What is sv_downloadurl? How and why should I use it?

Redirect Server Checker for the Source Engine (CS:S, TF2, DOD:S, HL2MP, etc)--formerly CSRSC
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Masher
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What is sv_downloadurl? How and why should I use it?

Post by Masher »

Why setup sv_downloadurl? People connecting to your server will get the custom content (maps, sounds, etc) much quicker than without. The reason for this is that the web server (aka http server/redirect server) can pump out data much faster than the source engine. Another side effect of using sv_downloadurl is the impatient people will usually stick around since they don't have to wait forever to download. With sv_downloadurl people will spend more time playing on your server, and less time downloading maps.

To set up sv_downloadurl to work with your game server you need to do two main things:

1) You need a webserver you can put your custom content on.

2) You need to enter the sv_downloadurl info into your server's ini.

For the webserver you can use one on the same physical machine as the game server (assuming you have enough bandwidth) or (preferrably) on a different server. If you put the webserver on a different computer--it keeps the load off the game server and helps prevent lag spikes on the game server.

In your server's ini add:

sv_downloadurl "http://yourhost/path/to/conent"

Please note the url needs to be enclosed in quotes.

If a map has a res file, the res file only needs to be on the game server and does not need to be on the web server.

The directory structure on your redirect needs to resemble the structure on the game server. For example lets say you have a custom map:

c:\srcds\cstrike\maps\fy_mash.bsp

and need to put it on the redirect, on the redirect you'd find the map in

/maps/fy_mash.bsp

These are just examples, they will vary.

What about compressing them?
You can compress custom files before uploading them to your redirect with bzip2. This usually cuts the file size in half. Using compression is great--it reduces bandwidth, and makes files download even faster (since they are smaller).

Simple enough, aslong as you remember to compress/copy new maps/materials to the redirect when you add them to the server.

Is it easy? Sure, as long as you are anal about it. Everytime you add something new to the server--you'll have to compress and copy it to the redirect everytime. If you forget to do this (or hate doing this like me) it can become a mess. And with files other than maps, how do you tell they are custom? Enter SourceRSC.....

SourceRSC will handle all of this for you. It will determine all of your custom files, compare the custom files to what is on the redirect. Custom files missing on the redirect are then compressed by SourceRSC and uploaded to the redirect for you. SourceRSC is fully automatic--if you use FTP it'll automatically download and upload files.
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