MaraDNS support email works again

Just letting everyone know that MaraDNS support email works again, and that people can send me MaraDNS support questions via private email from the MaraDNS contact page.

I won't have an update to the MaraDNS code today; I have been too busy with real life to work on MaraDNS for the last couple of days. I may have a minor update for Friday; we'll see.

I should have time Sunday to work on MaraDNS again.

- Sam

MaraDNS snapshot update

I have been hard at work on the Deadwood project these last few days. This is the code that will eventually replace MaraDNS' recursive core. I have managed to accomplish the following with the Deadwood code this weekend:

• I created a finite state machine tokenizer that can convert a FSM definition in to easy-to-parse tokens.
• I greated a FSM definition that can parse mararc files.
• I created a parser to parse the tokenized mararc FSM definition.
• I wrote a wrapper for the FSM parser to parse mararc files and store the parameters in memory for access by other parts of the Deadwood project.
• I added some capabilities to the DwString library so it is able to do all of the above.
• I wrote a coding style document for the Deadwood code.

I have also made some minor revisions to the main MaraDNS code:

• I have added an #ifdef that should resolve the problem with running MaraDNS on cygwin
• I have removed the one warning visible when MaraDNS is compiled as an authoritative-only client (with ipv6 support to boot)

Anyway, the snapshot can be looked at here.

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I am aware that MaraDNS support email is currently not working. I have let the relevant people know, and things will hopefully be resolved in a few days.

Groundbreaking of Deadwood project

In today's snapshot of MaraDNS, I have started a new project that I have been meaning to do for years: A complete rewrite of the recursive half of MaraDNS. I am calling this project the "Deadwood" project. My goals is to, step by step, make a non threaded recursive DNS server. The three stages of the Deadwood project will be

• Make a basic "load balancing" DNS server that takes incoming DNS requests, sends the request on to one or more "upstream" DNS servers, and give the reply from the upstream server back to the client.
• Make a basic caching DNS server, that will need the upstream server do all the heavy lifting of making the recursive query, but that will remember queries so the upstream server doesn't have to do as much work
• A full-featured recursive server, like what MaraDNS now has

Today, I have begun the first step; it is, if you will, the "groundbreaking" (first) release of the new MaraDNS recursor. What I have done is make a simplified buffer-overflow resistant string library that has all of the parts of MaraDNS's string library that I actually use, but none of the stuff that I implemented but never use. My next step is to make a mararc parser, and then I will make the DNS client.

It is part of the lastest MaraDNS snapshot available here, in a directory with the title deadwood-1

While I have wanted to do this for years now, I'm glad I waited because people have done a lot of testing with MaraDNS and found some minor security problems. I now know what coding mistakes to avoid to not even have those minimal kinds of security problems.

MaraDNS snapshot update

I have been updating the MaraDNS snapshot for the last couple of days. Fairly minor updates; yesterday I added a test to make sure the zoneserver works. Today, I added a test to make sure the ipv6 binding works when MaraDNS is compiled as an authoritative-only client. It can be downloaded here.

- Sam

Announce: C-40 interactice fiction contest

After the success of the Commodore 32 machine shipped in 2004, we have decided to upgrade this machine for 2007. The new C-40 machine is available at an even lower price than the 2004 Commodore 32, has an easier-to-read LCD panel display, and is far more portable than our earlier model.

While completely compatible with the Commodore 32 games, the C-40 also has an expanded memory. This machine has some 40960 bytes of memory that game cartridges can use. Like the Commodore 32, this C-40 can play both z3 and z5 z-machine games.

We are looking forward to shipping some games that will take full advantage of the C-40s large memory for the Christmas season this year. This is where you come in: We are introducing a C-40 contest where anyone on the internet can make a z3/z5 z-machine game that fits in 40960 bytes or less. Unlike the previous Commodore 32 contest, one is not required to use Inform nor the minform library to make entries for this contest. Any system that the contest entry writer can come up with to pack as much adventure in 40960 bytes is welcome, including home-grown parsers and optimized assembly language. In addition, games are not limited to text adventures; ASCII arcade games are welcome, as long as they can be played on the C-40's 80x24 display.

We are also looking for judges to judge the games in the contest.

The rules of this contest are:

• Any kind of game that is a Z-machine version 3 or Z-machine version 5 game that fits in 40960 bytes or less is welcome.
• All games submitted to this contest must be original for the contest.
• All games must run correctly in Frotz 2.43 using an 80x24 display.
• All games must be submitted on or before Monday, December 4 2007.
• All games are to be submitted to me via email.
• Any entry submitted to the C-40 contest must be one where there is permission to redistribute the submission on my webpage and on the IF archive.

As a matter of convenience, I have version 6.15 of Inform along with the mInform library available for people who want to use this SDK (Software development kit) to make entries for this contest available here (400k .zip file).

This will run in both *nix systems (including Mac OS X) and on Microsoft Windows. Windows users: You will need to create a directory named \tmp before being able to compile programs with the inform.exe program included in the zip file.

Based on the Commodore 32 entries, one should be able to fit a small 10-room adventure in the 40960 bytes allowed in the C-40 contest, or, with some clever programming, a large 25-room adventure.

Of course, one could opt to make a huge Scott-Adams style adventure with dozens of rooms. Or, for that matter, one can make a very extensive ASCII ART arcade game in 40960 bytes (but remember the 80x24 rule!).

- Sam

MaraDNS snapshot update

I have made some improvments to MaraDNS in today's snapshot

• MaraDNS compiles again (albeit with one warning) with configured to be authoritative-only ( ./configure --authonly; make )
• Tests revised to pass when running a snapshot version of MaraDNS
• New script that only runs the tests relevant for the authoritative-only compile of MaraDNS added

It can be downloaded here.

Maradns snapshot update

I have uploaded a snapshot of MaraDNS today. In today's snapshot, I have added support for AIX contributed by Alfred Reibenschuh. I have also added a large number of tests to make sure most mararc parameters work, and fixed a couple of ocscure mararc parameters that were not working correctly.

It can be downloaded here

- Sam