Files: upper case vs. lower case

Bloodspitter · Post by **Bloodspitter** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:34 am

I found some lines in my CP that said the file "does not exist" on my webspace (for use with FAD), but when I checked, the files were there. Further investigation showed that all of the files that FAD said did not exist were in all upper case letters (that's how the mapmaker named the files). Cross-referencing with the files that were on the server showed that they were also all caps. However, when FAD creates the .ztmp file in the server directory, it automatically writes that .ztmp file in lower case, and therefore it can't find the file in the webspace directory because the webspace files were all upper case.

Is there a way to disable case sensitivity for the webspace directory to prevent this?

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:49 am

Actually there's not, all linux based webservers have the same flaw. For example, if you make an image in MSPaint and save it as a jpeg, it attaches the extension .JPG, and usually when you type out the link to the image, you leave it as .jpg. The link will return a 404 unless you correct the capitilization.
Note: this is only true in the file names and actuall path to the file, anything before after .net or .com etc. will normally be corrected by your browser.

Bloodspitter · Post by **Bloodspitter** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:00 am

So this is a problem with linux webservers only?

I wonder if there is a setting within the sv_downloadurl that could be adjusted to specify that when a .ztmp file is created that it use the same case as the original file it is copying. That is the root of the problem; making a .ztmp file that matches the case sensitive FAD directory.

What IS a .ztmp file anyway?

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:03 am

Its like a precached file that lets the server load maps and other files more quickly.

Bloodspitter · Post by **Bloodspitter** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:13 am

Thanks b0oya

Is the .ztmp file a component of the FAD system or is it something that NFO decided to do independently for efficiency? If it is part of the FAD system maybe someone just needs to update it to remove that bug and make it so that the .ztmp files are named in whatever case the original file was.

It's more than just a nuisance if it means that a server loses several players (and in my case, players who donate money to keep the server alive and keeps subscription payments coming in) because they were unable to obtain a file.

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:24 am

As far as I know its something that all HL1 and HL2 servers do independently. Could this problem be solved by creating a .res file with the proper capitlization?

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:59 am

Let me just be clear that the .ztmp files are only for the server machine.
This means that .ztmp files on the webspace dont do anything since they are not downloaded.

Bloodspitter · Post by **Bloodspitter** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:37 am

Hmm the res file idea might be worth a try.

To clarify for anyone else following this:

The ztmp files are only on the server, not on the webspace. But when the server turns to FAD for a file, it looks for the name of the ztmp file instead of the original, and because the name in FAD is different than the ztmp on the server, FAD can't find it and it doesn't get downloaded, which means players get left in the dust with missing files.

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:46 am

gah, I think that may have confused me ever more.
The .ztmp file is used only by the server to load resources, it doesnt use it to tell the clients what to download or anything like that.
Perhaps you can give me an example of which map is causing problems for you, and I can try to check it out and make a new analysis based on that.

Bloodspitter · Post by **Bloodspitter** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 3:44 pm

The map I first noticed this on was de_odile.
The sound file, as well as several models and sprites, are in all caps. Those were the same files that were coming back as "file does not exist" even though they are both on the server and the FAD. I compared the server directory and the FAD directory for this map, and the only difference I could see was that those files have lower-case ztmp files in the server directory. So I went into the FAD directory and changed those file names to all lower case (to replicate the names of the ztmp files).

It is confusing to me also but there is an inconsistency here somewhere. Thanks again, let me know what you think.

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 7:16 pm

Here's a .res file for de_odile. You could try to capitalize the file names and see if that helps. It's really quite odd the way the author named these files.

Code: Select all

surcouf.wad
tol_oak.wad
mad_middleage.wad
mad_spain.wad
mad_spain_addon.wad
decals.wad
halflife.wad
liquids.wad
cstrike.wad
itsitaly.wad
alsace1.wad
chateau.wad
contest4.wad
hlmaxpayne.wad
odile.wad
odileold.wad
soulard.wad
gfx/env/odileup.tga
gfx/env/odiledn.tga
gfx/env/odilelf.tga
gfx/env/odilert.tga
gfx/env/odileft.tga
gfx/env/odilebk.tga
models/odile/pieds.mdl
models/odile/vbanc.mdl
models/odile/fontaine.mdl
models/odile/bbanc.mdl
sprites/lgtning.spr
sound/odile/birds.wav
sound/odile/wind.wav
sound/odile/nature.wav
sound/odile/fallscream.wav
sound/odile/g_monks.wav
sound/odile/fall.wav
sound/odile/g_priester.wav
sound/odile/chantsmoine.wav
sound/odile/brush_movement1.wav
sprites/flame.spr
sound/odile/burning3.wav
sprites/glow01.spr
sound/odile/source.wav
sprites/odile/glow01.spr
sprites/xsmoke1.spr
sound/odile/thunder.wav
sprites/laserbeam.spr
sound/odile/stonefall2.wav
models/odile/papillon.mdl
sound/odile/scream3.wav
sound/odile/soigneur.wav
sprites/odile/webstrand.spr
models/odile/soigneur.mdl
sound/odile/cloches.wav

You could also go through and de-capitalize the necessary files.

Bloodspitter · Post by **Bloodspitter** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:53 pm

Thanks! I have added the res file and will keep an eye on it.

Bloodspitter · Post by **Bloodspitter** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:45 pm

Update:
The .res file worked, but only after I went into the FAD directory and changed all the UPPER CASE file names to lower case. All the files were then downloaded via FAD instead of trickle-down off the server.

Thanks again. Anyone else having problems with FAD make sure to check the file names.

Nick|NFo · Post by **Nick|NFo** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:00 pm

On a side note, such FTP programs like SmartFTP have options within their settings during upload, download and FXP to preserve case, capitalize, lowercase or uppercase during the POST transfer action.