Hello everyone!

That’s my question:

Is it possible to “share” the SheepShaver VMs on the internet?
So for example I can create a lobby site with all the Users (SS VMs) online at the moment.

macOS app -> SheepShaver -> online lobby website

The aim would be to play LAN games over the internet like a game lobby. So people who don’t know each other can play together.

As always just reply thinking about the solution, not the feasibility :P

PS:
I think this matter is related or could be to “creating a Wrapper for application/Finder for SS”. I’m imagining something similar to GameRanger. So when the host user decide to start the game, GR open automatically the game (the Wrapper). Then there should be the networking stuff to put in communication the machines.

SheepShaver already includes network support; doing such a thing would only really require having a discord chatroom where people could log in and publish their (exposed) IP address for playing classic networked games.

Any networked game that uses a lobby server (that still exists) should allow for seamless logging in.

Personally, I've played Avara with a group using this method.

Thank you for your reply as always adespoton!

Does it really only need the public/exposed IP address? For LAN only games too?

So basically is needed something that passes the ip address into the game automatically. Maybe launching SheepShaver with a “flag” at startup.

Since I would target friends and people not “geek” or, worse, who didn’t even play the game before, I would like to make the setup as simple as possible. Simple == for dumbs

Have a nice day

Well,

It depends on what ports are needed for the game. If simple slirp networking will not do, you almost certainly have to use tap networking to get e.g., appletalk running and punch a hole in your router firewall/add port forwarding to SheepShaver to see other gamers.
I did this before with some tank game, and it works.

Best,
Cat_7

Hi Cat, thank you.

Do you have a guide? Did you write something about?

If I’m not wrong, ethernet connection is needed, isn’t it?
I mean, can I use just my laptop (wifi connection) for playing online?

We have a somewhat older guide that covers the SheepShaver side of things:
https://www.emaculation.com/doku.php/ap ... ntain_lion

Short overview of the procedure for later MacOS:
-install tuntaposx
-create a network bridge with your ethernet connection as member.
-set sheepshaver to use the tap networking device instead of slirp
-start sheepshaver, start run ipconfig and add the tap device to the bridge

I haven't done this for quite some time now, so I don't know whether anything above sierra will still allow it.

For your router configuration, refer to its manual.

Best,
Cat_7

Above Sierra getting tuntaposx working is much more difficult. However, getting virtual devices and bridge networking functional is much easier, and works with WiFi hardware. I haven't attempted to combine all of the above since Sierra, but it seems to me it should now be possible to create a bridge, add WiFi to it, and set up bridge rules so that AppleTalk is properly encapsulated in IP and can be addressed externally.

All that said, there's the JavaScript port of PCE/macplus that supports LocalTalk over UDP right from the browser, so it seems to me that a bit of work should be all that's required to create a VPN-type app for macOS that allows emulators to connect over the Internet without all the steps currently required.

Great

I’ll need some time to figuring out everything.
I’ll keep you updated.

Night!