Running dedicated server on Linux using wine

[xfirf]

Hey,

using this manual https://www.lockonforum.de/community/thread/7657-dcs-world-dedicated-server-on-linux-via-wine/ and some tipps from here: https://github.com/TheZoq2/dcs_on_linux
I was able to install and start a dedicated open-beta server. 

Logging in is working. The server appears on the "My servers" list but after about one Minute the application is crashing. I have no clue how to debug this to be able to fix the issue.

Is anyone that maybe got this working and has some more tips? Generally regarding wine or even wine + dcs?

[Maverick87Shaka]

Emulated application with wine normally suffers of less performance, and dedicated server really require to squeeze every single bit of power of your machine.
Even native windows virtual machine can affect your server performance, so I don't really recommend you to use wine for your server, never! not even for a test

BTW......you just need to take a look at your DCS.log file, and post your server hardware specification, just to understand if it's capable of run a DCS server.



 

[Shazzer]

++ Wishlist - A native Linux client for dedicated servers. PLEASE!!

[Meerschweinmann]

Am 29.7.2022 um 00:55 schrieb Shazzer:

++ Wishlist - A native Linux client for dedicated servers. PLEASE!!

+1

[DoktorSleepless]

+1

[audax]

I had a DCS server on Linux with wine for a while, but with some missions and especially with tacview it suffered from very bad performance degradation. I've since switched to a Win 10 VM with qemu and it works just fine. It's a bit annoying to take care of that windows installation, but such is life.

[FLANKERATOR]

On 7/29/2022 at 2:55 AM, Shazzer said:

++ Wishlist - A native Linux client for dedicated servers. PLEASE!!

+1!

[DoktorSleepless]

On 3/23/2023 at 11:59 AM, audax said:

I had a DCS server on Linux with wine for a while, but with some missions and especially with tacview it suffered from very bad performance degradation. I've since switched to a Win 10 VM with qemu and it works just fine. It's a bit annoying to take care of that windows installation, but such is life.

Yeah I have a win10 VM running now and it works okay but a docker container would be better. 

[ninelore]

A native Linux dedicated Server should be a high priority because a Windows Server licence isnt something everyone can and will afford.

Despite popular belief: Regular Windows 10/11 as a pure windows server, even as a VM, is absolutely not legal.

 

EDIT: Improved wording and heres the exact term from the Windows EULA:
 

Win10:

Zitat

2. c. (v): use the software as server software, for commercial hosting, make the software available for simultaneous use by multiple users over a network, install the software on a server and allow users to access it remotely, or install the software on a device for use only by remote users;

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Useterms/Retail/Windows/10/UseTerms_Retail_Windows_10_English.htm

 

Win11:

Zitat

2. c. (v): use the software as server softwareor to operate the device as a server, except as permitted under Section 2(d)(iii) below; use the software to offer commercial hosting services; make the software available for simultaneous use by more than one user over a network, except as permitted under Section 2(d)(vi) below;install the software on a server for remote access or use over a network; or install the software on a device for use only by remote users;

(...)

2. d. (iii): Device connections. You may allow up to 20 other devices to access the software installed on the licensed device solely to use the following software features for personal or internal purposes: file services, print services, Internet information services, and Internet connection sharing and telephony services on the licensed device. You may allow any number of devices to access the software on the licensed device to synchronize data between devices. This subsection does not mean, however, that you have the right to install the software, or use the primary function of the software (other than the features listed in this subsection), on any of these other devices.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Useterms/Retail/Windows/11/UseTerms_Retail_Windows_11_English.htm

Edited June 3, 2023 by ninelore

[Maverick87Shaka]

17 hours ago, ninelore said:

A native Linux dedicated Server should be a high priority because a Windows Server licence isnt something everyone can and will afford.

It will be great have a dedicated linux server, but honestly talking about high priority tasks, there are lot of works to be done before this IMHO. Make netcode more stable and reliable, avoid de-sync and many other stuff.

17 hours ago, ninelore said:

Despite popular belief: Regular Windows 10/11 on a Server, even as a VM,  is absolutely not legal.

Host DCS Server on Windows 10/11 is totally fine, you can also use it inside a VM. The restriction applies only for commercial hosting or the limit of 20 connections only applies to "embedded" services like IIS, filesharing, print services etc.

 

[ninelore]

I've edited my message to improved my wording and added the exact sentence from the EULA for clarity

[Maverick87Shaka]

On 6/3/2023 at 11:40 PM, ninelore said:

I've edited my message to improved my wording and added the exact sentence from the EULA for clarity

What you can't do is use regular Windows 10/11 to host a software and delivery that software by Citrix/RemoteApp or any other streaming/sharing tech.

Run DCS application to host a DCS server is totally compliant with the EULA, since you're not sharing that software itself with the final users.

[BitMaster]

The difference at IONOS for example is 28,-€ a month, same dedicated Server hardware, just the OS.

In theory ED could sell a DCS Linux Ded. Server license for 99€ and the guys were happy to save 28€ every month. Make it ~6 month worth, 150€ per server is still better than 12x 28€ per year...

This is a huge disadvantage for Everybody but Microsoft.

 

[Maverick87Shaka]

On 7/31/2023 at 12:24 AM, BitMaster said:

The difference at IONOS for example is 28,-€ a month, same dedicated Server hardware, just the OS.

In theory ED could sell a DCS Linux Ded. Server license for 99€ and the guys were happy to save 28€ every month. Make it ~6 month worth, 150€ per server is still better than 12x 28€ per year...

This is a huge disadvantage for Everybody but Microsoft.

 

License for dedicated server?
....all the community asks and wait so long the "free version" of server, to don't have to buy twice on server account all the maps....going back to a paid server version doesn't sound a good idea at all to me to be honest.
 

[okopanja]

40 minutes ago, Maverick87Shaka said:

License for dedicated server?
....all the community asks and wait so long the "free version" of server, to don't have to buy twice on server account all the maps....going back to a paid server version doesn't sound a good idea at all to me to be honest.
 

DCS server itself is free. E.g. I have separate acount for server, no purchases and access to all maps. The license in question is about windows 10/11. Linux option would eliminate that dependency.

I tried running via wine, but had issues with server needing UI. Since then at the end I acquired a legal windows license.

[BitMaster]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb Maverick87Shaka:

License for dedicated server?
....all the community asks and wait so long the "free version" of server, to don't have to buy twice on server account all the maps....going back to a paid server version doesn't sound a good idea at all to me to be honest.
 

What I wanted to say, in other words:

If you pay 28€ per month for a Windows Server 2022 Standard license on your rented dedicated Server running Windows Server 2019 or 2022 it would even make sense if ED would say, OK...we will do the dedicated Linux Server so renting a Server is cheaper for our customers...and ED could still charge for a dedicated Linux Server license and it would still be cheaper in very little time...seeing the 28€/month just for a SRV2022 lic. 

I am not running a DCS Server but I have had multiple dedicated Servers for various reasons incl. hosting Game Servers in the past and have run a Gaming Clan. The more you have to pay per month the more members you need or the more everyone needs to pay, monthly..or you end up paying the gap, it's as simple as that if the server runs under your name, been there done that and paid that. Linux has a big advantage here.

 

 

[HC_Official]

paying for dedicated DCS linux server install == lols

Edited August 2, 2023 by HC_Official

[xfirf]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb HC_Official:

paying for dedicated linux server install == lols

The idea behind this is getting the money needed for the development of the server-variant for linux. So makes sense.

[Maverick87Shaka]

15 hours ago, okopanja said:

DCS server itself is free. E.g. I have separate acount for server, no purchases and access to all maps.......

It wasn't like that!
It's a fairly "recent" feature that was introduced on DCS, which has been asked and waited for a long time by community.
That's why I say it doesn't seem like a great idea to charge for the server license ( my personal point of view )

 

14 hours ago, BitMaster said:

What I wanted to say, in other words:

If you pay 28€ per month for a Windows Server 2022 Standard license on your rented dedicated Server running Windows Server 2019 or 2022 it would even make sense if ED would say, OK...we will do the dedicated Linux Server so renting a Server is cheaper for our customers...and ED could still charge for a dedicated Linux Server license and it would still be cheaper in very little time...seeing the 28€/month just for a SRV2022 lic. 

I am not running a DCS Server but I have had multiple dedicated Servers for various reasons incl. hosting Game Servers in the past and have run a Gaming Clan. The more you have to pay per month the more members you need or the more everyone needs to pay, monthly..or you end up paying the gap, it's as simple as that if the server runs under your name, been there done that and paid that. Linux has a big advantage here.

Depending on hosting services that you're using, if it's a long term project, you should probably have to use your own license if you want make it less expensive.
Before migrating server to a different solution, we used to have it on OVH (hope it can be mentioned), where we was able to install our own license. So we didn't pay any extra fee monthly for windows license.


BTW, I'll be more than happy to see a Linux dedicated server, I'm just saying that (to me at least) there are more urgent tasks concerning multiplayer feature of DCS, and I don't like to be honest to see it comes out under payment license, considering how bad was the time where we had to buy twice the maps ( once for client account, and once for server account )

 

[BitMaster]

You do know how much a MS Server 2022 Std costs!?

Under that impression, a 299€ price tag for a Linux module was a bargain.

it’s not the most important thing, it’s also not doable in the famous 2 weeks but it does have an imminent impact on virtual squadrons budget

[HC_Official]

U can buy a proper working windows server 2022 standard license key for about $25 these days which is great

[Raisuli]

This is on my list of things to do, and I even have a machine on which to do it.  I used to run a few things on Wine that had better performance than Windows, which is a bloated beast. 

Thanks to Red Hat Linux is also turning into a bloated beast, though.  Registry, that abomination they call 'polkit', sysctl, netctl, a few other things.  There was a reason for the flat text files that made linux lightweight, screaming fast, and easy to manage.

I need to find a distro that hasn't been polluted by all that crap to start with, then get a lightweight gui on top of it.  My gut is DCS server should run fine based on what it does.

[xfirf]

But maybe if some of the devs could invest some time they would be able to make a wine-configuration that allows the gameserver to run on linux.

Would be a win-win.

Edited August 2, 2023 by xfirf

[Maverick87Shaka]

1 hour ago, xfirf said:

But maybe if some of the devs could invest some time they would be able to make a wine-configuration that allows the gameserver to run on linux.

Would be a win-win.

 

Honestly, it will be waste of time and not an investment of developing time.

Native linux server will be interesting and definitely worth invest time to develop it, but just after fix rubber-band, de-sync etc...
To me it will be more efficient consolidate the netcode, and after that start the Linux server.




 

[BitMaster]

Am 2.8.2023 um 14:57 schrieb HC_Official:

U can buy a proper working windows server 2022 standard license key for about $25 these days which is great

Those keys tend to get deactivated after some time, got one myself… the proper keys don’t but it ain’t cheap to have peace of mind