Way to force older beta install?

[JayC]

We've had a number of users who were automatically upgraded to 1.62 via Steam, and can't connect to our server. Since these users have no way to revert back to 1.60 GA... and they have not yet released a 1.62 linux dedicated server... We need a way to get these users back on the server...

Somebody suggesting that we install an older 1.61 beta that is compatible with 1.60.94342 Linux server... I've identified ARMA 2: OA beta build 95099 as a possible beta patch, but when you try and install it, there is an error about being older than the current install of 1.62...

Is there a way to override this check?

If not how do we get 1.62 steam users connected to a linux dedicated server?

Don't bother to suggest upgrading to Windows the server is in a datacenter 1500 miles from us, so that isn't an option... nor is running Wine... We're looking for a solution to get Steam users back on 1.60.94342 linux dedicated server.

[Suma]

Is there a way to override this check?

The check is done against the version of the main game executable (Arma2OA.exe). To allow installation of 1.60 beta, temporarily rename the exe to something else and copy any 1.60 exe in its place (copying altogether different exe with a lower version might work as well, but I am not sure - perhaps someone wants to try?)

[JayC]

The check is done against the version of the main game executable (Arma2OA.exe). To allow installation of 1.60 beta, temporarily rename the exe to something else and copy any 1.60 exe in its place (copying altogether different exe with a lower version might work as well, but I am not sure - perhaps someone wants to try?)

How is a Steam user supposed to get a copy of the 1.60 exe? Keep in mind they got auto updated last night, so they didn't have a chance to make a full backup.

[Kindling]

Running the ARMA server under WINE is currently the only way to run a dedicated server on Linux with the newest patch. I provide a script here that automatically downloads and builds a minimal WINE version and provides the tools necessary to run the server headlessly. If not, get an older EXE from an old beta patch (you could probably delete the beta folder and simply install the last ~1.60 beta patch).

[JayC]

Running the ARMA server under WINE is currently the only way to run a dedicated server on Linux with the newest patch. I provide a script here that automatically downloads and builds a minimal WINE version and provides the tools necessary to run the server headlessly. If not, get an older EXE from an old beta patch (you could probably delete the beta folder and simply install the last ~1.60 beta patch).

I'm sorry but I think you failed to read my OP....

First, wine is NOT an option, let me say it one more time WINE IS NOT AN OPTION, thanks for posting a link to your script, but it doesn't do us any good.

Second, you can't install an old beta patch on a steam install on 1.62, which is the problem I'm trying to get around right now...

The old beta's check the current arma2oa.exe and if it's 1.62 it fails to install... lets assume that none of these systems have any betas currently installed... So, is there a command line option to tell the installer to ignore the arma2oa.exe check, or another way to force the beta install on a steam 1.62 install?

The BI Dev above suggested putting 1.60 arma2oa.exe in the folder to get the beta to install, but where do we get a copy of this file?

[Kindling]

I'm sorry but I think you failed to read my OP....

First, wine is NOT an option, let me say it one more time WINE IS NOT AN OPTION, thanks for posting a link to your script, but it doesn't do us any good.

Second, you can't install an old beta patch on a steam install on 1.62, which is the problem I'm trying to get around right now...

The old beta's check the current arma2oa.exe and if it's 1.62 it fails to install... lets assume that none of these systems have any betas currently installed... So, is there a command line option to tell the installer to ignore the arma2oa.exe check, or another way to force the beta install on a steam 1.62 install?

The BI Dev above suggested putting 1.60 arma2oa.exe in the folder to get the beta to install, but where do we get a copy of this file?

I said that WINE is the ONLY way of running a server that supports the current patch on Linux. The link is for other admins that may share your issue and be open to the idea of using WINE. Perhaps you can extract the patcher with 7zip as a previous poster described and replace the files, or if it's a differential patch you'll have to find some way to downgrade.

[.kju [PvPscene]]

1. Download the desired beta patch from http://www.arma2.com/beta-patch.php
2. ARMA2_OA_Build_94700.zip should be latest 1.60 build
3. Extract the ARMA2_OA_Build_94700.zip with 7z
4. Extract the installer exe (ARMA2_OA_Build_94700.exe) with 7z
5. Extract the patch.exe (ARMA2_OA_Build_94700.exe) with 7z
6. Now locate: ..\.rsrc\0\RCDATA\ALL
7. Copy this to .\arrowhead\expansion\beta and rename the exe (ARMA2OA.EXE.#OA => ARMA2OA.EXE)
8. Launch as beta patch

PS: Make sure to get the latest 7z: http://www.7-zip.org
PSS: Make sure to get the BE DLL for 1.60: http://www.battleye.com/download.html

[JayC]

Extract the installer exe with 7z. Again with the patch.exe.
Now locate: ..\.rsrc\0\RCDATA\ALL
Copy this to .\arrowhead\expansion\beta and rename the exe (ARMA2OA.EXE.#OA => ARMA2OA.EXE)

Just to clarify, which installer.exe? The beta patch or some other patch installer?

I've uncompressed arma2_oa_build_95099 and inside is another exe arma2_oa_build_95099.exe which can not be uncompressed by 7zip.

So which installer are you referring to?

---------- Post added at 20:18 ---------- Previous post was at 20:17 ----------

I said that WINE is the ONLY way of running a server that supports the current patch on Linux. The link is for other admins that may share your issue and be open to the idea of using WINE. Perhaps you can extract the patcher with 7zip as a previous poster described and replace the files, or if it's a differential patch you'll have to find some way to downgrade.

I'm open to downgrading the steam users... how do we do that? From what I can tell that isn't possible.

[Kindling]

I'm not entirely sure how to do that. The problem is that different patches change different files - it's not so easy as simply 'updating with an older update'. They'd have to somehow get an earlier version and manually install the older patches - I don't know any legal way to do that without each of them having the original disk media.

[JayC]

I'm not entirely sure how to do that. The problem is that different patches change different files - it's not so easy as simply 'updating with an older update'. They'd have to somehow get an earlier version and manually install the older patches - I don't know any legal way to do that without each of them having the original disk media.

I agree, steam users don't have cd's, and can't install the gold version and then only apply the patches they want...

My guess is the steam users will be unable to play on our server until BI gets around to releasing a 1.62 linux dedicated server... my hope is the dev's can suggest a way around this.