minetest / minetest.github.io Goto Github PK

See the (lovelessly cut :p) screenshot with firefox, the arrow has some "parts missing" on the right upper edge.

Chrome renders the arrow the right way:

Since Minetest 0.4.13, the ubuntu download page (stable) has linked to http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=minetest, rather than https://code.launchpad.net/~minetestdevs/+archive/ubuntu/stable/+packages.
These packages are not recent!
Why has this link changed, and why not direct users to use the ppa?
I think the ppa is ppa:minetestdevs/stable.

The homepage is really terrible:

Meet Minetest.
A free, open source voxel game engine and game. Fully extendable. You are in control.

Put yourselves in the shoes of a newbie. Do you really think a newbie would understand what Minetest is about? Probably not. This is a horrible way to present Minetest to first-time visitors.
Also, it's not even correct, “Minetest” is only the engine, not the game.

Let's brainstorm for text to put on the homepage. It should be succinct, to the point, explain Minetest's most important features reasonably complete. The goal is that a complete newbie might understand it and does not immediately close the browser tab.

My first suggestion:

With Minetest you can play various games which are set in strange worlds made entirely out of blocks. You can build, dig, explore and do much more.
Play alone or online with friends. Extend it with mods.

Feel free to suggest other summaries. :-)

PS: I'm not saying we should not mention that MT is FOSS, but it doesn't really belong in the very first sentence.

The Minetest appdata file (minetest.appdata.xml) of Minetest 0.4.13 has two links for screenshots, namely:

• http://www.minetest.net/_media/screenshot_4032289578.png
• http://www.minetest.net/_media/screen2.png

Both links are broken. Since distributions are stuck with this appdata file for at least until the next Minetest release (Sometimes much longer for certain distributions. I am looking at you, Debian and Ubuntu!), I suggest you just upload some images at these exact paths.
According to the appdata file, the dimensions are 1440×851.

Is it intended or the side effect of something else? Anyway, replacing cursor: default by cursor: auto in the body block of main.css fixes the weird behavior that the current cursor have (like, staying the basic arrow even when selecting some text).

Currently, the website is broken if JavaScript has been disabled.

How to reproduce:

• Disable JavaScript
• Visit http://www.minetest.net/
• Click on any of the links on the top (Home, Community, etc.)

None of these links work.

The website does not work without JavaScript enabled.

Steps to reproduce:

• Be “paranoid” like me, and disable JavaScript
• Visit http://www.minetest.net/
• Click links in the top “bar” (?)

it would be nice to have a way to donate with bitcoin so we can have some "anonymous heroes"

Feels like a bad design to me, especially when most of the items now are links to resources. Maybe these should be icons on the home page, and then only relevant ones on each page

Wherever possible, HTTPS should be used instead of HTTP. I found the following places where HTTP is explicitly set:

• servers.html
  • servers.minetest.net is linked with HTTP, but it supports HTTPS, so it should be changed.
• irc.html
  • webchat.freenode.net is linked with HTTP, but it supports HTTPS, so it should be changed.
• README.md
  • jekyllrb.com is linked with HTTP, but it supports HTTPS, so it should be changed.
  • www.minetest.net is linked with HTTP, but it supports HTTPS. The certificate is self-signed, though, so only change this when the certificate gets signed (AFAIK @celeron55 plans to use Let's Encrypt when it's available).
• community.html
  • www.reddit.com is linked with HTTP, but it supports HTTPS, so it should be changed.
• development.html
  • forum.minetest.net is linked with HTTP, but it supports HTTPS, so it should be changed.
  • dev.minetest.net (same as www.minetest.net)
• downloads.html
  • minetest.net (see above)
  • dev.minetest.net (see above)
• customize.html
  • wiki.minetest.net (same as www.minetest.net)
• index.html
  • dev.minetest.net (see above)

Where possible, these should be changed to explicitly use HTTPS, or leave the protocol out, so the currently chosen protocol of the user is used. I personally would say, that we link external sites explicitly with HTTPS, and internal links (e.g. the link to minetest.net in downloads.html) should have the front stripped.

(Edited by sfan5 2015-01-04: The serverlist now supports HTTPS)

Please add something like this to every page:

<script type="text/javascript">
  var _paq = _paq || [];
  _paq.push(['trackPageView']);
  _paq.push(['enableLinkTracking']);
  (function() {
    var u="//inchra-stats.minetest.net/";
    _paq.push(['setTrackerUrl', u+'piwik.php']);
    _paq.push(['setSiteId', 1]);
    var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
    g.type='text/javascript'; g.async=true; g.defer=true; g.src=u+'piwik.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s);
  })();
</script>
<noscript><p><img src="//inchra-stats.minetest.net/piwik.php?idsite=1" style="border:0;" alt="" /></p></noscript>

See acceptance criteria

Its table is ugly and also uses Dmg and PvP instead of images of heart and sword.

It would be nice if minetest.net supports HTTPS. With Let's Encrypt this should be fairly easy (and free) now.

• The programs / services sections are waaaaay bigger than they need to be. "Programs" could just be a list of project names which each link to their issue tracker. (And "Programs" -> "Issue trackers")
• Mention the list of trivial issues for new developers.
• "Development" isn't a particularly good title, considering the page includes things like a donate section. I'd suggest "Contribute". (Or perhaps split the page?)
• The "Rules" section consists of nothing more than a single link, it should either be removed or made longer.

Hello,
The Android downloads page is still showing Minetest 0.4.13.
Minetest 0.4.14 is available on Android, but this has not been updated.

Source of the tracking code can be seen here: http://meow.minetest.net/tmp/google_cached_search_src.html (in the <head>)

Map generators section -- This should mention that you can also chose a mapgen from a mod. (from #23)

PoignardAzur from the forums reports they still get AV warnings when visiting the website.
https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=13153

The URLs include .html. This should be hidden with an internal redirect or something like that. Also, I note that the "Download" page has changed to "downloads" in the URL.

For example, at the page http://www.minetest.net/assets/dont/load the assets for the 404 page don't load.

We should use {{ site.baseurl }} to include assets:

{{ site.baseurl }}/assets/css/main.min.css

It would be be better if moving in water without holding space moves the character up , but not so much. For example holding up + w/a/s/d

It's best to have at least a good introduction as the first thing you see. Sorta related to #108

So you go to https://www.minetest.net/customize/ and scroll down to texture packs, and you see a list of links to popular texture packs, awesome!
But how do you even install texture packs? There is no information in that section about texture pack installation at all.
I know it is in the Wiki, but why not copy the instructions from the wiki over to the main website? We could even add a link to the Wiki page.

For example if you go to http://www.minetest.net/customize/#mods the "Mods" title is hidden by the header.

Can be solved with an offset like this:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4086107/html-positionfixed-page-header-and-in-page-anchors

Minetest has a copyleft license, and the question is how we should treat people developing apps that base on minetest, for places like the google play store.

The ffmpeg project has its own checklist for applications that want to use their code: https://www.ffmpeg.org/legal.html

Should we get such a similar checklist? Often we get support requests for how to build minetest for android from different people, those requests would be a good place to point them to such a checklist.

What would be the requirements the main copyright holders from @minetest/team-minetest would see?

An attempt from me:

• disclose use of minetest in the app desctiption on google play "This [app/game/...] uses the Minetest engine [and game], Copyright 2010-2016 Perttu Ahola [email protected]
  and contributors, Licensed under the LGPL version 2.1 or later"
• If you don't modify engine source code:
  • Add a link to the minetest github page
• If you modify engine source code:
  • Add a link to the place where the modified code can be downloaded
• disclose use of minetest in the app's main menu -- we don't have such a page currently ourselves in fact, the credits tab would be a good place for it, no?

The credits need an update: http://www.minetest.net/credits.html

Note if copying from the credits tab: Břetislav Štec's github name is @t0suj4, and not @TeTpaAka (who is an active contributor as well, but somebody else), see also minetest/minetest#3125

@cornernote uses a github API functionality to display the contributors, but they would only include a single repo, and not both minetest and minetest_game combined. Also it doesnt distinguish between past contributors and active ones.

How to translate Wiki? I can speak chinese.

out of some reason, the CI builds are failing right now in master.

This breaks links.
HTML source of the previous /servers page: http://meow.minetest.net/tmp/google_cached_search_src.html

In the development menu, there is a "blog" link pointing to @celeron55 's blog. Should we still have it? Should we have a blog on minetest.net instead? Does the news section in the forum already fulfil this purpose?

At least the blog url should be updated to something like: http://c55.me/blog/?cat=9

@Calinou has said in IRC:

<Calinou>   I successfully learned Gulp, maybe minetest.net will use it in some time.
<Calinou>   I have a really good workflow set up here: https://gist.github.com/Calinou/3cd3d529a6d3dabb911e
<Calinou>   but it does not work on Windows (ENOENT error on "spawn jekyll"), even though Jekyll is installed and in PATH

So, I wonder, what is gulp, what are the advantages over current useage, should we switch?

At the bottom of http://www.minetest.net/community/, we have the "About this website" text, copied word-to-word from the old website.

1. It should probably not list those names, because that list basically just contained whoever had access to edit the previous site.

2. It should probably link to this repository instead of saying "please contact us on IRC or forums."

Maybe the whole thing doesn't even have to exist anymore?

Here is a thread collecting screenshots specifically for the homepage:

https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10366

Please consider adding some of these screenshots. Maybe on a seperate page or something.

Additionally, you may just link to this thread (and maybe, maybe the huge regular screenshot thread).

Edit: It might also be a good idea to collect the best screenshots and store them somewhere where they're safe, even if they might not be used instantly on the homepage. In the linked thread, at least one screenshot is already lost. :(

For some reason the home page background image is either not displaying at all or only in part. Reloaded several times, tried in two browsers.
screenshot

Currently when pull requests are made for the project it is possible that they may have unintentional incorrect HTML. Such issues can be time consuming to check for, thus an automated test should be employed to check for such issues.

The test could be run using a service such as Travis CI.

Such a test could be made by using a program such as html-proofer.

Main page:

• inspired by InfiniMiner, Minecraft and the like. -- Comma after Minecraft.
• Minetest is available natively for Windows, OS X, GNU/Linux, Android, FreeBSD, and is Free/Libre and Open Source Software, released under the LGPL 2.1 or later. -- There should be better separation between the list of O.S.es and the FOSS part. Perhaps split it into two sentences? (...Android, and FreeBSD. It is Free/Libre...
• Play locally with your friends, or play online with dozens of players on a server. -- I think this should mention single player as an option too. (Play by yourself, locally with your friends, or online with dozens of players on a server.)
• Map generators section -- This should mention that you can also chose a mapgen from a mod.

Download(s):

• The text about subgames seems to suggest that you should find one before trying Minetest. Perhaps add After you've tried Minetest you might want to try some mods or subgames
• The Arch Linux stable packages aren't listed: https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?q=minetest

Customize:

• The Texture packs section should be expanded with a few examples (eg, HDX, BDCraft)

The website's gallery doesn't have thumbnails, and the bootstrap installation could be stripped down.
The W3C mobileOK Checker (which has some quite questionable suggestions, but its download size counter is useable) reports:

Primary document: 9.2KB, Images: 2.6MB, Style sheets: 124.6KB

It explains the need:

Big pages require a possibly high cost and a long waiting time in many mobile networks. For instance, on many mobile networks, downloading 100KB worth of data takes as long as 1 minute.

• Gallery needs thumbnails (or responsive images, or something like that)
• Bootstrap could be stripped down → would reduce stylesheet's size

ohloh changed it's name last year IIRC

I think the splash image is very boring (just a cave with torches).
I think something more interesting would look much better.

the community builds are under the windows section

Hi guys. the screenshots on the official website, do not do justice to the new mapgen v7! Minetest generates much more beautiful and detailed game maps as they appear in the web site screenshots. I can do some very nice screenshots, so new users can see the dramatic improvements that have been added in Minetest.

With your permission I'll take the task of making me the screenshots, then send the push! Thank you all. I await your permission.

Overview

(Added by rubenwardy)

condensed info from multiple views:

• Show off Mapgen v7
• photos with mods/subgames
• photos with buildings
• Multiplayer / photos with other players (and with varied armors/skins ?)
• Authentic gameplay footage, not just some random landscape you found after flying around.
• (maybe) texture packs (less important)

I think there should be more mods, subgames, and texture packs added To The customize page
Like The summerfields Texture Pack It is constantly updated
https://forum.minetest.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9314

These sections are pretty bad.

Especially because they become outdated so quickly.

Only 4 subgames + 1 fake subgame are showcased, the selection seems arbitrary. Tutorial isn't even a game. Dreambuilder is not a subgame, but a mod.
Subgames should really be selected by quality, not (perceived) popularity. Popularity is a terrible measurement.

Mods are even worse. This section is horribly outdated and will probably always be. Many mods are so old, they really shouldn't be used anymore.

There is no easy fix. Just trying to keep the sections updated by hand via PRs is a bad solution as PRs are usually extremely time-consuming, and we shouldn't waste so much time whenever a high-quality mod pops up.
I don't have a good idea what to do with mods, if you have one, please let me know!

For subgames, using PRs might kinda work as there are only a very few subgames of decent quality. Still, it's not really a long-term solution.

But the inclusion criteria for subgames must change. Popularity is completely irrelevant if you only play in singleplayer. What matters is the quality.

I propose to select subgames which are:

• Showing Minetest in a good light
• Enjoyable
• Stable
• Polished (to some degree)
• Working in latest stable Minetest
• Completed, or if WIP, the WIP state is already so good and stable you can play it normally already without having the impression of something lacking
• Passing the Six Hour Test (it must not run out of new content to explore before 6 hours of playing) (non-sandbox games are excempt)
• Having a crafting guide (unless they don't need one)

Also, the subgames/mods page should be re-evaluated after each MT release, in order to scrap everything which has ceased to function.

If you click an anchor link on the same page (“#” in URL) and have JavaScript enabled, the website “scrolls” around instead of instantly jumping to the ancor.

This seems to be a trend/hype in modern webdesign, and I hate it very much, as it is irritating to me. Who thinks the same way?

I want to have it disabled.

Not sure what can be done about it, but it has gone stale.