cs16-dm-server

A Counter-Strike 1.6 deathmatch server in Docker. One command sets it up, and a menu runs it.

Free-for-all deathmatch: instant respawn, a gun menu, no rounds, everyone against everyone. Switch to GunGame any time. Bots keep it busy when nobody's on, and they leave as people join. Your friends can join with the Steam version or a non-Steam client.

• One command: ./setup.sh asks 5 questions, then downloads the game (SteamCMD) and the mods (pinned versions, checksum-verified), compiles the plugins and starts the server.
• One menu: ./cs shows status, and lets you change the map, switch DM ↔ GunGame, set the bot count, see the kill counter, restart, or update. No console commands to memorize.
• Game feel: damage numbers, killstreak and multikill announcer (Quake/UT voices), headshot and knife sounds, +HP per kill, a K/D/streak HUD line, rock-the-vote (rtv), /rank and /top15 stats.
• All-time kill counter (./kills), with top fraggers and favourite weapons. Bots count too, so it climbs fast.
• Recovers on its own: Docker restarts the server after a crash, a watchdog restarts it if it hangs, and backups run nightly.

Built on ReHLDS + ReGameDLL + Metamod-R + AMX Mod X + ReAPI + ReUnion + CSDM-ReAPI + YaPB + GunGame. Details: docs/HOW-IT-WORKS.md.

Quick start

You need:

• a Linux machine on x86-64 (the game server is 32-bit x86, so no Raspberry Pi or other ARM; any small box or VPS works: with 6 bots the server uses ~10% of one core and ~100 MB of RAM)
• Docker with the compose plugin
• git and python3
• ~1.5 GB of disk

git clone https://git.userevolt.app/esef/cs16-dm-server.git
cd cs16-dm-server
./setup.sh                    # asks: server name, join password, port, mode, bots
./scripts/install-cron.sh     # optional but recommended: watchdog + nightly backup

Run it as a normal user in the docker group, not as root. When setup finishes it prints the connect addresses.

Letting people in from the internet

Pick one:

• Port forward: forward UDP 27015 (your CS_PORT) on your router to this machine. Players use connect <your public IP>:27015.
• No port forwarding (CGNAT, dorm, mobile internet): make a free playit.gg account, install their agent on this machine, and add a tunnel. Choose type UDP and local address 127.0.0.1:27015. Players then use the address playit gives you, for example connect something.ply.gg:12345. Every player arrives from playit's IP, and the server is set up for that: sv_rehlds_maxclients_from_single_ip 16, short RCON bans. Never ban players by IP, because an IP ban would kick everyone.
• Just friends: a VPN like Tailscale or ZeroTier. Everyone joins with connect <vpn IP>:27015.

How players join, Steam or not: docs/PLAYERS.md.

Running it

./cs                 menu: pick a number
./cs status          who's on, map, mode
./cs map de_inferno  change map
./cs mode gg         GunGame   (./cs mode dm = back to deathmatch; the mode is remembered)
./cs bots 6          fill up to 6 players with bots (0 = none; saved in .env)
./cs kills           all-time kill counter
./rcon               server console (./rcon <command> for one command)

For admins, maps, fast downloads, several servers and backups, see docs/ADMIN.md.

Settings

The basics live in .env (created from .env.example by setup). After editing it, run ./cs apply, which is the same as docker compose up -d.

Setting	Default
CS_HOSTNAME	CS 1.6 Deathmatch	name in the server browser
CS_PASSWORD	empty	join password; empty = open server
CS_MAXPLAYERS	16
CS_PORT	27015	game port (UDP)
CS_MAP	de_dust2	first map; after that hlds/cstrike/mapcycle.txt
CS_MODE	dm	starting mode, dm or gg (first install only; after that use ./cs mode)
CS_BOTS	6	bots fill the server up to this many players; 0 = no bots
CS_BOT_DIFFICULTY	2	0 easy … 4 expert
CS_NAME	cs16	Docker container name

Everything else goes in hlds/cstrike/custom.cfg. It runs after server.cfg on every map and setup never overwrites it. Examples are inside: time limit, alltalk, the extras' HP-per-kill and sounds.

What the modes are

	Deathmatch (dm)	GunGame (gg)
Plugin	CSDM-ReAPI	GunGame 2.13c
Respawn	0.7 s, 2 s spawn protection	1 s
Weapons	gun menu on spawn	glock → pistols → shotguns → SMGs → rifles → M249 → HE → knife, 2 kills per level
Teams	free for all	free for all
Map	20 min	30 min, 30 s knife warmup

Both use the DM spawn points for the 11 stock maps in the default mapcycle. To add your own maps, see docs/ADMIN.md.

Layout

setup.sh              install / re-run / --update
cs, rcon, kills       menu, console, kill counter
.env.example          settings template (.env is yours, not in git)
docker-compose.yml    the container; Dockerfile = Debian + 32-bit libs + SteamCMD
cstrike/              configs copied into the game on every setup (server.cfg, plugin lists, GunGame cfg)
defaults/             mapcycle.txt + custom.cfg, copied once and then yours
plugins/              source of the own plugins (extras, rtv, mode switch), compiled by setup
tools/                versions.txt (pinned downloads + sha256), install-addons.sh, start.sh, hlq.py
scripts/              watchdog, backup, install-cron
hlds/                 the game server (downloaded; maps, logs, stats live here)

Updating

git pull && ./setup.sh picks up new configs and plugins. ./setup.sh --update also updates the game from Steam. Neither changes your .env, secrets, admins (users.ini), mapcycle.txt, custom.cfg, CSDM config.ini, stats or the kill counter.

Credits

Downloaded by setup from their own projects (not part of this repo):

• ReHLDS, ReGameDLL_CS, Metamod-R, ReAPI, ReUnion
• AMX Mod X
• CSDM-ReAPI
• YaPB
• GunGame by Avalanche
• DM spawn points from CSDM 2.1 by Arkshine
• announcer sounds from hpoon/HLDS-CS1.6

Counter-Strike is Valve's. The game server files come from Steam (SteamCMD, anonymous login).

The scripts, configs and plugins in this repo are MIT licensed (LICENSE).