# Running the server

Everything below is run from the repo folder on the server machine.

## Console (RCON)

`./rcon <command>` runs one server command; `./rcon` alone opens a `ql>` prompt (Ctrl+D quits). It runs inside the container and reads `secrets/rcon-password.txt` itself, so you never type the password. RCON listens on 127.0.0.1 only, so nobody can reach it from outside the machine.

| Command | |
|---|---|
| `status` | players with their slot number (`num`), ping, address (`bot` = bot) |
| `say <text>` | message to everyone |
| `addbot hunter 5` | add a bot (names: hunter, anarki, hossman, …; skill 1–5) |
| `kick allbots` | remove all bots (prints a harmless "Player allbots is not on the server") |
| `clientkick <num>` | kick a player |
| `mute <num>` / `unmute <num>` | chat mute |
| `tempban <num>` | kick + ban until the map changes |
| `ban <num>` / `unban <num>` | permanent ban (stored in `access.txt`) |
| `addadmin <num>` / `addmod <num>` | give a connected player admin / mod rights |
| `reload_access` | re-read `access.txt` |
| `map thunderstruck lgvamp` | reload the map (or switch factory: `lgvamp_nolag`, `lgvamp100`) |

**Careful:** `cvarlist` prints the RCON password into the server log. `./rcon` hides it from you, but avoid running it anyway.

## Admins and bans: `home/baseq3/access.txt`

One line per player: their 64-bit Steam ID, a `|`, and `admin`, `mod` or `ban`:

```
76561198000000000|admin
76561198000000001|ban
```

Quake Live writes this file back from memory on every map load and on shutdown, so a hand edit can be overwritten. Either use the console commands above (`addadmin`, `ban`, `unban`), or edit the file and run `./rcon reload_access` right away. To unban someone who isn't connected, delete their line and run `reload_access`.

## Settings changes

- `.env` (name, password, listed, factory, welcome text, ports): edit it, then run `docker compose up -d`.
- Gameplay: edit `home/baseq3/scripts/lgvamp.factories` (must stay valid JSON: `python3 -m json.tool home/baseq3/scripts/lgvamp.factories`), then run `docker compose restart`.
- A cvar changed over RCON (e.g. `./rcon timelimit 1`) lasts until the next restart, map changes included.

## Self-healing (`./scripts/install-cron.sh`)

| What | When | Log |
|---|---|---|
| crash restart | Docker (`restart: unless-stopped`) | `docker inspect -f '{{.RestartCount}}' ql-lg` |
| hang watchdog: 3 failed checks in a row → restart | every 5 min | `logs/watchdog.log` |
| backup of `.env`, secrets, access.txt, cfgs, plugins (14 days) | 04:40 | `backups/` |
| daily restart, skipped while a human is on | 05:00 | `logs/watchdog.log` |

`./scripts/install-cron.sh --remove` removes those cron lines. A `docker compose stop` is respected: the watchdog leaves a stopped server alone.

## Updates

- Game: `./setup.sh --update`, then `docker compose restart`. If a game update ever removes `server/run_server_x64_minqlx.sh`, plain `./setup.sh` copies it back.
- This repo: `git pull`, then `./setup.sh` (re-running it is safe: it keeps your `.env`, password and game files).

## More than one server

Clone the repo into a second folder. Before running `./setup.sh`, create `.env` there from `.env.example` with a different `QL_PORT`, `QL_RCON_PORT` and `QL_NAME` (e.g. `27961`, `28961`, `ql-lg-2`). Each folder downloads its own game files (~1.1 GB). Each server costs about 3% of a CPU core while idle.

## Logs

`docker logs --tail 50 ql-lg` (your `QL_NAME`). minqlx log: `home/minqlx.log`. Lines with the RCON password are filtered out before they reach `docker logs`, but treat logs as private anyway.

## Without minqlx

If minqlx ever breaks after a game update, change `run_server_x64_minqlx.sh` to `run_server_x64.sh` in `docker-compose.yml` and run `docker compose up -d`. Everything still works except that the warmup text ("The match will begin when more players join") comes back and there's no welcome message.