Hi everyone!
Welcome to the 2nd part of Counter-Strike 1.6 dedicated server series. Check out Part 1 - Basic Setup where we set up a game server on VPS! This time we'll be discussing how to install mods to our newly created server so it will be more optimized and stable. Also we would install plugins (e.g. parachute, damage display) in future.
Disclaimer: Only Steam users will be able to connect to our server. To make it possible for non-Steam users to play you have to install Reunion plugin which is not covered in this series.
To start tinkering with mods, stop the server:
./csserver stop
Let's create a Resources directory (anywhere on your machine) to store all downloaded resources for later use so we can easily refer to them.
ReHLDS (3.11.0.767)
So first we need to install ReHLDS. In few words, ReHLDS is a result of reverse engineering of original HLDS (Half-Life Dedicated Server) using DWARF debug info embedded into linux version of HLDS (more details). This will allow us to have more stable and optimized server with extednded API for adding mods and plugins. Open release page, download zip archive with compiled binary and unzip it to Resources.
Open Resources/rehlds-bin-3.11.0.767/bin/linux32/ directory and copy all of its content to /home/csserver/serverfiles/ directory on you server machine. Confirm if asked to replace.
ReGameDLL (5.21.0.540)
It is a result of reverse engineering of original HLDS too which will provide us a more stable version of game with extended APIs for mods and plugins (more details). Open release page, download zip archive with compiled binary and unzip it to Resources.
Open Resources/regamedll-bin-5.21.0.540/bin/linux32. directory and copy all of its content to /home/csserver/serverfiles/ directory on you server machine. Confirm if asked to replace.
AMXX (1.9.0.5294) & Metamod-r (1.3.0.128)
Now it's time to install AMXX. Download Linux version of the Counter-Strike package. Unzip it to Resources directory then copy addons directory from Resources/amxmodx-1.9.0-git5294-cstrike-linux to /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike on your server.
To finish AMXX mod installation we also ne to install Metamod-r - it's improved version of original Metamod made for Half-Life 1. Metamod-r is a plugin/DLL manager that sits between the Half-Life Engine and an HL Game mod, allowing the dynamic loading/unloading of mod-like DLL plugins to add functionality to the HL server or game mod. Open [release page](https://github.com/theAsmodai/metamod-r/releases/tag/1.3.0.128, download zip archive and unzip it to Resources. To install Metamod-r copy Resources/metamod_1.3.0.128/addons/metamod directory to /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/addons on your server machine.
Let's finish AMXX installation. Navigate to /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/addons/metamod. Create (if doesn't exist) a plugins.ini file. Open it and add the following line:
linux addons/amxmodx/dlls/amxmodx_mm_i386.so
Next navigate to /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/ directory and open liblist.gam file. Find all the lines starting with gamedll, remove them all and paste the following line:
gamedll_linux "addons/metamod/metamod_i386.so"
ReAPI (5.21.0.248)
We're done with ReHLDS, ReGameDLL, AMXX and Metamod-r. Next one is ReAPI (repo). It is a module for AMXX that works with ReHLDS and ReGameDLL to extend existing APIs. Open release page, download zip archive with compiled binary and extract it to Resources. Then copy content of Resources/reapi-bin-5.21.0.248/addons/amxmodx/modules/ directory to /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/addons/amxmodx/modules/ on your server machine.
Testing the server
Loaded plugins list
Done. At this point we added/installed all of the required libraries/mods. You should be able to start your server ./csserver start with no errors and connect to in via game console connect <YOUR SERVER IP> or Servers window in the game client. I will not see any changes but there're changes. Go to the server terminal, open server logs:
./csserver console
Now, since we installed Metamod-r (which is kind of plugin/DLL manager as we mentioned above), meta commands are available and we can check loaded plugins:
meta list
This will show you a list of currently loaded plugins:
Currently loaded plugins:
description stat pend file vers src load unload
[ 1] AMX Mod X RUN - amxmodx_mm_i386.so v1.9.0.5294 ini Start ANY
[ 2] CSX RUN - csx_amxx_i386.so v1.9.0.5294 pl1 ANY ANY
2 plugins, 2 running
Server side commands
If you want to see list of available server administration commands (came from AMXX) type:
meta cmds
You'll see that you can kick/ban/unban players, start voting, change/extend maps etc. This is cool, but it's not comfortable when you're playing with your friends on your server. Cuz you have to switch from the game to the server terminal every time you want to use a command. So it would be handy to set your Steam user to admin so would use server administration commands in the game client console instead.
Setting up admins and client side commands
Navigate to /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/addons/amxmodx/configs/ on your server machine and open users.cfg. It has quiet description comments so read them carefully. To be short, connect to your server via game client using Steam account you want to be admin. In the server terminal you'll see a message that some user just connected, like:
"YOUR_CS_NAME<1><STEAM_0:1:YOUR_SETAM_ID><>" connected, address "YOUR_IP_ADDRESS:PORT"
Copy that 0:1:YOUR_SETAM_ID and add the following line to the end of users.cfg file:
"0:1:YOUR_SETAM_ID" "" "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv" "ce"
Every single letter in these "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv" and "ce" are access and account flags respectively, read more about them in users.cfg file comments and leave only flags you need.
Restart your server:
./csserver restart
Reconnect to the server via game client, open logs on the server terminal ./csserver console. Now, every time you connect you'll see that you became an admin:
"YOUR_CS_NAME<1><STEAM_0:1:YOUR_SETAM_ID><>" connected, address "YOUR_IP_ADDRESS:PORT"
[admin.amxx] Login: "YOUR_CS_NAME<1><STEAM_0:1:YOUR_STEAM_ID><>" became an admin (account "STEAM_0:1:YOUR_STEAM_ID") (access "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv") (address "YOUR_IP_ADDRESS")
From that moment you'll be able to use administration command directly in the game console. Switch back to the game client, open console and try some menu commands, like:
amx_kickmenu
amx_banmenu
map_menu
When any of this command executed, close console and you'll see appropriate menu with items users/maps listed to choose from.
I think that's it for now. At this point you have a clean CS 1.6 server ready for further customization. In the next part we'll cover plugins installation and compilation. Extend this tutorial by commenting, share with your friends and have a good game!
Bonus
Map menu
In previous part of the tutorial mentioned that map cycle can be set by changing /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/mapcycle.txt file. But this is how maps will cycle automatically one by one and this has nothing to do with the list of maps you can choose from when using amx_mapmenu command. To change that list of available maps open /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/addons/amxmodx/configs/maps.cfg file and put your map here.
More interesting variables
Upon ReGameDLL installation process we also added additional config file with dozens of interesting variables to play with. It is /home/csserver/serverfiles/cstrike/game.cfg, take a look at it. Here you'll be able to set auto team balance, max money amount, grenades damage multipliers, specific weapons for T and CT and a lot of other stuff (more details).
Note that you've to restart your server of change/reload map for that changes to be applied.
Top comments (2)
Great! I love this old game:)
For a long time I played cs 1.6, but for the last year I have been playing cs go more. I don't like the ability to customize weapons by applying skins. To get the best of them, I open cases on the platform skin.club/en . In general, this game is just amazing.