View source for Libsecondlife

''libsecondlife'' is an open source software library that can be used to communicate directly with the servers that run [[Second Life]]. It can be used both to query the state of the world, and to send uploads and commands that will modify that state.

''libsecondlife'' was created by reverse engineering of the Second Life protocol, using two tools created for this purpose: 
snowcrash and slice. Snowcrash is a tool for decrypting the file comm.dat, which reveals the Second Life communication protocol. Slice is a tool for dumping the content of the Second Life cache files.

''libsecondlife'' can also be used by unscrupulous hackers to download privately-owned content from [[Second Life]]. Such abuse, which gave rise to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CopyBot CopyBot] scandal, is now prohibited by the Second Life Terms of Service.

The existence of the ''libsecondlife'' protocol permitted another group of programmers to create the [[OpenSim]] software package, as an open source alternative to the proprietary [[Second Life]] server programme.

==Links==
*libsecondlife website: http://www.libsecondlife.org/wiki/Main_Page
*Wikipedia article on libsecondlife: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libsecondlife
*Danton's quick introduction to the history of libsecondlife and [[OpenSim]]: http://dantonsideways.blogspot.com/2008/05/touring-open-source-grids.html

[[Category:Libsecondlife]]