research ...... perhaps migrate hosting to alternate solutions and then we can remove the hosting issue...........
Windows RDP lags server when host is accessing server....................
Looks like the downloads are 40GB in size. I have RDP access to heatsink's server as well from previous work to cleanup and remove exploits. I've got some time tomorrow, so I'll try to get a dump of the database, zip the files, and see if I can't get it up and running on one of my Linux VMs.
Can someone provide me with a reproducible example where some feature or download does NOT work from the AAAA downloads section? This will help me look into what could possibly wrong / fixed for once we get it re-imported elsewhere.
Browse MOHAA Servers Post GameSpy Era
VISIT MOHREBORN.COM FOR LATEST INFORMATION
Medal of Honor: Game Server Browser Fixer - Patches your MOHAA, MOHSH, and MOHBT game binaries to allow you to retrieve a list of game servers within the multi-player menu in-game even after GameSpy ceases operation!
Medal of Honor: Query Launcher - Find, browse, organize, join, get your ping, and get more information regarding all Medal of Honor (AA, SH, & BT) servers from your PC at any time!
Medal of Honor: Web Server Master List - Find and browse all Medal of Honor servers online using your browser!
Add your Medal of Honor Server to the Master List
YouTube Video for Medal of Honor: Query Launcher and MOHAASERVERS.TK!
MOHAA Mods and UtilitiesOwN-3m-All's Mods
Make Me Stock - A program that allows you to easily move-in and move-out non-stock mods and other files at the click of a button. Automates adding / removing mods without having to copy / move files manually.
Quality Game Servers
Rent dedicated Dallas Texas, Kansas City, Las Vegas Nevada, Chicago, Pennsylvania, and Sofia Bulgaria MOHAA and other game servers from We Be HostiN starting at $10 a month.