UPDATE NEWS - DEDICATED SERVER
Full Change History:
[-] March 08, 2006 (current release)
Changes/Additions
- Reduced CPU spikes and overall load during server operation
- Clamped the size of the WeaponList network message to prevent a potential buffer overflow exploit (found by Niall FitzGibbon)
Bug fixes
- Fixed serveral crash bugs on Linux systems running older GLIBC versions
[+] August 11, 2005
Changes/Additions
- Implemented a client cvar value querying API (to replace the alias method various 3rd party tools were using). Servers can call enginefuncs_t::pfnQueryClientCvarValue() and will get a callback for that cvar value via NEW_DLL_FUNCTIONS::pfnCvarValue().
Bug fixes
- Fixed "-sport" parameter being ignored
- Fixed RCON failing when you were not connected to the server itself
- Fixed game servers failing to connect to VAC servers on machines with multiple network interfaces
[+] June 07, 2005
Changes/Additions
- As part of the next version of VAC which is currently in testing, the Linux game server now must have GLIBC 2.3.2 or above installed
- Added a challenge number to A2S_PLAYER and A2S_RULES server queries
- Changed A2S_INFO server query to require the string "Source Engine Query" appended to the end of the query packet
- Removed support for "info", "infostring", "details", "players" and "rules" queries, use A2S_INFO, A2S_PLAYERS and A2S_RULES instead
Bug fixes
- Fixed several exploits triggered by malicious server operators (found by Stan Bubrouski)
[+] May 03, 2004
Changes/Additions
- Updated HLTV with sv_downloadurl
[+] April 02, 2004
Changes/Additions
- Replace "#" with " " if it is the first character in a player's in-game name
Bug fixes
- Resolved a sprite-related error in Day of Defeat & Condition Zero Deleted Scenes
[+] March 09, 2004
Bug fixes
- Changed HTTP download behavior to retry connections using old trickle download method if it can't download all files.
- Fixed a crash bug when connecting to a dedicated server with an empty mapcycle.
- Fixed a bug where MP3 volume wasn't working properly.
- Fixed "STEAM UserID 0:0:1 is already in use on this server" message when connecting to LAN servers in offline mode.
- Fixed memory leak in HLTV.
[+] February 09, 2004
Changes/Additions
- Small CPU optimizations
- stop motdfile from having "..", "\", "/" or ":" characters in its filename
- Added new command line option "-dll". Syntax is -dll [game_dll_to_load]
- Change white background to black for status bar on console app
Bug fixes
- Fix for updated files on the server not getting to the client when using compression
- Fixed extremely large rcon packets not being returned correctly
[+] January 15, 2004
Bug fixes
- Fixed custom decals not being downloaded from the server correctly
- Fixed custom decals drawing incorrectly for the host of a listen server after another player joins
- Fixed vgui textures being corrupted after going over a number of level changes
- Fixed problem in sound system where it wouldn’t properly be shutdown at the end of a .wav file
- Fixed banner picture not working correctly in HLTV
- Fixed error message that was cut off when a player was disconnected from a game server
[+] December 10, 2003
Changes/Additions
- Fixed regression that was causing the 'load failed' crash to happen on level change
- (Day of Defeat) Random class now abides by class limits
- (Day of Defeat) Added control point name to log file cap messages
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) Fixed client env_models drawing
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) Fixed brit sleeves
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) Draw objective icons on hud and in minimap
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) Draw grenades on the minimap for both teams
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) Fixed teams and playerclass in the scoreboard
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) Added timeleft and number of hltv spectators to the spec bar
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) Fixed weather effects not drawing
- (Day of Defeat HLTV) No vgui menus in hltv spec
- (Counter-Strike)Fixed shield exploit that involved dropping a weapon and buying a pistol in a specific order; you must restart your dedicated server to pick up this change
- (TFC) Moved flaginfo to the chat text area so it will work properly
[+] November 26, 2003
Changes/Additions
- Added extra progress indicators for downloading & initializing VAC security modules
- Removed 'cmd dlfile' console command from being accessed directly from the console
Bug fixes
- Fixed servers not being in world list if they specified a region on startup
[+] November 20, 2003
Changes/Additions
- Added list of file extensions that cannot be downloaded with the dlfile command.
The exclude list is currently: .cfg .ini .bat .exe .vbs .com .dll .lst .log
This prevents the recently published dlfile exploit.
Bug fixes
- Fixed kick messages not displaying properly in the UI
[+] November 12, 2003
Changes/Additions
- Added check to make sure only one instance of the game is running
- Added code to try help diagnose the 'filesystem dll not found' sporadic error
- Added some more info to help debug 'could not load filesystem' error
- Added fallback to software mode if selected video mode is not supported when game tries to start
- Added compression to server->client file transfers, reduces connection time downloading security module -- controlled by "sv_filetransfercompression" cvar.
- Changed error string "BADPASSWORD" to be a friendly string
- Changed default player name to be the users' friends name
- Fixed "condump" command
- Fixed corrupted VGUI2 text when using the TriAPI (only happened in mods)
- Added greater control of game startup background & layout -- controlled by resource/BackgroundLayout.txt, BackgroundLoadingLayout.txt
- Increase MAX_HUD_SPRITES from 128 to 256
- Added avi playback option to game startup - the text file media/StartupVids.txt contains the list of avi's to play
- Changed missing models to only be fatal error when developer cvar > 1
Bug fixes
- Fixed a Steam authentication error ("Invalid User ID Ticket") that occurred when connecting to any server which was run from the Steam Games list
- Fixed startup crash where the text file buffer wasn't always terminated correctly causing bad info to be parsed out
- Fixed mouse cursor staying visible when alt-tabbing back into the game when in windowed mode
- Fixed corrupted VGUI2 text when using the TriAPI
- Fixed bug where singleplayer games were listed in the Mods list for HLDS.
- Fixed bug where the Mod previously used wasn't being loaded properly (and saved) the next time you ran HLDS.
- Fixed 'load failed' error causing players to timeout from server during level changes
- Fixed problem pulling crates in half-life
- Fixed mp3 volume slider not taking effect immediately
- Fixed changing the bitdepth in video options not making the apply button show up
- Fixed downloading of custom content from a server never saying 'complete'
- Fixed sponsor banner never being shown in the game
- Fixed game menus still be clickable even when hidden by game load dialog
- Fixed crash opening options dialog if "voice_enable 0" was in the config.cfg file
- Fixed timer graphic not displaying in Counter-Strike
[+] September 09, 2003
Changes/Additions
- Added skins support to Steam (\platform\skins).
- Added new cvar "sv_region" to describe the region the server is in.
- Removed dependency on WON protocols.
- Removed Bots
- HLTV: Maximum number of connected spectators is tracked ('status' command).
- HLTV: Switched 'autoretry' behavior back to the way it was in 1.1.1.0.
- HLTV: Added 'hltv' to heartbeat.
- HLTV: Removed dependency on Won protocols.
Bug fixes
- Counter-Strike: Fixed shield exploit with using 'lastinv' command.
- Counter-Strike: Fixed server log (and console) getting spammed when a Terrorist would escape on an es_ map.
- Fixed bug with MOTD not being displayed.
- Fixed bug with the "kick" command.
- Fixed bug where you couldn't enter a hostname that started with a number.
- Fixed HTML scrollbars not showing up sometimes.
- Fixed bug with HLDS GUI crashing the second time it was run.
- Fixed shutdown crash in dedicated server.
- HLTV: Fixed 'record' to continue recording demos after reconnect.
- HLTV: Fixed cheering bug.
[+] August 11, 2003 beta
Changes/Additions
- Counter-Strike: Increased Tactical Shield price to $2200.
Bug fixes
- Fixed format string crash bug in logging.
- Fixed problem where external mods hooking into MOTD (i.e. amxmod) left the background screen up once the dialog was dismissed.
- Fixed banner image not showing when connecting to HLTV proxies (with an image set).
- Counter-Strike: Fixed bug where the round would not restart until the planted bomb goes off, even if all of the players on both teams were dead.
[+] July 31, 2003 beta
Bug fixes
- Flipped anti-DoS logic to check per user and then global rate limits. Changed it so users exceeding personal rates don't add into the global rate calculations.
- Fixed infinite loop due to malformed infostrings.
[+] July 21, 2003 beta
Changes/Additions
- Added a new voice codec, "voice_speex".
- Added "sv_voicecodec" cvar, set this to "voice_miles" to use the old voice codec. Set it to "voice_speex" to use the newly added codec.
- Added "sv_voicequality" cvar to control the quality (and hence bitrate) used by the "voice_speex" codec. The quality range is 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
- 6 bytes/frame, 2400bps, low quality
- 15 bytes/frame, 6000bps
- 20 bytes/frame, 8000bps
- 28 bytes/frame, 11200bps
- 38 bytes/frame, 15200bps, high quality
[+] June 24, 2003 beta
Bug fixes
- Fixed bug where ping times could be displayed incorrectly for game servers.
- Fixed bug that made server list appear slowly for server browser.
[+] June 05, 2003 beta
Changes/Additions
- Valve Anti-Cheat is now active in the Steam beta.
- Added "servercfgfile" cvar back into the engine.
- Changed references from woncomm.lst to valvecomm.lst.
- Message of the Day in Counter-Strike can use an HTML file (either the motd.txt contains a simple URL or it is a html file itself).
- Added in Steam monitoring tool. This will display Steam activity on your machine.
- Update news is displayed during the launch of the game if content is being downloaded.
- Optimized protocol for Steam content delivery.
- You can run multiple copies of the same application now. This is most useful for Dedicated Servers.
- Added Hearts and Spades to Friends mini-games.
- Added ability to force or disable automatic updating of individual Steam titles via Games list.
- Changed so "sv_alltalk 1" allows spectators and players to chat with each other in Counter-Strike.
- HLTV: New command "clearbanns" - removes all IPs from bann list.
- Added "mapchangecfgfile" cvar. Set this to the filename of the file you want run on map change.
Bug fixes
- Fixed bug with custom decals.
- Fixed problem with being able to buy weapon and kill yourself at the same time (server crash) in Counter-Strike.
- Fixed a number of bugs related to Friends messages.
- Fixed format string crash bug when logging.
- Fixed server freeze/crash exploit caused by malformed userinfo information in connect packets.
- Fixed potential exploits due to buffer overflows in infostring handling.
- HLTV: Fixed "NULL" player names in HLTV demos.
[+] March 03, 2003 beta
Bug fixes
- Fixed crash in dedicated server when typing 'users' in the console.
- Fixed string corruption bug in RichText when strings were longer than 1024 chars.
- Fixed crash in dedicated server when comparing strings internally.
- Dedicated server will display a window to restart when out of date in future versions.
[+] January 31, 2003
Bug fixes
- Fixed crash in dedicated server when typing 'users' in the console.
- Fixed string corruption bug in RichText when strings were longer than 1024 chars.
- Fixed crash in dedicated server when comparing strings internally.
- Dedicated server will display a window to restart when out of date in future versions.
[+] January 23, 2003 beta
Bug fixes
- Fixed crash in dedicated server.
- Dedicated server will display a window to restart when out of date in future versions.