Automated server script is BACK and IMPROVED

So I finally got Verizon to assign me a new IP address last night, meaning I (and the stats script) can once again access Nexon. Wohoo!

I havn't just been sitting idly by, though. With some input from saiyr, I have redesigned the script. Remember that old, horrid, text based configuration? "Do not neglect the &"? Confusing, huh?

Well not anymore! Click the edit link to see the changes... (Wiki admins please leave me (Or Angevon, or Saiyr) a note so I (we) can give you administrator access to the script [Blocking changes, stopping any vandals, ectect])

Eeh. Leaving that advanced configuration portion seems a bit risky. You can't really get caught for editing it, so it seems somewhat prone to vandalism (unless others cant edit it? I havent tried.)

As you'll see when I make you an admin, we have IP logs of everything done on the site. You can see the IP address thats vandalizing (or changing any values) and either block them (Might add that option to the admin panel) or link them to a wiki account. I'm inclined to let it stay - if it becomes an issue I can always remove it.

I remember that one of the images, I believe the offline image, was damaged. Have you fixed this?

I think so, you can check. The images on the config page are the same ones used by the script.

They were the images that came off your server, not the wiki. The wiki images where fine, but the images from you server, which the script linked to, were not. Unless you've fixed it so that the script now uses the images from the wiki.

No, that's impractical due to the wiki's nature of placing images in random areas. However, I saved the images off the wiki in the first place - they should all be the same.

The directory and file name is consistent after the file has been uploaded.

It was a limitation of the old script that the images all had to be in the same directoy. This wasn't possible with the wiki due to it placing images in random directoies (a security feature, i assume...)

Anyway the new script has been sufficiently redesigned so that this no longer applies. I was just using my server's copies out of habit. When I get home later today, I'll change the script to uae wiki images.

Although I do wonder... if someone uploads a new version of an image, does it change the url of the image?

As in the wiki.mabinogiworld.com/somedir/image.png

Make sure IJ knows you're using the wiki images from off site, otherwise he might eventually ask why someone is leeching them.

I'll do that, but for the record, it wouldnt look like leeching - just someone(s) viewing the images with a broswer (same as if they were visiting the wiki itself)

I don't know if iframes behave the same but usually following links to images or other pages generate referral headers that show what page the link/image is on and these are logged. This can be disabled by the user but most people don't bother. It used to be used frequently to prevent image leeching. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_referer

I thought that only applied to web page requests. I stand corrected.

“	Although I do wonder... if someone uploads a new version of an image, does it change the url of the image?	„

Just tried this. Basically, the Automatic image is located at http://wiki.mabinogiworld.com/images/9/91/AutomaticStatus.png.

If we upload a new version, the current image gets moved to http://wiki.mabinogiworld.com/images/archive/9/91/20120330200409!AutomaticStatus.png

and

the new uploaded file gets moved to http://wiki.mabinogiworld.com/images/9/91/AutomaticStatus.png.

This means that we can use the wiki to update/modify the images with no action necessary on my part.

http://rh.scottketelaar.com/MabiServerStat/offline.png is not the same as File:Mabinogi server offline.png. In fact, there is a dark line between the two fs in the former that shouldn't be there.

Fixed. Any others?

Someone has been seriously been messing with the settings. Showing the servers as either off-line or in error. Is there any way to better secure the script in a way to prevent the vandalism?

All the wiki admins have access to IP logs. If the statuses are incorrect, and keep getting changed incorrectly, let us know ASAP along with the server.

Well, someone has just set the override for all servers and channel to error. I know that there is no trouble on Tarlach. Previously, it and the login servers was set to being offline when they weren't. So I am highly suspect of any changes to the servers' statuses and think that someone is trolling the settings.

Somebody is definitely messing with it. I saw more false errors so I went to fix it, and while I was trying to there was an error because somebody else made it even worse.

OK, I'll get in touch with Angevon and maybe issue some bans.

I think it may be better to return to the old system, despite it being more clunky. At least then, they had to create an account and it was much easier for regular users to spot the vandal.

I've been hearing that the log in server is having problems for some people so that could be why.

Someone has set everything to be in error again. So there is some clear vandalism going on here. :(

This changing of the server status problem was something I had mentioned earlier on the Alexina Server Status post. I would suggest that if someone manually changes the status of any of the servers, they are required to also put in an explanation/description of why on that server's page or the main "Current Game Status" page.

Also i should add that sabina has posted a warning on the forums. [1]

I've blocked the offending IP. Angevon, waiting on you for lookups. @Farix, the old system wasn't just clunky, it was insecure as hell. @Aaron, excellent idea. I'll get to work on that.

You think the person behind trolling the server statuses is also behind to DDoS attack? Perhaps you should report the IPs to Nexon.

I would doubt it, this wasn't a script or bot. This was some person who, intentional or not, was testing the integrity of the system. I'm going to add a feature to prevent spamming from one IP aswell. It appears to have settled down, now?

K, then I'm going back to working on updating these tailoring/blacksmithing manuals for the xml file.

Thanks for the report, I can't watch the logs 24/7 >.<

I went ahead to lookup the IP, but no results came up.

We need a better way to do this than me hopping on IRC all the time. Could we add a column to my ip banned table, something about "Wiki Account", then I can set it to "Need lookup". When an admin looks it up, they change it to the account or "Non-existent"?

Or can you think of a better option?

Yeah, you could do that.