After many years, we've finally gotten our Linux development back in order. Our last Linux release was for Sven Co-op v1.9 — that was just over 11 years ago. I'd like to personally thank edman747, Carlos "Joropito" Sola and David "Kane" Kraeutmann, our Linux development team. They helped us retrofit Sven Co-op's codebase to make this release a reality.

Things to consider:

• This is only a beta release of our Linux server files. We'd appreciate any feedback.
• The Linux operating system is case-sensitive, and the Half-Life engine doesn't recognize this. As a result, you may need to re-verify any resource (.res file) filename entries for your players.

Getting Started:

• Download the v4.6 Linux Dedicated Server Files Now!
• Read the Sven Co-op Linux Server Installation Guide.

If you have any questions, feel free to post in the Server Hole on the forums.

New features

• Border-less window mode -- enable this with r_borderless 1 (also in advanced options).
• Linux server binary -- 100% native!
  • Fixed a bug located in the Half-Life physics engine which caused func_rotating entities to stop rotating.
  • Maps will need to have resource file names in the correct case or the Linux server will not find them and crash.
• On-line donor/staff ID look-up, so new donors can enjoy our thank you features much sooner.
• Player spawn points are now selected at random (from those that are active) with no spawn-fragging.

Code changes

Core

• Added obey trigger mode property to func_train.
• All item_ entities use a specific hull size very close to the default model size rather than a big too big, fixes items disappearing inside walls.
• Blood splat scale reduced.
• Cheat commmands:
  • If sv_cheats is 2 only server administrators can use cheat commands. Designed for map authors to test their map with others in a controlled way. Players can always check who cheats are available to if they care.
  • NEW: healme heals your health to the map defined limit.
  • NEW: chargeme charges your HEV battery to the map defined limit.
  • reviveme can no longer be used if you're alive.
• Client commmands:
  • mapinfo formatting improved, also shows who can use cheats (off, on, or administrators only).
  • NEW: myinfo displays your target name and model, this will be expanded to show more properties about you in the future.
• Client will show an error message if the game is NOT using the OpenGL renderer.
• Default maximum viewing distance increased from 8,192 units to 32,768 units.
• Fixed a ton of possible crashes/freeses caused by buffer overflows and memory leaks across the entire game.
• Fixed administrator list file requiring a new line after the last entry in the list.
• Fixed crash during gun fire if players had mp_decals set to 0.
• Fixed env_blood shooting white particles when red blood was specified.
• Fixed func_tank eye positions, so it will work properly as the tank rotates.
• Fixed func_train dealing crush damage every frame.
• Fixed maps with names longer than 23 characters causing a buffer overrun (32 characters is still the limit as dictated by the GoldSrc engine).
• Fixed momentary_rot_button not obeying a master entity.
• Fixed possible crash with the squadmaker render override.
• Fixed server lag from players having their donor/staff/administrator levels looked up every time they spawn or use a donor feature.
• Fixed trigger_changevalue not setting hull sizes correctly (passes new size to the engine).
• Gibs no longer use the reliable network channel, and move slower.
• Log formatting cleaned up:
  • Entity names.
  • NoAuthID instead of NoWonID.
  • players instead of team1.
• mp_pcbalancing description improved.
• mp_pcbalancing_factorlist now has a default setting.
• mp_pcbalancing_factorlist will no longer print on map load, unless developer is at least 2.
• Replaced warning "Master was null or not a master!" to specify if it existed or not, can't be used as a master or not, and the attempted name used.
• Server administrator list count is now unlimited, and will consume much less memory for servers with under 256 entries.
• Skill configuration will no longer print on map load, unless developer is at least 2.
• Spawn point hanlding:
  • Spawn points are now chosen at random from any active point.
  • Collission detection to prevent spawn-fragging.
  • Only 1 type of spawn point entity will be used, depending on what is active at the time: _deathmatch then _dm2
  • If no _deathmatch or _dm2 spawn point can be used, a _coop or _start point is used.
  • If none of the spawn points can be used, players are made to wait until one is available.
• trigger_changemodel now pre-caches the model it needs.
• trigger_changemodel now supports !activator and !caller references.
• trigger_changemodel now supports changing player models, and remembers the player choice for when the map changes.
• trigger_load/trigger_save can load/save more data.
• trigger_load can now load entities from alternative file names.
• trigger_once can no longer be used repeatedly with the on enter and on exit flags.

Sound engine

• ambient_generic can now play a sound to an individual client at their position, using flag user only (64).
• env_sound think delay reduced, so players are more likely to receive their effect.
• FMODEx initalization code cleaned up vastly.
• FMODEx library no longer needs to be in the half-life folder, it is now loaded from the mod folder.
• FMODEx library updated to 4.40.03
• Improved enviroment sound effects.
• Increased sound limit from 2,048 to 4,096.
• Pretty much every sound is now handled by FMODEx, only exception is explosions.
• Revolutionized speech sentence handling:
  • All sentences are now handled server side.
  • Clients play sentences through FMODEx.
  • Custom sentence file can now be specified in the map configuration or map properties.
  • Doors can now use custom sentences (locked/unlocked voices).
  • Fixed attenuation value of 0 not playing a sentence everywhere.
  • Improved lip sync code for human NPC's, fixes gaping mouth problem.
  • Increased sentence limit from 1,536 to 2,048.
  • Increased sentences group limit from 384 to 512.
  • Increased sentences per group limit from 32 to 64.
  • SCRIPT_EVENT_SOUND_VOICE: Sounds which start with a '*' (specified inside many Half-Life models) are now played on CHAN_STREAM rather than CHAN_VOICE for full compatibility with the old Half-Life sound engine.
  • Sentences are now case insensitive.
  • Sentences can now be in alternative formats if a WAV file is not found (in order): MP3; MP2; OGG; OGA; FLAC; WMA; AAC; FSB

Non-playable characters

• Alien grunts should no longer stare into space after being teleported in by Tor.
• Barnacle tongue now drops 50% faster.
• Furniture will no longer show monster info.
• Male assassins' flying kick angle fixed.
• Tor's cannon sound radius is smaller.
• Tor's threat animation fixed.
• Xen plant lights now implement classifications, and will only hide from enemy classes. They are alien passive by default.

Weapons

• Fixed Barnacle grapple still latching on to dead and disconnected players.
• Fixed Barnacle grapple reducing player velocity if they were grappling downwards.
• Fixed player medkit not being able to heal if there is less than 10 points left.

Map changes

Afrika Korps

• All: Difficulty no longer limited to easy.
• All: Improved level changing behaviour.
• All: Text messages raised away from the crosshair.
• All: Time limit is now 60 minutes.
• Part 3: Next level is now the bonus mission, ending text message adapted.
• Bonus: Changed ending text message to "Mission complete".

Auspices

• Made it much more difficult for the Gargantua to block the teleporter exit in the boss room.
• Moved teleporter exit in the boss room up along with fall damage compensation.

Black Mesa EPF

• Dual Uzi's allowed to account for increased map difficulty.
• Fixed a Barney spawning as friendly.
• Fixed air strikes happening constantly.
• Fixed air strikes happening the same time as grunts spawn.
• Fixed aliens spawning endlessly.
• Fixed players being able to skip the lasers.
• Fixed solid corpse blocking players in downstairs warehouse on Mission 2, next to voltigore.
• Fixed corpse being a target for monsters'.
• Laser puzzle easier.
• Map difficulty increased.
• Map time limit is now 99 minutes.
• Moved light from above ladder to doorway. Mission 4, just before they push the button to extend bridge.
• Optimized model count.
• Random monsters now spawn less frequently.
• Security guards room (behind reception desk) had door which opened upwards, making extend through floor. Now opens downwards.
• Slowed down alien spawns.
• Varied grunt drops.

Escape Series

• All of series 2 and 3: All maps have AAATRIGGER textures replaced for NULL to improve rendering performance.
• 2A: Fixed players being able to activate the camera sequence using the coded panel more than once.
• 2A: Fixed players being able to jump through the horizonal lasers if many of them piled through quickly enough.
• 2B: Fixed a single player being able to activate the dual-player buttons after the large slime pit / pipe crawling.
• 2C: Added clip brush in the base of the rail gauge to prevent you falling through to the void.
• 2C: Fixed NULL texture on the corner sections of the rail gauge.
• 2D: Fixed door gates being blockable by players.
• 3B: Fixed short time slot of no spawn points being available after the barnacle water cavern (caused you to spawn at 0,0,0).
• 3C: Fixed getting stuck in a crate at the start.
• 3C: Fixed NULL texture around the brown water during the hallucination.
• 3D: Fixed possibility of spawning inside a control panel in the giant elevator shaft.
• 3D/E: Normalized all of Barney's speech sounds to fix his fully open mouth, processed out the rumbles and popping too.
• 3E: Fixed rendering glitch through the first door.
• 3E: Fixed batteries getting stuck on the floor by making them liftable.
• 3E: Fixed possibility of getting stuck behind the generator, there are now small crates to climb on to get out.
• 3E: Re-built the train so it should be impossible to break into segments in a comical fashion.
• 3E: Fixed rendering glitch through the first door.
• 3E: Fixed rendering glitch through the first door.

Half-Life campaign

• C0A0C/C0A0D: Removed display name for the Loader robot.
• C0A0C: Fixed tram doors moving the wrong direction.
• C1A1: Dead grunts that should have been holding a gun now do, and those that shouldn't have now don't.
• C1A1: Fixed angle and body on the Military suit item to match the original game.
• C1A1: Time limit is 60 minutes for consistency with other maps.
• C1A1F: Fixed dangling scientist falling too soon / disappearing (over the tram stop).
• C1A3A: Fixed soldiers using Opposing Force chat.
• C1A6: The commander now has the correct model.
• C2A4B: Fixed invisible brush blocking players.
• C2A4C: Fixed chomper sometimes going out of sync by not doing enough damage.
• C2A4C: Restored the 6 barnacles above the slime pit.
• C2A4E: Fixed zap machine killing players after it has shut down.
• C2A5A: Fixed being able to slide down 2 giant vertical pipes.
• C2A5F: Fixed becoming stuck behind some broken wall.
• C2A5G: Fixed grunts already being dead behind the car in which a Gargantua pushes to crush them against the car park wall.
• C2A5G: Voltigore can no longer use bounce pads.
• C3A1B: Fixed medic and grunt staring at the walls.
• C3A2C: Fixed getting stuck inside a valve.
• C4A1B: Fixed players being able to climb up into the sky.
• C4A1C/C4A1D/C4A1E/C4A1F: Added map change sprite.

Half-Life: Opposing Force campaign

• OF1A2: Alien grunts replaced for alien slaves.
• OF1A4B: Removed display name for the Loader robot.
• OF1A6: Added crowbar (knife) to map configuration.
• OF2A4: Added crowbar (knife) to map configuration.
• OF2A2: Added sky name.
• OF2A2: Added sparks in the electrified water.
• OF2A2: Fixed soldier positions during their sequence.
• OF2A2: Anti-rush for the elevator.
• OF2A3: Map merged into OF2A2.
• OF3A5/OF5A4: Added map change sprite.
• OF5A1: Blocked a hole.
• OF5A2: Blocked a hole.
• OF4A2: Lift doors now crush obstructions properly.
• OF6A2: Blocked a hole.
• OF6A3: Blocked a hole.

Half-Life: Uplink campaign

• Fixed finale always changing to map C1A0 instead of the servers' next map.

Infested

• Part 2: Prevented subway exit door being closed with +use.

Jumpers

• Fixed game not ending when the point man respawns.
• Fixed text messages.
• Player "the jumper" is now referred to as the "Point Man".

Kyper Kuuito

• Map resource files included.
• New songs.

Murks

• Fixed floating battery by moving it on the floor.

New Hope's Last Stand

• Part 3: Barrels in the crystal crusher room are no longer stuck.
• Part 3: Fixed cave teleporters not working (couldn't change map).
• Part 4: Fixed a bunch of null textures.
• Part 4: Fixed Ion cannon not killing everything it should.
• Part 4: Fixed robot generator pushing players away before it has even been built.
• Part 4: Fixed Voltigores getting stuck on spawn.

Persia

• Added diagonal building brush to stop you getting stuck on the building down a cliff (just ahead of the start).

Sector E

• Part 2: Room after the penis portal: Added collapsed table to break up the dodgy clip nodes.

Sand Stone

• Added blip sound to text messages to ensure they get noticed.
• Added sprites to show which bombs have been destroyed already on the map.
• All text messages moved away from the crosshair.
• All grunts are named "Terrorist Guard" or "Terrorist Sniper".
• Allied NPC's can now be hurt by players.
• Allied NPC's now spawn-frag things in their way.
• Boss grunts are named "Terrorist Elite Guard" and are tougher.
• Boss spawns using the bodyguard class, with akimbo Uzi's.
• Difficulty no longer limited to easy.
• Fixed ambient sounds not playing.
• Fixed bad lighting compile (incorrect shadows).
• Fixed being able to get stuck in the mounted machine guns.
• Fixed boss sequence taking so long.
• Fixed engineer sometimes getting stuck up narrow steps.
• Fixed delayed flight of the extraction Apache.
• Fixed grunt doors opening the wrong way.
• Fixed grunts facing the wrong way when they come out of doors.
• Fixed grunts not spawning with their relative bomb area, and stopped them spawning when the bomb is destroyed.
• If the player count is >10 grunts spawn more often, and a tough grunt (sniper or heavy) will spawn somewhere every minute.
• New fancy sky map.

Shattered

• Tweaked spawn point positions as one would sometimes spawn you inside a crate.
• Added 2 more batteries to the hidden section at the start so 2 players can fully charge.
• Fixed explosive barrels in the canal area from being stuck in the ground.

Sven Co-op

• Fixed path names for some sprites to be compatible with the Linux server binary (case sensitive).

They Hunger campaign

• They15: Fixed zombies walking though doors to scientists.

Toad Snatch

• Difficulty re-balanced.
• Difficulty toughened for XP mod servers.
• Decreased wrench damage.
• Entering the ceiling tunnels as a ghost now pushes you out rather than kills the player.
• Fixed being able to lose the map after winning.
• Fixed monster spawn frequencies not being set.
• Fixed some spore plant positions.
• Fixed vote messages.
• Improved ending sequence.
• Improved life system.
• Increased delay before difficulty can be selected.
• Removed some assault rifle grenades.
• Tor spawns with a sprite.

VGER

• Added sprite on the blue Turret System screen instructing players how to activate the defence turrets, as you all still don't get how this works after 10 damn years...

YABMA

• Fixed 3 bottomless pits not killing anything (1 in the cave by the start voltigore, 2 in the pipes area).
• Fixed being able to get stuck in some places in the pipes area.
• Fixed being able to skip past the steam after the pipes area with high health from an XP modification.
• Fixed powerful laser not shutting off when it destroys the wall.
• Prevented players from climbing onto the roof and into the sky when leaving the reception area.

Model changes

• All low definition Valve HLDM models now have a dm_ prefix.
• All high definition remakes of HLDM models don't have a dm_ prefix.
• Player command menu updated with all the current model choices.
• Body guard now has correct animations/sequences for Minigun.
• HW Grunt has a new model from Rusty.

Sound changes

Bodyguard

• New high quality voice recordings by Joshua Polito in OGG format.

Other

• Added new blip sound for mappers to use, works well with text messages using the scan out effect.
• Loader robot no longer complains about missing wood2.wav.

Other changes

• Loads of tweaks to the FGD (size/colour changes).
• Manual credits now links to forum profiles for many more people.
• Removed redundant sentences file.