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November Update
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Liam Dawe Nov 3, 2019
Hello everyone, another monthly roundup of things done recently.

Here's a few bits and pieces that were done since the last monthly update:

  • Upgraded the Wiki to a much more recent version.
  • Added an automatic note to the GOL Forum when a post is edited, just like comments have. Helps prevent confusion and trolling. Also fixed a bit of a grammar issue with the note.
  • Added an image comparison slider to GOL for screenshots, see it in action here.
  • You can now turn off GOL notifications for when you're quoted in a post. See the settings page. May you find your stay more peaceful if you want it :)
  • Our Monthly Statistics page will now tell you if your profile is set to not be included. Hopefully that will be a little extra help to prevent confusion.
  • User profiles on GOL now have a direct link to the Monthly Statistics page below the PC Info box to hopefully bring more attention to it.
  • A VR question was added to the Monthly Survey, update your profiles!
  • The Crowdfunding Page expanded some more! Even more projects are now listed, plus it will actually put you back to the top now when changing pages.
  • We teamed up with GOG and Walkabout for the Linux release of Wanderlust Travel Stories, to offer a 33% discount! (discount ended Nov 2). Really awesome to see developers reach out to us to arrange things like this, some extra validation of all the work we put in.
  • Articles will now once again have the game as a tag next to the genres, the tag can be clicked to go to a dedicated page about that game along with links to other articles about them. It may take us a quite a while to fill it all up though (manual process). Just an easier way for you to find info on games. An example can be seen here for CS:GO.
  • Game pages now have a link for logged in users to suggest tags if they wish, like the Free Games page has.
  • Articles posted since the last monthly update on October 17th: 109

We have plans to extend game pages to make them more useful. Including comments, ratings and so on. GOL is much more than a news site, we're a community and we have a huge database of games we're currently not doing enough with. That will change.

The Advanced Forum Search also had a minor overhaul:
  • When you search, it now tells you what forum the post was in with a link at the end
  • Added searching by username to the advanced search
  • Added an extra search option on the advanced search page to list topics by a specific user, without searching the title text to just list their topics
  • Added pagination as previously it was hard-coded to 30 items
  • Made it so you can only search forums your user is allowed to view...woops

Hopefully that might helping finding a specific interesting forum post or perhaps a helpful guide someone posted.

As a side effect of the forum search upgrade, I double checked the code for the article search page and found that the pagination was a bit broken. It would only ever return the first 50 titles, that was also fixed.

The News Punch roundup podcast also returned, finally! Episode 20 can be found here.

Final point: I'm looking for your feedback on what you think are some truly noteworthy events in the history of Linux gaming for our upcoming timeline page. Let me know any you think should be listed on it. Ps. Here's a tiny preview of the timeline (heavy W.I.P!!), lots to do on it to make it look better, just needed something basic to start adding to it.

Last edited by Liam Dawe on 3 November 2019 at 8:51 pm UTC
Termy Nov 22, 2019
Did anything change here in regards to cookies?
Roughly since this update i constantly get logged out "overnight". I've got *.gamingonlinux.com whitelisted for cookies and alreaddy deleted cookies and localstorage, to no avail.
Liam Dawe Nov 22, 2019
Quoting: TermyDid anything change here in regards to cookies?
Roughly since this update i constantly get logged out "overnight". I've got *.gamingonlinux.com whitelisted for cookies and alreaddy deleted cookies and localstorage, to no avail.
If you're using our standard login, delete all gamingonlinux.com cookies, from all subdomains. If not (Steam login or whatever), let me know.
hagabaka Nov 22, 2019
About the timeline, I think it currently contains too much about ports and Steam, and too little about Linux native and open source games. I don't have suggestions on specific entries to add, and I know it would take an encyclopedia to include everything Linux gaming related. But if the timeline needs to be kept brief, it should have a more balanced selection of entries.
Termy Nov 23, 2019
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: TermyDid anything change here in regards to cookies?
Roughly since this update i constantly get logged out "overnight". I've got *.gamingonlinux.com whitelisted for cookies and alreaddy deleted cookies and localstorage, to no avail.
If you're using our standard login, delete all gamingonlinux.com cookies, from all subdomains. If not (Steam login or whatever), let me know.

I'm using the standard login. I tried deleting cookies and localstorage again, removed the whitelist, closed the browser, re-added the whitelist (i'm using https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/cookie-autodelete/ btw) and today i'm logged out again. To me it seems it is either triggered overnight or with a reboot. If i just close the tabs/browser and re-open i seem to stay logged in. Haven't tried rebooting explicitly, but i can't really imagine that to be the case, right?
No other site is showing this behaviour, so it also doesn't look like an issue with the addon.
Worked fine for years before and i didn't change any settings prior to the occurrence. (at least that i know of xD)
Liam Dawe Nov 23, 2019
Quoting: Termy
Quoting: Liam Dawe
Quoting: TermyDid anything change here in regards to cookies?
Roughly since this update i constantly get logged out "overnight". I've got *.gamingonlinux.com whitelisted for cookies and alreaddy deleted cookies and localstorage, to no avail.
If you're using our standard login, delete all gamingonlinux.com cookies, from all subdomains. If not (Steam login or whatever), let me know.

I'm using the standard login. I tried deleting cookies and localstorage again, removed the whitelist, closed the browser, re-added the whitelist (i'm using https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addon/cookie-autodelete/ btw) and today i'm logged out again. To me it seems it is either triggered overnight or with a reboot. If i just close the tabs/browser and re-open i seem to stay logged in. Haven't tried rebooting explicitly, but i can't really imagine that to be the case, right?
No other site is showing this behaviour, so it also doesn't look like an issue with the addon.
Worked fine for years before and i didn't change any settings prior to the occurrence. (at least that i know of xD)
Next time it happens, can you check exactly what cookies you have for gamingonlinux.com before logging in again and take note?

We had a problem a while ago where login didn't stick but that was solved, weird to see it come up again as we're doing nothing at all fancy. Standard login setup really.
Termy Nov 23, 2019
Quoting: Liam DaweNext time it happens, can you check exactly what cookies you have for gamingonlinux.com before logging in again and take note?

We had a problem a while ago where login didn't stick but that was solved, weird to see it come up again as we're doing nothing at all fancy. Standard login setup really.

I'm almost ashamed i haven't had that idea by myself already... Aye Captain, will do and report back ^^
Termy Nov 24, 2019
Quoting: Liam DaweNext time it happens, can you check exactly what cookies you have for gamingonlinux.com before logging in again and take note?

We had a problem a while ago where login didn't stick but that was solved, weird to see it come up again as we're doing nothing at all fancy. Standard login setup really.

OK so i was logged out again today, took a look at the cookies before and after login:
To protect your privacy, external media requires approval to load. Source: img8.myimg.de
View cookie preferences.
Accept & Show Accept All & Don't show this again   Direct Link

and after login:
To protect your privacy, external media requires approval to load. Source: img8.myimg.de
View cookie preferences.
Accept & Show Accept All & Don't show this again   Direct Link


expiry dates look good, creation and accessed date are in 2038 though? O_o
Liam Dawe Nov 24, 2019
After login, the cookies look fine. Creation date we don't set manually, weird it shows as 2038 for you heh, that won't affect anything though.

Something somewhere must have wiped them, but I can't be sure on what exactly. The only time our code wipes cookies are when your session is completely expired (not logged in for 1-2 months) or you manually logout.

However, last night I did fix an issue where the session expiry didn't match cookie expiry (one was 30 days, one was 60 days - woops), they now share the same timing code parsed to the format each needs.

Still, that shouldn't have caused an issue where people are logged out after only a day, so more investigation is needed.

However, I've looked over the code and discovered something possibly stupid I've done with the way we store sessions which I THINK might actually be causing this. Will update when I've adjusted (not a security issue, just dumb). Actually that bit was fine, mmm.

Last edited by Liam Dawe on 24 November 2019 at 1:06 pm UTC
Shmerl Nov 24, 2019
Is there a way to post two screenshots with such slider? I.e. what is the forum code for it?
Liam Dawe Nov 24, 2019
Quoting: ShmerlIs there a way to post two screenshots with such slider? I.e. what is the forum code for it?
Nope, that's only implemented in articles right now.
Shmerl Nov 24, 2019
As for timeline, dxvk becoming mostly functional is a major milestone. It happened around October 13, 2018.

See: http://jason-blog.jlekstrand.net/2018/10/transform-feedback-is-terrible-so-why.html
Liam Dawe Nov 24, 2019
Ah screw it, why not, might be useful.

[compare]
To protect your privacy, external media requires approval to load. Source: www.gamingonlinux.com
View cookie preferences.
Accept & Show Accept All & Don't show this again   Direct Link
[/compare]

Used by:
[compare]![](URL ONE)![](URL TWO)[/compare]
Has to be all together, no extra spacing or lines.
Termy Nov 25, 2019
Quoting: Liam DaweAfter login, the cookies look fine. Creation date we don't set manually, weird it shows as 2038 for you heh, that won't affect anything though.

Something somewhere must have wiped them, but I can't be sure on what exactly. The only time our code wipes cookies are when your session is completely expired (not logged in for 1-2 months) or you manually logout.

However, last night I did fix an issue where the session expiry didn't match cookie expiry (one was 30 days, one was 60 days - woops), they now share the same timing code parsed to the format each needs.

Still, that shouldn't have caused an issue where people are logged out after only a day, so more investigation is needed.

However, I've looked over the code and discovered something possibly stupid I've done with the way we store sessions which I THINK might actually be causing this. Will update when I've adjusted (not a security issue, just dumb). Actually that bit was fine, mmm.

i just looked at the cookies on my windoze-office-pc, and got more or less the same there. Only this time, the _cfduid cookie has 1577019437 as expiry date (last login was friday morning).
That expiry date has not changed after login though?
Liam Dawe Nov 25, 2019
Quoting: Termy
Quoting: Liam DaweAfter login, the cookies look fine. Creation date we don't set manually, weird it shows as 2038 for you heh, that won't affect anything though.

Something somewhere must have wiped them, but I can't be sure on what exactly. The only time our code wipes cookies are when your session is completely expired (not logged in for 1-2 months) or you manually logout.

However, last night I did fix an issue where the session expiry didn't match cookie expiry (one was 30 days, one was 60 days - woops), they now share the same timing code parsed to the format each needs.

Still, that shouldn't have caused an issue where people are logged out after only a day, so more investigation is needed.

However, I've looked over the code and discovered something possibly stupid I've done with the way we store sessions which I THINK might actually be causing this. Will update when I've adjusted (not a security issue, just dumb). Actually that bit was fine, mmm.

i just looked at the cookies on my windoze-office-pc, and got more or less the same there. Only this time, the _cfduid cookie has 1577019437 as expiry date (last login was friday morning).
That expiry date has not changed after login though?
_cfduid is set by cloudflare, not us :)
Termy Nov 25, 2019
Quoting: Liam Dawe_cfduid is set by cloudflare, not us :)
Ah ok...so it really must be something on your side if the cf cookie persists?
Anything more i can do to troubleshoot? The Value should't be of intrest, right?
Liam Dawe Nov 25, 2019
Honestly if it continues happening, I'm at a loss.
eldaking Nov 25, 2019
Hmm, I am also being logged out frequently. I login with my Steam account, and that stays logged in, but I have to re-confirm for GOL pretty often.
Termy Nov 25, 2019
Quoting: Liam DaweHonestly if it continues happening, I'm at a loss.

it's happening basically daily on two machines :/
It isn't rebooting or something like that either - i've checked GoL 2h ago and now i was logged out.
now i checked after loading the site but before login, there was a cookie "gol_announce_29" value "set" that was not there the last few times...

It there some kind of account reset you can do?
eldaking Nov 25, 2019
Wow, I logged in to post, and right now just had to login again. I didn't even close my browser in the meantime. I assumed it happened daily or something.
Liam Dawe Nov 25, 2019
Yeah, I think at this point we're going to need to rip out the entire login system and re-do it. Just can't pinpoint why it's happening at all. There should be no reason for cookies to suddenly vanish, when the date they're given is for 60 days. The issue happens to me too, I've been trying to track why for half a year at least.

Something, somewhere, is causing the cookie to be wiped.

Last edited by Liam Dawe on 25 November 2019 at 7:34 pm UTC
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