More Awesome Than You!

Pets hacks now availiable!  To update Pets hacks using Rsync, change your MATY version code in update-start.bat to "pets" and run update-start.bat.

The MATY Rsync server now updates itself twice a day at 12 PM (EST) and 7 PM (EST)!  So now Rsync will always be updated!

Introduction
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If you're like me, then you find find the process of updating hacks for new EPs very tedious and time-consuming.  I have so many hacks that it used to take me 2 hours to update all my hacks.  So I went searching for an auto updating solution and I found it..... Rsync.  I was also surprised when Rsync updated 20 of my hacks that needed updating, and I had no clue that they needed to be updated.

What is it?
---------------------

Rsync is a file-transfer and synchronizing program.  I have set up a Linux server and set up a MATY Rsync on that server so everyone could easily update their hacks.  And I have provided a MATY Pack for Windows so everyone could easily install the MATY Rsync.  The files on the MATY Rsync are the official ones and have not been tampered with.

I'm Not So Sure About This......
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There are several advantages to using Rsync versus the traditional download method.  Transferred bits are compressed and decompressed on the fly, for fast file transfers.  Also, only changed parts of the files are downloaded, which, again, cuts down on file transfer time.  Rsync also updates your hacks with one click of a button, which is much faster than manually downloading all of the hacks and extracting them.  Rsync also automatically backs up your files, so you can restore to a older version if a newer version is causing problems.  You don't need to make any modifications to your downloads folder to use Rsync.  Also, Rsync will only update the hacks currently installed in your Downloads folder, and it won't install new ones.  I have also personally tested this and it works.

Will the MATY Rsync Be Kept Up To Date?
----------------------

Yes, I will keep it up to date and maintain it.  I have also taken time to make a very complex auto updating script for the server, so the Rsync server is always up to date.  The Rsync server updates itself twice a day at 12 PM (EST) and 7 PM (EST).

Wow, Where Do I Get This?
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You can download the MATY Pack, which contains everything you need to get up and running with the MATY Rsync at http://www.zone45244.com/matypack/matypack.zip (http://www.zone45244.com/matypack/matypack.zip).  You can extract it anywhere on your hard drive.

Note: If the zone45244.com website looks suspicious to you, it's not.  It's just going through some renovations right now.

How Can I Install This?
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There are detailed instructions on installing this in the README.TXT file included in the .zip file.  There are also customization instuctions.

What If I Have Problems Or Questions?
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Reply to this thread and I will answer them as soon as I can.

Notes
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You can currently only update your hacks if you have OFB (from the /ffs/ofb/hacks/ directory on the MATY Rsync), NL (from the /ffs/nl/hacks/ directory on the MATY Rsync), or Pets (from the /ffs/pets/hacks/ directory on the MATY Rsync).

News
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10/23/06 11:29 PM EST: I have taken time to make a very complex auto updating script for the server.  Thus, the server now updates itself twice a day at 12 PM (EST) and 7 PM (EST).  I also updated all the hack directories on the server.

10/14/06 3:25 PM EST: The MATY Rsync server is not dead.  See above.

9/19/06 7:07 EST: Updated the Pets hack directory.

9/18/06 6:52 EST: Updated all hack directories on server, plus added Pets hacks in the /ffs/pets/hacks/ directory.  To update Pets hacks using Rsync, change your MATY version code in update-start.bat to "pets" and run update-start.bat.

9/14/06 7:55 PM EST: Updated a couple hacks to the versions for the newest patches.  Some of the versions for the old patches were on the server instead of the versions for the newer patches.  Don't worry if you updated before this, Rsync won't downgrade your files if they're newer than the ones on the server.

I think it's sorta called the "Director's Cut". If you can elaborate more on this solution, it may be possible to port it to the main server.

The problem with the Director's Cut is it has to be "cut" before you can use it.  With the MATY Rsync, I can put the hacks on the Rsync as soon as you make them.  Another problem with the Director's Cut is that you get hacks you don't want.  With the MATY Rsync, you only get hacks you want.  And about porting it, I'd rather it stayed on my server, I have unlimited bandwidth.  And setting up Rsync requires a Linux server and more time and frustration than you or your webhost would ever want to put into it.  I don't mean to sound mean, I'm saying this with good will  :).

....well, I only host on Linux servers. Kinda hard to do anything on any other kind of server. But if you wanna maintain the project on your own, go for it.

Thanks.  ;D

I bravely stepped into the waters and tried this out.

First I fixed the startup file as directed. Then I ran the program. It said 123 files to consider.  Wrote 86 bytes. Read 3826 bytes. 1564.8 bytes/sec. Total size is 1,203,289 speedup is 307.59.
Press any key to continue...which closes the cmd prompt.

I scanned my folder and found no .bak files. I checked all my mods and none were modified today except for macrotastics which I had updated earlier today manually.

So what is this 86 bytes that got written to my computer?

Is the program able to navigate subfolders within the downloads folder?

The backup files don't have an extension of .bak, they have an extension of .off (for ease of use with the Sims2pack Clean Installer).  There really wasn't 86 bytes written to your computer, since Rsync didn't update any of your mods, there was just 86 bytes of data (what files you have, etc.) transferred to your computer.  The program is not able to navigate subfolders within the Downloads folder, but you can add a seperate Rsync command to your update-hacks.bat by following the steps below:

1.) Right click update-hacks.bat in the folder you installed the MATY Pack in.
2.) Find the line
3.) Hit the ENTER button to start a new line.
4.) On the new line type:

So if you had a subfolder named qqq_hacks in your Downloads folder, you would put in the new line:
5.) Repeat for every subfolder you want to automatically update, and then run update-start.bat.

EDIT:

Could you please post the full path (to Windows) for your Downloads folder and the contents of your update-start.bat?

@echo off
REM See README.TXT for editing info.
.\update-hacks.bat "rsync://synczone.no-ip.org/ffs/" "ofb" "/hacks/" "'/cygdrive/c/Documents and Settings/Owner/My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads/'"

C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

The reason nothing was updated was because I have the Downloads folder. In it I have Hacks subfolder. Then each and every MATY hack is in its own subfolder right next to its RTFM.

It would probably be a major nightmare to add all those lines for each subfolder, and then a new line again whenever a new mod is released. And I definately don't want to dump all of my mods into one folder.  I think most of the other people here are obsessive as I am about subfoldering all their stuff.

Oh, I checked for the .off extention but the only ones I found were the ones that I had set that way myself.

Well, I guess you'll have to change your Download folder layout if you want to use this.

Have you updated the rsync server with the "pets" directory yet? If so, how does "update-start.bat" need to be formatted?

I tried ".\update-hacks.bat "rsync://synczone.no-ip.org/ffs/" "pets" "/hacks/" "'/cygdrive/c/Documents and Settings/<Username>/My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads/'"", but it didn't work.

If you haven't updated it with the pets directory yet, do you plan to do so soon?

Hm...

Glad someone picked up the reins. I'm gonna take a look at this.

Edit: Interesting, works in a completely different way to mine... Good job. :D

If this could be expanded to include twojeffs and crammyboy and syberspunk and select Peasantry items, it'd really save me some time.

As it is, I find it slightly tedious but not terribly time-consuming to keep up to date with just the Pescado hacks.

Pets hacks now availiable! See the first post in this thread for details.

Rsync is not dead!  See first post.

The MATY Rsync server now updates itself twice a day.  See first post for details.

Sorry for the Necro here, but I was wondering if it would be possible to set up a similar system for Twojeffs' stuff now that he has a directory system in place.