Run a Halo server using Wine

Author: Steven 'Cyorxamp' Maddox Keywords: wine, haloded, halo, bungie, microsoft, gearbox

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike2.5 License.

Warning: This HOWTO comes with no explicit or implicit warranty whatsoever. Use at your own risk!

Table of Content

1. Preface
   
2. Short Answer
3. Long Answer
   
4. Xud HaloDed Pack
5. Credits and Links

1. Preface

The core of the Halo server is the 'haloded.exe' executable. This is essentially an immensly cut down version of a normal 'halo.exe' and is stupidly dependant on it being launched inside (or having access to) a 'Command Prompt' window. If shut down incorrectly you can even get the normal Halo safe mode dialog box appear!

When launched it takes over the 'Command Prompt' window so its output can't be piped out like a normal command line program, and also can't be exited to return to the prompt. This is why Wine gets terribly confused and isn't sure what to make of it... graphical program or command line... it has no idea.

2. Short Answer

You need X and call the program like this...

wineconsole --backend=user cmd.exe /c haloded.exe

3. Long Answer

• Get a server, mine was running Debian 4.0 without keyboard/mouse/monitor in a data centre accessible via SSH and VNC.
  
• Install Wine. I found that version 0.9.42 worked, however later versions have worked too.
• Go download and install a copy of Halo Dedicated Server 1.02. I then suggest moving it somewhere more friendly like /opt/haloded/. Download this from Microsoft below...
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=76F0B376-B0F9-4F93-8F22-55096558BC2C&displaylang=en
• Then download a copy of the maps and put them in the right place...
  http://www.microsoft.com/Downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5973e75d-15f3-4131-8685-c3821718e518&displaylang=en
• Then patch your copy of 'haloded.exe', at the time of writing the latest is 1.07...
  http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/1/8/218790bf-47e1-4492- b020-fde44928ca27/haloded.exe
• Open UDP ports 2302 and 2303 if you are behind a NAT or firewall.
• If doing this remotely make an X session using something like tightvncserver and connect to the VNC session.
• See the short answer!

4. XuD HaloDed Pack

• A quick reference quide to rcon for in game use.
• Every version of 'haloded.exe', useful for connected to users of Halo who may not have updated.
• Various new game types, and sample game configurations.
• Linux and Windows scripts to help choose which game configuration you wish to launch and what version of 'haloded.exe'
• A new guide to all the maps including all the ones Bungie added later so you can compare screenshots to remind you which map is which when writing game configuration files.
  

5. Credits and Links