When running a mod on non-windows, that isn't packed into VP files, the
mod can break when loading. On non-windows filesystems, the file
order isn't guaranteed to be alphabetical (but it is on Windows).
As a result, we load tables in an effectively random order.
Lots of mods rely on the filesystem ordering to e.g. implement a very
loose dependency system for their lua scripts.
Referenced on the forum here:
https://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=95750.msg1885275#msg1885275
Here's a log from Solaris failing to run:
https://fsnebula.org/log/5d7b4414cb0d332b466b5ee2#True-138
Instead, always sort filesystem listing by name *before* applying the
provided sort order.
I've built a few different versions of this patch, and like this one the
best. The other ones I tried:
1. Adding a `CF_SORT_REVERSE_NAME` and using it everywhere that
`CF_SORT_REVERSE` is used, and replacing all uses of `CF_SORT_NONE` with
`CF_SORT_NAME`. I didn't like this as it was a much larger diff.
2. Adding a `CF_SORT_REVERSE_NAME` to the `scripting.cpp` call for
loading tables. I didn't like this one because this bug can in theory
impact non scripting tables.
Here's a log from Solaris working with the new build:
https://fsnebula.org/log/5d7b4f37cb0d332b3d6b5ed3#True-138
While it might be a reasonable enhancement in the future to build a proper dependency system for lua scripts and tables,
this is a much smaller and easier change, and doesn't require any work from modders.
Tom Crayford
f7f537ff77