Quake3Servers for quake lan parties

Features:

• Starts multiple servers in a tmux session
• Supports Quake Live with minqlx, Quake 3 and ioQuake3
• Spawn new server scripts detect tmux session and attach to them or launch standalone
• Systemd service for automatic launch on startup and start/stop all of them
• Detects used port and spawn in a free one
• Spawn master server with dpmaster for q3 and ioq3

Install

Target: a Debian/Ubuntu box. Everything runs as the lanparty user.

1. Clone the repo somewhere permanent

The installer symlinks the repo into the system (it does not copy it), so don't clone it into a temp dir or a private home — lanparty must be able to read it.

sudo git clone <this-repo> /opt/quake3servers
cd /opt/quake3servers

2. Edit the settings

Edit quake_servers.env (it ends up symlinked as /etc/quake_servers.env):

• Q3SERVERS_RCON_PASSWORD — change it.
• Q3SERVERS_PASSWORD — join password (empty = open server).
• Q3SERVERS_QLX_OWNER — your SteamID64 (minqlx admin).
• Q3SERVERS_HOSTNAME — the installer sets the box's hostname from this.

Which servers start, and on which ports, is set in quake_servers.conf (mode:port1:port2:..., one server per port).

3. Run the installer

sudo ./install.sh

It is idempotent: you can re-run it, or run just some steps (sudo ./install.sh quakelive avahi). At the end it asks whether to start the servers — say no the first time; game data comes in the next step.

Step	What it does
deps	System packages (tmux, git, python, redis, avahi, ioquake3, 32-bit libs…)
user	Creates the lanparty service user
symlinks	Links the repo, config, service and CLI into the system (see Paths), creates the log dir
dpmaster	Clones + builds dpmaster → /usr/local/bin/dpmaster
redis	Enables Redis (minqlx backend)
ioquake3	Checks for ioq3ded
quake3	Creates /usr/local/games/quake3/{baseq3,arena}
quakelive	steamcmd → QLDS + minqlx + plugins + python venv
avahi	Sets hostname + mDNS so clients reach lanparty.local
service	Enables (and optionally starts) the systemd service

4. Add the game files by hand

The game data is copyrighted, so the installer can't download it. Copy each file into its folder and make lanparty the owner (sudo chown -R lanparty: <dir>).

ioquake3 (modes 1v1, ffa, instagib, freezetag, team; mod osp)

File	Goes to
Retail pak0.pk3 + point-release pak1..8.pk3	/usr/share/games/quake3/baseq3/
OSP mod (its .pk3 files)	/home/lanparty/.q3a/osp/
configs/ioq3/*.cfg (this repo)	/home/lanparty/.q3a/osp/

Quake 3 Arena 1.32 (mode arena, Rocket Arena 3)

File	Goes to
q3ded binary (1.32 point release), executable	/usr/local/games/quake3/q3ded
Retail pak0.pk3 .. pak8.pk3	/usr/local/games/quake3/baseq3/
Rocket Arena 3 mod	/usr/local/games/quake3/arena/
configs/q3/server.cfg (this repo)	/usr/local/games/quake3/arena/

Quake Live (installed automatically by the installer; you only add configs)

File	Goes to
configs/ql/mappool*.txt (this repo)	/home/lanparty/Steam/steamapps/common/Quake Live Dedicated Server/baseq3/

Check that every map in the mappools is installed: some need Steam Workshop items.

For example, the repo configs:

QL="/home/lanparty/Steam/steamapps/common/Quake Live Dedicated Server"
sudo -u lanparty mkdir -p /home/lanparty/.q3a/osp
sudo -u lanparty cp configs/ioq3/*.cfg /home/lanparty/.q3a/osp/
sudo cp configs/q3/server.cfg /usr/local/games/quake3/arena/
sudo -u lanparty cp configs/ql/mappool*.txt "$QL/baseq3/"
sudo chown -R lanparty: /usr/local/games/quake3

You only need the games you plan to run: remove the rest from quake_servers.conf (e.g. Q3SERVERS_Q3=()).

5. Start and check

sudo q3servers start
q3servers status
sudo -u lanparty q3servers attach      # Ctrl-b d to detach
q3servers logs                         # list logs, then: q3servers logs <name>

If a server dies on startup, its pane and its log in /var/log/quake3servers/ say why (usually a missing .pk3 or .cfg).

Paths

What the installer leaves where (defaults from quake_servers.env):

Path	What
/usr/local/games/quake3servers	→ symlink to the repo
/etc/quake_servers.conf, /etc/quake_servers.env	→ symlinks to the repo's config
/etc/systemd/system/quake_servers.service	→ symlink to the repo's service
/usr/local/bin/q3servers	→ symlink to the control CLI
/usr/local/bin/dpmaster	master server (built from source)
/usr/lib/ioquake3/ioq3ded	ioquake3 server (Debian ioquake3 package)
/usr/local/games/quake3/	Quake 3 1.32 (q3ded, baseq3/, arena/)
/home/lanparty/Steam/steamapps/common/Quake Live Dedicated Server/	QLDS + minqlx + minqlx-plugins/ + venv minqlx/
/var/log/quake3servers/	one log per server

Since the config files are symlinks, editing quake_servers.env in the repo changes the live config. Restart afterwards: sudo q3servers restart.

Configuration

Settings are split in two files:

• quake_servers.env: scalar KEY=value settings (hostname, paths, passwords, FPS, Redis, minqlx owner/plugins). systemd also reads it directly.
• quake_servers.conf: sources the .env and adds the server definitions. These are bash arrays (mode:port1:port2:...) that systemd can't parse.

Control (q3servers CLI)

q3servers status              # systemd + tmux state
q3servers list                # running servers (tmux panes)
q3servers attach              # attach to the tmux session
q3servers start|stop|restart  # control the systemd service
q3servers add ioq3 1v1 [port] # spawn one extra server (game: ioq3|q3|ql)
q3servers logs [name]         # tail a server log

tmux-based commands (list, attach, add) run as the service user, e.g. sudo -u lanparty q3servers attach.

TODO:

• Quake 3 / RA3

  • RA3 autoexec not loaded (can't set 200-100, falling damage...). Retest: may have been caused by the missing fs_basepath (fixed in e9c9766)

• ioquake3: OSP mod + extra maps

• Verify minqlx build artifacts layout on target box (installer copies bin/* blindly)

• Verify configs/ioq3/instagib.cfg and freezetag.cfg on a real server: osp_instagib / osp_gametype are unverified, and OSP may not support freeze tag at all (may need the Freeze Tag / UFreeze mod instead)

• Extra maps and mods

• Other server mods

  • defrag (q3/ioq3)
  • red rover (QL: add as a mode in start_ql.sh)
  • More mods for QL (requires workshop items) https://steamcommunity.com/app/282440/discussions/0/490125103624446696/

• NTH: Web: Web server to spawn or kill servers. Also rcon commands? Web to browse servers Download links (official or hosted) QL Factories Publish match results on discord (screenshot?) Record matches Add workshop items for minqlx sounds Add match stats and other minqlx plugins