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Server Maintenance

Docker in the Half-Life Colours

Once your server is running, here's how to keep its game files current, monitor it, feed its logs into external tools, and keep RCON credentials out of plaintext.

Keeping Game Files Updated 馃攧

Game files are only installed at build time, so restarting a container won't pick up a new Valve patch on its own. Set the AUTO_UPDATE environment variable to have the container re-check Steam for updates every time it starts:

docker run -d -ti \
  --name hlds \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -e AUTO_UPDATE=true \
  -v "$(pwd)/config:/temp/config" \
  -v "$(pwd)/mods:/temp/mods" \
  -p 27015:27015/udp \
  -p 27015:27015 \
  -p 26900:26900/udp \
  jives/hlds:valve \
  "+log on +rcon_password changeme +maxplayers 12 +map crossfire"

Note

This adds a network dependent SteamCMD check to every container start, and means the same running container can end up on different game binaries over time. Container registry images are checked on a weekly schedule and refreshed if an update is released by Valve.

Health Checks 馃┖

The image ships with a Docker HEALTHCHECK that polls the running server every 30 seconds so Docker (and anything watching container health, like docker ps, Compose, Swarm, or Kubernetes) can tell a hung or crashed server apart from one that's just still loading a map. The status shows up next to your container:

docker ps

Or you can inspect it directly:

docker inspect --format='{{.State.Health.Status}}' hlds

Note

The health check queries port 27015 by default. If you've changed the server's port with +port, set a matching PORT environment variable (e.g. -e PORT=27016) so it checks the right one.

Forwarding Logs 馃搳

To feed server logs into an external stats tracker, add +logaddress <ip> <port> to your startup command alongside +log on - HLDS will UDP-broadcast its log lines to that address.

"+log on +logaddress 203.0.113.10 27500 +rcon_password changeme +maxplayers 12 +map crossfire"

RCON Password via a Secret File 馃敀

+rcon_password in the startup command is visible to anyone who can run docker inspect or docker ps on the host. To avoid that, set RCON_PASSWORD_FILE to a path containing the password instead, and drop +rcon_password from the command entirely:

docker run -d -ti \
  --name hlds \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -e RCON_PASSWORD_FILE=/run/secrets/rcon_password \
  -v "$(pwd)/rcon_password.txt:/run/secrets/rcon_password:ro" \
  -p 27015:27015/udp \
  -p 27015:27015 \
  jives/hlds:valve \
  "+log on +maxplayers 12 +map crossfire"

This works the same way with Docker Compose secrets or Swarm secrets - point RCON_PASSWORD_FILE at wherever the secret gets mounted (typically /run/secrets/<name>).

Resources 馃摎