[Dan..]

Hello!

Since I started developing plugins and includes for SA:MP server I've been thinking about how some things are being handled inside the samp-server. I could reverse engineer and that's what I've pretty much done, but I still had troubles.

So... my question now: Why is SA:MP not open-source (at least samp-server or parts of it)?

Pro:

• faster bug-fixes; as soon a bug is reported (or a new hack is being discovered), it is fixed (by any developer), send a pull request and redistrubited easily;
• more developers, more features; a git would be suitable since we can work at the same time, send pull requests, etc.;
• better in-sight for plugins & scripts programmers

Con:

• there will be a large amount of (ugly) modifications - people would rather modify the samp-server instead of writing plugins and includes
• some harmful application might exploit the source; this can be fixed by developers

I'm sure that there are some aspects I haven't took in consideration, I'd be happy if you mention them.

What is your opinion?

P.S. I know that this plugin won't make Kye change his mind over night. After all, it's his work and his decision.

[Scenario]

I don't know the full history, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the feud between MTA and SA:MP.

[IstuntmanI]

SA-MP should be open-source, it's developing would be much faster...

[gtakillerIV]

I think it'll be kinda messy. It won't be safe too. It might get duplicated into another Gta SA online mod. Of course if that's without no copyright. Hackers can also find vulnerabilities in the source and take advantages of them.

[Rock]

You will never find a source code of a software that brings money to his owner.
SA-MP is designed to make money (hosts, ads, hosted list..).

MTA is not an investition so is open-source.

[DaRk_RaiN]

I don't see this happening anytime soon (open-source).
For the more developers part there was one time where SA-MP did actually have more than one develover.

[Richie©]

I would like that. Or even add more developers.
But i guess that wont happend, multiply 9eur with amount of servers on hosted tab. Its good money for booze and hookers

[Mauzen]

Why it isnt open-source?

Security. Sure open-source is said to be more secure as there are more people working to close bugs. At the same time, there are more people with perfect knowledge of samps internal functionality, making it easy to exploit hundreds of issues that would take months or years to close.

Spreading of hundreds of different versions, every second server would have its own samp version, so the server browser becomes quite useless. You would need to download all those versions, mess up your hard drive, and probably catch some malware with one or two versions. Playercounts would drop drastically, because you couldnt just join any server.

Protection of the developers personal work. If I spent 8 years of my life for some software project, I would probably jump out of the next window if I would have to watch 10000 wannabe scriptkids messing around with my work. Unfortunately the next window just drops a meter here.

MTA is open source, but because of that not every multiplayer mod has to be open source. Actually there are just very few open-source mods and games in general, mostly because of the reasons above. And actually, people keep claiming that MTA is so much better, and its open source, and bla bla bla, though samp got at least 10 times more players than MTA at its best times, also mostly because of the upper reasons.

Please stop thinking that open-source always is better. It isnt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock You will never find a source code of a software that brings money to his owner. SA-MP is designed to make money (hosts, ads, hosted list..).

Thats quite wrong. Theres a lot of open-source software that you actually have to buy. That concept got several advantages compared to closed-source paid software.
Also e.g. linux is open-source to everyone, and all kinds of linux projects "bring money to their owners", millions and billions from donators and investors. And they actually need that money to keep alive.

And samp really isnt designed to make money. Hosts? This brings money to the hosters, not the developers. Hosters dont give a shit about paying the original owners some bucks for making thousands with their work, and they actually dont even have to.
Ads? Samp is completely ad-free, no banners, no ingame ads, no ads for samp on other websites.
Hosted list? Okay, this one brings money to the owners. Though it followed years after samp started, probably mainly to compensate server costs. Saying the "one big plan behind samp" was to get rich with the hosted list would be ridiculous.

[Kar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock You will never find a source code of a software that brings money to his owner. SA-MP is designed to make money (hosts, ads, hosted list..). MTA is not an investition so is open-source.

SA-MP IS NOT designed to make money, it's Kalcor alone hosting the website, webhost & masterlist, you EXPECT HIM TO PAY IT ALL BY HIMSELF?

[RajatPawar]

One simple reason - no one wants to see his/her hard work running around on the Internet where a thousand people can see it and work on it. And Kalcor did do hard work, SA-MP's creation was no piece of cake. Hell, if I had worked 1 year on some stuff, I'd die with it!

[Dan..]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealCop228 I don't know the full history, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the feud between MTA and SA:MP.

MTA is already more advanced than SA:MP, mainly because it is open-source and there is more than ONE developer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtakillerIV I think it'll be kinda messy. It won't be safe too. It might get duplicated into another Gta SA online mod. Of course if that's without no copyright. Hackers can also find vulnerabilities in the source and take advantages of them.

Hackers will find vulnerabilities and FIX invulnerabilities (not all, but some white hats). Most bugs will get fixed in day-zero.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock You will never find a source code of a software that brings money to his owner. SA-MP is designed to make money (hosts, ads, hosted list..). MTA is not an investition so is open-source.

It does NOT bring money to his owner, only to those guys who are not respecting the SA:MP license (which clearly states: © This software may not be exploited for personal, financial or commercial gain.).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mauzen Why it isnt open-source? Security. Sure open-source is said to be more secure as there are more people working to close bugs. At the same time, there are more people with perfect knowledge of samps internal functionality, making it easy to exploit hundreds of issues that would take months or years to close. Spreading of hundreds of different versions, every second server would have its own samp version, so the server browser becomes quite useless. You would need to download all those versions, mess up your hard drive, and probably catch some malware with one or two versions. Playercounts would drop drastically, because you couldnt just join any server. Protection of the developers personal work. If I spent 8 years of my life for some software project, I would probably jump out of the next window if I would have to watch 10000 wannabe scriptkids messing around with my work. Unfortunately the next window just drops a meter here. MTA is open source, but because of that not every multiplayer mod has to be open source. Actually there are just very few open-source mods and games in general, mostly because of the reasons above. And actually, people keep claiming that MTA is so much better, and its open source, and bla bla bla, though samp got at least 10 times more players than MTA at its best times, also mostly because of the upper reasons. Please stop thinking that open-source always is better. It isnt.

1. I already said why this would INCREASE the security AND performance.
2. Kalcor can release only the samp-server as open-source so the client browser won't become useless.
3. Yet, lots of GOOD developers will contribute too.
4. SA:MP is more popular because it has a more suitable name, it is older and as a result, it's more popular. Future-wise, it is NOT better.
5. Open-source is BETTER in most cases. This is not an enterprise that counts on the selling of the SA-MP server.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rajat_Pawar One simple reason - no one wants to see his/her hard work running around on the Internet where a thousand people can see it and work on it. And Kalcor did do hard work, SA-MP's creation was no piece of cake. Hell, if I had worked 1 year on some stuff, I'd die with it!

There are lots of developers I respect very much (from these forums: Slice, ******, Zeex and there are more, but these guys sprung to my mind) who release their work as open-source.

[Dan..]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ****** The question isn't "why is SA-MP not open source", but "how has MTA got away with it so far"? The GTA:SA license forbids reverse engineering and other techniques used to make these mods, and opening up that information and the internal structures is just asking for trouble. Frankly MTA's increasing popularity is only going to work against it - it has always been the lesser of the two mods but if it does ever get bigger then I wouldn't be surprised if R* take more notice to what they're doing. Plus, look at what MTA has become - it doesn't even LOOK like GTA any more! There's actually more to it than even what I've said here, but I can't say more.

Alright, R* forbids reverse engineering of their client, but can't the samp-server be released as open-source?

I have a question for you too, why have you retired as a developer? I'd like too see you working with Kye.

[kaisersouse]

Closing thread. Turning into an MTA vs SAMP pissing contest and people are rehashing the past nightmares (and for the record, I'm banning people who post certain things regarding the aforementioned past nightmare).