Dedicated Server Setup 2

This page is still a Work In Progress

This page was created since I can't update the one here. I'm still working on it (but don't have enough time to do it all at once), so it may seem incomplete. - TESLA-X4 12:01, 3 April 2011 (CEST)

Prerequisites

• A basic understanding of filesystem paths (i.e. orangebox/hl2 refers to the folder hl2 inside orangebox, not both the folders), and the different path representations between Windows and *nix (i.e. \ in Windows is the same as / in UNIX[-like] operating systems).
• A basic understanding of the operating system's command-line interface (i.e. Command Prompt for Windows and Terminals for Linux and Mac OS).
• A fast broadband connection (preferably one without a data transfer limit) to prevent premature aging waiting for the uploads to complete.

Note: At the time of writing, no binaries are publicly available for Linux and Mac OS.

Base Server Install

Step 1: Download The HLDS Update Tool

Windows

Download this file to a temporary location: http://www.steampowered.com/download/hldsupdatetool.exe

Linux

Adapted from http://www.srcds.com/db/engine.php?subaction=showfull&id=1098643920

In a Terminal (On Ubuntu: Applications → Accessories → Terminal) window, execute the following commands:
mkdir srcds_l
cd srcds_l
wget http://www.steampowered.com/download/hldsupdatetool.bin

Mac

Unavailable at time of writing.

Step 2: Install The HLDS Update Tool

Windows

Adapted from http://www.srcds.com/db/engine.php?subaction=showfull&id=1097362093


This could help : http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/View.php?view=HL2Guides.Detail&id=4&game=3
.
Double-click on hldsupdatetool.exe and follow the instructions given by the wizard.
For the purpose of this tutorial, we will assume that you put the HLDSUpdateTool in c:\srcds.
Open a Command Prompt (Start → Accessories → Command Prompt) window and execute the following commands:
c:
cd srcds
hldsupdatetool

An updated version of hldsupdatetool will now be downloaded to replace the one installed by the wizard.

Linux

Adapted from http://www.srcds.com/db/engine.php?subaction=showfull&id=1098643920

In the same Terminal window as Step 1, execute the following commands:
chmod +x hldsupdatetool.bin
./hldsupdatetool.bin
./steam

An updated version of steam (the executable) will now be downloaded to replace the one extracted when you ran ./hldsupdatetool.bin.

Mac

Unavailable at time of writing.

Step 3: Download The Base Server Files

Windows

Adapted from http://www.srcds.com/db/engine.php?subaction=showfull&id=1097362093

In the same Command Prompt window as Step 2, execute the following command:
hldsupdatetool.exe -command update -game "orangebox" -dir .

A breakdown of the command:
hldsupdatetool.exe: The executable to run.
-command update: Omnipresent, never omit this.
-game "<game>": The set of files to download, specify list instead to see what can be downloaded.
-dir <directory|.>: The directory to install the files in, specify '.' to automatically use the directory hldsupdatetool is located in. NOTE: Choosing the directory where is the HLDSUpdateTool will reinstall this program.

The base server files will now be downloaded. It will take a while, so don't go staring at the window waiting for it to complete. ;)

Linux

Adapted from http://www.srcds.com/db/engine.php?subaction=showfull&id=1098643920

In the existing Terminal window from Steps 1 and 2, execute the following command:
./steam -command update -game "orangebox" -dir .

A breakdown of the command:
./steam: The executable to run.
-command update: Omnipresent, never omit this.
-game "<game>": The set of files to download, specify list instead to see what can be downloaded.
-dir <directory|.>: The directory to install the files in, specify '.' to automatically use the directory steam is located in.

The base server files will now be downloaded. It will take a while, so don't go staring at the window waiting for it to complete. ;)

Mac

Unavailable at time of writing.

Step 4: Setting Up The Folder Structure

After Step 3 completes, you should end up with something like this:

Windows

hl2\
orangebox\
orangebox\bin\
orangebox\hl2\
orangebox\platform\
orangebox\reslists\ //No longer appears, and isn´t necessary now.
orangebox\hlds_steamgames.vdf
orangebox\srcds.exe
orangebox\steam_appid.txt //No longer appears,it must be created by the user.
ClientRegistry.blob
HldsUpdateTool.exe
HldsUpdateTool_<tool version>.mst
InstallRecord.blob

Linux

.steam\
.steam\clientregistry.blob
hl2\
orangebox\
orangebox\bin\
orangebox\hl2\
orangebox\platform\
orangebox\reslists\
orangebox\hlds_steamgames.vdf
orangebox\srcds_linux
orangebox\srcds_run
orangebox\steam_appid.txt
hldsupdatetool.bin
InstallRecord.blob
steam
test1.so
test2.so
test3.so

Mac

Unavailable at time of writing.

Now, because Valve didn't set up the files properly on their server, you'll need to fix it yourself.

GUI Approach:

Merge the two hl2 folders by copying the contents of the hl2 folder (the one outside) into the orangebox/hl2 folder. This may take a while since it totals to about 1.5 GBs.

If you're impatient or tight on time / space, consider doing the inverse instead, i.e. moving the orangebox/hl2 to the hl2 folder (the one outside), and then moving that folder back into the orangebox folder. This will be significantly faster since move operations are faster than copies.

Command-Line Approach:

Windows

In the existing Command Prompt window from the earlier steps, execute the following commands:
xcopy /s /e hl2 orangebox\hl2

Linux

In the existing Terminal window from the earlier steps, execute the following commands:
cp -R hl2 orangebox/hl2

Mac

Unavailable at time of writing.

Also, since it not longer appears, you must create a file text called steam_appid, that must be inside the orangebox folder. The file only must contain the number 320.

Step 5: Setting Up the campaign content

Campaign content is stored only in GCFs downloadable only via the Steam client, so be prepared to upload the extracted files to your server. You will need this application in order to proceed.

Things are a little easier for Windows server operators with Remote Desktop access to their servers since they can simply install Steam on their servers and do everything directly there.

Note: The Obsidian Team might offer to copy the extracted GCF content onto servers via their Windows server to save upload time in future, in which case you can safely ignore this section.

Manual method:

Half-Life: Source

half-life source.gcf

Extract everything from the hl1 folder (in the GCF) to your dedicated server's orangebox/hl1 folder, creating the folder if it doesn't exist.

Half-Life Deathmatch: Source

Incompatible at the time of writing.

Half-Life 2

half-life 2 content.gcf

Extract the maps folder from the hl2 folder (in the GCF) into your dedicated server's orangebox/hl2 folder.

source 2007 binaries.gcf

source 2007 shared materials.gcf

source 2007 shared models.gcf

source 2007 shared sounds.gcf

half-life 2 2007 base content.gcf

For all of the above GCFs (in given order, with source 2007 binaries.gcf being extracted first and half-life 2 2007 base content.gcf being last), extract the hl2 folder (in the GCFs) into your dedicated server's orangebox/hl2 folder, overwriting if prompted to do so.

Half-Life 2: Lost Coast

Extract the content from lostcoast content.gcf

Half-Life 2: Episode One

episode 1 shared.gcf

Extract everything from the episodic folder (in the GCF) into your dedicated server's orangebox/episodic folder, creating the folder if it doesn't exist.

half-life 2 episode one.gcf

Extract the maps folder from the episodic folder (in the GCF) into your dedicated server's orangebox/episodic folder.

episodic 2007 shared.gcf

Extract everything from the episodic folder (in the GCF) into your dedicated server's orangebox/episodic folder, overwriting if prompted to do so.

episode one 2007 content.gcf

Extract everything from the episodic folder (in the GCF) into your dedicated server's orangebox/episodic folder, and everything from the hl2 folder (in the GCF) into your dedicated server's orangebox/hl2 folder, overwriting if prompted to do so.

Half-Life 2: Episode Two

episode two content.gcf

episode two maps.gcf

episode two materials.gcf

For all of the above GCFs (in given order), extract everything from the ep2 folder (in the GCF) into your dedicated server's orangebox/ep2 folder, creating the folder if it doesn't exist and overwriting if prompted to do so.

Half-Life 2: Episode Three

You must be living in the future.

Automatic method:

Download the Campaign Extract, and select the content of the games that you want for your server.

NOTE: You will need the content of Half-Life 2 if you want the content of Half-Life 2: Lost Coast.

Additional Game Content

Note: If you download any of the following (sans Portal) using the HLDS Update Tool after downloading orangebox, you will be forced to download a new set of engine binaries incompatible with the current release of Obsidian Conflict. A telltale sign that this has occurred is when you see an engine error along the lines of SetupArrayProps_R: array prop '(null)' is at index zero or Host_Error: IDLLFunctions::DLLInit returned false when you try to start the server. To workaround that, simply rename the bin folder (inside orangebox) to something else (e.g. bin_se2007) before downloading the game's files. On completion, delete the newly created bin folder and rename the old one back to bin.

And don´t let the game content overwrite the HL2 folder, or you will forced to download again orangebox to fix it.

For the curious, the reason for this is that almost all official Valve games now run on Source Engine 2009, but most mods (sans Garry's Mod) continue to run on the older Source Engine 2007 (Source SDK Base 2007). These two versions are incompatible with each other, and Valve has yet to release a version of Source SDK Base for Source Engine 2009.

Counter-Strike: Source

Extract everything from counter-strike source shared.gcf

Or:

hldsupdatetool.exe -command update -game "Counter-Strike: Source" -dir theserverdir/orangebox

Day of Defeat: Source

Or:

hldsupdatetool.exe -command update -game "dods" -dir theserverdir/orangebox

Portal

Incompatible at the time of writing.

Team Fortress 2

Incompatible at the time of writing.

Downloading And Installing Obsidian

Copy the obsidian folder from a fresh install of Obsidian Conflict into your dedicated server's orangebox folder. While installing Obsidian Conflict, remember install ONLY the server files with the Sourcemod extension, not the client files.

After putting the obsidian folder inside the orangebox folder, install the available server hotfixes of your current version.

Mounting Content

Content mounts are controlled by a set of files in the obsidian/mount folder. Each file determines whether or not the respective game's content is mounted. These files are merely blank files without any extensions - their contents do not matter since the mod merely checks if the file is there, mounting the content if the file is present. Valid file names are:

css ↔ Counter-Strike: Source

dod ↔ Day of Defeat: Source

ep2 ↔ Half-Life 2: Episode Two

episodic ↔ Half-Life 2: Episode One

hls ↔ Half-Life: Source

lostcoast ↔ Half-Life 2: Lost Coast

At the end, the file structure inside your orangebox folder must be like this:

Windows

bin\
css\ //if their content was extracted
dods\ //if their content was extracted
ep1\ //if their content was extracted
ep2\ //if their content was extracted
hl1\ //if their content was extracted
hl2\
lc\ //if their content was extracted
obsidian\
platform\
hlds_steamgames.vdf
srcds.exe
steam_appid.txt

Linux

ToDo: Get information about how it would look in Linux

Mac

Unavailable at time of writing.

Installing, configuring the server plugins and running the server

Now, after configure the server, it´s time to install and configure the server plugins for the basic admin options.

Installing Metamod: Source

Go to the website of Metamod: Source and download the last version.

You will have to extract the files and put them in orangebox/obsidian/addons (don´t confuse with the add-ons folder, that is where the files of the mounted content are).

Now, go here and generate a .VDF file. It must look inside like this:

"Plugin" {

 "file"   "../obsidian/addons/metamod/bin/server"

}

Put this file in the addons folder.

Installing Sourcemod

Visit the Sourcemod homepage and download the last version.

Put the addons and cfg folders inside the obsidian folder.

Configuring Sourcemod

Since Metamod only needs to be put inside the addons folder and have their .VDF file to be loaded automatically by the server, you only need to configure Sourcemod:

To add admins, go to addons/sourcemod/config and open admins_simple.ini.

If you want enable rtv, nominations and more, go to addons/sourcemod/plugins/disabled, and move them outside of that folder (to /plugins).

To configure the different options that have Sourcemod, go to /cfg/sourcemod and open sourcemod.cfg. NOTE: The options of the different plugins that have/will load Sourcemod like rtv, only will appear after start the server and load both Metamod and Sourcemod.

Running the server

To finish, start your server (you can use the GUI by clicking the srcds.exe file, but it needs more resources) opening a command window and typing (after being in the folder where is the srcds.exe file):

srcds.exe -console -game obsidian -port 27015 +map oc_lobby +maxplayers 8

(you can make also a .bat file to avoid this).

If apart of the lines about the soundscapes, the func_door and two lines related with Steam that comes before "VAC is enabled", you dont see nothing more, congratulations, your server works fine.

Now, it´s up to you configure the server as you want/need.