Using Metamod

Client Commands

Similar to the server console interface, clients can also issue commands to Metamod, of the following form:

Client Cvars

Also available to client browser applications is a cvar metamod_version that should report the version of Metamod running on the server, ie:

"metamod_version" is "1.17"

Installation

If you have installed AdminMod 2.50 or later, then the AM installer has already installed Metamod for you. If you only want to upgrade your Metamod with a more recent version, simply grab the metamod.dll (win32) or metamod_i386.so (linux) file and replace the file currently on your system.

If you want to install Metamod by hand, here's what you have to do:


Configuration

Metamod has several ways to provide config options, partially because it started with one method and then added other methods, but also because one method can be more convenient than the other, varying with the situation.

Generally speaking, the two methods of providing configuration information to Metamod are:

The confusing part can come when the pathnames to some of the config files can be specified via command line options - or indeed, when the pathnames to some config files can be specified in other config files.

In any case, here are the various config options and config files Metamod uses, (listed in order of priority), where "$gamedir" indicates the game directory, ie "cstrike":


File: plugins.ini

Default location: $gamedir/addons/metamod/plugins.ini, ie "cstrike/addons/metamod/plugins.ini".

Plugins are described in a file "plugins.ini" and each line describes a plugin to load:

<platform> <filepath> [<description>]

Fields are whitespace delimited (tabs/spaces).

Comments are recognized at only the beginning of a line, and can be in either shell style ("#") or c++ style ("//").

For instance, in "cstrike/addons/metamod/plugins.ini" these are all valid lines:


    // linux    dlls/mybot.so

    # win32     dlls/mybot-old.dll         Mybot old

    win32       dlls/mybot.dll             Mybot current

    linux       /tmp/stub_mm_i386.so

    win32       /tmp/stub_mm_i386.dll

    linux       ../dlls/trace_mm_i386.so

    win32       ../dlls/trace_mm_i386.dll

    linux       dlls/admin_MM_i386.so

    win32       dlls/admin_MM_i386.dll

Note that order in the plugins.ini file is significant. Plugins are loaded and accessed in the order specified, so ordering can be important, depending on the plugin(s).

The file is re-read at changelevel, as well as on demand (via "meta refresh" console command; see below). When the file is re-read, it will:

The game dll is auto-detected, along the same lines AdminMod operated (looking at the "gamedir"); see "mm_gamedll" below if you want to use a "bot" DLL.

You can override the name of this file by specifying it via the +localinfo field "mm_pluginsfile".

For compatibility with previous versions, Metamod will also look for a file "metamod.ini" under the gamedir, ie "cstrike/metamod.ini".


File: config.ini

Default location: $gamedir/addons/metamod/config.ini, ie "cstrike/addons/metamod/config.ini".

This contains basic config information, at the moment duplicating most of the +localinfo variables, but allowing for more flexible expansion of config options in the future. Also, it provides somewhat more reliable options setting, since +localinfo munges some argument values (in particular, pathnames with leading dots, ie "../dlls/blah.dll").

Basic format is:

<option> <value>

Fields are whitespace delimited (tabs/spaces). Comments are recognized at only the beginning of a line, and can be in either shell style ("#") or c++ style ("//"). The following is a list of currently recognized options, their defaults, and examples of usage:

You can override the name of this file by specifying it via the +localinfo field "mm_configfile".


File: exec.cfg

Default location: $gamedir/addons/metamod/exec.cfg, ie "cstrike/addons/metamod/exec.cfg". This is necessary for plugins that need to have settings specified prior to early API routines like ServerActivate, since autoexec.cfg is read too early and server.cfg is read to late. In particular, I found this necessary for the Trace plugin, in order to trace routines like RegUserMsg which are called during ServerActivate.

You can override the name of this file by specifying it via the +localinfo field "mm_execcfg".

For compatibility with previous versions, Metamod will also look for a file "metaexec.cfg" under the gamedir, ie "cstrike/metaexec.cfg".


File: metagame.ini

NOTE! This file is no longer supported! -- use instead the +localinfo field "mm_gamedll" or the config.ini option gamedll.


Commandline option: +localinfo

Several of Metamod's configuration options can be specified by the "+localinfo" facility on the hlds command line. This is similar to the "setinfo" console command, where the syntax is:
+localinfo <field> <value>
Current localinfo fields recognized by Metamod:

Note that each localinfo field can have only one value. If specified more than once on the command line, only the last one will be recognized. (In particular, trying to use mm_gamedll to load multiple dll-style bots will not work. In a case like that, the multiple dll's must be chained together).

Some examples are:


	./hlds_run -game cstrike +localinfo mm_pluginsfile mylist.ini

	./hlds_run -game cstrike +localinfo mm_execcfg mysettings.cfg

	./hlds_run -game cstrike +localinfo mm_gamedll dlls/pod_bot.so

	./hlds_run -game cstrike +localinfo mm_debug 7

Note, paths should use unix-style forward slashes (/) and not backward slashes (\), even on windows platforms.


Commands

All console command functionality is provide by a single command "meta", with multiple sub-commands:


   usage: meta <command> [<arguments>]

   valid commands are:

      version                - display Metamod version info

      list                   - list plugins currently loaded

      cmds                   - list console cmds registered by plugins

      cvars                  - list cvars registered by plugins

      refresh                - load/unload any new/deleted/updated plugins

      config                 - show config info loaded from config.ini

      load <name>            - find and load a plugin with the given name

      unload <plugin>        - unload a loaded plugin

      reload <plugin>        - unload a plugin and load it again

      info <plugin>          - show all information about a plugin

      pause <plugin>         - pause a loaded, running plugin

      unpause <plugin>       - unpause a previously paused plugin

      retry <plugin>         - retry a plugin that previously failed its action

      clear <plugin>         - clear a failed plugin from the list

      force_unload <plugin>  - forcibly unload a loaded plugin

      require <plugin>       - exit server if plugin not loaded/running

where <plugin> can be either the plugin index number, or a non-ambiguous prefix string matching description or file.

Also, a single cvar is available:


   meta_debug       - set debugging level

For instance with:


  Currently loaded plugins:

        description       stat pend  file               vers    src  load  unlod

   [ 1] Trace HLSDK API   RUN   -    mm_trace_i386.so   v0.90   ini  ANY   Pause

   [ 2] adminmod          RUN   -    admin_MM.so        v2.11   ini  Start Start

   [ 3] stub              RUN   -    mm_stub_i386.so    v0.90   ini  ANY   Pause

  2 plugins, 2 running

You could then do any of the following to unload the API Trace plugin:


   meta unload 1

   meta unload trace

   meta unload mm_trace


Plugin Loading/Unloading Process

Through the process of loading and unloading, a plugin can be in one of several different states ('stat' column in the 'meta list' output): Also through the operation process, a plugin can have a pending "action" to next take (indicated by the 'pend' column in the 'meta list' output), and can be one of:

Example Output

Here's some other example output:


   meta info admin

            name: adminmod

            desc: Adminmod

          status: running

          action: none

        filename: dlls/admin_MM.so

            file: admin_MM.so

        pathname: /home/willday/test/cstrike/dlls/admin_MM.so

           index: 3

          source: ini file

        loadable: at server startup

      unloadable: at server startup

         version: 2.11

            date: 2001/02/04

          author: Alfred Reynolds <alfred@mazuma.net.au>

             url: http://www.adminmod.org/

          logtag: ADMIN

     last loaded: Mon Feb  5 02:06:34 2001

   DLLAPI functions:

      GameDLLInit

      DispatchThink

      ClientConnect

      ClientCommand

      ClientUserInfoChanged

      ServerActivate

   6 functions (dllapi)

   No DLLAPI-Post functions.

   No NEWAPI functions.

   No NEWAPI-Post functions.

   No Engine functions.

   No Engine-Post functions.

   Registered commands:

      admin_command

   1 commands

   Registered cvars:                      float value  string value

      users_file                             0.000000  users.ini

      maps_file                              0.000000  mapvote.txt

      default_access                         1.000000  1

      ips_file                               0.000000  0

      reserve_slots                          1.000000  1

      reserve_slots_msg                      0.000000  0

      admin_debug                            1.000000  1

      password_field                         0.000000  admin_password

      alarm_message                          0.000000  0

      alarm_time                             0.000000  0

      use_regex                              1.000000  1

      models_password_field                  0.000000  0

      models_file                            0.000000  models.ini

      models_kick_msg                        0.000000  Invalid model

      script_file                            0.000000  cstrike/dlls/admin.amx

      help_file                              0.000000  admin_help.txt

      vote_freq                            360.000000  360

      encrypt_password                       1.000000  1

      pretty_say                             1.000000  1

      admin_mod_version                      2.110000  2.11

      reserve_type                           1.000000  1

      map_ratio                             60.000000  60

      kick_ratio                            75.000000  75

      words_file                             0.000000  0

      password_timeout                    1800.000000  1800

      file_access_read                       0.000000  0

      file_access_write                      0.000000  0

      public_slots_free                     20.000000  20.000000

      allow_client_exec                      0.000000  0

      admin_balance_teams                    0.000000  0

   30 cvars



   meta cmds

   Registered plugin commands:

          plugin              command

    [  1] API trace           trace_version

    [  2] API trace           trace

    [  3] API trace           untrace

    [  4] API trace           showtrace

    [  5] Adminmod            admin_command

   5 commands, 5 available



   meta cvars

   Registered plugin cvars:

          plugin      cvar                   float value  string value

    [  1] API trace   trace_debug               3.000000  3.000000

    [  2] API trace   trace_dllapi              8.000000  8

    [  3] API trace   trace_newapi              0.000000  0

    [  4] API trace   trace_engine              8.000000  8

    [  5] Adminmod    users_file                0.000000  users.ini

    [  6] Adminmod    maps_file                 0.000000  mapvote.txt

    [  7] Adminmod    default_access            1.000000  1

    [  8] Adminmod    ips_file                  0.000000  0

    [  9] Adminmod    reserve_slots             1.000000  1

    [ 10] Adminmod    reserve_slots_msg         0.000000  0

    [ 11] Adminmod    admin_debug               1.000000  1

    [ 12] Adminmod    password_field            0.000000  admin_password

    [ 13] Adminmod    alarm_message             0.000000  0

    [ 14] Adminmod    alarm_time                0.000000  0

    [ 15] Adminmod    use_regex                 1.000000  1

    [ 16] Adminmod    models_password_fiel      0.000000  0

    [ 17] Adminmod    models_file               0.000000  models.ini

    [ 18] Adminmod    models_kick_msg           0.000000  Invalid model

    [ 19] Adminmod    script_file               0.000000  cstrike/dlls/admin.amx

    [ 20] Adminmod    help_file                 0.000000  admin_help.txt

    [ 21] Adminmod    vote_freq               360.000000  360

    [ 22] Adminmod    encrypt_password          1.000000  1

    [ 23] Adminmod    pretty_say                1.000000  1

    [ 24] Adminmod    admin_mod_version         2.110000  2.11

    [ 25] Adminmod    reserve_type              1.000000  1

    [ 26] Adminmod    map_ratio                60.000000  60

    [ 27] Adminmod    kick_ratio               75.000000  75

    [ 28] Adminmod    words_file                0.000000  0

    [ 29] Adminmod    password_timeout       1800.000000  1800

    [ 30] Adminmod    file_access_read          0.000000  0

    [ 31] Adminmod    file_access_write         0.000000  0

    [ 32] Adminmod    public_slots_free        20.000000  20.000000

    [ 33] Adminmod    allow_client_exec         0.000000  0

    [ 34] Adminmod    admin_balance_teams       0.000000  0

   34 cvars, 34 available



   meta unload stub

   Unloaded plugin 'Stub plugin'

   Currently loaded plugins:

         description       stat pend  file               vers   src  load  unlod

    [ 1] Trace HLSDK API   RUN   -    mm_trace_i386.so   v0.90  ini  ANY   Pause

    [ 2] adminmod          RUN   -    admin_MM.so        v2.11  ini  Start Start

   2 plugins, 2 running



   meta load stub

   Loaded plugin 'stub' successfully

   Currently loaded plugins:

         description       stat pend  file               vers   src  load  unlod

    [ 1] Trace HLSDK API   RUN   -    mm_trace_i386.so   v0.90  ini  ANY   Pause

    [ 2] adminmod          RUN   -    admin_MM.so        v2.11  ini  Start Start

    [ 3] stub              RUN   -    mm_stub_i386.so    v0.90  cmd  ANY   Pause

   3 plugins, 3 running