50 replies to this topic

[Romy]

I love that we're back up

Where are you working now @Pyro699 ? :

[Required]

I love seeing you all and the site running as well! It does feel like a time capsule to read through all the comments and threads 

[Pyro699]

I love that we're back up

Where are you working now @Pyro699 ? :

I work for a fintech company. Programming primarily in Haskell - quite the challenge, but i am enjoying the hell out of it! How about you? what's new?

 

I love seeing you all and the site running as well! It does feel like a time capsule to read through all the comments and threads 

Yeah, read a couple posts from 2013 then come back and see if you still feel the same way xD

[BEDDOEDv]

Hello All!

It's been a while since our last chat. We faced a downtime starting April 1st, 2022, and have faced challenges getting back online. A major obstacle was Amazon's end-of-life announcement for some instances we used to host Codex. Ideally, we should've migrated everything before the shutdown. Unfortunately, and true to form, we missed the deadline amidst our hectic schedules. I assure you, I've been consistently nudging @Hydrogen to help, but it proved more work than any of us could manage.

So, what's the situation now? Well... Welcome to my basement! Yes, if you're reading this, it's hosted on a server rack right here.

Spoiler

Please overlook my spaghetti cabling for now. I'll address it once all cable runs are in place.

Fun fact: I've named the server "Ambrosia" - that's intentional, not a typo. Probably one of the few times that word gets used correctly on this site.

We are ditching the reliability and feature-rich environment of Amazon's web hosting platform. Instead, we're relying on my ability to pay power bills, not trip over extension cables, and the blazing fast speeds that Starlink satellite internet provides in rural Canada. Now, I know the obvious question here is going to be, "Why?" lol. I took this route for a couple of reasons. The biggest of which is that we can stop paying for Amazon's services, which have been bleeding our dear @Hydrogen for months, if not years. We stopped being profitable and began to slowly eat away into any profits we did make. This hosting solution is just going to add a few bucks to my power bill, and that's about it. I already had these server blades handy.

Our next challenge was getting Codex compatible with Ubuntu 20.04. Surprisingly, we've been running on outdated tech: PHP5.3 (EOL in August 2014), lighttpd 1.4.41 (from 2016), and scripts in Python 2.7.10 (EOL in early 2020). We are old. To feel time's passage even more, see how old the kids of long-time members like @Strategist have become! (Apologies, Mike, but not really.)

Now, here's our plan:

• Reactivate the programs! I'm not just addressing issues with Abrosia or Neopets logins; I need the entire backend operational. Expect this to span a few weeks.
• Upgrades are crucial. Given our old tech stack, while I've set up some safeguards, true internet security demands up-to-date systems: new OS, current PHP, updated forum software, and so on. It's ambitious, but it's a necessity.

It's a concise list, but each task is demanding. I need to meticulously plan and execute these.

Now, I have a request: I need your help and patience. At the end of this post, you'll find a list of known site issues. There is a post located here that will track known issues. I'll update this list based on your feedback and as I address them. I'm also open to suggestions for additions or removals. And, @zblaELR, yes, we're thinking about the downvote button.


Alright, that should be everything for now. This message is probably longer than it needs to be, but it is what it is. We will likely need some additional help around here. We've been gone for so long that it feels quite daunting. Some of us are still around on Discord; just see the link in the header and come on over. We're happy to chat with y'all.

Take care!
Cody - Neocodex Hosting Provider / Admin

PS. Yes, I did use ChatGPT to go over this post... I suck at this shit...

 

Great to see things back and up running

 

[Romy]

I work for a fintech company. Programming primarily in Haskell - quite the challenge, but i am enjoying the hell out of it! How about you? what's new?

 

So much has changed!

I'm working at a tech/hospitality company as a junior PM. It's fun and I'm never really bored haha. I'm still in LA though!

[Swar]

omg i stopped checking a few months ago and only thought about doing it again because i was reading about neopets classic and they mentioned clraik lmao

[zex]

I'm so overly excited about this. This was always the best Neopets forum, whether you were using programs or not.

[royalbrat101]

Any idea on when the program will be up and running!? I used this faithfully when I use to play. Playing again for the month for the advent calendar! 

[Pyro699]

I do not have a timeframe in mind at this time, it will most likely take months. Also depends on the amount of activity around here and if people are actually interested it this place making an actual comeback.

[Cloud9]

Wow! Was going through my Neopets bookmarks the other day and saw this! Would love for Codex to make a comeback!  

[Fatal]

Wow I thought Codex was gone forever. Glad to see it's back. 

[Pyro699]

Wow I thought Codex was gone forever. Glad to see it's back. 

Only way we ending is if one of the following conditions are met:

• I am dead
• We lose power and i have yet to purchase an adequate generator
• I need to move (which will happen at least once over the next 5 years, though I will probably take codex to my parents and plug it in there)
• My house burns down.

Only one of those on the list is one i am okay with.

[royalbrat101]

I would love to have the program working again!! I havent found anything I liked since this. I made nice profit from it, Hopefully it will be running again. 

[Pyro699]

On the plus side - i managed to get some cable management done xD That first photo is a bit embarrassing still.
 

Spoiler

[Salamanda]

what a time for me to rekindle my interest in disrupting the playing field of a virtual economy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. cute basement

[Pyro699]

what a time for me to rekindle my interest in disrupting the playing field of a virtual economy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. cute basement

 

I am so concerned confused about the "cute basement" comment - i have no idea how to respond.

also, grats on the 1k posts if you respond.

[Salamanda]

I am so concerned about the "cute basement" comment - i have no idea how to respond.

also, grats on the 1k posts if you respond.

 

responding for integrity

 

really though, have you noticed a resurgence in interest? I've never seen Neopets mentioned so much in years. If they could just fix the website, I think they'd stand a chance.

[talbs]

glad to see things up and running again

[Pyro699]

responding for integrity
 
really though, have you noticed a resurgence in interest? I've never seen Neopets mentioned so much in years. If they could just fix the website, I think they'd stand a chance.

I have not, i noticed more of a resurgence in interest in "where the fuck did codex go" and "it is sad that it is gone" - those kind of comments. So i put some effort into getting this place back onto some form of life-support. There are a few things happening within the community, but ill be surprised if it gets the kind of attention it did back in its hayday! 

 

glad to see things up and running again

Glad to have you back!

[Elindoril]

I never did recover my account after the forced password reset. :^)

So I've just been here reliving my embarrassing years.

[kuwaz]

Codex not dead after all!

[Drakonid]

Only way we ending is if one of the following conditions are met:

• I am dead
• We lose power and i have yet to purchase an adequate generator
• I need to move (which will happen at least once over the next 5 years, though I will probably take codex to my parents and plug it in there)
• My house burns down.

Only one of those on the list is one i am okay with.

 

I know you're Pyro and all, but I don't really think you should be okay with your house burning down.

[anewvision]

In a basement? This feels right haha

 

Thank you for all of your effort to keep this place around

[Jim198588]

certainly interested.

[Ender]

Where the downloads at? I have a new modern set of skills compared to circa 2008 and have 1-2 hr per week I can dedicate to hacking neopets