Glossary

Glossary

Short definitions of the words Helix uses, in alphabetical order. Each entry links to the page with the details.

AMP — A separate game-server manager by CubeCoders. Helix can show and control AMP instances through AMP's own loopback API, but AMP keeps owning them. See Imported server below. Servers and Marketplace

Analysis root — A folder listed in analysis_roots in the broker config that the space analyzer may read. Usually /. Read-only. Storage and Files

Backup trash — Where a server's deleted backups go, so you can undo. It empties itself after 7 days by default; each server can choose 0 (never) to 365 days. Backups

Broker — helix-privd, the root service that does everything needing root: Docker, files, firewall, packages, reboots, updates. It only accepts a fixed list of typed requests. How Helix Works

Capability — A named permission such as games.manage or terminal.open. The server checks it on every request. The owner holds all of them. Architecture

CSRF proof — A second secret sent with the session cookie on every protected request, in the X-Helix-CSRF header. It stops other sites from acting with your cookie. Security and Recovery

Deploy — One job that applies a server's staged changes: optional backup, stop, install, start, wait until ready, and put the old files back if it fails. Deploying File Changes

Gateway — The nginx container in front of helixd. It accepts only the configured host name, browser origin, and client networks. Architecture

Genome — A planned portable export format for Helix settings and data. Design only; nothing in Helix reads or writes it yet. How Helix Works

helix-terminald — The optional service behind the Terminal page. It runs as one normal Linux user and gives each connection a login shell. Hooks and Terminal

helixctl — The local command-line tool for setup tokens, health checks, state snapshots, and Strand projects. Development and Testing

helixd — The dashboard server. It serves the web app and API, checks sessions and capabilities, and runs unprivileged in a read-only container. Architecture

Home — Your own dashboard page made of widgets you place on a grid. You can keep up to eight Homes. Dashboard and Home

Hook — A card for a service already on your host, such as Plex, Jellyfin, Tailscale, Docker, or AMP. It shows state and offers exact controls; the service keeps its own data. Hooks and Terminal

Imported server — A game server another manager owns, such as an AMP instance, that Helix shows and partly controls. Helix does not rewrite its files. Copying one into Helix makes a new native server. Server Migration

Job — Work that outlives one request, such as an install, backup, update, or deploy. It has a stage and percent, survives a page reload, and its record survives a broker restart. How Helix Works

Keep rules — A server's backup limits: keep the newest N backups (up to 50) and anything newer than D days (up to 365). Older copies move to backup trash. Backups

Live backup — A backup of a running Minecraft server. Helix pauses autosave, flushes the world, archives it, and turns autosave back on, so players stay online. Backups

Managed root — A folder listed in managed_roots in the broker config. Helix only creates, edits, uploads, renames, or trashes files inside these. Storage and Files

Native server — A game server Helix created and owns. It runs in its own Docker container, managed through the broker. Servers and Marketplace

Operation lock — The per-server lock that keeps actions from colliding. Reads need none, file writes share it, and lifecycle actions, backups, restores, updates, transfers, and deploys hold it alone. How Helix Works

Owner — The one account created during setup. It holds every capability. Getting Started

Ready marker — A .helix-ready file that a non-Minecraft game runtime writes in the server's data folder once the dedicated server is installed and running. Minecraft readiness comes from its status ping instead. Servers and Marketplace

Recoverable trash — Two things share this name. In the file manager it is the .helix-trash folder at the top of a managed root. In Settings → Helix data it is the list of removed native servers you can restore or delete forever. Deleted backups use the separate backup trash. Storage and Files, Dashboard and Home

run_uid — The Linux user ID each native server runs as, picked between 20000 and 59999. Its container and files use that ID, keeping servers apart. Architecture

Sequence — A planned declarative package format for installing and running games. Design only; there is no parser or engine. How Helix Works

Server token — A server API token: a secret for scripts and tools that grants chosen permissions on chosen servers, never the host itself. Server API Tokens

Session — Your signed-in browser. It ends after 30 minutes idle or 8 hours total unless Stay signed in is on. How Helix Works

Staged change — A file change made while a server runs. It waits in a broker-owned store outside the server folder until you deploy it. Deploying File Changes

Start after the host boots — A per-server switch that brings a native server back after Linux or Docker restarts. On by default for new servers. Dashboard and Home

State database — helix-state.db, the SQLite file that holds the owner, sessions, preferences, Home layouts, tokens, machines, and Strands. Architecture

State root — The broker's folder of records for native servers (native.state_root), holding manifests, jobs.json, staged changes, console history, and server trash. Architecture

Strand — An extension you install from a .strand.zip. It adds a page or Home widget that runs in a sandboxed frame and can only use the host calls it declares. Building Strands

Token vault — An encrypted copy of each server token, kept so the owner can view it again. Its key lives in secrets/token-vault.key, apart from the state database. Server API Tokens