PHP, Zend Framework and Other Crazy Stuff
Archive for November 1, 2005
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Nov 1st
It appears comments to this blog are disabled, yet all my options say they are enabled. Another weird bug brought to you by the makers of S9Y?
To be fixed, maties…
Maybe its a conspiracy… Am I on the AATraders hitlist? ;)
Nov 1st
It started last week. There was the SF announcement of a new AATraders version. Enthused at the prospect of testing a viable game to host (besides QS, and until BNT at least reached Proton) I downloaded to test. Test went awry. It refused to install because I had stupidly left the magic_quotes_gpc directive off in my PHP settings.
Alright, not stupidly. I like my input without PHP interference, and woe to anyone who suggests otherwise. I dislike magic_quotes. Thoroughly. It fiddles with output, differs between servers, and therefore requires the standard stripslashes workaround.
Anyway. After overiding my instincts to change a PHP setting or too on my development PC, I proceeded with the installation. It worked, but the shoutbox in-game refuses to operate. Well, it looked that way – it did seem to accept a handful of messages. Even stored them on the DB – just wouldn’t display them.
So in time honoured style I visited the AATraders website and forums. Nice layout incidentally. By this time I was down to reading the code, and mentally noting (sorry, it’s automatic) security flaws. Quite a few security flaws – though oddly their XSS protection is strangely above par for a php game. Not perfect, but better than average. Could probably still find an exploit if I tried though.
In the forums I come across a then recent post from Panama Jack (PJ) regarding the uselessness of database backed sessions. How they add nothing to security, and almost condoning the practice of hosts disabling the ability to use alternate custom session handlers. Unable to resist I posted a response. Well, two really. Maybe three – I lost track after what happened next.
So I’ve posted a strangely persuasive post (I usually ramble – being persuasive is almost alien 
). Next day I check for any replies, as well as preparing to humbly request help on my shoutbox problems (my reading of the code ended no where other than the usual second guessing any PHP developer would have). Firefox however throws a wobbler and displays a page of garbage characters to screen. Unperturbed, I refresh. Same result; garbage. Sensing trouble, I resorted to desperate measures. After a minute or two of searching “Start” menu on Windows XP I finally rediscover the link to IE6 (been a while since I bothered with it).
IE6 claimed the page did not exist. Various attempts with both browsers, Opera, and Lynx offered few improvements. The AAtraders forums were apparently “lost” in cyberspace. Next day I verified AAtraders existence from work – it did indeed exist, and I got to post my help request on the forums. On Friday AATraders was lost again – this time both from home AND from work. The plot thickens – is there an anti-AATraders virus floating around infecting each location I used to access the forums one by one? Will the local internet cafe be next on its hitlist?
Not even sure why I’m ranting about this – a little. Just plain irritating that this occurs in delayed sequence to two places I can use the net from. I posted a email to the site admin (from their feedback form – still readable at least) which after submission labelled me a spammer, and stated my ISP would be informed. After one email? An email aimed to notify the Admins that be of a valid website problem?
The plot thickens. I’m feeling paranoid. Next PJ shall emerge from the shadows, his grin of victory my last sight as he delivers the mortal blow from a blood-smeared wicked…! Too much Halloween movie trash in my mind – need recovery time…
Maugrim stalks PHP Developer…and the annual PC upgrade commences
Nov 1st
Kidding. Though iamsure does note we seem to be visiting similar forums. I guess being both interesting in continuing to learn PHP (it never does end), security and php games – we just sort of gravitate towards the same forum types. iamsure was noting a post I made to AATraders about Panama Jack’s abuse of the Nova Gaming System’s (pre The Kabal Invasion – now merged with BNT) database session handler. It was one of my infamous tortuous posts mixing natural sarcasm (me = Irish), a certain amount of smug wit (I have an ego – it’s sometimes large) and pedantic wording.
Sorry – that’s a ramble, I mean…
Anyway, it was a little more focused than usual (possibly since I’m gearing up for the Nanowrimo challenge) and probably a waste of my time. My last rebuttal received no reply – other than Tarnus’ (developer) enthusiasm in discussing the topic. So yeah – a waste. Though Tarnus seems to have viewed in a brighter light, so maybe some good was done. Not much hope though – reading the AATraders recent source makes SE look almost secure (at least SE hashes passwords on the database).
I’m going to sit on a fence until BNT Proton to check for a few weird odds I noticed in AATraders. iamsure is probably way ahead there – but I doubt too many other people would be. I think this concludes my involvement with AATraders in any form – well at least until 0.30…
This weekend also marks the start of the annual PC upgrade. My Super-PC is currently feeling a bit blue, stumbling from sector to sector in X3. Yes, my addiction to the X Universe requires a booster shot – badly, before my eyes start bleeding. There are also a myriad of other reasons. I need to update my aging Geforce 5200FX video card, and I’ll probably need PCI Express support for the newer cards to reach their full potential. My current main HDD also recently hiccuped, a sure sign it needs replacement. The next stage is whole scale failure. My DVD drive has been making eerie whirring sounds for the better part of a year – I’m taking it as a sign of senility. There are other symptoms – many include pops, crackles, snaps and worse.
My current system isn’t all that bad (if a bit noisy in a Garage/Grunge musical sense):
AKN nForce2 Motherboard (333 FSB)
AMD AthlonXP 2600+
1GB DDR300 RAM (MB FSB at 300 – little twinge)
160GB Maxtor ATA-133 HDD
256MB Geforce 5600FX Video Card (AGP8x)
It miraculously runs Half Life 2 at reasonable settings without much trouble. F.E.A.R. and X3 however act like bumbling drunks unable to so much as crawl at the lowest resolution possible with minimum settings. I dread to think how the next Morrowind will act.
New aimed for system:
ABIT nForce4 Motherboard (??? FSB)
AMB Athlon64 3500+
1.5GB DDR500 RAM (or similar)
160GB SATA HDD (Maxtor if possible, I don’t trust Seagate)
256MB Geforce 7800GT Video Card (PCI-E) [maybe]
I also need something to replace the ancient (and loudly cranking) DVD drive I currently use.
Total cost based on a little window browsing is about EUR 500. Yet to seriously shop around.
Based on the maxim of “waste not, want not” I will of course be re-using every single piece PC component possible from my 5 year old ATX case to my absolutely invincible mini backup drive – a vintage 1995 Maxtor 512MB HDD, which for reasons unknown has declared itself immortal and maintains a copy of my most important files at all times. I swear I’ll be an old man before it fails. I suppose I’ll need my ATA adaptor to use it in the SATA environment. I can’t give up on it. It’s like a good luck charm – still churning up data after nearly 12 years…not one failure either.
The remaining parts will wing their way to my brother’s PC which is plagued with 256MB RAM, a 2600 Pentium, and a hamstrung Geforce 4200 (or something like that) video card. I may even get a christmas card in return.
