[Freeciv-Dev] Background Freeciv Server

[Erik Sigra <freeciv@xxxxxxx>]

Hi,

has anyone considered to run the Freeciv server like you run cvs? I mean
so that you type something like:


freeciv@host:~/freeciv >civserver set aifill 8
This is the server for Freeciv version 1.11.5-devel, running at host
port 5555
You can learn a lot about Freeciv at http://www.freeciv.org/
2: Now accepting new client connections.

For introductory help, type 'civserver help'.  
Option: aifill has been set to 8.
freeciv@host:~/freeciv >civserver set gold 0
Option: gold has been set to 0.
freeciv@host:~/freeciv >
2: Connection request from user from localhost
2: user has client version 1.11.5-devel
2: user has joined as player
user.                                                                           
                
freeciv@host:~/freeciv >civserver startgame
Starting game.
2: Loading rulesets
>
2: user is the Persian ruler Xerxes.
2: Patrick has been added as an AI-controlled player.
2: AI is controlling the Irish ruled by Patrick.
Patrick is now easy.
2: Philip has been added as an AI-controlled player.
2: AI is controlling the Spanish ruled by Philip.
Philip is now easy.
2: Maximilian has been added as an AI-controlled player.
2: AI is controlling the Bavarians ruled by Maximilian.
Maximilian is now easy.
2: Harun al-Rashid has been added as an AI-controlled player.
2: AI is controlling the Arabs ruled by Harun al-Rashid.
Harun al-Rashid is now easy.
2: Jonathen Trelawny has been added as an AI-controlled player.
2: AI is controlling the Cornish ruled by Jonathen Trelawny.
Jonathen Trelawny is now easy.
2: Little Crow has been added as an AI-controlled player.
2: AI is controlling the Sioux ruled by Little Crow.
Little Crow is now easy.
2: Christine has been added as an AI-controlled player.
2: AI is controlling the Swedes ruled by Christine.
Christine is now easy.
2: Map generator: not enough start positions, fixing.
2: last message repeated 2 times
2: last message repeated 2 times (total 4 repeats)
2: last message repeated 4 times (total 8 repeats)
2: The map has 8 starting positions on 3 isles.
freeciv@host:~/freeciv >civserver save 4000b00
Game saved as 4000b00.gz
freeciv@host:~/freeciv >


The pros would be:

* No more need for a special Freeciv command prompt. We would have
readline support automatically through the shell. One less library
dependence.

* You can run other commands in the same terminal window. ('ls' to see
what savegame files there are, start and stop background music with your
favourite music player, look at savegames with 'less' (god forbid :-),
start emacs, whatever other commands you want)

* No need for using 'civserver -r script'. A shell script would do.
Civserver scripting could be done as shell scripting.

The cons would be:

* A little more to type. You have to type civserver before every
command. But this is easy to fix. Just make a link/alias/whatever so you
only have to type 'c command' instead of 'civserver command'. The extra
typing would be reduced to 2 chars.

Erik Sigra