Sidewinder Linden reports that the beta grid (Aditi) has been updated with a new version of the Havok 4.6 code, fixing a dozen issues. We're told this will take about 24 hours.

We're also cautioned that the beta grid database will be refreshed from the main grid. Make offline copies of any scripts you have in beta, because everything in your beta inventory will be replaced by early next week.

Sidewinder Linden has updated us on the status of the Havok 4.6 physics test on the Second Life Beta Grid (Aditi). Included is the news that Aditi has been updated today with a fresh code drop.

We've listed the changes below the fold, linked to their JIRA entries, where possible. The public JIRA has been having some difficulties this evening, however, so be prepared to be patient.

It seems there's some issues with simulator data getting messed up by Havok 4.6 on the beta grid (Aditi). Sidewinder Linden (Program Manager for the Havok implementation project) has announced that Havok 4.6 is being yanked from the beta grid until at least Monday while they look for the cause and possible remedies.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled physics engine.

The San Francisco colocation facility being used by Linden Lab for housing much of the Second Life grid is undergoing electrical maintenance on Saturday 15 September (tomorrow). Previously, this was announced for Friday, one of the quietest nights of the Second Life week, however it has now been rescheduled to Saturday night, one of the busiest.

The work will go from approximately 9pm SLT (US Pacific) and continue as late as 3am SLT the following morning. The Aditi grid, currently being used as the beta/preview/test grid will be down completely, along with 320 or so regions from the main (Agni) grid.

Linden Lab tells us that Second Life will be taken offline for an update on Wednesday, 11 July. The grid is going down from 6am to noon SLT (US Pacific), as usual, to attempt the update to 1.18.0 that was waved off previously.

Specifically, what will be being deployed is 1.18.0(4) which is what is presently running on the Aditi grid (the Aditi grid being the current public beta-test grid, Agni is the current main grid). 1.18.0 is the culmination of work that apparently started approximately 14 months ago to rearchitect the message pipeline, and ultimately free us from all this forced downtime (among other things).

The current Second Life beta test grid (Aditi) has been updated with 1.16.0(4). Linux is back on the beta grid menu again.

No official or unofficial announcement has been made of the update at this time, so here's the bugfix list for this version:

Bug fixes:

• Fixed VWR-657: Beta -> Linux -> Startup -> Crash
• Fixed object loss occuring when taking an item
• Fixed render issues with tapered cubes
• Fixed sculpt texture loss after when texture picker is cancelled
• Fixed flexible sculpted prims becoming distorted
• Fixed textures applied to sculpted prim at a 90 degree rotation

Get the beta viewer for Windows, Mac and Linux from the usual place.

The current Second Life beta test grid (Aditi) has been updated with 1.15.0 (the version formerly known as 1.14.1). This version is not going to fly this week because of a number of unresolved issues. From where I'm sitting, I guess I owe thanks to the people who downloaded it, got themselves onto the beta, hammered at it, and reported issues. Without them, we'd have been in a world of hurt on Wednesday.

I'm definitely going to take the time to try it out myself this week. Everyone's effort counts as a gain for every Second Life resident. Even the smallest efforts can be worth a lot. Get your beta stuff here.