Linux vs SecondLife viewer 4.0.0

[TooEasilyDistracted]

Linux vs SecondLife viewer version 4.0.0
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I'm running Linux Ubuntu 14.04.03 LTS Trusty Tahr 64-bit with multiarch 32-bit compatability installed. It auto-updated SL from 3.8 to 4.0.0.

On launch, SL4 shows an error notification: "No Media Plugin was found to handle the "text/html" mime type. Media of this type will be unavailable."

Unfortunately, the OK button on that notification window doesn't work to clear the message window.

I researched Release Notes for version 4, it uses the CEF media plugin that is Windows-only. That plausibly explains the ERROR notification "No Media Plugin was found to handle the "text/html" mime type.

I concluded that SL viewer version 4 is not suitable for Linux as of its introduction in end of year 2015. My strategy is to drop back to 3.8.7.308556 and tell it to not auto-update.

Before reinstalling version 3, I removed version 4's /home/[user]/.secondlife directory to the version 4's program directory and renamed both directories, also removed the Launcher. (I ended up not needing those files and eventually deleted them.)

On 12/27/2015, I looked for the most recent 3.8 version. SL 3.8.7.308556 was released 12/03/2015 (03 Dec 2015). Download for that version is available on the page
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Release_Notes/Second_Life_Release/3.8.7.308556

After my fresh install of version 3, I set
Me / Preferences / Setup / I will download myself
to prevent auto-updating.

Note that Version 4 still has SL voice chat not working: Me / Preferences / Sound & Media / Input/Output devices opens with Default greyed out and My volume inoperative and "Please wait"

There is a fix for this in version 3, I believe, that MIGHT work in version 4. See my post at
https://community.secondlife.com/t5/Second-Life-Viewer/HOWTO-Installing-Second-Life-viewer-3-8-7-under-Linux-Ubuntu-14/td-p/2990279
If you try it, please post your result!

EOF.

[Xurias Arun]

I figured out a way to get viewer 4.0.0 to run on Linux. The distribution I was using is Elementary OS Freya 64-bit (based on Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS).

If you look at the files for the old version of the Second Life viewer, and the new version you will find there are a number of webkit related files missing. Instead of telling the viewer to not attempt to look for these webkit files for the Linux version, they simply removed the Webkit framework files leaving the viewer to look for them. They could have just left them in though given that CEF doesn't support Linux.

 

Here's the fix:

Open up the folders/files of an older version of the viewer, such as the one you linked in this thread

1). Go to /Second_Life_3_8_7_307376_i686/bin/llplugin/ inside the folders/files for the old version. From that folder in the old version grab the following things and move them into the same directly for the new 4.0.0 SL:

codecs

imageformats

libmedia_plugin_webkit.so

2). Inside the folders/files of old version go to /Second_Life_3_8_7_307376_i686/lib/ and look for a bunch of files that start with "libQT" these are all the webkit library files you are missing. Move them into the same directory within the new Second Life Viewer's files. The files I am referring to is a rather long list, but they include libQtgui.so, libQtNetwork.so, libQtNetwork.so.4 to name a few. Quite a few if them to move over. I don't recommend using "copy" and instead just move, so this way you will know when you see one that hasn't been moved over when scrolling through the old viewer version's files.

 

Once these two things are done, you should no longer get the media missing error in version 4.0.0

 

Enjoy! =D

 

[TooEasilyDistracted]

Thanks very much for posting this useful info about removing the error message. Do you know whether SL4 will actually use the older modules under Linux, or will it be crippled in its media handling, and be unable to display content? I am too inexperienced to know how to test this part of the viewer. If it's fully functional when the old webkit files are included, I'd like to upgrade.

[Xurias Arun]

I haven't tested it as extensively as I'd like to. So far though the following things that do make use of the webkit libraries have worked:

 

in-world search

Viewing profiles

"Destinations" and "what's hot" at sign-in page

"drop-down options" from in profiles

 

I have yet to test out media on a prim or anything crazy like that. The main concern for me was getting rid of the error message for newer versions. As time goes on older versions of the Second Life viewer cannot log in once they get to be a certain amount old (I am not sure how far back, but I think up to the previous  or 3 versions, after that they require you to update? Not 100% certain). Don't want to be locked out from using an older 3.8.x version.

Sadly, even if it does do everything as normal for now the arrival of CEF means they will likely add features that only CEF can do (and webkit cannot) in the future, so even if webkit still does everything for now there is no guarantee that will be the case down the road. I wouldn't abandon all hope though for the future.

 

They stated " Linden Lab will integrate open source community contributions to update the Linux platform support, and will build and distribute the resulting viewers" on the following blog post https://community.secondlife.com/t5/Tools-and-Technology/An-Update-on-Linux-Viewer-Development/ba-p/2932036 which tells me they probably will be taking contributions made by third party viewer developers in future versions (hopefully), which  may include a Linux version of CEF for the viewer. The Linux version will just have to wait a while longer before it receives the CEF from third party work if this is the case.

[TooEasilyDistracted]

Oh my goodness.  That Linden Labs enforced upgrade policy (which I hadn't known about) makes a huge strategy difference.  I found this official info about it, including why they do it:

https://community.secondlife.com/t5/Technology-General/Supported-Viewer-Versions/ba-p/640744

It says,

"[W]e will support the (new) official viewer, the previous version of the official viewer, and the latest iteration of the release candidate viewer. For example, when we release the latest version of the viewer (Second Life 1.22 Viewer), we will support Second Life 1.22, Second Life 1.21, and Second Life 1.22 RC11 Release Candidate.  We will phase out the Second Life 1.20 viewer.  As a consequence, we will only allow these supported viewers – the current version and one version back - to connect to Second Life. We will prompt Residents using older versions to upgrade to the latest one upon their next login."

 

Your prompt, timely testing and report are very valuable to me, thanks very much Xurias Arun!

 

[Julianna Basevi]

Thank you!

[WolfBaginski Bearsfoot]

And here we are in September 2016, with pre-4.0.5 versions of the Linden viewer blocked, and forced updates, to a version that doesn't even get as far as the opening screen.