What is chat? Chat is essentially how we communicate with other residents in Second Life. There are two major categories of chat; Text chat and Voice chat. This page will focus on text chat. For info about voice chat, go here Voice.

There are 4 types of chat:

• Local chat is where everyone within chat range can hear you.
• Group chat is where you can talk to a group as a whole.
• Instant messaging (IM) is where you can talk privately one on one to another individual.
• Ad Hoc (Conference) calls where you can talk to a group of people you select in an IM.

• Normal chat has a range of 20 meters. To use normal text chat, input your text in either the main chat bar at the bottom or in the nearby chat window.
• Shout has a range of 100 meters. To use shout, press ctrl + enter keys after inputting your text.
• Whisper has a range of 10 meters. To use whisper, press shift + enter keys after inputting your text.
• Instant messages, group chats and conference calls are grid wide.

Alternatively, you can choose to show the “send” button at the end of the nearby chatbar which you can select the chat type (whisper, say, or shout) but it will remain in whatever chat type until you change it. To enabled this “send” button, go to Preferences→ Chat -> Typing→ Show chat type / send chat button in chat bar.

The viewer has the ability to translate text into a language that you choose but you need to set up an account with Bing or Google to do so. See here for more information. Previously, Google provided free translation services, but this has now ended, and you must establish your own account with Bing or Google which may incur a cost. Please be aware that chat translation only works in nearby chat and not in IMs or group chat.

There are several ways to start an instant message:

• To talk to a nearby avatar, right click on any part the avatar (not their attachments) or their name tag and select IM from the menu.
• From the friends list in the contacts window, select on the person’s name and press the IM/call button.
• From the friends list in the People Panel, select the person’s name and press the IM button at the bottom of that window.
• If person is already chatting, click on the name in the chat window, this will bring up a quick profile window, and press the IM button.
• In a person’s profile, press the Instant Message button.

Provided you are allowed to join a group chat, go to group tab in Contacts window and either double click on the group or select the group and press the IM/call button.

If you are in the group tab in the People Panel, double clicking on the group will start chat or you can right-click on the selected group and select chat.

To close the group chat window for the duration of the login session, press the X button at top right of that group window. If you want to close it temporarily, press the Zz button at top right to put the group in “snooze” mode. Snooze mode will close the chat for a set duration and after that duration is done, any new chat in that group will make that group's chat window open again. Chat group duration default time is set to 900s but can be changed in Preferences> Chat> Chat Window.

A conference is a private conversation with two or more Residents. It is similar to group chat, but more dynamic, since everyone on your friends list can be invited, as well as everyone where you got a calling card from.

To start a conference chat:

• Go to Conversations window → Contacts Tab → Friends and select each friend you want to include in the conference by pressing Ctrl + left click on mouse on each friend’s name and then press the IM/Call button.
• Go to the People Panel→ Friends tab and select each friend you want to include in the conference by pressing Ctrl + left click on mouse on each friend’s name and then right-click and select IM.
• If you already have an IM going with someone and want to add another resident, you have two ways to do this:
  • go to Inventory→ Calling Card folder and drag that resident’s calling card into the IM, or
  • press the “add someone to this conversation” button at top of the IM.
  • Drag and Drop the selected avatar in the current IM. Can drag and drop from the following windows:
    • Radar
    • Nearby Avatar tab in People window
    • Friends tab in People window
    • Friends tab in Contacts tab (Conversations window)
    • People Search tab in Search window
    • Contact sets

Note: Conferences are limited to twenty participants.

The terminology has changed so please read here.

To save or not save your chat logs and transcripts (nearby, IM/Group), go to Preferences→ Privacy -> Logs & Transcripts and select the options under Save:.

The location for the saved chat logs and transcripts depends on your operating system but can be found and changed in Network & Files -> Directories→ Conversation logs and transcripts location. Press the Set button to change it to a different folder.

If you are offline and an IM is sent to you, the IM is backlogged and will appear as a set of notification icons in the upper right or lower left of your Viewer when you log in.

The backlog can contain up to 25 IMs (cap limit), including inventory transfers, group invitations, and group notifications. If someone gives you an inventory item (generating an IM message), the message is placed in your inventory's Trash folder, and you can retrieve it when you return. If a scripted object sends the inventory, it is deleted immediately.

Second Life will keep the IMs in the backlog for 31 days. If you do not log in within the 31 days to view your IMs, they will be deleted.

To ensure you get your offline IMs and not get them capped, they can be sent to the email address that is connected to your contact information. To enable this option, go to Preferences→ Chat -> Notices→ check Email me IMs when I'm offline.

If you send a reply to an offline IM via email, the original sender will receive it as an IM. The email reply is limited to 1023 characters and must be sent within 5 days.

There are several ways to have your chat windows set up to your liking.

Docked in the conversations window:

• Go to Preferences→ Chat -> Chat Windows→ . Next to “Show IMs in”, tick Tabs and then relog.

As separate windows:

• Go to Preferences→ Chat -> Chat Windows. Next to “Show IMs in”, tick Separate Windows and then relog.

How to dock/undock the chat windows:

• There is a “tear off” button next to the 'x' (Close). Press that to dock and undock the chat window.

How to rearrange the IMs:

• Select and drag the IM tab to the order that you choose.

At the top of each Group and IM chat windows, there are a set of buttons that each has a different function.

How do I make the group chat look like the old style chat?

• In Preferences, go to Chat -> Chat Windows, and check Use V1 style chat headers.

How do I change the size of the font in chat?

• In Preferences, go to Chat -> Chat Windows, and select the size that you prefer in “Chat window font size”

How do I get my Contacts window back:

• If your Contacts window is not showing, go to the top menu bar→ Comm menu → Contacts (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F).
• If Contacts window is showing but undocked and there is no tear off button showing, go to top menu bar→ Preferences→ Advanced (Ctrl+Alt+D) → Debug Settings → Search for ContactsTornOFF and set to False.

If you have a problem using Firestorm, there are a number of ways in which you can get help. It is strongly recommended that you try the following, in order.

The viewer has extensive online documentation, explaining the features and how to use them. If there is some feature which you do not know how to use, then please consult the documentation.

If you have problems with things not working as they should, or are crashing a lot, or being disconnected, etc, then the best place to go is the troubleshooting section of our online wiki.

If the above do not provide a solution for you, or you need urgent help, then the best way is to contact one of our several in-world Firestorm support groups. Please view our tips, rules, and guidelines for our help groups here.

• Firestorm Support English Main support group, English language
• Deutsch - Offizielle Gruppe für Firestorm Viewer Support
• Español - Grupo Oficial en Castellano del Visor Firestorm
• Francophone - Support Officiel Francophone Firestorm.
• Italiano - Sito ufficiale di supporto per il Viewer Firestorm
• Magyar - A Firestorm Viewer Hivatalos Magyar nyelvu Supportja
• Nederlands - Steungroep Firestorm
• Polska - Oficjalna polska grupa wsparcia dla przeglądarki Phoenix-Firestorm
• Português - Grupo oficial para suporte do Firestorm
• Русский - официальная группа поддержки Firestorm
• Phoenix Lounge - Some support available; off-topic chatter encouraged; adult.
  This is a privately owned group, not owned by the Firestorm team.

Please note, group chat lag can be a serious issue. So when you go to a support group for help, please bear in mind the following:

• Please indicate what viewer you are using, and what operating system you are using (Windows, OSX, linux) and which version.
  Recent versions of Firestorm have a checkbox in the English support group chat window: Specify version; please enable this to make it easier for the support team to assist you.
• Your question may not show up for some time; allow time for it to post, and therefore time for people to see it and respond. Posting over and over is not helpful.
• Chat lag frequently results in posts appearing out of order, so rather than post multiple short lines, try to express your issue all on one line, as concisely and clearly as possible.
• If your question has an answer on the wiki, you will very likely be pointed to the relevant page; the solution there will be far more detailed than what help can be given in the group.
• Please remember that support staff are volunteers, and help out on their own time, without pay. They may not be able to help, but they do try. Be respectful.
• Support groups (except where noted) are PG, so please mind your language. While off-topic chat is allowed, it must give way to support issues. No advertising, no hating, no flaming, no drama; no spamming, advertising or begging.

We hold in-world classes explaining how to use Firestorm, what the preferences and menus mean, and so on. A great way to learn how to use the viewer, with an opportunity to ask questions as well.

The class schedule is posted here.

If you believe you have found a bug - or if you were unable to get help from the wiki or in a support group - then please file a report via our JIRA (bug tracker). In order to best help, please supply basic information.

• How to file a bug report or support request

The Firestorm Support Team only provides support for the latest official release of Firestorm Viewer. Earlier versions, even those released by the Firestorm team, are subject to limited or no support.

CtrlAltStudio Viewer (CAS) is a third-party viewer that is substantially based on but unrelated to Firestorm. At present, its website tells users:

• If the problem you’re having or suggestion for improvement is not for one of the CtrlAltStudio Viewer specific features (see the list here), please check whether it’s also a problem with or suggestion for the Firestorm viewer; if it is then direct your enquiry to them.

This is not to be interpreted to mean that users should seek help with CAS problems from the Firestorm Support Team. It concerns the development of the viewer, rather than support, which means the appropriate source for such information is the JIRA, where viewer bug reports and feature requests are handled.

Steps for addressing your CAS problem:

• Search the JIRA to see if your issue has been reported and is being addressed as a bug. If it is, comment on and/or follow this JIRA (you’ll need a JIRA account to do either); if there are workarounds, they are likely discussed in the comments. If there aren’t, there is nothing further you can do until the bug is fixed. Note that you must be have tested your issue on a current version of Firestorm if you are commenting on an open issue.
• Note that because CAS releases may not be current to Firestorm releases, a bug might already have been fixed, and the fix could be available on the latest version of Firestorm. If/when this is the case, CAS will not have the fix until its developer(s) update it.
• If your bug has not been reported yet, download the current official version of Firestorm to test for the presence of the bug and then file a JIRA of your own. You must test your issue on the current official version of Firestorm before doing so. Bugs that are reported without current Firestorm system information will be closed.

Even if the version of Firestorm you are running is the same as the current official version, we cannot provide support for it in our support groups if you built it on your own system. There might be subtle differences in build environments that generate unexpected results. Download the latest official version and test there before reporting your bug or seeking support.

Only the most recent official release of the viewer is supported. Additional previous versions continue to be available (usually the two most recent builds but sometimes one or two more) under the assumption that if they work for you, there is no need to force an update. If problems develop, however, you must update to the most recent version to receive assistance.

If you know or suspect that your problem is not a viewer bug:

• Begin your troubleshooting by downloading the latest version of Firestorm to see if the issue exists there, as well.
• Use the troubleshooting section of the Firestorm wiki to search for solutions to your problem.
• If you cannot find an adequate solution to your problem, you can join one of the Firestorm support groups to ask for help, but you must be using or have tested on the most recent official release of Firestorm to receive help.

If you have Intel Graphics HD, Intel Graphics HD2500 and Intel Graphics HD4000, and are using the 64bit version of Firestorm 5.0.7 or later, on Windows 10, refer to this page.

This is a known issue with recent Intel graphics drivers, affecting other graphics applications besides SL viewers. Please refer to FIRE-21264 for information and known workarounds.

If you start experiencing graphics issues after a Win10 update, such as driver crashes, or simply very poor performance, the first thing to try is a full computer reboot.

If that doesn't help, reinstall your graphics card driver from the card maker's website, not from Windows. That is, from nVidia, AMD, or Intel.

If you have Intel HD 2000 or 3000 graphics, refer to this page.

If your laptop has an Intel CPU and also has either an AMD or Nvidia graphics system, it may have the ability to switch between the Integrated Intel graphics or power savings, or the AMD/Nvidia for performance. But sometimes Firestorm isn't automatically configured to use the high performance graphics.

You can confirm this issue by looking at Help → About Firestorm and checking the name of the graphics card listed. If it says Intel, please follow the steps on this page.

This mysterious flashing problem has been reported numerous times now and after some investigation we believe we finally have a repro for what's causing the issue. We do not yet know the specifics of exactly which systems are affected.

Typically the issue arises when Worn Rigged Mesh is in view and has at least one texture containing alpha and set to alpha blend mode. Alpha masking and emissive mask do not reproduce the problem.

We have also verified that this reproduces using the Official LL Viewer.

The Following Table shows which systems and drivers we have tested and whether they reproduce the Flashing Issue.

The Driver Version linked in the above table (DRIVER VERSION: 15.40.14.64.4352 & 15.40.14.32.4352) Has not reproduced the issue for us and is the Driver we recommend that you download direct from Intel.

If you receive the following Message when installing the Intel Driver:

This is an indication that you have an OEM Driver installed by the manufacturer. This Leaves you with two options:

• Check the website (or contact support) of your specific PC manufacturer and check for updates.
• Uninstall the OEM Driver and install the Intel Driver direct from Intel. This method is carried out At Your Own Risk

If decide to wait fro an update from your computer manufacturer, or are simply uncertain about removing an installed driver, the following steps may help to make things more tolerable for you until your drivers are updated.

• If ALM is disabled the flashing will always reproduce unless Hardware skinning is disabled.
• If ALM is enabled the flashing will only reproduce when the avatar wearing the alpha blended rigged mesh is standing in Linden water.
  • If Hardware Skinning is disabled, the flashing stops in this case too.

Note: If you install the recommended driver above and still experience issues please read the related jira FIRE-17290 and add your details to the comments. Instructions for using the Jira can be found HERE

The events we promote on the viewer Message of the Day are:

• Not for profit, community events organized, hosted and/or sponsored by the community.
• Charity events that benefit good causes.

The idea behind what we agree to promote and what we don't are simple. If it's going to benefit you financially either directly or indirectly (publicity stunt), we are not going to promote it. However, if it's purely for residents, hosted by residents with no profits or financial benefits either directly or indirectly to you or those involved, we will consider it. We have always been, and will always be, about the community.

We cannot however promote religious events or anything that may offend or exclude other races, creeds, cultures or persons. For example, we were asked to promote Memorial Day, and while we support troops all around the world 100%, it is an American event which other countries do not participate in. That makes it exclusionary and not something that qualifies for us to promote.

Note: we do not promote anything on the login page itself. Just the Message of the day.

(Information extracted from this blog post.)

Partial day events, events that don't run all day and only run for a few hours¹⁾ will not receive a 24 hour Message of the day. It's a waste of valuable Message of the Day space. Approved partial day events Message of the Day will be run for two hours preceding the event and will end five minutes after your event has begun.²⁾The rule regarding this is still being discussed internally, it may go into effect or be removed.

Your Event must be suitable for a 'General' audience.
This includes the region hosting your event, as well as your web site and all its contents including any advertisements that may appear on your web pages, (not only the page we will be linking to in the MotD).

Events on 'Mature' regions will be considered on a case by case basis only and we must be given early access to your event space for assessment. ³⁾ We will let you know the specific 'who' to give access to if needed when your MotD application is evaluated.⁴⁾

Adult events and events on 'Adult' regions will not be promoted in the Firestorm Message of the Day.

If in doubt, ask yourself these questions:
Would I want my grandmother attending my event?
Would I ask a kindergarten class to attend my event?
Would I ask my co-workers to attend my event?

See Maturity ratings - Second Life, for more information about Second Life maturity ratings.

Make sure the page on your website we will be linking to in the Message of the Day:

• Has an easy to find and prominently displayed SLURL to your event.
• Is clear and to the point about your event. ⁵⁾
• Is easy to read. ⁶⁾
• Has your contact information if you wish to provide it.
• Doesn't send people clicking on other links to find what they want to get to your event.

You should save promoting your overall web site and more information about your event for your event. Once people are at your event you can tell them what ever you want, it's your event! The page we link to in the Message of the Day should be focused on getting people to want to go to your event.

When designing the web page we will link to for your event;
Keep in mind, when people see the Message of the Day they are trying to log into Second Life, not your web page, if your web page doesn't give them what they want, and quickly, most won't stick around to find it.

Please please please be sure and promote your event in other mediums as well! See Priorities below as to why this is important!

• Message boards.
• Classifieds.
• Profile pics.
• Etc.

The Firestorm Message of the Day priorities governing what Message of the Day will be run at any time are as follows:

1. Real life global crisis. ⁷⁾
2. Linden Lab requested MotD issuing critical information regarding Second Life. ⁸⁾
3. Firestorm viewer related news.
4. Firestorm viewer related events.⁹⁾
5. Firestorm hosted events, not viewer related. ¹⁰⁾
6. Important Second Life community events. ¹¹⁾
7. Other organization hosted events. Your MotD request. Rotated with other events as needed.¹²⁾
8. Other organization event application requests. Your MotD request. Rotated with other application requests as needed.
9. Firestorm classes. ¹³⁾
10. Firestorm tips.¹⁴⁾
11. Linden Lab standard MotD.¹⁵⁾

If you have a community event that you would like promoted on our MOTD you can send a request to jessica.lyon@phoenixviewer.comlassie@phoenixviewer.com for consideration. We do not charge for promoting your event nor will we accept any benefits, financial or otherwise. Though you can expect we may attend your event . Please provide your in-world name and details to the event. All events we promote are required to have a website we can link to.

The name of your event in the subject of your email. For example, MotD Request for Watching Grass Grow Event.

And in the body of your request:

• Tell us a little about your event.
• The dates your event will run.
• The URL for your event website.
• A contact name and email if different than yours.
• An in world name we can contact if needed.
• Optional, what you would like your Message of the Day to say.¹⁶⁾

Once this is received your request will be evaluated for inclusion in the Firestorm MotD. If you don't hear back from us in a few days consider everything good to go. We will email you if we need more information or if something is missing.
If your MotD is declined you will be replied to as to why your event MotD wasn't accepted.


Good luck with your event!

Included for transparency.

• Better define what is acceptable as a MotD and what isn't.
• Discuss whether or not to include an upcoming, in progress and or past MotD reference list, (and what to include in it).
• Finish the MotD application form.

Coming soon!
Click here to apply for a Firestorm MotD (Doesn't work yet.)
But is still a good template for what you should send us in an email about your event!

General Index

• Downloads
• Firestorm Release Notes

• Basic Info on Getting Help
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Hot LL JIRA Issues Of The Day
• How to File a JIRA
• How to Contact Support
• Is my Viewer Safe?
• Direct Delivery FAQ
• Office Hours

• Firestorm Classes

• Login Screen Layout
• Viewer Modes
• The Viewer Layout

• Chat
• Inventory
• Profiles
• Outfits
• Gestures
• Mouselook
• Editing Shapes and Other Body Parts
• People Panel Nearby (Radar), Friends and Groups are accessed here
• Contact Sets
• Using Search
• Streaming Audio and Video
• Voice
• Uploading Textures, Sounds, etc

• Backing Up Settings
• Preferences
• Quick Preferences
• Cache - What It Is
• Keyboard Shortcuts

• Reporting Abuse

• Client AO
• Managing Groups
• Parcel Management
• Region Management
• Windlight: Water and Sky
• Avatar Physics
• LSL Bridge
• Building, Editing, Terraforming
• Pathfinding

• Firestorm LSL Preprocessor (Version 4.1.1 and later)
• Debug Settings
• Understanding Lag

• New for 4.4.0Backup / Restore
• New for 4.4.0Render / Derender
• New for 4.4.0Pose Stand
• New for 4.4.0Quick Preferences
• New for 4.4.0Custom Default Prim Parameters

• New for 4.3.0Customizing In-World Sounds

• Firestorm Menu Class
• Firestorm Preferences 101 Class
• Firestorm Preferences 102 Class
• Firestorm Preferences 103 Class
• Firestorm AO Class

• Contact Sets
• Customizing the Button Bar - FS 4.0.1
• How to Mimic the Sidebar in Firestorm 4.0.1

The following videos are about the Firestorm AO:

• Import to AO part 1
• Customize your AO part 2
• Options in AO part 3

• Obsolete Tutorial Videos

• Colour Scheme Tutorial

• Firestorm Source repository
• How to Make a Patch
• How to be a Good Development Neighbor
• Compiling Firestorm ViewerUnder Construction

• Freebie Donations - In-World Vendors
• Applying to Beta Test

• Firestorm Licenses
• Firestorm Privacy Policy
• Firestorm Credits
• Message of the Day Advertising
• Main website

General Index

• Downloads
• Firestorm Release Notes

• Basic Info on Getting Help
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Hot LL JIRA Issues Of The Day
• How to File a JIRA
• How to Contact Support
• Is my Viewer Safe?
• Office Hours
• In World Support Locations

• Firestorm Classes

• Login Screen Layout
• Viewer Modes
• The Viewer Layout

• Chat
• Inventory
• Profiles
• Outfits
• Gestures
• Mouselook
• Editing Shapes and Other Body Parts
• People Panel Nearby (Radar), Friends and Groups are accessed here
• Contact Sets
• Using Search
• Streaming Audio and Video
• Voice
• Uploading Textures, Sounds, etc

• Backing Up Settings
• Preferences
• Quick Preferences
• Cache - What It Is
• Keyboard Shortcuts

• Reporting Abuse

• Client AO
• Managing Groups
• Parcel Management
• Region Management
• Windlight: Water and Sky
• Avatar Physics
• LSL Bridge
• Building, Editing, Terraforming
• Running Multiple Firestorm at Once
• Exporting and Importing Linksets
• Pathfinding

• Firestorm LSL Preprocessor (Version 4.1.1 and later)
• Debug Settings
• Understanding Lag

• New for 4.4.0Backup / Restore
• New for 4.4.0Render / Derender
• New for 4.4.0Pose Stand
• New for 4.4.0Quick Preferences
• New for 4.4.0Custom Default Prim Parameters

• New for 4.3.0Customizing In-World Sounds

• Firestorm Menu Class
• Firestorm Preferences 101 Class
• Firestorm Preferences 102 Class
• Firestorm Preferences 103 Class
• Firestorm AO Class

• Contact Sets
• Customizing the Button Bar - FS 4.0.1
• How to Mimic the Sidebar in Firestorm 4.0.1

The following videos are about the Firestorm AO:

• Import to AO part 1
• Customize your AO part 2
• Options in AO part 3

• Obsolete Tutorial Videos

• Colour Scheme Tutorial

• Firestorm Source repository
• How to Make a Patch
• How to be a Good Development Neighbor
• Compiling Firestorm ViewerUnder Construction

• Freebie Donations - In-World Vendors
• Applying to Beta Test

• Firestorm Licenses
• Firestorm Privacy Policy
• Firestorm Credits
• Message of the Day Advertising
• Main website

General Index

• Downloads
• Firestorm Release Notes

• Basic Info on Getting Help
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Hot LL JIRA Issues Of The Day
• How to File a JIRA
• How to Contact Support
• Is my Viewer Safe?
• Office Hours
• In World Support Locations

• Firestorm Classes

• Login Screen Layout
• Viewer Modes
• The Viewer Layout

• Chat
• Inventory
• Profiles
• Outfits
• Gestures
• Mouselook
• Editing Shapes and Other Body Parts
• People Panel Nearby (Radar), Friends and Groups are accessed here
• Contact Sets
• Using Search
• Streaming Audio and Video
• Voice
• Uploading Textures, Sounds, etc

• Top Menu Bar
• Preferences
• Backing Up Settings
• Quick Preferences
• Cache - What It Is
• Keyboard Shortcuts

• Reporting Abuse

• Client AO
• Managing Groups
• Parcel Management
• Region Management
• Windlight: Water and Sky
• Avatar Physics
• LSL Bridge
• Move Lock
• Building, Editing, Terraforming
• Running Multiple Firestorm at Once
• Exporting and Importing Linksets
• Pathfinding
• Displayed Time Format

• Firestorm LSL Preprocessor
• Debug Settings
• Understanding Lag

• New for 4.6.1Phototools
• Backup / Restore
• Render / Derender
• Pose Stand
• Quick Preferences
• Custom Default Prim Parameters
• Customizing In-World Sounds
• Customizing the Button Bar - FS 4.0.1
• Client AO

• Firestorm Class Recordings

• Obsolete Tutorial Videos

• Colour Scheme Tutorial

• Firestorm Source repository
• How to Make a Patch
• How to be a Good Development Neighbor
• Compiling Firestorm ViewerUnder Construction
• Translating the Firestorm UI

• SL 2.0 - Explanation and Discussion Reference
• Firestorm Q&A Recordings
• Freebie Donations - In-World Vendors
• Applying to Beta Test
• Team April Fools' Pranks

• Firestorm Licenses
• Firestorm Privacy Policy
• Firestorm Viewer Communications to the Firestorm Server
• Firestorm Credits
• Message of the Day Advertising
• Main website

Genereller Index

• Downloads (englisch)
• Firestorm Änderungsprotokolle (englisch)
• Firestorm Änderungsprotokolle (unvollständig)

• Basic Info on Getting Help

• Fragen und Anworten
• Anleitungen zur Fehlerbehebung / Troubleshooting Guide

• Hot LL JIRA Issues Of The Day
• How to File a JIRA
• How to Contact Support
• Is my Viewer Safe?
• Office Hours
• In World Support Locations

• Firestorm Classes (englisch)

• Login Screen Layout (englisch)
• Viewer Modes (englisch)
• Das Viewer Layout

• Chat (englisch)
• Inventar
• Profile
• Outfits
• Gestures (englisch)
• Mouselook (englisch)
• Formen und andere Körperteile bearbeiten
• Leute Fenster (Radar), auf Freunde und Gruppen kann hier ebenfalls zugegriffen werden
• Contact Sets (englisch)
• Using Search (englisch)
• Streaming Audio and Video
• Voice nutzen
• Uploading Textures, Sounds, etc (englisch)

• Einstellungen sichern
• Firestorm Einstellungen
• Quick Preferences (englisch)
• Cache - Was das ist
• Keyboard Shortcuts

• Reporting Abuse (englisch)

• Saubere Firestorm Installation
• Höhenverstellung
• Feste Windlight Einstellungen
• SLURL Proxy
• AMD/ATI Grafikkarten
• "Texture Discarded Due to Insufficent Memory"
• "Avatar Bake Fail"
• Fehlende Inventargegenstände und deren Wiederherstellung

• Firestorm Client AO
• Managing Groups (englisch)
• Parcel Management (englisch)
• Region Management (englisch)
• Windlight: Parcel Water and Sky (englisch)
• Avatar Physik
• LSL Bridge (LSL Brücke)
• Move Lock (englisch)
• Building, Editing, Terraforming (englisch)
• Running Multiple Firestorm at Once (englisch)
• Exporting and Importing Linksets (englisch)
• Pathfinding

• Firestorm LSL Preprocessor (englisch)
• Debug Settings (englisch)
• Lag verstehen lernen

• (Deutsche Sprache zur Rechtschreibprüfung hinzufügen)

• New for 4.6.1Phototools
• Backup / Restore
• Render / Derender
• Pose Stand
• Quick Preferences
• Custom Default Prim Parameters
• Customizing In-World Sounds
• Customizing the Button Bar - FS 4.0.1
• Client AO

• Firestorm Class Recordings

• Obsolete Tutorial Videos

• Colour Scheme Tutorial

• Firestorm Source repository
• How to Make a Patch
• How to be a Good Development Neighbor
• Compiling Firestorm ViewerUnder Construction
• Translating the Firestorm UI

• SL 2.0 Erklärungen und Diskussionen Referenz

• Firestorm Q&A Recordings
• Freebie Donations - In-World Vendors
• Applying to Beta Test
• Team April Fools' Pranks

• Firestorm Licenses
• Firestorm Privacy Policy
• Firestorm Viewer Communications to the Firestorm Server
• Firestorm Credits
• Message of the Day Advertising
• Main website

Für die Dokumentation des alten Phoenix, bitte hier klicken.

Phoenix In-World Groups

Phoenix Classes

Firestorm Classes

• Downloads
• Release Notes

• Display Names
• Parcel Windlight
• Inventory Links

• FAQ
• Troubleshooting and Quick Fixes
• Keyboard Shortcuts
• Clearing Settings
• Cache - What It Is
• Backing Up your Settings
• Checksum or Hash - What It Is
• Is my Viewer Safe?
• Direct Delivery FAQ

• Current Features:
  • Summary of Features
  • Advanced Debug Settings
  • Animation Explorer
  • Area Search
  • Avatar List (Radar)
  • Avatar Physics (version 1102 and later)
  • Breast Physics (version 1050 and older)
  • Build Presets
  • Client AO
  • Clothing Linking
  • Custom UI Skins
  • Derender
  • IRC Client
  • LSL Client Bridge
  • LSL PreProcessor
  • Media Filter
  • Multi-Attachments
  • Phantom
  • Phoenix Preferences Tab
  • Progressive Draw Distance
  • Restrained Love Support (RLVa)
  • Script Count
  • WindLight Settings
  • Mesh
  • Pathfinding
  • Compatible with Squid Proxy Cache (Firestorm documentaion)
• List of Features in Older Releases

• Home page
• Wiki
• JIRA
• Downloads
• Stats Bar Info

• Support Tickets: See How to File a JIRA before requesting support
• General Contact Information
• Message of the Day Advertising
• Office Hours
• PhoenixTeam

Phoenix In-World Groups

Phoenix Classes

Firestorm Classes

• Downloads
• Release Notes

• Display Names
• Parcel Windlight
• Inventory Links

• Häufig gestellte Fragen
• Probleme und Lösungsvorschläge
• Tastatur Shortcuts
• Einstellungen zurücksetzen
• Diverse Probleme mit deinem Avatar

• Aktuelle Features
  • Feature Zusammenfassung
  • Advanced Debug Settings
  • Animationen Explorer
  • Umgebungssuche
  • Avatar Liste (Radar)
  • Avatar Physik Effekte *neu
  • Busen Physik
  • Bau Voreinstellungen
  • Eingebaute AO
  • Kleidung/Inventar Verknüpfungen
  • Custom UI Skins
  • IRC Client
  • LSL Client Bridge
  • LSL PreProcessor
  • Multi-Attachments
  • Phantom
  • Phoenix Preferences Tab
  • Progressive Draw Distance
  • Phoenix Restrained Love Support (RLVa)
  • Script Count
  • Windlight Einstellungen
  • Mesh
  • Pathfinding
  • Compatible with Squid Proxy Cache (Firestorm documentaion)
• List of Features in Older Releases

• Home page
• Wiki
• JIRA
• Downloads
• Stats Bar Info

• Support Tickets: See How to File a JIRA before requesting support
• General Contact Information
• Message of the Day Advertising
• Office Hours
• PhoenixTeam

• Downloads
• Firestorm Release Notes

• For New Residents
• Basic Info on Getting Help
• Troubleshooting Guide
• Hot LL JIRA Issues Of The Day
• How to File a JIRA
• How to Contact Support
• Is my Viewer Safe?
• Office Hours
• In World Support Locations
• Firestorm Gateway Team

• Firestorm Classes

• Firestorm Gateway and the SciFi Community
• Latest Gateway Events News
• Firestorm Gateway SciFi Portal

• Login Screen Layout
• Viewer Modes
• The Viewer Layout

• Movement and Camera
• Chat
• Inventory
• Profiles
• Outfits
• Gestures
• Mouselook
• Editing Shapes and Other Body Parts
• People Panel Nearby (Radar), Friends and Groups are accessed here
• Contact Sets
• Using Search
• Streaming Audio and Video
• Voice
• Uploading Textures, Sounds, etc

• Top Menu Bar
• Preferences
• Backing Up Settings
• Quick Preferences
• Cache - What It Is
• Keyboard Shortcuts

• Reporting Abuse
• Avatar Complexity Settings

• Client AO
• Managing Groups
• Parcel Management
• Region Management
• Windlight: Water and Sky
• Avatar Physics
• LSL Bridge
• Move Lock
• Adjusting Font Sizes
• Building, Editing, Terraforming
• Running Multiple Firestorm at Once
• Exporting and Importing Linksets
• Pathfinding
• Displayed Time Format
• Joystick and space Navigator

• Firestorm LSL Preprocessor
• Debug Settings
• Understanding Lag

• Phototools
• Backup / Restore
• Render / Derender
• Pose Stand
• Quick Preferences
• Custom Default Prim Parameters
• Customizing In-World Sounds
• Customizing the Button Bar - FS 4.0.1
• Client AO
• Camera Control
• Autoreplace
• People Panel / Radar
• Contact Sets
• Using the Command Line
• Doing a Clean Reinstall
• Build Tools

• Firestorm Class Recordings

• Obsolete Tutorial Videos

• Colour Scheme Tutorial

• Firestorm Source repository
• How to Make a Patch
• How to be a Good Development Neighbor
• Compiling Firestorm ViewerUnder Construction
• Translating the Firestorm UI

• Firestorm Blocks
• SL 2.0 - Explanation and Discussion Reference
• Firestorm Q&A Recordings
• Freebie Donations - In-World Vendors
• Applying to Beta Test
• Team April Fools' Pranks

• For Phoenix documentation, please click here.

• Firestorm Licenses
• Firestorm Privacy Policy
• Firestorm Viewer Communications to the Firestorm Server
• Firestorm Credits
• Message of the Day Advertising
• Main website

This section covers issues related to audio, video and some aspects of search.

• For situations where you cannot hear audio, be it streaming music, or the audio from a movie/video, the first thing to do is check that:
  • streaming music and/or media are enabled in Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds;
  • volumes for music and media are not at minimum;
  • audio is configured correctly in your operating system (ie, Windows, linux, OSX), that sounds is going to the correct device (ie, speakers or headset), and so on;
  • You have not blocked the stream/video; check Preferences → Sound & Media → Media → Manage Media Sites.
  • for streaming music, test the music URL in your external web browser, to make sure that the URL actually works.

• HTTP fetching may be overloading your router; please try the suggestions given here; if they do not help, revert the changes made then return to this page and continue.

• Relog Firestorm and open the Search window
• Go to your computer processes and look for “slplugin.exe”
  • For Windows users, go to Task Manager → Processes Tab
  • For Mac users, go to Activity Monitor → My Processes (usually by default, but you can check top right drop down)
  • For Linux users, go to Command Terminal, and type “ps aux”
  • You may see four instances of the slplugin running (that is normal behavior)
  • If you do not see any instances of slplugin running, that is the cause of media failing
• If slplugin is not running, disable all firewall and virus protection (including anti-virus software and windows or other operating system firewalls). Do this check also for llceflib_host.
• Relog and attempt video playback again
• If it works, you will need to stop your firewall/virus protection from blocking the slplugin and/or llceflib_host files by granting appropriate permissions in your firewall/virus protection software
• NOTE: If you have several viewers installed, you will have to allow to each one access through your firewall, as well as to SLPlugin and llceflib_host for each one.
• If all of the above does not resolve the issue, you can try downloading the latest SL Viewer 2 viewer and replacing your Firestorm slplugin file with the one from Viewer 2.

• In Preferences → Sound & Media → Sounds, make sure the “Enabled” checkbox to the right of the “Media” slider is checked
  (For audio, check “Streaming Music”)
• In Preferences → Sound & Media → Media, check “Allow inworld scripts to play media”
• Make sure the issue is not with the specific television you are using, by attempting to view videos on a television that plays video normally for other Firestorm users.
• Make sure that “Enable plugins” is ticked in Preferences → Network & Files -> Connection, else the external media plugin can not be executed, and you may see a message saying: Adobe Flash Player or an HTML5 supported browser is required for video playback.

• Windows users:
  • In order to play Flash format videos (e.g., YouTube videos), you must have the Opera & Chromium version of the Adobe Flash plugin installed. Unless you already have this specific version of Flash installed already, you will need to get the Opera & Chromium Flash plugin from Adobe.

• Linux users
  • You need to have the pepperflash plugin installed, which can be satisfied by installing pepperflashplugin-nonfree for Chromium

• Mac users
  • Mac users currently need the Safari & Firefox version of Adobe Flash plugin installed. Download it from Adobe.

• NOTE: If you experience graphics driver crashes on nVidia cards when viewing Flash media (for example Youtube) both in-world and on a website and/or severe drops in your GPU clock mhz on any card then you will need to disable hardware acceleration on Flash Player. To do this, go to Youtube and Pick any video. Right click the video play area to bring up the options and follow the instructions here.

QuickTime is no longer needed for Windows users (and never was for linux users). Mac users, however, still need to have it.

• If YouTube videos suddenly will not play, and you just get a white screen, go to Preferences→ Privacy -> General, and click on Clear History, then try again.
• See also the Flash section, above.

Go to Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds and make sure the volume sliders for streaming music and media are not all to the left and that there is no mute symbol (red no entry sign) on the speaker icon next to those. Make sure the Master Volume is not all to the left.

Check that Sound Source rolloff distance (Media tab) is correct; set back to default, if you changed it (5m and 30 respectively for min and max).

Go to Preferences→ Sound & Media -> Sounds and check that you have the Sounds and UI sliders up high enough and that there is no mute symbol (red no entry sign) on the speaker icon next to those.

Go to the top menu bar→ Advanced → Use Plugin Read Thread, and disable it, if it is enabled - or vice versa. (If you cannot see Advanced on the top menu, press Ctrl-Alt-D.)

If that doesn't help, first ensure that you have your bandwidth set correctly. Also, test the audio stream in your regular media player, and/or try a different audio stream in-world.

If the music volume fades as you cam around or edit objects, check the sound equalization settings in your operating system. For example, this may be caused by “Loudness equalization” being enabled in your speaker properties on Windows 7. (Refer to http://jira.phoenixviewer.com/browse/FIRE-19885.)

This error is due to Flash not being installed, or not installed correctly. See above.

If using a VEA4 TV, you get a “File could not be found” error, disable the IPv6 protocol in the Windows network adapter. Note that this is not recommended, but apparently is the only way to get this brand of TV to work.

If sound eventually cuts out on your computer while using Firestorm and the only way to get it back is to log off Firestorm, disable Audio Enhancement via the steps shown here. Another possibility is Loudness equalization; reference this JIRA.

Refer to this page for all Win10 issues.

Please ensure that you have the most recent version of Flash for Safari installed. You can get this via the normal update process, or from Adobe.

For streaming music on OS X 10.9 Mavericks, please refer to this page.

For users on Sierra, there are reports of media features (such as MOAP, TVs, web search, and web profiles) working more slowly. Ref. BUG-40552.

Both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Firestorm for Linux require 32-bit libraries to function. See this page for a link to your Linux flavor to verify you have all the needed audio-related packages installed and to troubleshoot stream issues.

These classes are based on our official Firestorm release and are conducted in voice and text except when otherwise noted. There's no need to talk, but you may want to be able to hear. We also usually have help available to answer questions in text. This schedule is subject to change.

Note that it is best if you are on Firestorm for the classes.

Locations are indicated in the far right column as follows:

• FS: Firestorm Support region classroom, http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Firestorm%20Ghost%20Town/24/11/4000
• JU: Junkyard University, http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Junkyard%20Blues%20South/68/124/22

Class times and days change regularly. Classes may be held any day of the week, with start times from 8am to 7pm SLT. Nonetheless, if the class times are still inconvenient you may prefer to watch recorded versions of some of these classes on YouTube.

*All times SLT*

If things around you remain grey for a long time, or objects take a long time to pop into position, this is essentially because the data has not yet been sent to your viewer. There are a number of possible causes, and solutions or at least work-arounds:

• If you have Webroot SecureAnywhere antivirus installed, refer to this page.

• Power down your router and/or modem. This generally means unplugging it from the power source. Leave them disconnected for at least a full minute before reconnecting. Wait for them to complete the power up sequence, then reboot your computer.

• Teleport out, then back in.

• The region is badly lagged (many avatars present, too many scripts running, etc.) and so the region server is using all its time processing and has very little time left over to deliver textures and other data to you. The best way to cope with this is to reduce the demand you make; in other words, reduce your draw distance, even to 12m or less, and wait until textures and objects have loaded before you increase it again.

• You are experiencing packet loss or, more generally, have a poor network connection. Or your bandwidth slider may be set too high. Bring up the stats bar with Shift-Ctrl-1 and check Packet Loss and Ping Sim. Ideally, packet loss should be 0.0%, and Ping Sim under 200ms.

• Determine optimal bandwidth: refer here.

• You can also try to have less textures draw all at once by reducing draw distance when you teleport. You can do this manually, or make use of the built in Progressive Draw Distance function.

• HTTP fetching may be overloading your router; please try the suggestions given here; if they do not help, revert the changes made then return to this page and continue.

• Another possibility is that DNS look-up is failing. Try changing DNS to google; see this page for details.

• Some other program on your computer might be interfering with your viewer's connection to SL, like a firewall or anti-virus. Try disabling them temporarily, to see if things improve. If they do, you have isolated the problem. Whitelisting the viewer and cache folder would probably help.

• It has been reported that on Windows, the Aero background theme will also lead to textures refusing the rez, due to how much memory this feature consumes. Uninstalling that should help.

• If mesh items, specifically, never rez, see Mesh Issues.

• Several creators recommend specific settings in order for you to be able to better see their products. Sadly, some of these recommendations will lead to many people crashing more or having other issues, including very slow rez. Please see this page for more.