Halo Dedicated Server

[James Bourne]

How To Run Halo Dedicated Server (HDS) as a FireDaemon Service

Halo Dedicated Server can be run as a Windows Service using FireDaemon. PanelDaemon can also be used to manage your HDS and other Windows services remotely via web brower. This is how to set it up:

1. Install HDS as per the instruction in the link above. In a nutshell (modify paths to suite):

- Install Halo_DS_1_02.exe into C:\Program Files \Microsoft Games\Halo Server
- Unpack the maps (Halo_DS_Maps_1_02.exe) into C:\Program Files \Microsoft Games\Halo Server\maps
- Copy the HDS v1.06 fix (haloded.exe) into C:\Program Files \Microsoft Games\Halo Server

The files above can also be downloaded from Microsoft.

2. Configure init.txt

init.txt determines server characteristics and your map cycle. The Bungie documentation provides more detail on setting up init.txt. Here is an example:

sv_name Halo_DS
sv_public 0
sv_maxplayers 16
sv_timelimit 40
sv_rcon_password "kaboom"
sv_tk_ban 4
sv_tk_penalty 5m 1h 8h 1d 0
sv_ban_penalty 1d 0
sv_password ""

sv_mapcycle_add bloodgulch ctf
sv_mapcycle_add timberland "team king"
sv_mapcycle_add damnation "team slayer"
sv_mapcycle_add dangercanyon ctf
sv_mapcycle_add carousel slayer
sv_mapcycle_add gephyrophobia slayer
sv_mapcycle_add infinity "classic rockets"
sv_mapcycle_begin

3. Configure FireDaemon

Download and install FireDaemon. Then start the FireDaemon GUI:



Click on the "Create a new service definition" button in the toolbar and enter the various fields as per below. If you intend to run multiple HDS on the same machine, change your Short Name and Display Name (eg. HDS01, HDS02 etc.). You can modify the Parameters to reference alternate init.txt files, change the server port and the CPU affinity. Remember to quote up paths if they contain spaces (eg. -exec "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Halo Server\init.txt").

[Tnx 2 PrplPplEater for this info] If you are using custom gametypes, you will need to add the -path command line parameter. Without it, games in your init.txt that use those gametypes will throw an error when the service starts and they will be dropped from the map cycle. Use the Interact with Desktop option so that you can actually see any errors generated. By default, custom gametypes go in your user profile path, thus you would change the parameter string to be:

-exec init.txt -port 2301 -cpu 0 -path "C:\Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\My Games\Halo"

You only need to list the path down to where the 'savegames' folder lives. Obviously, change "Username" to your user name (eg. jbourne).



If you want HDS to run interactively, then click on the Settings tab and check the Interact With Desktop check box:



And you done. Click the Install button. FireDaemon will install HDS as a Windows Service and launch it. If you don't run HDS interactively, you won't see it!





For more information regarding configuring HDS please consult the Bungie web site.