doc/driver/invocation

NAME
    driver/invocation

PURPOSE
    Description of the invocation of the gamedriver, especially of the command
    arguments. This document describes the commandline version of the driver
    only; non-commandline versions are platform specific and described in
    the related documentation.

DESCRIPTION
    The driver is invoked from the commandline as other normal programs.
    Neither the current directory nor the directory the executable is in need
    to be in any special relation the directory of the mudlib. Once the driver
    is running, it emits two streams of outputs:

      - driver-related messages on stderr; this unfortunately includes
        LPC compiler diagnostics
      - LPC runtime-related messages in the logfile <mudlib>/<host>.parse.log
        (the name can be changed).

    It is possible to start the driver without any commandline arguments as
    suitable defaults are specified at compile time. The invocation syntax
    is:

        driver [options] [<portnumber>]...

    <portnumber> the number of the port the driver shall use to accept
    connections. The maximum number of ports is determined by MAXNUMPORTS
    in the source file config.h.

    The options modify the behaviour of the gamedriver. Some of them are only
    available if a certain compile-time option was enabled (typically in
    the source file config.h). The following options are recognized:

      -P|--inherit <fd-number>
        Inherit filedescriptor <fd-number> from the parent process
        as socket to listen for connections.
        Only available if compiled with MAXNUMPORTS.

      -u|--udp <portnumber>
        Specify the <portnumber> for the UDP port, overriding the compiled-in
        default.
        Only available if compiled with CATCH_UDP_PORT.

      -D|--define <macro>[=<text>]
        Add <macro> (optionally to be expanded to <text>) to the list of
        predefined macros known by the LPC compiler.

      -E|--eval-cost <ticks>
        Set the number of <ticks> available for one evaluation thread.
        If 0, execution is unlimited.

      -M|--master <filename>
        Use <filename> for the master object.

      -m|--mudlib <pathname>
        Use <pathname> as the top directory of the mudlib.

      --debug-file <filename>
        Log all debug output in <filename> instead of
        <mudlib>/<host>.debug.log .

      --hostname <name>
        Use <name> as hostname instead of what the system says.

      --hostaddr <addr>
        Use <addr> as address of this machine, instead of what the
        system says.  In particular this address will be used to open
        the driver ports.

      --no-compat
      --compat
        Select the mode (plain or compat) of the driver.
        This choice does not affect the default name of the master object.

      -d|--debug
        Generate debug output; repeat the argument for even more output:
          >= 1: log resets, clean ups, swaps, reception of urgend data,
                   telnet negotiation states.
                check_a_lot_of_refcounts() on startup when swapping of
                   variables is disabled.
          >= 2: log all add_message()s, name lookup failures, new players.
          >= 3: progress of garbage collection
          >= 4: even more junk from garbage collection

      -c|--list-compiles
        List the name of every compiled file on stderr.

      -e|--no-preload
        Pass a non-zero argument (the number of occurences of this option)
        to master->preload(), which usually inhibits all preloads of castles
        and other objects.

      --erq <filename>
      --erq "<filename> <erq args>"
        Use <filename> instead of 'erq' as the basename of the ERQ executable.
        If the name starts with a '/', it is take to be an absolute pathname,
        otherwise it is interpreted relative to <bindir>. If not specified,
        'erq' is used as the executable name.

        By enclosing the argument value in quotes, it is possible to pass
        arguments (e.g. --execdir) to the erq. These arguments however must
        not contain embedded spaces.

      -N|--no-erq
        Don't start the erq demon (if it would be started at all).

      --alarm-time <seconds>
        Set the granularity of call_out() and heartbeat timing. Minimum
        value is 1.

      --heart-interval <seconds>
        Set the interval between two heartbeats. Minimum value is 1.

      --sync-heart
        All heartbeats occur at the same time (modulo granularity).
      
      --async-heart
        Heartbeats occur when they are due (modulo granularity).

      -t|--no-heart
        Disable heartbeats and call_outs.

      -f|--funcall <word>
        The lfun master->flag() is called with <word> as argument before the
        gamedriver accepts netword connections.

      --regexp pcre | traditional
        Select the default regexp package.

      --max-array <size>
        The maximum number of elements an array can hold.
        Set to 0, arrays of any size are allowed.

      --max-mapping <size>
        The maximum number of elements a mapping can hold.
        Set to 0, mappings of any size are allowed.

      --max-mapping-keys <size>
        The maximum number of entries a mapping can hold.
        Set to 0, mappings of any size are allowed.

      --max-callouts <size>
        The maximum number of callouts at one time.
        Set to 0, any number is allowed.

      --max-bytes <size>
        The maximum number of bytes one read_bytes()/write_bytes() call
        can handle.
        Set to 0, reads and writes of any size are allowed.

      --max-file <size>
        The maximum number of bytes one read_file()/write_file() call
        can handle.
        Set to 0, reads and writes of any size are allowed.

      --max-thread-pending <size>\n"
        The maximum number of bytes to be kept pending by the socket write
        thread.
        Set to 0, an unlimited amount of data can be kept pending.

        This option is ignored if pthreads are not used.

      --cleanup-time <time>
        The idle time in seconds for an object before the driver tries to
        clean it up. It should be substantially longer than the reset time.
        A time <= 0 disables the cleanup mechanism.

      --reset-time <time>
        The time in seconds before an object is reset. A time <= 0 disables
        the reset mechanism.

      -s <time>  | --swap-time <time>
      -s v<time> | --swap-variables <time>
        Time in seconds before an object (or its variables) are swapped out.
        A time less or equal 0 disables swapping.

      -s f<name> | --swap-file <name>
        Swap into file <name> instead of <mudlib>/LP_SWAP.<host> .

      -s c       | --swap-compact
        Reuse free space in the swap file immediately.
        Giving this option results in smaller, but also more fragmented
        swapfiles, and the swap performance may degrade.

      --max-malloc <size>
        Restrict total memory allocations to <size> bytes.
        A <size> of 0 or 'unlimited' removes any restriction.\n"

      --min-malloc <size>
      --min-small-malloc <size>
        Determine the sizes for the explicite initial large resp. small chunk
        allocation. A size of 0 disables the explicite initial allocations.

      -r u<size> | --reserve-user <size>
      -r m<size> | --reserve-master <size>
      -r s<size> | --reserve-system <size>
        Reserve <size> amount of memory for user/master/system allocations to
        be held until main memory runs out.

      --filename-spaces
      --no-filename-spaces
        Allow/disallow the use of spaces in filenames.

      --strict-euids
      --no-strict-euids
        Enable/disable the enforced use of euids.

      --share-variables
      --init-variables
        Select how clones initialize their variables:
          - by sharing the current values of their blueprint
          - by initializing them afresh (using __INIT()).

      --pidfile <filename>\n"
        Write the pid of the driver process into <filename>.\n"

      --tls-key <pathname>
          Use <pathname> as the x509 keyfile, default is 'key.pem'.
          If relative, <pathname> is interpreted relative to <mudlib>.

      --tls-cert <pathname>
         Use <pathname> as the x509 certfile, default is 'cert.pem'.
         If relative, <pathname> is interpreted relative to <mudlib>.

      --tls-trustfile <pathname>
        Use <pathname> as the filename holding your trusted PEM certificates.
        If relative, <pathname> is interpreted relative to <mudlib>.

      --tls-trustdirectory <pathname>
        Use <pathname> as the directory where your trusted
        PEM certificates reside, default is '/etc/ssl/certs'.
        If relative, <pathname> is interpreted relative to <mudlib>.

      --wizlist-file <filename>
      --no-wizlist-file
        Read and save the wizlist in the named file (always interpreted
        relative the mudlib); resp. don't read or save the wizlist.

      --gcollect-outfd <filename>|<num>
        Garbage collector output (like a log of all reclaimed memory blocks)
        is sent to <filename> (or inherited fd <num>) instead of stderr.
        Only available if compiled with MALLOC_smalloc.

      --y|--yydebug
        Enable debugging of the LPC compiler.
        Only available if compiled with YYDEBUG.

      --random-seed <num>
        Seed value for the random number generator. If not given, the
        driver chooses a seed value on its own.
        This option is for debugging.

      --check-state <lvl>
        Perform a regular simplistic check of the virtual machine according
        to <lvl>:
          = 0: no check
          = 1: once per backend loop
          = 2: at various points in the backend loop
        Only available if compiled with DEBUG.

      --check-refcounts
        Every backend cycle, all refcounts in the system are checked.
        SLOW! Only available if compiled with DEBUG.

      --gobble-descriptors <num>
        <num> (more) filedescriptors are used up. You'll know when you need it.
        Only available if compiled with DEBUG.

      --check-strings
        Every backend cycle, all shared strings in the system are checked.
        SLOW! Only available if compiled with DEBUG and CHECK_STRINGS.

      -V|--version
        Print the version of the driver and exit.

      --options
        Print the version and compilation options of the driver and exit.

      -h|-?|--help
        Display a command help and exit.

      --longhelp
        Display a long command help and exit.

      --args <filename>
        The driver reads and parses the given file and treats its contents
        as if given on the commandline right where the --args option
        occured. The file itself can again contain --args options.


DESCRIPTION -- Argument Parser
    The parser analyses the commandline arguments given with the driver
    invocation and distinguishes 'options', which start with a '-', from
    proper arguments. Options are further distinguished by their name and
    may take an additional value. In general, options and arguments can be
    givein in any order.

    Options are recognized in two forms. In the short form the option must
    be given as a single '-' followed by a single letter. In the long form,
    options start with '--' followed by a string of arbitrary length. The
    short options are case sensitive, the long options aren't.
    Most options can be specified in both the short and long form, but that
    is not mandatory. Examples: '-r' and '--recursive'.

    If an option takes a value, it must follow the option immediately after
    a separating space or '='. Additionally, the value for a short option
    may follow the option without separator. Examples are: '-fMakefile',
    '-f Makefile', '--file=Makefile' and '--file Makefile'.

    Short options may be collated into one argument, e.g. '-rtl', but
    of these only the last may take a value.

    The option '--' marks the end of options. All following command arguments
    are considered proper arguments even if they start with a '-' or '--'.

    The arguments are usually taken from the commandline; but the parser
    is also able to read them from a textfiles, which can be nested. The
    content of the textfiles is broken down into words delimited by whitespace,
    which are then treated as given on the commandline at the place where
    the instruction to read the textfile stood.

    The file parser recognizes simple double-quoted strings, which must be
    contained on a single line. Additionally, the '#' character given by
    itself is a comment marker - everthing after the '#' until the end
    of the current line is ignored.

HISTORY
    LDMud 3.2.9 added the --max-thread-pending, --hostname,
      --hostaddr, --args and --random-seed options.
    LDMud 3.2.10 added the --filename-spaces options.
    LDMud 3.3.378 added --share-variables, --init-variables.
    LDMud 3.3.475/3.2.11 added --tls-key, --tls-cert.
    LDMud 3.3.672/3.2.11 added --tls-trustfile, --tls-trustdirectory.
    LDMud 3.3.677 added --max-mapping-keys.