Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

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Minix
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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Minix » Post

Well, if you are setting up a minetest server you shouldn't look info about a minecraft server lol, read in the minetest wiki https://wiki.minetest.net/Server and the pages at the top of this forum. I run a server with an old crappy Pentium 4 so whatever a VPS provides should be enough for at least 4-6 players in a slightly modded server. By default minetest uses port 30000 with udp protocol, you can check that in the configuration file for the server which by default is /etc/minetest/minetest.conf . If you want your server to show up in the public server list you have to set

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server_announce = true
in your conf file. To enable only certain people to connect you can set a default password for the server. When you place mods in the worldmods folder inside your world's folder the server will send the mod data to the clients and they will download automatically from the server when they join for the first time. I suggest you to read the entire minetest.conf file, it has plenty of comments telling what every setting does, and also read the link above, it will give you more insight about some specific details.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

Deleted, because new progress made this message moot.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

I'm already running into an issue. For starters, if anyone's trying to install the most up-to-date, stable minetest-server onto an Ubuntu 20.04 machine, you must do these steps first (make sure you're fully updated before you begin).
  1. In a terminal add the buster-backports repository to the sources list. You can create a new file under /etc/apt/sources.list.d or add it to /etc/apt/sources.list. The new entry in the file should look like this.

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    deb http://deb.debian.org/debian buster-backports main
  2. Add the public keys for buster-backports to the apt catalogue.

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    user@host:~$sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 04EE7237B7D453EC
    user@host:~$sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 648ACFD622F3D138
  3. Run sudo apt update, and perform an upgrade, if required (it will tell you if upgrades are available).
  4. Add the buster-backports version of minetest to your apt preferences. Go to /etc/apt/preferences.d, and create a new file. I used the filename 99debian-backports. Enter these as the entries in the file.

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    Package: minetest
    Pin: release a=buster-backports
    Pin-Priority: 900
    
    Package: minetest-data
    Pin: release a=buster-backports
    Pin-Priority: 900
    
    Package: minetest-server
    Pin: release a=buster-backports
    Pin-Priority: 900
This is the point where I'm running into problems. I tried to install minetest-server, and I got this error.

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The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 minetest-server : Depends: libspatialindex5 (>= 1.8.5) but it is not installable
That dependency is not in the buster-backports repository, or any Ubuntu repository that is installed with 20.04, and it's not one of the dependencies that were required when I installed the Minetest client on my laptop several months ago. How do I get this dependency? Do I need to add the buster repository, too, or is there an Ubuntu repository I should use, instead? I found a package called libspatialindex-dev, but I don't think apt will accept that as a substitute for libspatialindex5.

Do I need to install the minetest and minetest-data packages with minetest-server? I won't be actually playing the game on the server; users will log in from their own remote clients. How do I create and set up a world on the server if it has no GUI and no minetest client; is that done through minetest.conf, too (e.g., mg type, seed, etc.)?

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Minix » Post

I can assure you that libspatialindex5 is on the debian buster repositories (I run my server in debian buster). Well, I'm pretty sure Ubuntu has its own backports so you shouldn't have to use debian's instead, if you want to run ubuntu use ubuntu's backports repositories, probably that package has another name on ubuntu's repositories, weird stuff happens when you mix packages from different distros.

EDIT: I think libspatialindex5 is not in buster-backports but rather on the normal buster repositories, still you should use ubuntu backports.
The default path for the world is /var/games/minetest-server/.minetest/worlds/world
If you want to change the map type (v7,v5,etc), seed and other settings you have to do that in minetest.conf

As for running minetestserver, one of its dependencies is minetest-data, it is necessary because that contains all the minetest-game default content; when the minetestserver package is installed it creates a systemd service that runs the server, you can issue

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systemctl status minetest-server.service
It will tell you information about the service, you can see what executable it is using to run the server and other stuff. You can start by using that default template and modify /etc/minetest/minetest.conf to suit your needs.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

Minix wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 05:34
I can assure you that libspatialindex5 is on the debian buster repositories.
Yes, I found it in the normal buster repository.
Minix wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 05:34
I'm pretty sure Ubuntu has its own backports so you shouldn't have to use debian's instead, if you want to run ubuntu use ubuntu's backports repositories, probably that package has another name on ubuntu's repositories.
Right, I found libspatialindex-dev on the Ubuntu repositories, but I don't know if Minetest will recognize that, since it's a different name. Is there a way to tell minetest-server to use the Ubuntu version, instead? Otherwise, it won't even install, because it keeps complaining about a missing libspatialindex5.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

I couldn't get minetest-server to install with any of the similar packages in the Ubuntu repositories, so I just added the normal buster repository to install the Debian version. I have the server up and running now, and I tweaked a few of the settings in the minetest.conf file.

In minetest.conf, I have name=T6C (my username when I log in from the client) set. How would I prevent any other player from simply logging in as "T6C" to get admin permissions?

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Minix » Post

T6C wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 18:59
I couldn't get minetest-server to install with any of the similar packages in the Ubuntu repositories, so I just added the normal buster repository to install the Debian version. I have the server up and running now, and I tweaked a few of the settings in the minetest.conf file.

In minetest.conf, I have name=T6C (my username when I log in from the client) set. How would I prevent any other player from simply logging in as "T6C" to get admin permissions?
Easy, just log yourself in with that username before anyone else and set a strong password.

By the way, check this:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ubunt ... _Backports

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by debiankaios » Post

How can i set up a debian minetest server?

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Minix » Post

install the minetest-server package and you will have a server running in your computer on UDP port 30000

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by debiankaios » Post

HAve i already, but i can't join!

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Minix » Post

If you are running it on your own computer you have to enter your computer's IP address on the address field and on port leave it on 30000 if you didn't change it.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by debiankaios » Post

this work too not, i have it already do!

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

T6C wrote:
Sun Nov 29, 2020 18:59
How would I prevent any other player from simply logging in as "T6C" to get admin permissions?
Minix wrote:
Mon Nov 30, 2020 01:06
Easy, just log yourself in with that username before anyone else and set a strong password.
I must have done something wrong, then. I wasn't prompted for a password when I first logged in, and it wouldn't let my friend in without the same password I put in the minetest.conf file. So, both my login, and her login have the same password.

Update: I started a new server (my friend and I decided we wanted to use a different mapgen), and set a new password on this new server. In the minetest.conf file, I set a password that all new users need to log in the first time. That's the one I used to log in under the admin user name (also set in minetest.conf), but when I try to use the in-game server command /password [username] [new_password], I get the message !-Command not available. When I use the /privs command, "password" is in the list.

How do I change my admin-user's password, so it's not the same as the first-time login password for all users? And then, after logging in the first time, how can the other users change their passwords (or will I need to set that as the admin-player)?

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by buddi » Post

The command is called /setpassword
See:
https://wiki.minetest.net/Server_commands

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by fstltna » Post

You can set whatever port you like. Its in the minetest.conf file Yes your server will show up in the server browser if you publish it, also in the minetest.conf file. If you want to allow only certain people to join it you can set a password they need to know. All the mods are done server-side, the players dont have to worry about that stuff.

I provide hosting for $14/month for a dedicated Ubuntu server. If you want help setting it up just ask me.
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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by fstltna » Post

fstltna wrote:
Tue Dec 08, 2020 15:33
You can set whatever port you like. Its in the minetest.conf file Yes your server will show up in the server browser if you publish it, also in the minetest.conf file. If you want to allow only certain people to join it you can set a password they need to know. All the mods are done server-side, the players dont have to worry about that stuff.

I provide hosting for $14/month for a dedicated Ubuntu server. If you want help setting it up just ask me.
OOps I didnt see these other messages posted. Never mind ;)
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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

fstltna wrote:
Tue Dec 08, 2020 15:33
I provide hosting for $14/month for a dedicated Ubuntu server. If you want help setting it up just ask me.
I set up my Minetest server on an AWS Lightsail (Ubuntu) instance for 5 US$ per month. Seems to be working great so far, but then, I've had only three people logged in at once. Lots of mods installed, too.

If I was to find another mod I liked (say, one that included a bunch of new building block nodes), would I need to create a new world on the server for that? Or could I just install the mod, and the server will automatically push it out to the clients on their next login?

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by fstltna » Post

T6C wrote:
Sat Dec 12, 2020 03:00
If I was to find another mod I liked (say, one that included a bunch of new building block nodes), would I need to create a new world on the server for that? Or could I just install the mod, and the server will automatically push it out to the clients on their next login?
It depends on the mod. Ones that create more node types often require the world to be rebuilt, and definitely if you remove node types it can crash the server or at the least show a "?" on the node...
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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

fstltna wrote:
Sat Dec 12, 2020 03:10
It depends on the mod. Ones that create more node types often require the world to be rebuilt, and definitely if you remove node types it can crash the server or at the least show a "?" on the node...
Hrm... Well, I'd really like a mod that has more different colours of materials to build with. For example, I was building a tower today, and I noticed I have only one colour of concrete. The steel blocks I have are also very...blocky. They have outlines on them, so you can easily tell it's a series of blocks and not a beam of solid steel.

If you have any suggestions for mods that won't break a pre-existing world on the server, and just adds a bunch of new colours for building blocks, that'd be awesome.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by fstltna » Post

Have you looked at the "more blocks" mods?
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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by T6C » Post

Yeah, I already have the "more blocks" and "more ores" mods. I've been eyeing the "Baked Clay" and "Abriglass" mods, but I'm worried about how adding them to an existing world would affect the server. I don't think they take any blocks away, just add blocks, but would the server push the mods to already existing players?

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Minix » Post

If you are worried of your clients not downloading the new mod, then you shouldn't, because every time a client joins a server it receives a list of the files it has to download, so if you added a new mod when old players join they will download the new mod automatically.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Oscar234566 » Post

Hi there!
I would like to play on a minetest server with my friends who are in a different network.

I have done all the steps from the links above.

I can take part in the game myself. If my friends try to connect now, they get the Error Connection timed out. Does anyone know what to do?

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Minix » Post

Are your friends trying to connect from the internet ? or from a local network ?
Also, what IP address are they using to connect ?

A good way to start troubleshooting is to try to connect to your server from another computer/cellphone that is in the same network as the server. If this works then your issue maybe is related to misconfiguration of your network setup.

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Re: Help: Setting up, running, and maintaining a server

by Oscar234566 » Post

Minix wrote:
Sun Dec 27, 2020 16:10
Are your friends trying to connect from the internet ? or from a local network ?
Also, what IP address are they using to connect ?

A good way to start troubleshooting is to try to connect to your server from another computer/cellphone that is in the same network as the server. If this works then your issue maybe is related to misconfiguration of your network setup.
First of all thanks for the reply!
My friends are in a local network. If a computer is in the same Network, it can connect without any problems.
We tried the IPv4 address starting with 192.168 ...

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