Windows, OS X, and Linux 0.3.1 Released

Merry Christmas from the Warp Pipe team! If you look close enough, you'll see we left an early present in your stocking.

That's right, Windows, OS X and Linux 0.3.1 is now out. All 0.3.1 versions are interoperable, but they are not compatible with our previous version, 0.3. So users on all platforms must upgrade. You may also notice that Windows and Linux are Beta, while OS X 0.3.1 remains Alpha. This is due to GUI issues, further explained below. Rest assured OS X 0.3.1 is compatible with both Linux and Windows Beta.

Nate has written up a detailed account of what 0.3.1 has to offer, check it out below.

Whats fixed:

• Memory Leak: There was a huge memory leak that was leaking memory faster than windows. It's all fixed now.
• Win 98/ME Support: Everything should run fine on 98/me boxes now.
• 8 Player Mario Kart: Found a bug in the RLE compression routine that caused it to crash during 1080 testing. Fixed it. This had the happy side effect of fixing the MK more than two ppl bug. Now you can play with up to 8 players via two cubes.
• 1080 suport (Partial): I say partial because it does run, but there are some stability issues. Most loss of connection seems to occur just as the screen goes white to show the loading screen. If you make it past this than most likley the race will play thru till the end.

Known Issues:

• Again the 1080 stability issues. Overall it works, but on occasion it will lose connection. Normally we would like everything to be running smothly for a release but we wanted to get these (some major) bug fixes out and alow you guys to atleast start playing 1080.
• The linux client doesn't always close out gracefully. This effects the OSX port as it's basically the same code. It seems to only happen if you close your connection before the other party. So if any linux/OSX users are playing a win32 user, have them close connection first. Otherwise you may have to kill it.
• WiFi is still not fully supported. We haven't neglected it, just haven't gotten to it yet.
• OS X GUI issues: When connecting to another person, you must designate both ip and port. For example, if you want to connect to the IP 123.45.67.8, you must type in 123.45.67.8:4000. Also, when closing the program, the daemon (anothercastle) may hang. If this happens, kill the process and then start the program over. Also, any preferences you set will not be saved when you close the program.

Linux Beta Released

The long awaited Linux port is now available for download. This release is compatible with all current releases (Windows Beta 0.3 and Mac Alpha 0.1). You must run it as root, as it operates on the raw socket level.

In other news, development on our next release is coming along nicely. New versions (Windows, Mac, and Linux) will support 1080: Avalanche, which is a really great game despite IGN and Gamespot's opinion. The game, in my opinion, is a must buy if you were a fan of 1080: Snowboarding for N64. If you are on the fence, it is worth a rent to push you over. Enough of my rant, more news as it develops.

OS X Alpha Released

The time has come. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates can now play their favorite GameCube title, Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, without having to travel to San Jose or Redmond respectively. That's right folks, Warp Pipe OS X (Alpha) has been released to the public for immediate download. The application is compatible with Windows 0.3 Beta, the interface is very basic and there are some known issues, read on for the details.

When connecting to another person, you must designate both ip and port. For example, if you want to connect to the IP 123.45.67.8, you must type in 123.45.67.8:4000. Also, when closing the program, the daemon (anothercastle) may hang. If this happens, kill the process and then start the program over. Also, any preferences you set will not be saved when you close the program. All these issues will be fixed in the next version.

Development on our next Beta release, Windows and Mac OS X Beta 0.31, is shaping up nicely. It will include support for 1080: Avalanche, stability, and fixes for all known 0.3 Beta bugs.