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I'm trying to start a server however when i put in the command to run the server it says it cant find the bzfag configuration file.

what am i doing wrong?

Most likely it is a problem with your path to the config file. Why don't you post what you are doing, that way we can tell you what is wrong? It will go quicker that way.

i put in cd C:\Program Files\BZFlag2.0.8\ and the bzfs -conf conf.cfg
then it brings up the message that it cant find the path.

Is your conf.cfg file in C:\Program Files\BZFlag2.0.8\ ? Because with that command line, it needs to be there. You could do something like bzfs -conf "c:\path\to\my\config\conf.cfg" if it is somewhere else, or move it to the BZFlag2.0.8 folder.

im positive its in the right place but it still says
conf.cfg: error: could not find bzflag configuration file

Then post your config and map file here and we'll see what is causing the issue

ok heres the files

As you will notice, the file you uploaded is named "conf.cfg.txt" not "conf.cfg". Microsoft decided it would be a great idea if they hid the file extensions for known file types by default. Here is how to turn extensions back on, assuming Windows XP:

1. Click on the Start Button, and go to Control Panel.
2. Go to Folder Options
3. Click on the View tab
4. Under "Advanced Settings", uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"
5. Click on OK

After that, you should see the .txt extension on your configuration file, and you'll be able to rename the file and remove it.

Hope this helps!

You appear to have two "-world" commands. I don't know if that is possible to have without conflict.

Also, it looks like you just took the client configuration file and added to it. Unless you get rid of everything else, BZFS isn't going to like your config. Or are client config variables applicable to a server config file? If so would that affect the client configuration settings for all tanks?

Blast
I was able to run (or at least load into) a config file of my own in BZFS with the extra file extension.

A Distraction wrote:Blast
I was able to run (or at least load into) a config file of my own in BZFS with the extra file extension.

Yes, as long as you specified -conf conf.cfg.txt when starting bzfs, it would load. The file extension is nothing more than a helper to specify what MIGHT be in the file. It would load even if it was called 'budget.xls' (the file contents would still need to be plain text and not an actual MS Excel file). But as blast007 points out, most people do not see that final extension because Windows, in it's default configuration chose to hide the extensions of file that were registered to open with a default program. So, warinthestar was not specifying the full file name (was leaving off the .txt), which is why he was getting the config not found error.

unfortunatley, it was already unchecked and i had tried it both with and without .txt at the end...
i deleted the second world and tried it but still no luck. it still said could not fin bzflag configuration file

You are confusing bzfs and bzflag config files.
They are totally different.
Start a totally fresh, empty new plain text file and add these lines to it: This has NONE of the client options, which you do NOT want for a server.
It also has only one -world line and it is corrected, -world only takes a path.

Now, try to run bzfs again with:

it still has the error message for the config as the first line. besides that it looks like it would work fine.

warinthestar wrote:it still has the error message for the config as the first line. besides that it looks like it would work fine.

Well, the problem isn't with bzfs...

If your sure it looks fine then I am wondering why you are looking for help.

Must be a PEBKAC error.

blast wrote:Must be a PEBKAC error.

Ooh... yes. I'm afraid those are the hardest of all errors to fix.

it seems like it would be working from what ive heard. sorry if i wasnt specific there.

thats really not funny blast and winny. really its not. and winny its one of the easiest errors to fix... you just get another person (who knows more of what their doing but still)

OK. Let's give this another try. Does your config file have a pretty little icon that looks like a notepad on the page? Or does it have the standard 'window on a page' icon?

If it is the pretty notepad and you want to understand and fix it (otherwise you can go to the other set of steps and just have it work) :
You need to change your window settings so you can see the extensions. Do that by:

1. Open 'My Computer'
2. Click on the 'Tools' menu
3. Click on the 'View' tab
4. Scroll down the list and uncheck 'Hide extensions for known file types' ( and while your at it check 'Launch folder window in a seperate process' and select 'Show hidden files and folders')
5. Click 'OK'
6. In 'My Computer' goto C:\Program Files\BZFlag2.0.8 (or where ever you put the file that you created from CBG's post)
7. Highlight the file and press F2
8. press the right arrow key
9. Press the backspace key 4 times (to delete '.txt')
10. Press <Enter>
11. Make sure your Face_The_Triad.bzw file is in the C:\Program Files\BZFlag2.0.8 folder
12. Open a command prompt, by clicking on 'Start... Run...' on the task bar
13. Type 'CMD' in the Run Dialog box and hit <Enter> or click 'OK'
14. In the command prompt, type:

If it is the standard 'window on a page' icon:
1. Download the file attached to this post to the C:\Program Files\BZFlag2.0.8 folder
2. Make sure your Face_The_Triad.bzw file is in the C:\Program Files\BZFlag2.0.8 folder
3. Open a command prompt, by clicking on 'Start... Run...' on the task bar
4. Type 'CMD' in the Run Dialog box and hit <Enter> or click 'OK'
5. In the command prompt, type:

it still isnt working but it brought up the server listing but it cant find the server when i try to join. again it still has the error message.

warinthestar wrote:it still isnt working but it brought up the server listing but it cant find the server when i try to join. again it still has the error message.

Ok, I'm going to try and interpret what you said, because it really makes no sense. You need to speak in complete sentences with proper grammer, and lots of details. It would be helpful to see the exact wording on error messages, screen shots, the exact command line commands you are typing in and such. We can help you, but you are not getting much from you. Your post is like telling the mechanic to fix your car, but leaving it at home and going to the shop and saying, "Well it doesn't run, what is wrong with it?"

Interpretation:
Ok, we are making some progress, I see the server on the list, but I cannot join when I select it. (not sure what the "again it has the error message, means", if it is on the list)

So if it is on the list, your map is running. To test it, if you have bzflag on the same machine that you are running bzfs, instead of connecting by selecting it on the list put 'localhost' or your internal ipaddress in the server line. Then try and connect. You should be able to. But that brings up our next question...

Have you configured your router to allow people from the outside to get to your BZFlag server? You do HAVE a router, right?


EDIT: I got on, no problems (other than horrific lag). so you just need to put 'localhost' if BZFlag is on the same machine, or your servers local ipaddress in 'server' if you have the luxury of a second machine.

Thank you for all the help. i think i got it now.