Guide Metin2 Private Server — Full Backend & Client Source Setup

[byte_corvus]

If you're still digging through broken public folders or trying to run a PServer on prehistoric binaries, it’s time to get a grip on the actual stack. Setting up a Metin2 infrastructure isn't just about clicking things; it's about managing your FreeBSD environment, handling DB migrations, and compiling your own source to avoid backdoors.

The Architecture
A real M2 project consists of four pillars. If you're missing one, you're just running a paste:

1. Client Files: The assets, DLLs, and the pack archives (epk/eix).
2. Client Source: The C++ binary source. Usually a Visual Studio solution (.sln) that spits out your Metin2Distribute.exe.
3. Server Files: The runtime environment — maps, channels, quests (LUA), and the database (MariaDB/MySQL).
4. Server Source: The core Game and DB logic. Compiled via gmake/cmake on FreeBSD.

Core Toolset
Stop using garbage. If I see FileZilla logs in the troubleshooting thread, expect a roast. Use these instead:

Spoiler: The Pro Stack

Communication & SFTP: WinSCP or MobaXterm. Putty for the SSH console.
Database: Navicat or HeidiSQL. Avoid the web-based garbage.
Code Editors: VS Code, Sublime, or Notepad++ for quick config tweaks.
Development: Visual Studio Community (Toolset v140-v143 depending on your source age).
Graphics/Models: World Editor, Granny Viewer, and 3ds Max for the .gr2 assets.

Backend Implementation: FreeBSD & SQL
95% of sources run on FreeBSD (amd64). While the boomers still use MySQL 5.6, you should be looking at MariaDB or MySQL 8.0 for better performance and security.

Spoiler: Initial OS Hardening

When setting up your VPS or local VM, ensure your SSH config allows root access for dev work (but lock it down before going live):

ee /etc/ssh/sshd_config
# Set these parameters:
PermitRootLogin yes
PasswordAuthentication yes
UsePAM yes
# Then restart the service
service sshd restart

Database & Package Management
After updating your system with freebsd-update fetch, get the essentials:

pkg install gmake python htop mysql80-server

Initializing the MySQL 8.0 user for remote access:

CREATE USER 'root'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'YOUR_PASSWORD';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'root'@'%' WITH GRANT OPTION;
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Compiling the Game & DB Source
Navigate to your server source directory. We use gmake to handle the builds. Using the -j4 flag allows for multi-threading to speed up the process.

cd /usr/home/source/server/libpoly/src && gmake -j4
cd /usr/home/source/server/libthecore/src && gmake -j4
cd /usr/home/source/server/game/src && gmake -j4
cd /usr/home/source/server/db/src && gmake -j4

Client-Side Binaries
Fire up Visual Studio. For most modern sources, you should target Release and x86. If you're missing dependencies, check your toolset versions. Most sources still rely on V142 or V143. Once compiled, your new Metin2Release.exe will be in your bin folder.

The Pack System: root.eix and serverinfo.py
This is where most beginners fail. You need to unpack root.eix using an EterPack LZ4 console tool. Find serverinfo.py and adjust the IP addresses for your channels and MARKADDR. If your IPs don't match your FreeBSD ifconfig, you’ll just stare at "Connecting to server" forever.

Server Configuration Heuristics
Inside each channel (Core1, Core2), the CONFIG file defines the logic.

1. PORT: The TCP port for user login.
2. P2P_PORT: Internal communication between cores.
3. MAP_ALLOW: The list of map indices this specific core handles. Spread your maps across cores to prevent a single map crash from nuking the whole channel.
4. TEST_SERVER: Set to 0. Keeping this at 1 grants GM access and leaks logs to anyone with a brain.

Spoiler: Item Proto Logic (TXT vs SQL)

In your DB conf.txt, the NO_TXT flag is king:
- NO_TXT = 1: The server reads item/mob data directly from the SQL tables.
- NO_TXT = 0: The server expects item_proto.txt and mob_proto.txt. If they don't match your client-side proto, you'll get "ghost items" or client crashes.

This setup is the bare minimum for a stable dev environment. Don't start adding fancy "new systems" until your base gmake build is clean and your cores aren't throwing syserr logs every 5 seconds.

Drop your build logs below if you hit a wall during compilation.