The Open Cave

Yesterday, a very serious problem has arisen. In the CWE/Plasma source for the client is a file (Plasma/FeatureLib/pfSurface/plLayerBink.cpp) that a Cyantist nearly verbatim copied from the Bink SDK by RAD Game Tools which is released under a proprietary license. By releasing the source under the GPL, Cyan has violated the license agreement with RAD Game Tools. Now, RAD Game Tools will seriously prosecute Cyan if this file is not removed *immediately*.

Thus, the file I mentioned has to be completely removed out of the whole history of every existing fork (there are 38 at least on GitHub, more on Bitbucket and OpenURU) of the source. In an attempt to solve this nearly impossible problem, we are also forced to supply an emergency update as soon as the file is gone from our source.

I hope to release this update until this weekend. Here is an overview of what will change (and might even break the client):

• We will remove everything connected to Bink until an open source solution is found, i.e.: The TOC startup age will either be removed or adjusted and the Intro videos will be ignored.
• We are switching to the VC2012 runtime. I hope to make the transition smooth for the players but you might have to run a new installer (I plan to release with/after the update) and maybe even reinstall the TOC client.
• Due to some changes in my build environment, XP players could experience problems with the client. I hope I can react to bug reports as soon as possible.
• Also some good news: The latest (awesome) fixes and improvements by the H-uru/GoW devs, that will also be released on the Gehn shard soon, will be included in this update.

I hope everything will work as smoothly and comfortable as possible but I'm sorry for any inconvenience that might come up in an emergency situation like that.

Update: We also removed the current TOC-Moul Installer until the problem is solved.
Update 2: Oh, seriously, now they noticed that there are two more files that need to be purged... This is gonna be a fun weekend...
------
Gestern tauchte ein ernsthaftes Problem auf. Im CWE/Plasma-Quellcode des Spiels befindet sich eine Datei (Plasma/FeatureLib/pfSurface/plLayerBink.cpp), die ein Cyan Mitarbeiter beinahe wortwörtlich aus dem Bink SDK von RAD Game Tools kopiert hat. Dieses wurde unter einer proprietären Lizenz veröffentlicht. Durch das Veröffentlichen des URU-Codes unter der GPL hat Cyan die Lizenzvereinbarung mit RAD Game Tools verletzt. Jetzt will RAD Game Tools Cyan ernsthaft belangen, wenn die besagte Datei nicht *sofort* entfernt wird.

Deshalb muss die genannte Datei vollständig aus der gesamten Historie aller existierender Forks (davon gibt allein 38 auf GitHub, weitere bei BitBucket und OpenURU) des Quellcodes entfernt werden. Um dieses, beinahe unmögliche, Problem zu lösen, sind wir auch dazu gezwungen ein "Notfall-Update" zu veröffentlichen, sobald die Datei entfernt wurde.

Ich hoffe dieses Update bis zum Wochenende fertig zu stellen. Hier eine Übersicht, was sich ändern wird (und evtl. sogar das Spiel instabil machen könnte):

• Wir werden alles, was mit Bink in Verbindung steht entfernen, bis eine Open Source Lösung gefunden wurde, d.h.: Die TOC Charakterauswahl wird entweder entfernt oder verändert und die Intro videos werden ignoriert.
• Wir stellen auf die Runtime von VC2012 um. Ich möchte diese Umstellung so leicht wie möglich gestalten, aber es könnte sein, dass ihr einen neuen Installer (den ich mit/nach dem Update veröffentlichen will) laufen lassen und vielleicht sogar den TOC neu installieren müsst.
• Durch ein paar Änderungen in meiner Entwicklungsumgebung, könnten XP-Benutzer einige Probleme mit dem Cleint bekommen. Ich hoffe auf Probleme so schnell wie möglich reagieren zu können.
• Außerdem gute Nachrichten: Die neusten (großartigen) Fixes und Verbesserungen der H-uru/GoW Entwickler, die auch bald auf dem Gehn Shard erscheinen, werden in diesem Update enthalten sein.

Ich hoffe alles verläuft so flüssig und einfach wie möglich, aber ich entschuldige mich schonmal für alle Unannehmlichkeiten, die durch diese Notfallsituation entstehen können.

Update: Bis das Problem gelöst ist, haben wir auch den aktuellen TOC-Moul Installer entfernt.
Update 2: Oh, ernsthaft, jetzt haben sie bemerkt, dass es noch 2 weitere Dateien gibt die eliminiert werden müssen... Das wird ein tolles Wochenende...

I use XP SP3. What kind of problems might I expect?

Cal

I'm not sure, I hope none and I will test basic functionality before releasing the update.

(@Seppolo)
Die Schuld liegt hier erstmal nicht bei Cyan, jedenfalls nicht direkt. Cyan hat für sich selbst eine völlig legale Bink-Lizenz, nur hat der zuständige Programmierer der entsprechenden Teile diese damals nicht (z.B. durch Kommentare im Quelltext) als Kopie gekennzeichnet. Inzwischen hat Cyan wohl <10 Mitarbeiter und Chogon (oder wer auch immer) konnte beim Durchsehen des Codes vor der Veröffentlichung natürlich nicht mehr wissen, dass die Datei "geklaut" ist und nun eine Lizenz verletzt. Jetzt hat RAD das bemerkt und alle Entwickler dürfen die Suppe auslöffeln. Und das sogar (siehe update2 im ersten post) zum zweiten Mal...

Lustige Randnotiz: Außerdem darf Cyan wegen der GPL-Lizenz keinen Client veröffentlichen der nicht Open Source ist. Ergo müssen sie möglichst bald Bink aus MOULa entfernen und selbst dort werden dann die Videos fehlen. Ihre Bink-Lizenz ist dann sowieso umsonst.
------
Also in English, if you're interested:
This is not really Cyan's fault, at least not directly. Cyan owns a completely legal Bink license, but the Cyan programmer of these parts did not mark the files (e.g. with commentaries) as copied, back then. Now, Cyan has probably <10 employees and Chogon (or whoever) could not know that the file has been "stolen" and will now violate a license when he checked the source code before they released it. RAD noticed that and now all developers have to fix the issue. And that even (see update2 in the first post) for the second time...

Funny side-note: Furthermore, Cyan may, because of the GPL license, not release a client without source. Thus, they have to remove Bink too as soon as possible and the videos in MOULa will be missing. Their Bink license will be useless anyway, then.

There was no reason to remove the installer, can you put that back since it is going to take awhile to fix the issue?

Indeed there is. Until we do not have a client that does not violate a license, we cannot distribute it.
The installer included an older version of the client that would still have those Bink cpp files in it and it would also violate the GPL as we may not distribute a client without it's source.

Mystler wrote:Indeed there is. Until we do not have a client that does not violate a license, we cannot distribute it.
The installer included an older version of the client that would still have those Bink cpp files in it and it would also violate the GPL as we may not distribute a client without it's source.

But I don't understand why remove it before there is a new one for its place?

Sorry, I'm really getting messed up. That last post cut off some sentences I put afterwards, then it didn't allow edits so I have to make another one just to say this...

Okay, Mystler, your version is the official version. What Seppolo tried to say, there might be an unofficial version, for which reasons soever?

Regarding OpenUru to me there are some big mysteriums. Maybe somebody can clear them up (maybe I should post this in a more appropriate forum?):

• Before Cyan World Inc. handled over the game to the Open Source team they had to check the contents against licences from third parties, of course. And because they knew to which companies they paid licence fees, it were been an easy thing to address to these companies and ask them to check the contents for violating their interests. And because the game (parts of it) was going to become Open Source, that would be possible without violating the interests of Cyan World Inc. -- Why did this not happen in the past but does in the present? I think it is missing respect for the OpenUru team!
• We have Cavcon, we have Cavcon parties, we have prayer mill like appeals to donate. But why shall I donate to a service which is driven by a commercial company? That's not donating, that's paying a fee, even it is free up to me paying! Either Cyan World Inc. builds a group of volunteers inside or the financial aspect of this game service remains their problem.
  BTW I already donated long ago for full ten month (March till December). I am not an experienced online user, so I cannot tell what would be a fair amount. I can tell the amount, if anybody wishes, and we can discuss whether it was enough money or not. But it seems to me the level of donating to Cyan World Inc. is a further mysterium.
• What has OpenUru to do with Cyan World Inc.? Why must we players fetch every new developed game version from the Myst Online servers. There has to be a static, unchanged game version provided from Cyan World Inc. The OpenUru team releases a patcher which we player run over the Cyan's static, unchanged game client and then we get the newest OpenUru client which we can play without Cyan World Inc. Why shall Cyan World Inc. get profits from the latest improvements from the OpenUru team? IMO "Myst Online: Uru Live" is still a commercial figurehead of Cyan World Inc.!

So this is my view of the things around OpenUru. I do not want to offend anybody, just published my thoughts!