does -port command not work for linux client?

[rbw42]

Hi,
Trying to get around port blocking by changing the port used. As best as I can tell the "client" (actual game) program ignores the command line arg "-port". E.g.:
- start server with port 8080 (with command line or in server.cfg)
- start client with port 8080 it doesn't find server.
client startup message:

Code: Select all

:/usr/local/Nexuiz$ ./nexuiz-linux-686-glx -port 8080
Nexuiz Linux 15:47:05 May 11 2008
Trying to load library... "libz.so.1" - loaded.
Added packfile data/common-spog.pk3 (26 files)
Added packfile data/data20080511.pk3 (4076 files)
-port option used, setting port cvar to 8080
Trying to load library... "libcurl.so.4" - loaded.
Trying to load library... "libvorbis.so.0" - loaded.

etc.

So it *sees* the command line arg and acknowledges it, but doesn't seem to use it.

Next try:
- change server back to default port 26000.
- start client game with any port number and it will find the server.

Smells like a bug to me. Any comments? Any way to actually get the game client to use a different port in linux?

Thanks,
-R

[esteel]

I'm not sure what you are trying to do...
-port is for the port the server uses (the client can use 'create' to also run a server..)
-the variable cl_port will use a random port if 0 or the one specified one on the CLIENT side when opening a port
-if you want to connect to a server NOT running on the default port 26000 use connect IP_OR_NAME:PORT (for example connect my.server.net:8080)

If your server is NOT registered at the master server it will not be found by a client and you will have to use the connect command. A special thing are servers in the local network.. but to find them the engine uses a broadcast to port 26000 and thats not configurable iirc. But thats a very special case..

This does smell like a PEBKAC to me

[rbw42]

Thanks for your reply. Very possibly a PEBKAC... sorry for not being clearer about this.

I want to run a server on an internal LAN. I don't want it to be publicly viewable, but I do want my fellow players (workmates) to be able to connect to it even though the LAN manager (IT department) has draconian port blocking so 26000 is no good. (People on different subnets can't see the server.) I am hoping that by going to a lower port number it wont be blocked...

So, it looks like this "connect" command is the way to go. OK, so more googling shows that the recipe is:
- start server with nonstandard port
- start game client.
- go to game console (shift-escape)
- type "connect host:port"

OK, not a bug, obscure features

[esteel]

How so? Every other game is similar. Maybe other games do a broader 'ping' into the local network to find game servers running on non-default ports but that has positive and negative issues. Maybe a friendly 'direct connect' field to enter the ip:port would be ok, most other games have that. granted, but using the console is not much harder and only a few people need it anyway

[divVerent]

I suppose you can't do anything about it. If your IT department blocks all ports except 80 and 8080, these are TCP ports, but Nexuiz runs on UDP. Port 8080 UDP is not port 8080 TCP.

The only port you are somewhat likely to get through is port 53. But the server browser does not support servers on a nonstandard port, so you need to use the "connect" command.

[Alien]

Use div's udp over http script to play over tcp. In general client port does not should be equal to server port.

[divVerent]

Seriously, better talk to your network admin about this. He WILL find out about his rules being circumvented, and circumventing company rules can get you fired.