Steam update breaks a mod - Linux/Mac issue with letter cases

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aurumgallente
Posts: 121
Joined: Sun, 14. Jun 20, 14:45
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Steam update breaks a mod - Linux/Mac issue with letter cases

Post by aurumgallente » Sat, 4. Feb 23, 11:52

This week two users of my mod reported same bug.
Well, I had the same issue with 1.69 and now again with 1.70.

I'll describe it for the 1.69 update only as the 1.70 resulted in the same, just with numbers 1 higher each:
- Steam updated the mod
- new version 1.69 is in directory 'ws_2268673409'
- old version 1.68 is in directory 'x2shippack', id in content.xml is set to ws_invalid
- even older version 1.67 is in directory 'x2shippack_bak', id in content.xml is ws_invalid as well

The way to fix this on the user side is to:
- close game
- make backups
- delete all 3 directories listed above (they are located in 'extensions' when you click "Browse local files" in Steam)
- restart the game, mod will be re-installed automatically

I don't know how or even if this is fixable on the mod author's side. To me it seems more like an issue with how the integration and update process in the game works.
I push update from my test environment and play with ordinary Steam setup, I have to download updates like everybody else. I wasn't able to recreate this bug, my own update was smooth. I asked Gimbutz on Discord and he suggested to post this bug here and ask/notify active modmakers among Egosoft team. As far as I know this bug never happened in the past to me or my mod.
Last edited by Alan Phipps on Sat, 4. Feb 23, 22:08, edited 1 time in total.

aurumgallente
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Re: Steam update breaks a mod

Post by aurumgallente » Sat, 4. Feb 23, 20:00

After a conversation with users of my mod I figured out that only Linux users have this problem so far. Steam Workshop creates temporary folders with uppercase name and it can't update a mod properly after that.

Rastuasi
Posts: 455
Joined: Mon, 1. Oct 18, 16:28
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Re: Steam update breaks a mod - Linux issue

Post by Rastuasi » Mon, 13. Feb 23, 20:30

This issue impacts any Unix based OS, so this would impact Mac too as their file systems are case specific. Generally, devs need to keep files as all lowercase and it'll solve this issue.

sirprosik
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Re: Steam update breaks a mod - Linux/Mac issue with letter cases

Post by sirprosik » Thu, 16. Feb 23, 13:42

Found this out with player custom logos as well.

As for Mac their chips can not compete with Intel/AMD mainly due to the instruction set and register limitations which
makes programming games problematic as far as performance is concerned.

Can go to passmark.com and see the benchmark comparisons if you don't believe me.

Imperial Good
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Re: Steam update breaks a mod - Linux/Mac issue with letter cases

Post by Imperial Good » Sun, 19. Feb 23, 02:13

sirprosik wrote:
Thu, 16. Feb 23, 13:42
As for Mac their chips can not compete with Intel/AMD mainly due to the instruction set and register limitations which
makes programming games problematic as far as performance is concerned.
Apple silicon is highly performant and the different architecture is irrelevant when programming at a high level, as is recommended by modern software engineers. The main reason game developers avoid apple is because development is a pain due to their proprietary APIs and iffy long term support for an operating system where most users are unlikely to play the games anyway.

For example, if X4 were to be ported to MacOS then it would either need an entirely new Metal graphic backend, or to use the MoltenVK adapter which does have a significant performance penalty and will likely have visual bugs as well. This is in contrast to developing for x86-64 or ARM based Linux or Android OSes where Vulken just works, even if it is a bit buggy.

aurumgallente
Posts: 121
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Re: Steam update breaks a mod - Linux issue

Post by aurumgallente » Tue, 21. Feb 23, 17:47

Rastuasi wrote:
Mon, 13. Feb 23, 20:30
This issue impacts any Unix based OS, so this would impact Mac too as their file systems are case specific. Generally, devs need to keep files as all lowercase and it'll solve this issue.
No. I always keep names of my mods lowercase, it's Workshop makes a copy with upercase name.

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