HTTP Downloading Setup Guide (Simple)

[R1CH]

Super-simple HTTP downloading guide! To set up HTTP downloads from your R1Q2 server, you will need some webspace - doesn't matter where as long as it isn't on a free host that will start serving up "Bandwidth exceeded" pages instead of content...

Simply upload all files you want to offer via HTTP downloading to your webspace. Then set sv_downloadserver to the URL of the root directory of your webspace. Example:

You want to allow HTTP downloads of all your custom lmctf maps. You run a Q2 server where the gamedir is 'lmctf'. Your website is q2downloads.com. You woud login to your webspace, make a directory lmctf, make another directory inside that called maps, upload all the .bsp files to the maps directory, then set sv_downloadserver to http://q2downloads.com/

Easy enough, wasn't it? . Remember, the trailing slash at the end of sv_downloadserver is very important!

[QwazyWabbit]

Yup. Nice. Don't know if/when I will use it yet, but nice to have when the time comes.

[slacker]

so the gunzip compression is optional?

[R1CH]

Yes, use the advanced guide if you want to also compress your hosted content. If you just want faster downloads, no need to use gzip if you don't want to.

[QwazyWabbit]

From where are you getting the libcurl library?

I think I found it. http://curl.haxx.se/download/

[GiJO]

Great idea!!! but if you just want standard quake2 maps and not a mod do you create a baseq2 folder and put a maps folder in that? or do you just put a maps folder straight into the root of the server?

What about if you have webspace with your ISP? is http://users.myisp.com/mysite can this be used?

Thanks
Andrew

[R1CH]

Yes, you use baseq2 for that. Webspace with your ISP should work fine so long as the folders are in the right place.

[The_Gun_Man]

What would the console command be then for downloading?

[R1CH]

allow_download 1
allow_download_players 1
allow_download_models 1
allow_download_sounds 1

[Ratti]

allow_download_others 1 is another one that's available

[R1CH]

That's for servers only though.

[Jas]

What's about *.pak files ?

[DarkShade9]

Do you need the R1Q2 Client for this to work, or just the R1Q2 Server set to the URL?

[TgT]

Clients R1Q2 and AprQ2 support this HTTP downloading which is available at R1Q2&Q2Pro server binaries

[Ala]

Can you make http downloading for server from repository ?

[ruiner]

Hello,
I have a problem with http downloading: when it's turned on, it totally ignores all the files that are stored on game server itself.
How do I set it up so that if the texture isn't found on the http url, it reverts back to fetching them from the game server?

Cheers,
Ruiner

[QwazyWabbit]

I asked R1ch for this in a bug report on HTTP download. If it doesn't exist on the HTTP server, the client can't fall back to normal download. Rich declined to modify the code to allow UDP fail-over. I hope you have better luck.

[ruiner]

Hey Wabbit,  long time no see
Knowing you, you probably patched this locally on your server yourself, mind sharing?
Heh, but what can I do, I'm still waiting on my sprite download flag request for R1CH from like 2007  

[QwazyWabbit]

Yes, it has been a long time. No, I didn't make the change. I don't try to rebuild and use the r1q2 server except for debugging the mods locally. For live servers I prefer to use the one distributed by r1ch. If I do come up with one I would certainly share it, maybe even submit it for him to merge with his trunk. I have not had a lot of time for coding lately with work and health issues and all that.

[macanah]

i just started using http downloads but

im having problems - most files dl fine but on one map it came up with an error

CL_start httpdownload:  couldnt open  tourney/textures/anahT/texture name .wal.tmp for writning
please help
from macanah

[macanah]

some1 please help maybe u r1ch
from macanah

[hehheh]

I asked R1ch for this in a bug report on HTTP download. If it doesn't exist on the HTTP server, the client can't fall back to normal download. Rich declined to modify the code to allow UDP fail-over. I hope you have better luck.

What happens for non-r1q2 clients then - do protocol 34 clients not get any download or do they download from the game server while the protocol 35 clients download from (only) the file server?

[QwazyWabbit]

Clients that don't support HTTP download files the old way - from the game server at old-style speeds. HTTP enabled clients download from the file server if enabled, from the game server the same as non-enabled clients, if not. If the file doesn't exist on the HTTP server, the r1q2 client won't try to get it from the server the old fashioned way, you just don't get the file.

It's the responsibility of the server admin to make sure files are synchronized and are identical for both methods. This can be a PITA to admin if you don't control both servers.

What I wanted to see was HTTP download when enabled but fail-over to UDP download in the case of an error in the HTTP method.

[hehheh]

Thanks for the info! And is it 100% all-or-nothing at the directory level as well as at the file level? By that I mean is if there is a "maps" directory supplied on the http server but not a "players" directory then will it download players from the q2 server and maps from the http server?

[Edit October 13: after thinking about the above some more I'm guessing it is 100% all or nothing at the directory level as well since the code to fall back at that level wouldn't be much different than the code to fall back at the file level... still wondering about the below though.]

In very brief use I've noticed 2 things that are maybe worth mentioning...

1) file names are case sensitive if the http server is on Linux - so windows q2 server, windows client with map sending name in lower case works with a windows http server with name in either case but not with linux http server with name in upper case. If the q2 server and http server use the same case then no problem for server initiated map changes; but still potential problems if the client requests the map change - the q2 server will accept the name in either case and then possibly fail with the http server. Since people weren't too careful about naming their maps there may be lots of case problems for some servers - thought it was worth an fyi.

2) before downloading the .bsp for a map "x" it gives off two complaints:
HTTP( weapons.filelist): 404 File Not Found [2 remaining files]
HTTP( weapons/maps/x.filelist): File Not Found [1 remaining files]

and then succeeds with:
HTTP( maps/x.bsp}: 866240 bytes, 213.94kB/sec [0 remaining files]

is this normal and/or is there anything to be done to silence the complaints (which may confuse users) or give it what it wants?

Got to say it is really nice to see a large map download in nothing flat - thank you Rich!!!