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:

to:
gamedll "addons/metamod/dlls/metamod.dll"
gamedll_linux "addons/metamod/dlls/metamod_i386.so"

Note that it's only really necessary to change the line corresponding to your OS (win32 or linux); you can leave the other line unchanged, or you can change it - it doesn't matter.

  • To load plugins at game startup, you'll need to create a "plugins.ini" file containing a list of the plugins you want to load.


    • 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 an optional file containing server commands or cvar settings, and which is read by the server just after loading the initial plugins (from plugins.ini).

    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