How to keep server up to date with client?

[sloejack]

I have an FTB Ultimate server that I stood up about a month ago. I was thinking I could keep it up to date by paying attention to the FTB mod pack version number (1.0.1 when I set it up and now) and yet this past week a mod in the pack (twilight forest) was updated but the version # of the pack was not. So that strategy seems to have failed.

I'm wondering how other admins are keep track of mod changes to keep the clients and servers in sync with the distributed packs. Do you have any suggestions or tricks that you use to stay on top of changes?

 

[heggico]

Just wait for FTB to be updated? FTB does not update after a single mod made a new version, so the new version will not be in the pack immediately.

 

[darkinnit]

I've had a few players report this Twilight Forest incompatibility. It's strange because my client (and most others) doesn't ask to update, but I've had three or four people with mismatched versions of Twilight Forest when running Ultimate 1.0.1.

The solution seems to be to have them disable Twilight Forest and then download the correct version (v1.15.3) from the "Old Versions" section on the Twilight Forest page here:
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic...st-v1170-updated-to-151-the-ur-ghast-awakens/
Get them to put the zip (don't extract it) into their mods folder and then they can connect.

If anyone can figure out why this is happening, I'd love to know

 

[heggico]

Unfortunately, keeping the server updated wouldn't work then either. The few with the update will be able to connect, but then the others would have to manually update twilight to be able to connect. If what your saying is correct and they're using they didn't update the mod themselves, there's probably a mistake in FTB, like an mistaken update.

 

[darkinnit]

Sorry if it wasn't clear from my post. The server is up to date. I was recommending to get the few clients that have this problem to do the manual fix and everyone else remains happy. It might actually be that some clients aren't detecting an update because one of the ones I saw had to disable Twilight v1.14 and download v1.15.3

 

[sloejack]

I think my issue is more fundamental than this. Clearly FTB updated the Ultimate pack with a newer version of Twilight Forest but did not increment the packs version number. Since I was depending on the version number to increment with any changes to the pack as the clue/guide to update the server mods as well this seems to not be a viable strategy.

A question did spring to mind in reading the responses though. As some pointed out, some players didn't have their client update and so they have no issues connecting to the server. New players who just grabbed the pack are the ones experiencing the mod mis-match. Even if I update the server that shifts the mis-match to the older players. If they didn't auto-update, is there a way they can trigger an update? I suspect the root of the issue lies in the not updated version number. My thinking is that if the version changed then FTB would update the pack to the latest version.

 

[darkinnit]

Can you check which version of Twilight you have on the client that doesn't connect? (Look in the mods folder). If it's v1.14 then it's actually that your client is not up-to-date enough (not that it is more up to date than the server). When I first started Ultimate 1.0.1 I had the "there is a new version available" immediately after restarting the client and while I thought nothing of it at the time, I wonder if the first startup download gave me Twilight 1.14 and then the update after restarting took me to Twilight v1.15.3

 

[sloejack]

darkinnit, I understand what you are suggesting. However, that largely doesn't matter to me. If all clients were being consistently updated to 1.15.3 I could deal with that by presumably pulling down the updated server pack and applying the mod and a server re-start. The issue is two-fold; not all clients are getting the update, and there are no other clues to indicate that I should update the server or even if the server pack has been updated.

 

[darkinnit]

There are no clues to update the server because the server is up to date. When the modpack version number increases is the only time the server needs updating. You can also "check for updates" by subscribing to this post here:
http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/threads/ultimate.13719/
At the moment there is only one post because there is only one version. When there is an update to the server coming, they usually add a "in testing" post and then when it is released they change it to "Live".

The problem is entirely with the clients, and as I haven't experienced the problem myself I can't pin it down. But as you are experiencing the problem, if you can get the version number of Twilight Forest from your client, it will help to troubleshoot the issue.

Just in case there is some confusion here, updating your server does not update the clients - the clients download their updates from FTB (creeperhost) servers, not your server. If your clients' Twilight versions are mixed up, it's possibly an issue with the versions that are being provided by FTB or an issue with them detecting an update.

 

[sloejack]

Sorry, either I am not being clear with the problem statement or you are purposefully ignoring what I'm saying.

The current version of the mod client pack listed as v1.0.1 is different that the mod pack distributed previously under the same version number. This is demonstrated in the fact that newer users to my server can not connect due to a mod version conflict with Twilight Forest.

IF stealth updates of the modpacks are commonplace, the question to the community is, what strategy do you follow to keep up to date or keep your server and your players in sync?

The value of the FTB launcher from a server administrators perspective (or perhaps just mine) is that it's supposed to keep everyone in sync (accepting that server owners are responsible for staying up to date with the client). Stealth updates that don't trigger all clients of a particular mod pack cause confusion for players and administrators. I'm hoping that maybe there is a resource out there that keeps tabs on the pack updates, maybe outside of the launcher, that could help me manage my server as well as support my players.

 

[Dingham]

IF stealth updates of the modpacks are commonplace, the question to the community is, what strategy do you follow to keep up to date or keep your server and your players in sync?.

as far as i know they don't do this. Certainly wouldn't think it's common place.

Best practice for what your saying is get people to do force updates if they have issues, so the client is on the latest build, and make sure you server is in line with that. IF your using a standard mod pack, ie ultimate pack, you shouldn't have an issue with keeping your server up to date with clients.[DOUBLEPOST=1363987183][/DOUBLEPOST]Also,

http://forum.feed-the-beast.com/threads/ultimate.13719/

this would be the best place to watch for mod pack updates.

 

[sloejack]

That thread, at least in its current incarnation, is pretty useless since it's the versions of the mods that are the issue and the thread doesn't have any mention of that.

However, I think the strategy that seems to best apply here is to update the server and then email my players and ask them to force update prior to launching to ensure that we're all in sync again.

 

[sloejack]

Also, in case anyone else is wondering, it seems 4 mods were updated in the pack after it was released. I retrieved the version my server was using on 3/5 and I compared the mods directory contents to the current download.

15c15
< 895708 Mar  3 11:09 extrabees.zip
---
> 896873 Mar 11 19:40 extrabees.zip
35c35
< 387887 Feb 13 09:03 PortalGun.zip
---
> 388477 Mar 11 19:37 PortalGun.zip
46c46
< 289768 Mar  4 18:37 ThaumicBees.jar
---
> 299980 Mar 11 19:39 ThaumicBees.jar
49c49
< 2237731 Feb 16 18:09 TwilightForest.zip
---
> 2271279 Mar 11 19:41 TwilightForest.zip

 

[Dingham]

To make things easier on you, to send alert use anything but email. Create a facebook page, twitter feed, wordpress blog, forum, website...etc. one or more, if your crafty you can chain wordpress, twitter and facebook.

 

[Naolas]

I think this is a one time occurance where the modpack author for Ultimate was not yet on the ball. Notice how there are no version numbers in the Ultimate pack thread either?

Ultimate pack went live while DW20/Mindcrack were still in testing.
DW20/Mindcrack updated mods while in testing, which wasn't reflected in Ultimate (version number didn't change).

So whoever downloaded the client between Ultimate going live and DW20/Mindcrack updating their mods in testing, got the "old" versions of the mods, including your server.

It's not ideal, but mistakes happen. I just updated my server and asked users to do a force update, or overwrite the updated mods, which I provided links for.

 

[Dingham]

I think this is a one time occurance where the modpack author for Ultimate was not yet on the ball. Notice how there are no version numbers in the Ultimate pack thread either?

Ultimate pack went live while DW20/Mindcrack were still in testing.
DW20/Mindcrack updated mods while in testing, which wasn't reflected in Ultimate (version number didn't change).

So whoever downloaded the client between Ultimate going live and DW20/Mindcrack updating their mods in testing, got the "old" versions of the mods, including your server.

It's not ideal, but mistakes happen. I just updated my server and asked users to do a force update, or overwrite the updated mods, which I provided links for.

Ultimate has only just come out, direwolf20 and mindcrack have been going since the launcher came out, so really have no idea what your on about.

 

[Zerosk83]

This same problem happens on the server I play on. Anyone who originally downloaded FTB ultimate has an "old" version of twilight, and the launcher doesn't offer an update, yet when you try to connect to the server it tells you that your twilight mod is out of date.

Our solution is to go into %appdata% and delete the Ultimate folder and redownload it. You were correct sloejack, in that someone updated twilight and didn't increment the Ultimate pack number, so there is 2 different version of 1.0.1 out there. Even force update doesn't always work. That's why we just delete Ultimate and redownload for anyone experiencing mod version issues.