Server Update 2026

[Bjørn]

Since some years we've been struggling to find time to properly update the server running TMW, this forum, our website and a bunch of related services. Our current setup is badly documented, sits on an old Ubuntu 18.04 that can't be easily upgraded (Jesusalva attempted it once but had to roll it back from a backup). If this wasn't bad enough, we also no longer have the people who set it up (like gumi and Jesusalva) on our team and the remaining admins (mostly me, sometimes Freeyorp or MadCamel) are short on time.

The prospect used to be to spend several weeks replicating the current setup bit by bit. But this year something changed. The LLMs turned into pretty damn good tools, no longer hallucinate as much as they used to, have pretty up to date models and make up for missing or outdated knowledge by checking their facts. With the help of Claude, I've completed a test setup for the updated server based on Ubuntu 24.04 in 3 days, on a "devbox" provided to us by MadCamel. There are now instances running of:

• Our website: https://www.devbox.themanaworld.org
• The TMW API (so registration, password reset, etc. work via the website)
• This forum: https://forums.devbox.themanaworld.org (updated to latest version, including all extensions - anything you post there will be lost when the migration happens)
• The old wiki: https://oldwiki.devbox.themanaworld.org (in read only mode, updated to latest stable MediaWiki)
• TMWA: https://server.devbox.themanaworld.org (try pointing Mana client at it and registering a new account, it also still works via native protocol!)
• Vault (even if unmaintained, it's still working on the new server, for the TMWA instance running there at the moment only)
• guildbot
• ManaMarket (ported to Python 3)

The new server also has both local and remote backups enabled and the firewall setup is managed by Ansible.

The remaining part? Provisioning a similar new server on Azure (where our current server is also located), repeating the setup (the trivial part) and then migrating all data from our current server to the new one (which will mean a little downtime).

Unfortunately, at the moment I can't say when we'll do this, but I think we can do it pretty soon!

In the meantime, you can help by testing the new setup. Browse the wiki, forums, play the game (you'll need to create a throw-away account for now - try ManaLauncher if you dare!). And I'd like to ask our other admins (Freeyorp, MadCamel, and System_Error on the TMWA front) to review the setup with their expert knowledge. Thanks!

[Bjørn]

UPDATE

The new server has been created now, I've dubbed it "aurora" - because you shouldn't ask me to name stuff.

Currently served by the new server:

• https://policies.themanaworld.org
• https://oldwiki.themanaworld.org
• https://aurora.themanaworld.org (to replace server.themanaworld.org eventually - serving online list, GM logs and updates)

It also has instances of the following, based on a snapshot of the data on dezilaromed:

• TMWA running The Mana World (the server is reachable on aurora.themanaworld.org)
• guildbot
• ManaMarket
• Vault + mirror lake (for whoever uses that, point it at aurora.themanaworld.org:13370)

Actual migration to be determined, but it will be soon to avoid paying for two servers for too long. You can help test if everything is working alright by logging in, just be aware that the current data will be replaced by the data on dezilaromed for the final move.

Btw, since the "old wiki" is back into maintenance, I've also been looking at the possibility of migrating back to self-hosted. It seems doable to replay the edits that have been made on Miraheze in the meantime. On our own server the wiki generally responds much faster and we regain a little self-control.

[Bjørn]

Server Move Done!

This morning we took down TMWA on Dezilaromed, did a final migration of TMWA and related data (including ManaMarket, guildbot and Vault) and brought the services up on Aurora, our new shiny machine (running Ubuntu 26.04)! In the meantime, we also put the forums in read-only mode, and have also migrated its DB and uploads to the new server.

The IP address is the same since rather than waiting for the DNS to propagate, we decided to swap the IP addresses of these servers.

Let me know if you notice any problems going forward!

[ItchyDemon]

There are several problems:

• There don't seem to be any updates or "news" on the client's update screen

• On the "choose character" screen (when logging in), the sprites for all my characters are replaced with the word "Error", but sitting so close to the bottom border of each character's square that it gets cut off

• Hurnscald Shop seems to have been replaced with the ManaPlus logo, the word "ManaPlus", and a square dead-center on the screen. Cycling through all available map views and back to the normal map view replaces the ManaPlus logo and name with a view green space.

• When I open any windows within the client (inventory, chat box, etc.) then close them, they become part of the background

• When I walk, player and NPC names "streak" around the screen.

• Player and NPC sprites are replaced with the word "Error"

• Switching the map view to debug shows that there don't seem to be any of the usual "colliders" that serve as barriers to keep me walking where I shouldn't

• Lack of colliders doesn't seem to be any issue since I have a limited area that I can walk in before getting "bounced back" to where I was

• Right-clicking on ManaMarket then choosing "Buy", or else attempting to buy from the General Store, crashes my client. I never get to see ManaMarket's inventory.

• Going to the main TMW web site shows the Server Status as offline

[Bjørn]

@ItchDemon Thanks for the big list of issues! Fortunately, they were all related to one single mishap: the TMWA server had not been restarted after changing the update host, and the previous update host was no longer valid. To avoid needing another server restart, I've restored "aurora.themanaworld.org" as an alias for "server.themanaworld.org", so if you restart your client, the news and updates should load and all those issues should be gone.

Edit: In the meantime, TMWA was also restarted, and "aurora.themanaworld.org" alias removed again.

[Bjørn]

Alright, after migrating online count history, manamarket stats, some symlinks and Elanore to aurora as well, I think it's time to sunset dezilaromed.

I plan to shut down dezilaromed tomorrow, snapshot its disk then delete the server, its network security group, IP address, etc. We can keep the snapshot indefinitely at some dollars/month. If we ever wonder about some data we might have forgotten about, it can be turned into an actual disk and attached to aurora for forensics.

[Hello=)]

Thanks Thorbjorn! Its been really large-scale effort. Some fallout eventually happened, but nothing really big, scary and critical so far I hope - and shutdown of Dezi had no apparent visible impact (report if its wrong!) and known issues should be more or less sorted out by now. On other hand now it latest OS version and overall it much more clean setup compared to what it used to be.