emp_hub(6)

🦋 emp_hub(6) — Empire multiplexer 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the Games Manual, section 6, and today's main character is emp_hub. yes, that's the same emp_hub you're about to read about, we love a self-referential moment ✨

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

emp_hub [-persistent] [-debug] [-help] [-mirror] host port localport

💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so emp_hub is literally a multiplexer — it lets multiple clients connect to a single Empire country at the same time. the way that it does this?? iconic. it means you can have both a fast client and a smart client open at once, no conflict, no drama. it also means multiple corulers can log in simultaneously, which is giving teamwork, it's giving shared custody of the empire. 👑

🎀 Parameters

• host — the hostname of the upstream server. that's where the empire actually lives.
• port — the TCP/IP port number the empire server is running on.
• localport — the TCP/IP port number that emp_hub should listen to for incoming client connections. this is your front door, bestie.

🫶 Options

• -mirror — copies commands and replies to all clients that are using new protocols. rn it's literally only the lafe client that's aware of these protocols, but most clients will just ignore them, so no worries. 💖
• -persistent — okay so normally emp_hub dips out after the last client disconnects (rude but fine). with this option, emp_hub does not exit, and will wait around for new clients to connect. heads up though: emp_hub must be killed by the user using the kill command. it's not leaving on its own, you have to actually do it. 😭
• -help — brief usage information. the little quickie version, for when you're in a hurry.
• -debug — prints lots of messages, including everything sent and received by a client. extremely useful when you're debugging either emp_hub, a client, or the server. it's giving surveillance but make it helpful. 🔥

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• emp_server(6)
• emp_client(6)
• emp_hub(6)
• pei(6)
• eif(6)
• http://www.empire.net/~harmless/guide.html
• http://empire.idlpaper.com/

iykyk, go read them. 📚

💀 BUGS 💀

so here's the tea, and it's a little bit of a jumpscare: due to the nature of the empire protocol, only one client may have input focus at one time. and worse — if a client pauses at a context sensitive prompt from the server, all other clients will be unable to send data. yeah. the whole group chat goes quiet because one person is typing. 🫠

no cap, this is a real limitation of the protocol itself, not a vibe issue. plan accordingly, bestie.

👑 AUTHOR 👑

this manual page was written by Drake Diedrich <Drake.Diedrich@anu.edu.au>

and that's the whole thing!! you just read emp_hub(6) from the Games Manual, section 6, in all its glory — same emp_hub(6) you started with, because the page is nothing if not consistent. slay, go multiplex something. 💅✨🦋