Linux support for SCO/RCO?

[obsidian-studios]

In the process of creating a plugin to support use of Firebird RDBMS, I added support to read and write blobs. Now that I am getting down to dealing with sending and receiving the blob. I am noticing that the current release of nwnx on linux does not have support for anything other than strings.

Regardless of any plugin providing support, the core nwnx on linux lacks to hooks to respond to calls other than SetLocalString. I am curious as to how one would go about this? I am guessing since source code is not available that hooks will have to be found by examining the binary. Or during actual execution?

Definetly getting way beyond my skills now, since it looks like asm hooks and etc. I have never worked with assembler before? Comments?

[NoMercy]

There's a few people working at learning how it's done to hunt for the hooks, I'd imagine it's done by putting a breakpoint on the glibc file write commands, and then looking at the stack to see what functions called it, setting breakpoints on those functions to see if there triggered by writes from SetCampaignObject etc, once it's found then writing the code to locate it reliably witin the binary, and then writing the assembley hook.

[obsidian-studios]

Great, looks like this is going to be a real pain/problem. Starting looking myself but I have no clue what tools to use, or where to start? Guess there's never a better time to learn than the present?

If anyone is working on this and has made any progress or would like to collaborate a bit to get this done. Since at the moment you can't store anything but strings with any database on linux. Of course you can store anything that can be converted to string format. However there is no function that I am aware of to turn and object into a string and then back into an object again.

[dguntner]

The ODBC2 plugin on the Windows side is reported as allowing you to store object into the database, but no one has ported it to Linux yet. Any chance you could take a crack at that?

--Dave

[NoMercy]

Dave, that's what the whole topics about :)

[dguntner]

Ok, so I guess I'm confused. Sounded to me like he was talking about something he had done with his own plugin for that database he likes to use, and wanted to know how to hook things so that we can store objects in the database. I was just suggesting that maybe he could work on the one from Windows and use that as a way of doing it.

So like I said, I guess I was confused.

--Dave

[obsidian-studios]

Well I have started hacking into the SCO/RCO code from windows. Although I know nothing about assembler. Nor what I am doing at this point or how to proceed. Any help is welcome if you know C/C++ and most importantly assembler.

I have the entire file ported from win to linux. Not sure on the assembler stuff. Looking into how I can tie those functions into linnwnx so the commands are interrpretted and hooks fired. I am expecting it to implode, fail, etc. But at least that will be some progress.

[dguntner]

Has there been any progress on this project, just out of curiosity?

--Dave

[mfx]

We believe we have made the correct hooks and its now down to assembly coding to get it to work. Unfortunatly I am tied up in work atm but there is a slight chance of progress the upcoming weekend. If not, then the next weekend will have to do for now.

We are making progress, its just a matter of how much time I can spare right now
_________________
MNXJ - Java API for NWN : https://www.sourceforge.net/projects/mnxj/

[obsidian-studios]

We have both been buried with work, which is a good thing. However has not left any time for this. We are in contact with each other and as soon as time permits, we will get back on to this.

Any others looking to help out in the process please let me know. Last we left off, mfx identified some possible hooks. We just have to write asm to test if it's the right hook or not. Then write the redirection asm stuff and etc.

Seems like we are getting close, but I would say maybe 25% of the way. At best.

[dguntner]

Any new word on this yet, by any chance?

--Dave

[mfx]

No progress at all last months. I simply do not have time for it.
We all want this to be a success, but my IRL work needs me more than ever right now.

If there is a linux c++ and assembly dude or dudette out there wanting to take over I will be happy to hand all the code over. You have to be sure you are up for it though. I dont have free time to spend on something that is not helping this project forward.

The hooks are identified but there are some assembly code to be made and then testing.
We are talking about one or two days/nights of coding to get it done if you have the skills.
I can provide you with a lab server and help out along the way.
_________________
MNXJ - Java API for NWN : https://www.sourceforge.net/projects/mnxj/

[dguntner]

Sorry, but I don't have those kinds of coding skills. If I did, believe me I would have already offered.

I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed hoping that you guys will eventually have some time to spend on this. Thanks for the update.

--Dave

[virusman]

[obsidian-studios]

Not really that easy. A bit more to it, and not something that could be put here. I tried several times to get papillion to add either me or mfx to the project on sourceforge. Then we could put the new code in CVS for anyone to look at, comment on, tweak etc. If progress is made, actually have another linux release. However I think nwn2 is not helping in this process. I know it's effected my motivation towards this for the time being at least.