Downloading the source code

This page contains the information and steps needed to download the latest version of the code, compile it and host your own server.

Licensing

The NT Station 13 source code is open. The license allows you to do most things, but if you're really interested in more, see below.

The license that we use allows you:

• to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
• to Remix — to adapt the work
• to make commercial use of the work

Under the following conditions:

• Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
• Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.

Downloading

We use GitHub to host our project. Read this guide on how to use GitHub.

• Go to [1]
• Download the source code as a ZIP file, it is about 32MB

If you don't want to download 30MB of data every time an update is made, you can use TortoiseGit.

1. After installing it, go to the NT Station GitHub page.
2. Copy the HTTP link.
3. In Windows Explorer, right-click the folder you wish to store the code in and click "Git Clone..."
4. In the URL field, paste the HTTP link.
5. Click OK. The code will begin downloading.

Updating to the latest revision

If you have downloaded the source code using TortoiseGit, simply right-click the folder, go Git Sync..., and press the Pull button.

If you downloaded the code in a zip file, you need to download another zip file.

"I did not change anything, but the code does not work anymore!"

This is likely due to corrupted files. To fix this, you need to:

• Re-download everything
• Copy over your config folder and the data folder
• Clean compile

(There is no good alternative to this with TortoiseGit)

Hosting a server

To get a simple server running first

• Download the source code as explained above
• Open NTstation13.dme in dream maker (double click it)
• Once it opens select Build > Compile
• Wait until it compiles. Once it does a new file "NTstation13.dmb" will be created in the same folder where "NTstation13.dme" is. The dmb file has an orange icon. Compile time usually takes between 1 and 10 minutes, depending on your computer. Dream maker will show as 'not responding' during this time, but it is compiling.
• Open dream daemon (Win7: start menu > all programs > BYOND > Dream Daemon; Win8: start > type Dream Daemon > Dream Daemon)
• Select the "..." in the lower right corner and select the file "NTstation13.dmb".
• Click the "GO" button and wait until it changes to a red "stop" button. Starting the server usually takes between 1 and 5 minutes. It is fully started once you can normally interact with Dream Daemon and a byond://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxxx link is present at the bottom.
• Click the yellow button (former "...") to auto-join
• Left click the link (byond://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxxx) to copy it to clipboard
• Paste the link (ctrl+v) to your friends so they can join.

Making your server visible on byond.com

You DO NOT NEED to pay for membership to make your server visible on byond.com!

To make your server show up, go to the /code/hub file. That file contains information on how to make your server visible. Be sure to edit that file BEFORE you compile. If this doesn't work, you may ask for help on our IRC.

Setting up the database

Also see Working with the database.

• Download and install XAMPP (Windows, Linux). Make sure you have both apache and mysql selected when you install it.
• Run XAMPP Control Panel (Open start menu, type 'xampp' in the search field and run it)
• Click 'Start' next to Apache and MySQL in the control panel. (Apache often conflicts with skype, so make sure you have skype off: Right click it's icon in the tray and click quit. Hiding it is not enough.)
• Go to the following address in your browser: http://localhost/phpmyadmin (will only work once you start up both Apache and MySQL in the XAMPP Control Panel)
• Click on the button titled SQL in the row of buttons at the top.
• Open the file 'SQL/tgstation_schema.sql' in notepad and copy its content. You can also find it here, but it may be newer than the version you are using.
• Paste the file's content into the input field for sql in phpmyadmin and hit 'Execute' in the bottom right
• Once you execute this, a new database should be added to the list on the left, called 'feedback'. If not, refresh the page. If you click on the database, it should show you all the tables it includes. At this point, you have created the database 'infrastructure'. You now have to create a user for it.
• Click on 'SQL' in the top again, and execute the following statement: CREATE USER 'myuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'mypass'; GRANT ALL ON feedback.* TO 'myuser'@'%'; Replace both instances of myuser with some username and mypass with some password. Be careful to copy all the apostrophes. This will create a new user and grant him all privileges for the feedback database.
• Please keep phpmyadmin open for a while longer.
• Open the file: config/dbconfig.txt in notepad
• Make sure to set it so that:
  • SQL_ENABLED does not have a # in front of it
  • ADDRESS localhost
  • PORT 3306
  • FEEDBACK_DATABASE feedback
  • FEEDBACK_LOGIN myuser (where myuser is the username you set in the CREATE USER statement)
  • FEEDBACK_PASSWORD mypass (where mypass is the password you set in the CREATE USER statement)
• The database is now set up for death logging, population logging, polls (Tutorial), library, privacy poll, connection logging and player logging. There are two more features which you should consider. And it's best to do so now, since adopting them later can be a pain.

Database based banning

Offers temporary jobbans, admin bans, cross-server bans, keeps bans logged even after they've expired or were unbanned, and allows for the use of the off-server ban log.

To enable database based banning:

• Open config/config.txt
• Add a # in front of BAN_LEGACY_SYSTEM, so the line looks like "#BAN_LEGACY_SYSTEM"
• Done. Note that any legacy bans are no longer enforced once this is done! So it's a good idea to do it when you're starting up.

Database based administration

DATABASE BASED ADMINISTRATION CURRENTLY DOES NOT WORK.

The rest of this section remains for when it gets fixed.

Offers a changelog for changes done to admins, which increases accountability (adding/removing admins, adding/removing permissions, changing ranks); allows admins with +PERMISSIONS to edit other admins' permissions ingame, meaning they don't need remote desktop access to edit admins; Allows for custom ranks, with permissions not being tied to ranks, offering a better ability for the removal or addition of permissions to certain admins, if they need to be punished, or need extra permissions. Enabling this can be done any time, it's just a bit tedious the first time you do it, if you don't have direct access to the database.

To enable database based administration:

• Open config/config.txt
• Add a # in front of ADMIN_LEGACY_SYSTEM, so the line looks like "#ADMIN_LEGACY_SYSTEM"
• Do the steps described in Adding your first admin.
• Done. Note that anyone in admins.txt lost admin status, including you! So do the step above! You can repeat it for everyone, as it's a lot easier to do that and just correct permissions with the ingame panel called 'permissions panel'.
• If your database ever dies, your server will revert to the old admin system, so it is a good idea to have admins.txt and admin_ranks.txt set up with some admins too, just so the loss of the database doesn't completely destroy everything.

If you need more help contact #coderbus on irc.rizon.net.

For additional database-related tutorials, see Working with the database.