To acquire the Steam-based HLDS, one must simply go to the tools section in their Steam client and install the “Half-Life Dedicated Server”, which is not to be confused with the “Source Dedicated Server”. When given the appropriate command each game capable of running a server through HLDS can have the sources downloaded and then used. The user may receive it through the Steam content delivery system, off the website, or off of some of the many mirrored copies of the installer.Įach game has its required files hosted on the Valve content servers, along with all of the other games available on the Valve servers.

The user can acquire HLDS through multiple sources. The HLDS can not be audited for intentionally malicious or intrusive behavior, potential exploits, nor disruptive bugs that could be caused by bad programming practices as it is non-free (Free as in Freedom, not price) software and is by non-novice System Administrators almost always run on GNU/Linux in a chroot jail to protect the rest of the system. #The user can promote the clan that they belong to #The user can administrate the server without actually running the game itself #The user can create a server which other people across the globe can join Most often commercial game server hosts choose the GNU/Linux build as GNU/Linux is regarded as a more flexible server operating system with higher performance. The build of the dedicated server which runs on the GNU/Linux system does not include a graphical front-end due to the fact there is no interest in making one from developers so inclined as the dedicated server is non-free ('free' as in Freedom not price) software.

The windows build of the standalone dedicated server can optionally be run with a graphical front-end. Most high-performance servers use the latter case.

#Inside the Windows game client, using the 'New Game' button 'Half-Life Dedicated Server' (HLDS) is the software that powers many of the older Steam games.Ī GoldSrc or Source engine based multiplayer game can be hosted in three different ways:

Server de half life