[LGSM] Support RCON for applicable games

[Montclair]

When using the gsquery.py plugin to monitor a server, it causes the server to restart when it's not really crashed. This happens when we load a config that uses sv_cheats 1. It's a practice config called L2L Config, not that that's of any importance. It's the sv_cheats 1 that's the issue (I and others in the community believe).

Specifically, when the server is running in this mode, it is not responsive to status queries, thus, gsquery.py thinks the server has crashed when it has not, and causes it to restart. I've checked the logs and verified it:

Feb 24 21:00:02 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Checking session: CHECKING
Feb 24 21:00:03 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Checking session: OK
Feb 24 21:00:04 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Detected gsquery.py
Feb 24 21:00:05 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Querying port: 104.207.128.135:27017 : QUERYING
Feb 24 21:00:11 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Querying port: 104.207.128.135:27017 : ERROR: Unable to receive
Feb 24 21:00:12 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Waiting 30 seconds to re-query
Feb 24 21:00:42 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Detected gsquery.py
Feb 24 21:00:43 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Querying port: 104.207.128.135:27017 : QUERYING
Feb 24 21:00:49 l4d2-server3: Monitor: Querying port: 104.207.128.135:27017 : ERROR: Unable to receive
Feb 24 21:00:50 l4d2-server3: Restarting:
Feb 24 21:00:50 l4d2-server3: Stopping:
Feb 24 21:00:51 l4d2-server3: Stopping: Stopped
Feb 24 21:00:52 l4d2-server3: Starting:
Feb 24 21:00:53 l4d2-server3: Starting: Rotating log files

I'm asking others in the L4D community if there's a system variable or file that gets created that I could check for existence and perhaps modify your script to abort the call. But I wanted to put this out there to you in case you possibly had a fix or an idea.

Servers that support RCON

• 7 days to die
• Rust
• Source engine

[dgibbs64]

If the server is not responsive to status queries gsquery cannot function as it requires this to monitor and will assume the server is offline. I recommend deleting gsquery unless you can get the query port working on the server.

[Montclair]

According to other sysops, Left 4 Dead 2's server will never respond to the type of connect you're doing when cheats are enabled. This may be true of other Source servers as well, but of that I'm not sure.

Is there not some way for you to query the server using rcon? SourceBans (a php based server banning tool, for example) performs rcon queries to check a server and actually get current game info.

python-valve is a Python library which aims to provide the ability to interface with various Valve services and products, including: the Steam web API, locally installed Steam clients, Source servers and the Source master server. Here is documentation on how to use the rcon tool from that ibrary: http://python-valve.readthedocs.org/en/latest/rcon.html.

If you want to do it in bash, here is another script: https://gist.github.com/mbasaglia/62d7fef83304f4b3ca90

Example usage:
./rcon.sh -host=localhost:26000 -pw=password -secure=2 -c status 1

[dgibbs64]

This may be worth me doing at some point. It may be of benefit to get the script to send rcon commands to the server. However this would be an enhancement I will look at then I have time.

[UltimateByte]

While this is a great idea, it wouldn't work in any case. For example, i disable rcon by not setting a password on my servers as soon of possible for security reasons.

[Montclair]

It wouldn't work for you, I think you mean. I'd still like to see this implemented.

[UltimateByte]

I'm not against he idea, i just mean that we can't only rely on it as it doesn't work 100%of the time.

[Montclair]

Right, but neither does the current method. A combination of the current method, and / or fallback to this method would be an ideal solution.

[UltimateByte]

Agreed since my first remark, i was just warning : Don't rely ONLY on rcon querying after implementing it ! Even : Find a way to detect if it's enabled before !

[UltimateByte]

Some insight about an rcon script:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/linuxgsm/discussions/0/144513670981268947/?tscn=1484856066
Source: http://www.ark-survival.net/en/2015/07/09/rcon-tutorial/
Full script: https://www.ryanschulze.net/archives/1052