P1999 on Linux Manjaro, blank server list

[Shuffels]

Hi! I've been away for quite some time and have decided to get back into EQ, this time on a Linux install. I didn't have any problems installing the game via mounted iso files, everything went smoothly and I followed the linux installation files including extracting the p1999 files to a separate folder and copy pasting the files and folders separately. When I log in, I get a blank server list, however this isn't always the case. Occasionally the server list is populated and I'm able to get in game, but it seems to be blank 19 out of 20 tries. Any idea what could be going on here?

If there are any logs I could post to help you help me, let me know and I'll do my best to get them posted here. After I post this I'm going to be playing with wireshark to see if this might be caused by packet loss.

--Edit: Just realized I missed a step on the linux install guide at https://wiki.project1999.com/EverQuest_in_Linux_Guide. Toward the bottom of that page, above the section about getting MIDI music to work this step: If you are able to start EverQuest but the server list is blank/empty reference https://github.com/Zaela/p99-login-middlemand. Download and unzip the file. From within the unziped folder run the command $ make. Many errors are caused by missing libraries and can be corrected with the command $ sudo apt-get install build-essential.

I followed this, and running the make command from the unzipped folder works and yields
make
cc -c -o build/main.o src/main.c -O2 -Wall -Wno-strict-aliasing
cc -c -o build/connection.o src/connection.c -O2 -Wall -Wno-strict-aliasing
cc -c -o build/protocol.o src/protocol.c -O2 -Wall -Wno-strict-aliasing
cc -c -o build/sequence.o src/sequence.c -O2 -Wall -Wno-strict-aliasing
cc -o bin/p99-login-middlemand build/main.o build/connection.o build/protocol.o build/sequence.o -O2 -Wall -Wno-strict-aliasing

However, being on Manjaro which is based on Arch, the sudo apt-get install build-essential command is different. Manjaro uses pacman instead of apt, and I can't translate this to whatever arch would use being pretty new to linux. I tried sudo pacman install build-essential and get an error: no operation specified (use -h for help). Same error for sudo pacman build-essential.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Shuffels]

Seems like it might be packet loss. Here's my screenshot of wireshark output vs the screenshot of the guide's wireshark output. Sorry the quality isn't great, I tried an imgur link but it was even worse

DeepinScreenshot_20200118123533.jpg

Edit: Is there anything I can do to help with packet loss, if that is the problem here? Router settings etc? I'm grasping in the dark here [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]
Edit#2: After some googling it seems that Manjaro Linux comes packaged with everything that the "sudo apt-get install build-essential" command would install.

[loramin]

Short story: it's not Linux, it's Rogean's networking cleverness/fuckery (which term you use depends on whether you're having issues with it or not ATM [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.] ... but unfortunately, because of insane ex-players that attack the P99 servers, no matter what you call it, it's necessary).

There is an open source app, P99 Middleman D, which used to fix this ... but for me (also on Linux, Linux Mint specifically) it stopped working like a year ago.

The solution I found was to get a VPN. It costs $5 a month, will (almost certainly) fix this issue, and it will let you download bit torrents without your ISP sending you nasty letters.

But, if you're on a limited budget, or philosophically opposed to a VPN ... well first get a VPN anyway, at least on a free trial, just to confirm that it fixes things. But then once it does and you've confirmed the networking stuff is the problem, you can start going through the laundry list of settings on your router that could be to blame.

There's other threads for that laundry list in the technical chat. Good luck!

[Shuffels]

It's bittersweet finding out that the problem isn't on my end lol.. Anyway could you recommend a vpn? There are so many choices these days. $5 a month might be worth it to play EQ

[loramin]

I use PIA (Private Internet Access) personally, but really any of them should work (there's not much to being a VPN: you more or less just build a server that repeats everything it gets, and passes along anything it receives, only changing their IP, and ... you're done).

But again, if the money matters (and you don't like Bit Torrent) there are threads where more committed folks than I have worked out certain router settings that can fix things ... but because different routing software has different features (and calls them different things), it's just a bit painful to work through, and using a VPN let's you avoid that.

[Shuffels]

On second thought, my friend who actively plays p1999 blue said VPN's might be against the rules around here. Is this the case? I personally have no qualms about using a VPN to play but I don't want my account banned because of it. A quick google search didn't yield anything about whether or not a VPN is strictly against the rules, just a few forum posts about people requesting all vpn use banned. Seems iffy [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Barm McLir]

I'm not currently running under Linux, but when I did I would get blank server select screens if connected over wifi and normal ones if using a wired connection.

[loramin]

Originally Posted by Shuffels [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

On second thought, my friend who actively plays p1999 blue said VPN's might be against the rules around here. Is this the case? I personally have no qualms about using a VPN to play but I don't want my account banned because of it. A quick google search didn't yield anything about whether or not a VPN is strictly against the rules, just a few forum posts about people requesting all vpn use banned. Seems iffy [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I can guarantee it's not, as I and many others use them, and have for years.

What might give the mistaken impression that they are banned is that they are banned ... if you use them to try and circumvent other rules.

For instance, let's say you think you're going to be clever and two-box by using a VPN to make it seem like the two accounts you're playing are separate computers: that most certainly is prohibited (and it will work right up until it doesn't, and both your accounts get banned for life).

But as long as you play by the "one human per account" rule (and all the other rules of course) VPNs are 100% acceptable.

[Shuffels]

Originally Posted by Barm McLir [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'm not currently running under Linux, but when I did I would get blank server select screens if connected over wifi and normal ones if using a wired connection.

I'm on a wired connection, though the router I'm on has other devices connected via wifi but I don't think that matters

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

But as long as you play by the "one human per account" rule (and all the other rules of course) VPNs are 100% acceptable.

Awesome, good to hear I'll be looking into VPN's then! Thanks for all the help and info [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[loramin]

Originally Posted by Shuffels [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'm on a wired connection, though the router I'm on has other devices connected via wifi but I don't think that matters



Awesome, good to hear I'll be looking into VPN's then! Thanks for all the help and info [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Happy to help; us Linux weirdos have to stick together [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]