Added CONN_MAX_AGE setting to 7hrs to avoid 'database has gone away' errors with MySQL default settings. Resolves #619.

evennia/objects/objects.py

@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ class DefaultObject(ObjectDB):
             All extra kwargs will be passed on to the protocol.
 
         """
-        text = to_str(text, force_string=True) if text else ""
+        text = to_str(text, force_string=True) if text != None else ""
         if from_obj:
             # call hook
             try:

evennia/server/server.py

@@ -117,6 +117,11 @@ def _server_maintenance():
         # validate channels off-sync with scripts
         print "maintenance: validate channels..."
         evennia.CHANNEL_HANDLER.update()
+    ## Commenting this out, it is probably not needed
+    ## with CONN_MAX_AGE set. Keeping it as a reminder
+    ## if database-gone-away errors appears again /Griatch
+    #if _MAINTENANCE_COUNT % 18000 == 0:
+    #    connection.close()
 maintenance_task = LoopingCall(_server_maintenance)
 maintenance_task.start(60, now=True) # call every minute
 

evennia/settings_default.py

@@ -197,6 +197,11 @@ DATABASES = {
         'HOST': '',
         'PORT': ''
         }}
+# How long the django-database connection should be kept open, in seconds.
+# If you get errors about the database having gone away after long idle
+# periods, shorten this value (e.g. MySQL defaults to a timeout of 8 hrs)
+CONN_MAX_AGE = 3600 * 7
+
 
 ######################################################################
 # Evennia pluggable modules