Impostor/docs/Running-the-server.md

Running the server

There are currently two modes to run the Impostor server. The first way, Single Server, is the simplest one, can handle up to a few hundred simultaneous players, and is the one you should probably use. Multi-Server mode will distribute players across other servers and is intended for advanced users.

Single server

Without Docker

1. Install the .NET 6.0 runtime. Installing the SDK also works, but is not necessary unless you plan on developing Impostor or Impostor plugins. If you're asked to pick between the normal, desktop or server runtime, the normal runtime is enough, but some plugins may require the ASP.NET Core Runtime as well.
2. Find the latest release or the latest CI build.
3. Download the version for your OS (linux/win/osx). Impostor is built for multiple CPU-architectures, you most likely want the x64 version, unless you are running on a Raspberry Pi or another device with an ARM processor.
4. Extract the zip.
5. Modify config.json to your liking. Documentation can be found here (this step is mandatory if you want to expose this server to other devices)
6. Run Impostor.Server (Linux/macOS) or Impostor.Server.exe (Windows)

Depending on your host you may also need to port forward Impostor to the internet. By default Impostor uses port 22023 and the UDP protocol. As port forwarding changes per host or router configuration, port forwarding is not covered by this guide.

To connect to the server, you need to configure a region file on https://impostor.github.io/Impostor/

Using Docker

After installing Docker, you can just start a Docker container with docker run:

docker run -p 22023:22023/udp aeonlucid/impostor:nightly

Using Docker Compose

version: '3.4'

services:
  impostor:
    image: aeonlucid/impostor:nightly
    container_name: impostor
    ports:
      - 22023:22023/udp
    volumes:
      - /path/to/local/config.json:/app/config.json # For easy editing of the config
      - /path/to/local/plugins:/app/plugins         # Only needed if using plugins
      - /path/to/local/libraries:/app/libraries     # Only needed if using external libraries

Multiple servers

Follow the steps from the single server on two or more servers. You should only need to set this up if you have a very large server and can no longer fit everyone on one server: if this is your first time installing Impostor, use a single server.

Master server

The master server will accept client connections and redirect them to the other servers listed in the configuration. It will not host any games itself.

Example configuration:

{
  "Server": {
    "PublicIp": "127.0.0.1",
    "PublicPort": 22023,
    "ListenIp": "0.0.0.0",
    "ListenPort": 22023
  },
  "ServerRedirector": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Master": true,
    "Locator": {
      "Redis": "",
      "UdpMasterEndpoint": "127.0.0.1:22024"
    },
    "Nodes": [
      {
        "Ip": "127.0.0.1",
        "Port": 22025
      }
    ]
  }
}

Node servers

The node server should have ServerRedirector enabled too, but Master must be disabled. Nodes do not need to be aware of each other.

Example configuration:

{
  "Server": {
    "PublicIp": "127.0.0.1",
    "PublicPort": 22025,
    "ListenIp": "0.0.0.0",
    "ListenPort": 22025
  },
  "ServerRedirector": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Master": false,
    "Locator": {
      "Redis": "",
      "UdpMasterEndpoint": "127.0.0.1:22024"
    }
  }
}