[Tutorial] How to manage servers.

[Muerte]

Guide on how to administrate servers

Intro:
FTP:

[Spoiler]

-- What is FTP?
File Transfer Protocol: we use FTP to access our remotely hosted server and site files.
Of course FTP is secured with an user name and password, and accessible true an IP or Domain Name

- How to access an FTP?
A few options:
1. use a program (e.g. FileZilla)
you need to fill in user name, password and IP in order to access the server files.
2. use your Desktop explorer or any map on your computer (using an Internet explorer will not work!)
you need to enter in the address bar of your map (where C://blabla is written):
ftp://username:password@ip (e.g.: ftp://muerte:mypassislol@24.23.21.11)

- What if I'm on the server FTP?
Go to srcds_I/cstrike/
this is the directory where everything important on the game server comes together.

- How to add/ get from or edit files on an FTP?
Drag them to your computer, edit them and drag them back in.
Download => Edit => Upload
Its that easy.

NOTE: DO NOT EVER SHARE THE FTP INFO WITH ANYONE AS THEN YOUR SERVER CAN BE COMPLETELY ERASED OR PEOPLE CAN HACK YOUR SERVER AND POSSIBLY EVEN MORE THEN THAT.

Server:
Addons:

[Spoiler]

-- addons (ES | SM | Standalone)
The addons directory is the place where Mods/ Plugins (like gungame/wcs/rpg/dm/...) are situated.
If the addons directory doesn't exist yet within the CSTRIKE/ directory (explained in Intro), then you must create it (create new folder called: addons)

These addons/ plugins are either:
- written on MODS like SourceMod (Pawn) or EventScripts (ES:Python/ES:S)
- Stand Alone MODS

There are currently 3 type of addons:
- Stand Alone addons: located in addons directory itself, e.g. Zblock
- EventScripts addons: located in CSTRIKE/addons/eventscripts directory, e.g. WCS/ GG/ RPG
- SourceMod addons: located in CSTRIKE/addons/sourcemod directory, e.g. HLstatsX/ SourceBans/ WanDeage

In order to use:
- Stand Alone addons, you require nothing else.
- EventScript addons, you require to install the EventScripts Mod.
To load ES addons you must:
  1. place the plugin folder in the right directory (addons/eventscripts/)
  2. you must write something within the CSTRIKE/cfg directory (explained in config spoiler below), they will be loaded on server restart
 (or by loading them in game true using this command in console: sm_rcon es_load addonname)
- SourceMod addons, you require to install MetaMod: Source (including MetaMod.vdf) and SourceMod.
To load SM addons you must only place the files in the right directory (addons/sourcemod/plugins), they will be loaded on map change or on server restart.

To change settings of the addons:
- Stand Alone: if there are customizable settings you will be able to find them within the CSTRIKE/cfg directory
- EventScripts: if there are customizable settings you will be able to find them within the CSTRIKE/cfg directory
- SourceMod: if there are customizable settings, there are 2 options:
1. Server Variables: you will be able to change/ add them within the CSTRIKE/cfg/sourcemod directory
2. SourceMod Configs: you will be able to edit them within the CSTRIKE/addons/sourcemod/config directory

CFG:

[Spoiler]

-- config
Configs are .cfg files (similar to .txt files) where you can change server variables and server settings
(e.g. server name/ sv_gravity/ ...) located in the CSTRIKE/cfg directory.
Each setting has its own command, to find more CS:S server commands: use google.
Also most addons/plugins have options/variables that you can change, most likely as you've read in the addons section you can find these withing the cfg directory in one of the .cfg files.

Loading an EventScripts plugin:
to load an ES plugin you must add: es_load "pluginname" to autoexec.cfg located in CSTRIKE/cfg. E.g. es_load wcs
(if autoexec.cfg does not exists yet, create new file called autoexec.cfg, ensure that its extension .cfg and not .txt)

What is "//" within some of the config files?
its a way to add some random content into the config file while it will not be executed by the server,
eg

Code: [Select]

//by Muerte, remind me to buy me a drink.
sv_gravity 800only the sv_gravity will be read, the line with // will simply be ignored by the server.

In case you set the server in cfg to be BZ2 fastdownload by adding following in server.cfg:

Code: [Select]

sv_downloadurl = "www.mysite.com/fastdl/"With Fastdownload enabled, every map that you add to the server, must also be added to the fastdownload directory! (you can read how to do this in the fastdownload spoiler below) If not then the player will not be able to download the map and will not be able to play on the server => server will be dead after a while (= people can't join it anymore)!

Maps:

[Spoiler]

-- maps
Maps are the maps you play in game. (E.g. gg_lego_arena)
there are 2 important map files:
.bsp : the map file that the server loads and is downloaded by client.
.nav : the navigation file that the server loads (or creates if it is not existing yet), it is the file that makes bots "intelligent" so they can walk and play on maps. Also downloaded by client.

You might want to add your maps to the mapcycle.txt file and maplist.txt file located in CSTRIKE directory.
This way the server will allow you to use these maps (that you've added within the .txt files) in game.
Note: Capital letters are important! If the map is called GG_Lego_Arena.bsp then you must add to the maplist.txt and/or mapcycle.txt (depending on which of these file(s) you let the server use; set up in cfg) as: GG_Lego_Arena
 (=> Do not write .bsp within the .txt files and do not make spelling mistakes or do not forget to use capital letters when there are capital letters within the map's name.)

Materials:

[Spoiler]

-- materials
Materials are used to add visual content to the game, such as overlays, colors for your models, sefl-made sprite files, etc.
Note: You will need to use a Custom Model/Sound Handler to make these files download to clients.

Models:

[Spoiler]

-- models
Models are used to add dynamic content to your game such as barrels, lanterns, ... , but also player models. (e.g. ct guy, spiderman, ...). These files always come with material files for colors, etc. If you forget to add the Material files, the models will display purple/ black.
Note: You will need to use a Custom Model/Sound Handler to make these files download to clients.

Sound:

[Spoiler]

-- sound
Sound files are the songs, tunes able to be played on your server. You might want to add a custom mod to play sounds/ songs.
Note: You will need to use a Custom Model/Sound Handler to make these files download to clients.

Fast Download: (BZ2)
Maps:

[Spoiler]

The Fast Download directory is located on the FTP of your webhost,
which means it has a different FTP address then the Game Server has.
If you don't have an external webhost, you can get one for free at www.000webhost.com.

-- Maps: on the fast download server, located on mysite.com/fastdl/maps/ (=> create directory if doesn't exist yet), you must add the .bsp files after BZIPPING them first! (= a zipped format)
(note that .nav files are for bots, and so do not matter client sided, and don't need to be added to fast dl folder.)

To BZIP your maps you must download the BZIPPER from gamebanana. Note: your virus scanner will count this bzip.exe as a virus, it is not.
Simply insert the maps you want to bzip into the bzip folder on your computer and run the bzip tool.
once bzip is completed press any button to finish, and after that start uploading the bzipped maps files to the fast download server (do not upload the non- bzipped maps to the fastdl FTP because its a waste of time and bandwidth.

materials, models and sounds follow the exact same BZIP procedure as maps.
mysite.com/fastdl/maps/
mysite.com/fastdl/materials/
mysite.com/fastdl/models/
mysite.com/fastdl/sounds/

Materials:

[Spoiler]

Don't forget to bzip all custom material files you've added to your gameserver and upload the bzipped files to your fastdl folder.

Models:

[Spoiler]

Don't forget to bzip all custom model files you've added to your gameserver and upload the bzipped files to your fastdl folder.

Sound:

[Spoiler]

Don't forget to bzip all custom sound files you've added to your gameserver and upload the bzipped files to your fastdl folder.

[Kamiqawa]

Very good topic!

Guide is quite good I think, even I prefer to explain things even more specifically. But let's see... Oh and this one isn't even ready yet, so I think it's too early to judge it

But very nice for people who are new to server managing!

And I personally would like to see some more things here, but I'll post them and comment this when ready(?), but good job anyways

[$Diablo$]

where do i need to create a cstrike/maps folder on my web server? in public_html folder?  and do i need to unbzipped them before i upload them on my web server?

[Muerte]

you can in public_html make a folder called fastdl, then in there add a folder called maps.
then in server.cfg you can add:

Code: [Select]

sv_downloadurl "mysite.com/fastdl/"

[$Diablo$]

ok cool, btw do i need to  unbzipped them before i upload them on my web server?

[Muerte]

you need to bzip them with the bzipper from fpsbanana.

[$Diablo$]

how to found out because of what errors server crashing?

[Kamiqawa]

Hey,

There are several ways to found out why is your server crashing. You can try to read some log files (usually located somewhere on root or for sourcemod logs for example in sourcemod folder). You can also try to put -debug on your startup setting line, so the server creates console.log file where you can see console out put.

Some times reading log files doesn't seem to help. Then you want to try some other debugging methods. I personally debug all servers by trying to take off some plugins. The easiest way to do this are maybe moving your .vdf files (in cstrike/addons) to some other folder (for example create folder called vdf, cstrike/addons/vdf) and move them there so they don't load. You can also try to backup and then delete (copy the .vdf to your computer) the vdf files. And after disabling those .vdf's which cause your plugins to load, restart your server, and see what happens. When you have disabled those plugins, server should work normally (because plugins/addons are maybe the most common reason for crashing, for me at least...). Then you can try to find out more accurately what was the reason, for example, if your server seems to work fine without Eventscipts plugin, you might try to reinstall whole ES, and unload all ES addons. Then load them one by one or reinstall them to get it work.

If nothing seems to help, you can always ask your servers host support service, or simply reinstall your server.

Hope it works, but if it doesn't, please, leave all possible information here so we can try to help you more accurately.

[$Diablo$]

cool thx for info.
where can i find console.log file after i add -debug on my start up line?

[Kamiqawa]

Oh... I think it's quite near the root... Actually I found it in cstrike folder on one server. So check out your orangebox folder and cstrike folder inside the orangebox folder.

[Phatman]

I wish they had this in 2008 lol.

[$Diablo$]

Oh... I think it's quite near the root... Actually I found it in cstrike folder on one server. So check out your orangebox folder and cstrike folder inside the orangebox folder.

Can't find it anywhere:(

[$Diablo$]

Hi guys
if i add Mani Admin Plug-in to my server when i already got sourcemod and metamod, will it block source mod plugins? coz i do using few source mod plugins like effects for wcs, max ping, teambet etc 
and if i run mani admin and scourcemod + metamod same time  will it lag my server???

Regards Diablo.

[Los Pwner]

Hi guys
if i add mini admin to my server when i already got sourcemod and metamod, will it block source mod plugins? coz i do using few source mod plugins like effects for wcs, max ping, teambet etc 
and if i run mani admin and scourcemod + metamod same time  will it lag my server???

Regards Diablo.

Mini or mani? (;

[$Diablo$]

Hi guys
if i add mini admin to my server when i already got sourcemod and metamod, will it block source mod plugins? coz i do using few source mod plugins like effects for wcs, max ping, teambet etc 
and if i run mani admin and scourcemod + metamod same time  will it lag my server???

Regards Diablo.

Mini or mani? (;

my bad, i mean Mani Admin Plug-in