Solved How to edit plugins without immediately breaking it?

Discussion in 'Plugin Development' started by sp30032, Mar 26, 2014.

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  1. Offline

    sp30032

    I decompiled a plugin, edited it, and recompiled it and put it onto my server. It didn't work at all.

    Because it didn't work, I then redownloaded the plugin, re-edited it but only changed 1 thing: an output to the console when the server starts, then recompiled it and put it onto my server.

    The goal of this was to see if I actually did something wrong during editing, but I don't think I did because I changed 1 letter and It was an out put the console, but it didn't work.

    So what I'm asking here is: How do you edit plugins without immediately breaking it (I changed 1 thing and it broke.)? All I am trying to change is color coding and text by the way.
     
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    xXSniperzzXx_SD

    sp30032 Normally if you have to decompile it, then the plugin isn't allowed to be decompiled. The only way to do it is to get the source code.
     
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    JBoss925

    I don't think you can legally do that w/o permission from the owner. A lot of people are chill tho and just put their source code up on GitHub or somewhere.
     
  4. Offline

    Opacification

    JBoss925, shouldn't really ask for likes.
     
  5. Offline

    JBoss925

    Selfless plugs man. And likes don't even really mean anything to me, it's all good.
     
    MrSnare likes this.
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    Opacification

    JBoss925

    I'm saying this because it's against the rules, i've seen TnT remove comments before for this; as well as warn people.
     
  7. Offline

    desht

    Sure you can. Bukkit is licensed under the GPL, and under the terms of the GPL, any plugin using the Bukkit API should really be GPL'd too. While no one is likely to actually enforce that, any plugin author who wants to stop people decompiling their plugins and looking at the source doesn't have a leg to stand on.

    There is nothing legally or morally wrong about decompiling a Bukkit plugin.

    (Having said that, trying to modify a plugin by using its decompiled code is always going to be tricky - if there's an official source release then work from that)
     
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    JBoss925

    It's my sig, and who cares that much? TnT has better stuff to do than worry about someone putting "Leave a like" in their sig.
     
  9. Offline

    SacredWaste

    JBoss925 You seem to really care based on how you must respond repeatedly saying you don't care. Rule breaking is NOT allowed. That's why rules were made. Therefore, remove it.
     
  10. Offline

    Barinade

    I suggest getting a better grasp on Java before attempting to decompile and modify plugins, the decompiling process rarely gives 100% working source, you'll probably have to fix a few things the decompiler didn't pick up on. Maybe just recreate the plugin if it's a simple one. And if you can't change the colors, meaning they are hardcoded, then it probably is a simple one.
     
  11. SacredWaste instead of wasting your time trying to convince him to remove it, just report him ;)
     
  12. Offline

    RawCode

    tapping into 3rd party plugins with decompiler requires MORE skill then writting same plugin...

    if anyone ask "how can i decompile plugin" only valid answer *you* can't.
     
  13. Offline

    blablubbabc

    I world like to outline the word "should": Because the fact that plugin authors might be violating the GPL of bukkit doesn't make their license choice invalid and doesn't give you the right to violate their license as well. So breaking their license is legally and morally as wrong as those plugin devs are by breaking the gpl.
     
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    desht

    Actually, it does. Like I said, it's not worth anyone's time to actually sue over a badly-licensed plugin, but the fact is that any licence for a Bukkit plugin other than the GPL has no validity in law. Any plugin author who wants to sue someone for decompiling their all-rights-reserved-plugin will likely find himself facing a counter-suit and be forced to either withdraw his plugin or re-licence it under the GPL.
    I should draw a distinction between:
    • decompiling a plugin just to view the code, or maybe to learn something useful like how to hook into it - I will stand by my assertion that there is nothing legally or morally wrong with this
    • decompiling a plugin to lift the code and use it in your plugin, claiming the code as your own - that is indeed legally and morally wrong
     
  15. Offline

    Zach_1919

    sp30032 Java Decompilers barely ever get the decompilation perfect, so it's not you that's screwing the code, it's the decompiler.
     
    sp30032 likes this.
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    blablubbabc

    desht
    That is the point: their licence choice is not invalid. In such a case they could still decide to (simple) no longer share their plugin and still keep sueing the people violating their license as well (which I agree with you that this wouldn't probably ever be worth the time).
    But nothing can force them to re-license their software under gpl, nor does their gpl violation in some kind invalidate their license choice and automatically grant recipients of the plugins any special permissions.
    Bukkit's gpl simple grants plugin devs the right to publish their plugins as long as they are in compliance with the gpl terms. So violating those terms simple removes the plugins devs permission to publish their plugin, so they can be forced to take down their plugin. Nothing more.
     
  17. Offline

    sp30032

    Thanks dude, and anyone else who answered.
     
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