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Diffstat (limited to 'README')
| -rwxr-xr-x | README | 283 |
1 files changed, 221 insertions, 62 deletions
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -yhttpd; Homepage: www.yhttpd.org; Version 0.7-RELEASE +yChat; Homepage: www.yChat.org; Version 0.7.3-RELEASE Copyright (C) 2003 Paul C. Buetow, Volker Richter Copyright (C) 2004 Paul C. Buetow @@ -19,20 +19,132 @@ along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA. ----------------------------------------------------------------- -YHTTPD TABLE OF CONTENTS: +YCHAT TABLE OF CONTENTS: +0.0.0 YCHAT FEATURES //<< 1.0.0 REQUIREMENTS 1.1.0 TESTED PLATFORMS 1.2.0 IMPORTANT NOTICES -1.3.0 HOW TO OBTAIN YHTTPD +1.3.0 HOW TO OBTAIN YCHAT 1.3.1 INSTALLATION 1.3.2 INSTALLATION QUICK-START -1.4.0 HOW TO USE SCREEN WITH YHTTPD +1.3.3 MYSQL SETUP //<< +1.4.0 HOW TO USE SCREEN WITH YCHAT 1.5.0 CUSTOMIZATION 1.6.0 FILES 1.7.0 WRITING BUG REPORTS 1.8.0 CONTACT - +1.9.0 YHTTPD CODE BASE GENERATION //<< + +//<<* +0.0.0 YCHAT FEATURES + +- Its free & portable - +yChat is developed under the GNU general public license and is based on GNU +tools (gcc, gmake), other open source library stuff (such as libncurses etc.) +and should run on any POSIX capable operating system (such as all Linux based +systems, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD and other BSD-Systems and on UNICES like +IRIX, HP-UX, Solaris etc.). + +- There is no need for special chat clients - +yChat is web based, that means clients may only connect to the chat server +with an normal web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or any Gecko- +Engine powerd browsers like Mozilla, Firefox, Camino etc. + +- It has features of a real HTTP webserver - +yChat runs completely stand alone and does not need another webserver to build +on like Apache and does not need to be run via any kind of CGI. yChat creates +its own socket on a customized port (standard port: 2000) and seems to be a full +features HTTP web server to the clients (web browsers). + +The yChat code base can be converted to an yhttpd code base automaticaly. yhttpd +is the webserver subset of yChat which runs completely stand alone and provides +normal websites to the net. It also supports Common Gateway Interface (CGI) +scripting. + +- Its fast and secure - +yChat is written in C++ which is faster than any Java based Chat-Server or any +server written in a scripting language like PHP, Python or Perl. As the +internal data structures hash maps are used to garuantee searching certain +values in O(1) amount of time. If a hash maps gets full, it will be rehashed. +The maximum usage in % can be redefined too (standard is 90%). Currently, yChat +has been measured providing over 5000 hits/requests per second (chat message +postings) on a FreeBSD based server box while using less than 2% of CPU usage +on a Athlon XP 1900+. Performance seems to be limited by your bandwith only. +Also, each user gets its own session id (random string) with a standard length +of 50 chars to authenticate each logged in user. The length of the session id +can be redefined as well. Also, the session id will get md5-hashed optionally +so thats even harder to reverse engineering the session ids of other users. + +- Its HTML template based and easy to customize via XML based configuration - +All HTML sites are predefined as HTML-Template files and can be easily modified +to use with an customized web design. Also, a lot of yChat preferences can be +set in the main configuration file (ychat.conf). ychat.conf is completely written +in XML 1.0 which makes it easier to use the configuration options in programs of +3rd persons which may want to write some usefull tools for yChat. +yChat caches all HTML and web images to improve overall performance. If needed, the +cache can be cleared to recache new versions of the template files. + +- Its language template based - +The administrator can easily create a new language in which all system messages +appear to the Chat-User. The predefined languages is english but others can be +added easily. The language can be edited in the XML based configuration file. + +- MySQL based database - +Registered users are stored in a MySQL database. C++ Programmers may feel free +to replace the database wrapper class (data.h) with another database routines +to use other databases such as PostgreSQL, SQLite or a text based database etc. +If wished, you can disable database support in the pre-compile options. + +- It has an administration interface - +yChat includes an ncurses based administration interface which tracks some +interesting statistics and system messages and enables you to do certain +administrative tasks. In addition, you can switch to the CLI (command line +interface) mode of the administration interface in order to be provided with +more available functions (like keeping track of the current system usage etc.). +If you dont like ncurses and/or the CLI you can disable both options in the pre- +compile options. + +- It has logging capabilities - +The logging manager keeps track to all yChat system messages (such as users +wich log in and out, modules which are loaded, MySQL queries etc.). Also, an +Apache-Style combined log file format is created by yChat (you can parse this +logfile with any Apache logfile parser like awstats etc.). And last but not +least, all public messages of all available rooms will be logged to disk as +well . To improve performance, you can define the logging puffer (standardly +new logs will be written to disk after each 20 lines). If you want to log +everything immediately, you can reset this option to 1 in ychat.conf. + +- Its modular - +All chat commands are realized through dynamic loadable module files which can +be recompiled and reloaded without restarting the whole yChat server. Also +HTML-Sites with certain tasks can be compiled as a module like +mods/html/yc_register.so, mods/html/yc_options.so and mods/html/yc_colors.so +etc. so you can also program your dynamic yChat websites in C++. + +- Its multi threaded (POSIX threads) - +There is only one main process which spawns several threads, each for its own +unique task. For example one thread is used to handle the socket manager which +waits for incoming TCP/IP requests, another thread schedules the system timer +which proves if clients are still active or frees not needed memory in certain +time intervals (see also "Garbage collector"). Also, each Chat-User gets it own +thread. There is no need of memory wastage by creating for each task a new +process. All User-Threads are managed by a thread pool to avoid CPU wastage +creating every time a new thread by reusing thread objects which have done its +jobs already and have been readded into the queue of the thread pool. The +standard sizes of the queue and the total pool size can be set in ychat.conf. + +- Its using a smart garbage collection engine - +All users and rooms which dont have to be kept in the main memory (because the +user has logged out or the room has been destroyed because it was empty) will +not be deleted immediately but be placed for about 10 minutes in the yChat +garbage collector. Each time a new room is created the systems checks the +garbage to reuse an inactive room object. If a certain user wants to log in, the +system checks if he is already present in the garbage collector. If yes, he will +be reactivated without wasting expensive database queries to fetch the user's +options. This improves overall performance on heavily loaded yChat servers if a +lot of user and room objects are created and destroyed frequently. +//*>> 1.0.0 REQUIREMENTS: @@ -42,18 +154,20 @@ YHTTPD TABLE OF CONTENTS: - GNU make 3.80 (gmake) or higher If you dont have a gmake executable but make is gnu make then you need to add a symlink or alias from gmake to make. - yhttpd Makefiles only have been tested with GNU make and may not work with + yChat Makefiles only have been tested with GNU make and may not work with other make versions. +//<<* - mysql-client 4.x (3.x may do too but is not supported) Includes libmysqlclient and the mysql.h header files. +//*>> - ncurses 5.x Includes libncurses and the ncurses.h header files. - Screen - Only needed if yhttpd should run in background with - ncurses enabled. + Only needed if yChat should run in background with + ncurses or CLI enabled. - Perl 5.x Is needed for some scripts. Is not needed if you use precompiled binaries. @@ -64,13 +178,14 @@ The following platforms have been tested with success. If you find out that a listed platform did not work at all please contact me: Operating system (arch) GNU G++ GNU make +- FreeBSD 5.3-RELEASE (i386) 3.4.2 3.80 +- FreeBSD 4.10-RELEASE (i386) 3.4.1 3.80 - FreeBSD 5.2.1-RELEASE (i386) 3.3.3 3.80 - FreeBSD 4.9-RELEASE (i386) 3.3.4 3.80 -- FreeBSD 4.10-RELEASE (i386) 3.4.1 3.80 - Gentoo Linux 2004.2 (i386) 3.3.2 3.80 - OpenBSD 3.6 MP (i386) 3.3.2 3.80 - Slackware Linux 10.0 (i386) 3.4.0 3.80 -- SUSE Linux 8.0, G (i386) 3.3.1 3.80 +- SUSE Linux 8.0 (i386) 3.3.1 3.80 Other platforms like Linux based systems, other BSD-Systems or UNICES are very likely to work too. @@ -80,23 +195,23 @@ are very likely to work too. Before you compile the source you have to be sure to use at least GCC version 3.1 with pthreads enabled. ( Type gcc -v to check it ). GCC 2.95 and 3.0 did not work while testing and WON'T BE SUPPORTED! -If you like to support yhttpd++, please write us an email and tell what -you can/like/would help ;-]. Please also take a look at the yhttpd++ -homepage which is located at http://www.yhttpd.org. +If you like to support yChat, please write us an email and tell what +you can/like/would help ;-]. Please also take a look at the yChat +homepage which is located at http://www.yChat.org. -1.3.0 HOW TO OBTAIN YHTTPD++: +1.3.0 HOW TO OBTAIN YCHAT: -yhttpd can be downloaded as a source package or through CVS. +yChat can be downloaded as a source package or through CVS. -The packages are located at http://www.yhttpd.org -> Sourcecode -> -Packages or go to http://pub.buetow.org/yhttpd/CPP-yhttpd . +The packages are located at http://www.yChat.org -> Sourcecode -> +Packages or go to http://pub.buetow.org/yChat/CPP-yChat . For CVS download type: cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@buetow.org:/usr/home/cvs/cvsroot login ( You will be asked for a password. Use "just enter" ). -vs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@buetow.org:/usr/home/cvs/cvsroot co yhttpd +vs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@buetow.org:/usr/home/cvs/cvsroot co ychat ( The sources will be copied into your local folder ) cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@buetow.org:/usr/home/cvs/cvsroot logout @@ -107,37 +222,47 @@ Now you may continue with the installation. 1.3.1 INSTALLATION: Invoke "./configure". Afterwards you will get prompted with the before-compile -options of yhttpd. After choosing those options you are ready to type "gmake" -afterwards. +options of yChat. After choosing those options you are ready to type "gmake" +afterwards. See below what gmake is doing. +//<<* +If you have choosen MySQL database support, then take a look at section 1.3.2 +how to setup a valid database table. Be also sure to enter the valid MySQL +accessing data in the yChat configuration file which is normally located in +the etc/ychat.conf file if not changed by you with the yChat configurator. +//*>> You may also invoke gmake with the following options (the PREFIX can be set -in the yhttpd configurator which will be launched by the top configure script +in the yChat configurator which will be launched by the top configure script or gmake config): - gmake or gmake all (compiles everything, also modules) + gmake or gmake all (compiles everything, also modules and runs "gmake mail") gmake base (only compiles the base) gmake base_start (only compiles the base and starts the server) gmake clean (cleans everything) gmake clean_base (only cleans the base obj and rpo files) gmake clean_modules (only cleans the modules .so files) - gmake config (runs yhttpd configurator) - gmake deinstall (deinstalls yhttpd from PREFIX) + gmake config (runs yChat configurator) + gmake deinstall (deinstalls ychat from PREFIX) gmake gpl (shows the GNU General Public License) - gmake help (shows all available yhttpd gmake targets) - gmake install (installs yhttpd to PREFIX) + gmake help (shows all available ychat gmake targets) + gmake install (installs ychat to PREFIX) + gmake mail (sends a mail to the yChat developers containing build opts.) gmake modules (only compiles modules) gmake mrproper (same as gmake clean plus removing all temp files) gmake setup (runs all configure scripts and afterwards gmake all) gmake start (compiles everything and starts the server) - gmake stats (generates yhttpd statistics) + gmake stats (generates ychat statistics) gmake uninstall (same as deinstall) - gmake version (shows the current version of yhttpd) + gmake version (shows the current version of yChat) +//<<* + gmake yhttpdbase (generates an yhttpd code base) +//*>> (See section 1.9 to read about this marks) Example: "gmake all install clean" compiles everything, installs it to PREFIX and cleans the source directories. -Now its time to run the server with ./bin/yhttpd. +Now its time to run the server with ./bin/ychat. Aferwards point your webbrowser to http://yourip:port ! @@ -145,25 +270,54 @@ Aferwards point your webbrowser to http://yourip:port ! 1.3.2 INSTALLATION QUICK START: -If you in hury, then you may just type gmake setup. In the yhttpd configurator -you may just choose all the default values. If done, yhttpd will get compiled -and is ready to run with ./bin/yhttpd! +If you in hury, then you may just type gmake setup. In the yChat configurator +you may just choose all the default values. If done, yChat will get compiled +and is ready to run with ./bin/ychat! + + +//<<* +1.3.3 MYSQL SETUP +If you chose to use MySQL database support you have to create a valid database +to use with yChat. -1.4.0 HOW TO USE SCREEN WITH YHTTPD: +Create a new MySQL database called 'ychat' and type the following command into +a MySQL command line client of your choice: -If you are running yhttpd in ncurses mode you might want to install +USE ychat +CREATE TABLE `user` ( + `uid` int(10) NOT NULL auto_increment, + `nick` varchar(30) NOT NULL default '', + `password` varchar(30) NOT NULL default '', + `color1` varchar(30), + `color2` varchar(30), + `email` varchar(50) default '-', + `registerdate` varchar(30) default '-', + `logincounter` varchar(10) default '0', + `status` char(1) default '3', + PRIMARY KEY (`uid`), + KEY `uid` (`uid`) +) TYPE=MyISAM; +GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ychat.* to ychat@localhost IDENTIFIED BY "yctest"; + +This database uses the default MySQL access informations which are stored in the +ychat.conf file. +//*>> + +1.4.0 HOW TO USE SCREEN WITH YCHAT: + +If you are running yChat in ncurses mode you might want to install the tool which is called "screen". This will enable you putting the ncurses interface into the background, closing the terminal session and reusing the interface later through another terminal. Just do: - screen -S yhttpd ./bin/yhttpd ( creates a new session and starts yhttpd in it ) - ctrl+d+a ( will detach the yhttpd session ) + screen -S ychat ./bin/ychat ( creates a new session and starts yChat in it ) + ctrl+d+a ( will detach the yChat session ) ( closing the terminal ) ( opening a new terminal ) - screen -r yhttpd ( will return you to the yhttpd process ) + screen -r ychat ( will return you to the yChat process ) Screen will terminate automaticaly if all processes in its sessions are terminated. @@ -172,25 +326,25 @@ For a closer look read the screen manual page ( man screen ). 1.5.0 CUSTOMIZATION: -If you like to customize the design/layout/language of yhttpd, you will have +If you like to customize the design/layout/language of yChat, you will have to edit src/msgs.h and src/glob.h before you compile the sources. Afterwards you can change the html-template files which are placed in the html/ subdirectory and the language-templates which are placed in the XML config -file (etc/yhttpd.conf). +file (etc/ychat.conf). Notice, that you dont have to edit the src/glob.h file by hand any more, its already done by the top ./configure script for you. -You can edit the etc/yhttpd.conf to fit your needs. If you dont want to change -the config file, then you also can use yhttpd start parameters. +You can edit the etc/ychat.conf to fit your needs. If you dont want to change +the config file, then you also can use ychat start parameters. -Exmpl: ./bin/yhttpd -o chat.database.password secretpassword +Exmpl: ./bin/ychat -o chat.database.password secretpassword You can also use multiple words for a specific option. -Exmpl: ./bin/yhttpd -o yhttpd.version "word1 word2 word3" +Exmpl: ./bin/ychat -o ychat.version "word1 word2 word3" -will overwrite the default database password value of the yhttpd.conf. You can +will overwrite the default database password value of the ychat.conf. You can do this with every configuration element by adding several -o option value arguments to the start command. @@ -205,16 +359,16 @@ user never wont read them, only the administrator will get to see them ). 1.6.0 FILES: -etc/yhttpd.conf - The yhttpd configuration file +etc/ychat.conf - The yChat configuration file html/* - The html template files -src/* - The yhttpd base sources +src/* - The yChat base sources src/mods/* - The dynamic loadable modules sources scripts/* - Some nice scripts needed for building & co. -The following is created by building yhttpd: -obj/* - The object files of the compiled yhttpd base +The following is created by building yChat: +obj/* - The object files of the compiled yChat base mods/* - The compiled dynamic loadable modules -bin/yhttpd - The yhttpd binary (linked by the object files) +bin/ychat - The yChat binary (linked by the object files) Customizable source files (if changed you need to run gmake clean all) src/glob.h - Contains some global building options @@ -225,29 +379,29 @@ src/msgs.h - Defines some server side messages How to submit a good bug report? -Send them to Bug@yhttpd.org. +Send them to Bug@yChat.org. First you should give the following information: -- yhttpd version, if CVS (or devel. tarball) then which day? +- yChat version, if CVS (or devel. tarball) then which day? - operating system / distribution and it's version - when did it crash? did you do something? can you reproduce the crash? -Getting backtrace of the crash also helps a lot, especially if yhttpd crashes +Getting backtrace of the crash also helps a lot, especially if yChat crashes randomly. If after crash you see text: "segmentation fault (core dumped)" -It writes a file named "core" or "yhttpd.core" depending on your OS to directory -where you started yhttpd. If it doesn't print the "(core dumped)" or you can't +It writes a file named "core" or "ychat.core" depending on your OS to directory +where you started yChat. If it doesn't print the "(core dumped)" or you can't find the core file, you'll have to raise the limit for max. core file size -before running yhttpd. To do this, say: +before running yChat. To do this, say: ulimit -c unlimited So, if you have the core file and GNU debugger (gdb), you can get the backtrace with: - gdb ./bin/yhttpd yhttpd.core + gdb ./bin/ychat ychat.core bt Paste all the lines starting from line having #0 at the beginning. @@ -267,10 +421,10 @@ Here's an example session: #5 0x281d44ae in _thread_start () from /usr/lib/libc_r.so.5 (gdb) -If you dont get such a gdb output, you need to recompile the yhttpd using +If you dont get such a gdb output, you need to recompile the yChat using debuggig symbols. You can do it this way: -cd yhttpd +cd ychat gmake mrproper ./configure -g3 -ggdb gmake start @@ -280,12 +434,12 @@ gmake start You may contact us through the following addresses: - Homepage - The yhttpd homepage is located at http://www.yhttpd.org + The yChat homepage is located at http://www.yChat.org - E-Mail - Paul C. Buetow: Snooper at yhttpd point org ( core developer ) - Volker Richter: Rover at yhttpd dot org ( core developer ) - Mail at yhttpd dot org ( reaches everybody of yhttpd ) + Paul C. Buetow: Snooper at yChat point org ( core developer ) + Volker Richter: Rover at yChat dot org ( core developer ) + Mail at yChat dot org ( reaches everybody of yChat ) - ICQ Paul C. Buetow: 11655527 @@ -293,3 +447,8 @@ You may contact us through the following addresses: - IRC #Ychat and #Coding at irc.german-elite.net +//<<* +1.9 YHTTPD CODE BASE GENERATION + +See docs/yhttpd.txt +//*>> |