Implementation of Dedicated Server in Isolation by kuwacom · Pull Request #498 · smartcmd/MinecraftConsoles

kuwacom · 2026-03-04T23:17:20Z

Description

This PR introduces a Windows64 dedicated server executable (Minecraft.Server) and expands the dedicated-server runtime/build pipeline.

Compared to the initial pull request description, the following features have been newly added:

interactive server console (linenoise + command completion),
broader server.properties support (including LAN advertise and host options),
world bootstrap/load behavior based on level-id,
Docker (Wine) runtime support and helper scripts.

Minecraft.Client changes remain focused on dedicated-server bridge compatibility.
#65

Changes

Dedicated Server Executable / Startup

Added dedicated server entrypoint and project:
- Minecraft.Server/Windows64/ServerMain.cpp
- Minecraft.Server/Minecraft.Server.vcxproj (+ filters)
Dedicated startup flow now:
- loads server.properties defaults,
- applies CLI overrides,
- bootstraps world by level-id / level-name,
- performs initial save for newly created worlds,
- runs periodic autosave and graceful shutdown save.
Dedicated launch options:
- -port, -ip/-bind, -name, -maxplayers, -seed, -loglevel, -help
- Since the arguments can basically override server.properties, it can also be integrated into fully autonomous deployment systems like Kubernetes.

Dedicated Runtime Modules

Added/expanded:
- ServerProperties (defaulting, normalization, persistence for dedicated options)
- WorldManager (load existing world by level-id, fallback by name, or create new world)
- ServerLogger (debug|info|warn|error)
Added shared server string utility layer:
- Minecraft.Server/Common/StringUtils
- used by logger/properties/world/console paths to avoid duplicated conversion/normalize logic.

Interactive Server Console

Added console runtime:
- ServerCli, ServerCliInput, ServerCliParser, ServerCliEngine, ServerCliRegistry
- linenoise-based input/history/completion support.
Added built-in commands:
- help (?)
- stop
- list
- tp (teleport)
- gamemode (gm)
Added completion behavior:
- command/alias completion,
- player name completion,
- gamemode token completion (survival|creative|s|c|0|1).

Minecraft.Client Bridge Changes (Dedicated Compatibility Scope)

Only dedicated-server compatibility behavior was changed in client networking paths:

Minecraft.Client/MinecraftServer.h
- Added NetworkGameInitData::dedicatedNoLocalHostPlayer.
Minecraft.Client/Common/Network/GameNetworkManager.cpp
- Added dedicated host path to skip local host ClientConnection creation.
- Preserved host telemetry and multiplayer mode initialization behavior.
Minecraft.Client/Common/Network/PlatformNetworkManagerStub.cpp
- Dedicated host startup now uses configured bind IP/port globals.
- LAN advertising is now controlled by dedicated config (lan-advertise).
Minecraft.Client/Windows64/Network/WinsockNetLayer.h/.cpp
- Added dedicated LAN advertise global.
- In dedicated mode, LAN discovery thread is not started.

Build / Tooling / Docs

Added CMake target and wiring:
- CMakeLists.txt: MinecraftServer target + post-build asset copy
- cmake/CopyServerAssets.cmake: minimal dedicated runtime asset copy
Updated solution/docs/ignore:
- MinecraftConsoles.sln
- COMPILE.md
- .gitignore
Added Docker runtime support (Wine):
- docker/dedicated-server/Dockerfile
- docker/dedicated-server/entrypoint.sh
- docker-compose.dedicated-server.yml
- docker-build-dedicated-server.sh
- start-dedicated-server.sh
- README.md dedicated Docker section

- Introduced `ServerMain.cpp` for the dedicated server logic, handling command-line arguments, server initialization, and network management. - Created `postbuild_server.ps1` script for post-build tasks, including copying necessary resources and DLLs for the dedicated server. - Added `CopyServerAssets.cmake` to manage the copying of server assets during the build process, ensuring required files are available for the dedicated server. - Defined project filters in `Minecraft.Server.vcxproj.filters` for better organization of server-related files.

- Introduced ServerLogger for logging startup steps and world I/O operations. - Implemented ServerProperties for loading and saving server configuration from `server.properties`. - Added WorldManager to handle world loading and creation based on server properties. - Updated ServerMain to integrate server properties loading and world management. - Enhanced project files to include new source and header files for the server components.

…g levels

kuwacom · 2026-03-04T23:30:50Z

I hadn’t been merging upstream changes while implementing, so I’m in the middle of merging them now...

# Conflicts: # Minecraft.Client/Common/Network/PlatformNetworkManagerStub.cpp # Minecraft.Client/Windows64/Network/WinsockNetLayer.cpp # Minecraft.Client/Windows64/Network/WinsockNetLayer.h

gizmogoat · 2026-03-04T23:35:49Z

Some things have changed in the past day-ish, watch out for incompatibilities/redundant re-implementations of these:

-name and -port params are already in place in master; -ip param is parsed but not acted upon. add the supplied server to the ui #435 adds the passed server in the launch args to the connect list
Add servers.txt so players can add an arbitrary amount of servers to the "Join Game" list #478 adds a server txt that will add all of the present servers to the connect list
The base client executable has its own dedicated server now when running with -server

kuwacom · 2026-03-04T23:44:25Z

So -server has been added, I see.
From a quick look at the issues, it seems there are still a few world-related bugs remaining.

servers.txt is a nice addition as well.
It’s more user-friendly than -target.

Since 31881af56936aeef38ff322b975fd0 , `skinHud.swf` for 720 is not included in `MediaWindows64.arc`, the app crashes unless the virtual screen is set to HD.

kuwacom · 2026-03-05T01:10:38Z

It was partially affected by #495, but I was able to merge it without any issues.

haychk · 2026-03-05T03:54:51Z

is it still only LAN multiplayer only? or can worlds be opened up to more people?

kuwacom · 2026-03-05T04:14:20Z

It can be accessed from anywhere if you have a suitable network that can be accessed from the global internet (a network line that can open the specified TCP port).

In short, it's a regular server app.

haychk · 2026-03-05T04:15:36Z

oh damn. so i could run this on a vps?

kuwacom · 2026-03-05T04:18:15Z

Yes, but since it still uses a lot of Windows API internally (to maintain compatibility), it requires a Windows system or a system that includes Windows API to run.

I would like to eventually release a Linux version and put it into Docker.

haychk · 2026-03-05T04:20:56Z

i mean, i've tried it on linux and it works fine. i could try and create a docker image if you'd like

gizmogoat · 2026-03-05T04:22:00Z

I would like to eventually release a Linux version and put it into Docker.

You can run it fine on Linux without a GUI launcher via umu

kuwacom · 2026-03-05T04:23:40Z

i mean, i've tried it on linux and it works fine. i could try and create a docker image if you'd like

seriously!
That's nice.

haychk · 2026-03-05T04:25:09Z

wine also works really well. tried lutris and has similar results to umu

kuwacom · 2026-03-05T04:29:02Z

Which one has a smaller image size?
wine or umu

haychk · 2026-03-05T04:33:15Z

wine iirc

kuwacom · 2026-03-05T10:33:22Z

Currently there are two approaches: the separated version (this pull request) and the -server option version (merged yesterday) that starts the client directly as a server. Which one should be prioritized?

The separated version modifies the world-saving logic and changes the startup logic, so integrating it into the client side would be a bit tricky.

Alternatively, it would also be possible to keep both.

codeHusky · 2026-03-05T14:03:24Z

Realistically speaking a completely separate Server executable should be our preferred way for this to work. The -server command line option is moreso jank and this is far cleaner.

kuwacom · 2026-03-05T23:54:28Z

If we're planning to merge the separated server in the future, I was considering removing the -server option and the unnecessary client-side logic as well. Would it be okay to leave them as they are for now?

smartcmd · 2026-03-05T23:58:43Z

If we're planning to merge the separated server in the future, I was considering removing the -server option and the unnecessary client-side logic as well. Would it be okay to leave them as they are for now?

Yeah

haychk · 2026-03-06T04:29:42Z

seems to be a bug where i cannot change the game's difficulty and enable some settings (trust players, pvp etc)

doing this all on a vps too

kuwacom · 2026-03-06T04:40:05Z

Sorry, that’s not written in the description, but it’s still a dummy for now.
It’s only included in the default server.properties generation ahead of time (so it can be implemented later).

kuwacom · 2026-03-06T04:41:28Z

doing this all on a vps too

Would it be possible to send the Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml?

haychk · 2026-03-06T04:52:02Z

doing this all on a vps too

Would it be possible to send the Dockerfile and docker-compose.yml?

not using a docker image, which is surprising. i took your pr build and ran it on my vps. works REALLY well, minus the default server settings being awful (peaceful mode, no pvp etc)

Like most command line tools, it highlights predictions in gray.

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T07:58:23Z

How close is this? What's left before this is out of draft? no rush, just curious :)

I’ve basically implemented all the features I had in mind!
Next up is enhancing the commands and merging with the latest changes.

Also, there are some messy cases where reusable utility functions like WideToUtf8 and Utf8ToWide were implemented on the spot and then wrapped elsewhere. I’ll unify them.

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T08:32:14Z

update pullrequest description newer

Unified the scattered utility functions.

…down race Before this change, server/host shutdown closed sockets directly in ServerConnection::stop(), which bypassed the normal disconnect flow. As a result, clients could be dropped without receiving a proper DisconnectPacket during stop/kill/world-close paths. Also, WinsockNetLayer::Shutdown() could destroy synchronization objects while host-side recv threads were still exiting, causing a crash in RecvThreadProc (access violation on world close in host mode).

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T09:24:35Z

I fixed an implementation that I hadn’t really questioned before, and no issue had been filed about it, but it was a bit awkward.
This affects not only the server but also hosts on the client side.

Until now, when a host ended the session on either the server or client side, the other clients would remain connected.
Looking at the implementation, there is a dedicated feature called DisconnectPacket for showing a disconnect message, but the shutdown path had been bypassing it.

- Add client-side host disconnect handling in CPlatformNetworkManagerStub::DoWork() for _WINDOWS64. - When in QNET_STATE_GAME_PLAY as a non-host and WinsockNetLayer::IsConnected() becomes false, trigger g_NetworkManager.HandleDisconnect(false) to enter the normal disconnect/UI flow. - Use m_bLeaveGameOnTick as a one-shot guard to prevent repeated disconnect handling while the link remains down. - Reset m_bLeaveGameOnTick on LeaveGame(), HostGame(), and JoinGame() to avoid stale state across sessions.

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T09:39:40Z

I fixed another similar issue.

Previously, if the host process was killed and the clients lost the TCP connection, they would somehow keep playing instead of returning to the menu.
I fixed this so that after the disconnect UI is shown, clients are returned to the menu.
The processing from the Xbox version was reused.

codeHusky · 2026-03-07T09:43:30Z

Could you implement an IP ban feature too? We’ve had a number of servers struggling with griefers and trolls so having the ability to 1) identify who’s connected from what IP and 2) IP Ban them would be super helpful for them

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T09:48:02Z

Sounds good!
Having at least some restrictions is better than having none.

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T09:59:02Z

I noticed a new issue.

When the client opens a world in host mode, LAN advertising doesn’t seem to work.

Even with logs added throughout for debugging, it seems to be working, so it might be an environment issue rather than the code.
It would be helpful if everyone could test it in their environments as well.

void2012 · 2026-03-07T10:02:20Z

@kuwacom when you will be ready to merge, let me know, I will review the code

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T10:06:07Z

@kuwacom when you will be ready to merge, let me know, I will review the code

Would it be better to merge once we reach a certain point?
Since new features and improvements keep coming up, that’s why.

void2012 · 2026-03-07T10:14:07Z

Personally, I would like to see a very stable support for a feature like this. So if you feel this PR is enough for your needs, decide it yourself.

Conflict resolution summary: - .gitignore: kept dedicated-server-specific ignore entries (tmp*/, _server_asset_probe/, server-data/) and also kept main-side entries (*.user, /out). - Minecraft.Client/Common/Network/GameNetworkManager.cpp: kept int64_t seed from main and preserved dedicatedNoLocalHostPlayer logic from dedicated-server. - Minecraft.Client/Windows64/Network/WinsockNetLayer.cpp: preserved dedicated-server shutdown flow and also included main-side cleanup for s_smallIdToSocketLock.

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T10:48:43Z

It looks like the new feature is working properly.

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T11:29:42Z

I noticed a new issue.

When the client opens a world in host mode, LAN advertising doesn’t seem to work.

Even with logs added throughout for debugging, it seems to be working, so it might be an environment issue rather than the code. It would be helpful if everyone could test it in their environments as well.

In the end, there’s a 99% chance this issue is specific to my environment.
I got the same result even when building the main branch.

void2012 · 2026-03-07T11:32:24Z

Saw this claim on discord

ive seen hackers that uses speedhacks to lag the server with blocks destroying not sure if that counts

Could the protection against this be implemented?

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T11:54:52Z

Saw this claim on discord

ive seen hackers that uses speedhacks to lag the server with blocks destroying not sure if that counts

Could the protection against this be implemented?

After looking through the code, it seems that the moved too quickly check is intentionally disabled by 4J.
It might be for fast movement during debugging.

// 4J-PB - removing this one for now

		/*if (dist > 100.0f)
		{
		//            logger.warning(player->name + " moved too quickly!");
		disconnect(DisconnectPacket::eDisconnect_MovedTooQuickly);
		//                System.out.println("Moved too quickly at " + xt + ", " + yt + ", " + zt);
		//                teleport(player->x, player->y, player->z, player->yRot, player->xRot);
		return;
		}
		*/

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T11:59:47Z

The same applies to the instant break.

It seems that the server-side block breaking timer check was intentionally commented out by 4J.
According to the comment, it was removed because network instability on the console versions could cause timing desync, making blocks harder to break and negatively affecting gameplay.

// MGH - removed checking for the destroy progress here, it has already been checked on the client before it sent the packet.

			Tile *tile = Tile::tiles[t];

			// MGH -	removed checking for the destroy progress here, it has already been checked on the client before it sent the packet.
			//			fixes issues with this failing to destroy because of packets bunching up
			//             float destroyProgress = tile->getDestroyProgress(player, player->level, x, y, z) * (ticksSpentDestroying + 1);
			//             if (destroyProgress >= .7f || bIgnoreDestroyProgress)
			{
				isDestroyingBlock = false;
				level->destroyTileProgress(player->entityId, x, y, z, -1);
				destroyBlock(x, y, z);
			}
			// 			else if (!hasDelayedDestroy)
			// 			{
			// 				isDestroyingBlock = false;
			//                 hasDelayedDestroy = true;
			//                 delayedDestroyX = x;
			//                 delayedDestroyY = y;
			//                 delayedDestroyZ = z;
			//                 delayedTickStart = destroyProgressStart;
			//             }

goshavindtburg · 2026-03-07T13:44:16Z

Are we able to change the autosave interval? Every minute gets kind of annoying and intrusive to gameplay having that screen pop up every minute.

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T13:45:48Z

Are we able to change the autosave interval? Every minute gets kind of annoying and intrusive to gameplay having that screen pop up every minute.

Please check server.properties

goshavindtburg · 2026-03-07T13:53:54Z

Are we able to change the autosave interval? Every minute gets kind of annoying and intrusive to gameplay having that screen pop up every minute.

Please check server.properties

Very nice, thanks a bunch, hooefully ban ip and kick player commands next :)

codeHusky · 2026-03-07T17:10:17Z

Considering we’re not in 2012 anymore, I think we can ignore the network instability thing and just prefer something safer that avoids as much cheating. Also pretty classic console game dev to write something like “well we already validated this on the client side so why would we do it server side” lmao

I’d imagine the moving too fast checks might not work 100% properly with creative mode but they’d probably work fine with survival.

Regarding block breaking, there’s definitely some sort of maximum speed you can break blocks at in LCE creative. If there isn’t it wouldn’t be too hard to implement a same clicks-per-second limit before we start rejecting their block breaks

kuwacom · 2026-03-07T17:12:30Z

I plan to try restoring these implementations later and see how they behave.

kuwacom added 4 commits March 4, 2026 18:12

Merge branch 'main' into feature/dedicated-server

eb75a93

update: implement enhanced logging functionality with configurable lo…

1d9dccb

…g levels

Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/main' into feature/dedicated-server

7137c44

# Conflicts: # Minecraft.Client/Common/Network/PlatformNetworkManagerStub.cpp # Minecraft.Client/Windows64/Network/WinsockNetLayer.cpp # Minecraft.Client/Windows64/Network/WinsockNetLayer.h

kuwacom added 2 commits March 5, 2026 09:38

update: update keyboard and mouse input initialization 1dc8a00

965676f

fix: change virtual screen resolution to 1920x1080(HD)

7cb4178

Since 31881af56936aeef38ff322b975fd0 , `skinHud.swf` for 720 is not included in `MediaWindows64.arc`, the app crashes unless the virtual screen is set to HD.

void2012 marked this pull request as draft March 5, 2026 07:45

update: enhance command line completion with predictive hints

5f118ca

Like most command line tools, it highlights predictions in gray.

kuwacom added 2 commits March 7, 2026 17:39

add: implement StringUtils for string manipulation and refactor usages

fa09e28

Unified the scattered utility functions.

void2012 mentioned this pull request Mar 7, 2026

Add IPv6/Dual Stack + read servers.dat #816

Open

kuwacom added 3 commits March 7, 2026 20:12

update: converted Japanese comments to English

35f81c6

add: create Minecraft.Server developer guide in English and Japanese

891052e

update: add note about issue

71cd0d3

add: add nlohmann/json json lib

49f41b8

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Description

Changes

Dedicated Server Executable / Startup

Dedicated Runtime Modules

Interactive Server Console

Minecraft.Client Bridge Changes (Dedicated Compatibility Scope)

Build / Tooling / Docs

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