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LeftSkidLow

Signed addons, where can I find a tutorial?

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Addon signatures will allow you your server to let players connect using mods that have chosen to allow. More importantly it uses encryption and signature/key file pairs to check that the file has not been tampered. This greatly reduces the hacker/cheaters ruining your server because they are simply using their own created addons. Without signature files that you have approved for your server, their cheat mods won't allow them to join the server. There is more info on the signature checking system at the bottom of this post.

Enabling signed addons on your server:

Here's how you do it, for tutorial's sake we will say you want to enable your clients to join with a fictional mod called @xxx mod.

1) In the server.cfg, look for and edit or add this line:

verifySignatures = 1;

Recommended----------With a mod activated, attempt to join your server and it should not allow you to enter and give you a error saying which specific files are not allowed.

2) Download xxx mod from a legitimate site, and look for a file or files that end with .bikey ie "xxx.bikey" These are generally set aside in a separate folder within the downloaded mod.

( There are many legitimate sites but a couple I recommend are: http://www.armaholic.com http://www.armedassault.info , or the links posted by the addon author on the BIS forums)

3) Move the bikeys to the "keys" folder in your arma2 server directory. In my case the directory is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2\keys\" Yours maybe be different depending on OS and how you bought the game.

4) When you or a player downloaded the mod, there should also have been files with the extension *.bisign in the addons folder. These files are the players responsibility and need to be with the actual mod files (*.pbo), usually in the addons folder of the mod folder(there are often multiple of these files per addon). So make sure these bisign files are in the right directory of the machine you will be playing ArmA2 on.

For exampe- C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2\@xxx\addons\whatever.bisign

(Generally speaking, just follow the mod authors installation directions)

Also note: With VOP mod the 2.1 version was released to the major sites with keys, then the author made a small update which he only released on the BIS forum thread with more keys, make sure you decide which one you want to use and the bikey and bisign files coorespond to the correct version.

5) Now that the server.cfg is set and you have the keys in the server folder, try to join the server with @xxx mod activated, it should let you in.

6) I highly recommend adding to the server name, that you allow mods, maybe make it look something like "ABC CLAN Signed addons"

The reason being, many players running mods, which is a lot, have servers they won't bother trying to join because they won't allow mods, if they see that in the title then they can join. Unfortunately there is only so much space that is readable on the ingame browser, so I'd also reccomend posting in the "list of servers using mods" thread some general server info and which mods you allow http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=82613

Some other important info:

-If the player or client tampers with original PBO file from the addon, they will be denied.

-The server does not have to run the mod to allow it, you just need the bikey in the correct folder

-The server can allow as many mods as you like

-This isn't a substitute for admins, but it will help, give admin rights to trusted players.

-You will need to update your server keys as new versions of mods are released.

-Mod authors, please release the server key files in seperate zip or rar files so its not as much of a hassle for admins.

-Not all addon makers sign their addons, so if you come across and addon you want to use that isn't signed you need to ask the author to release the next version with a signature.

For more server.cfg variables look here: http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/server.cfg

and : http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/ArmA:_Addon_Signatures

Edited by LeftSkidLow
Wanted to make it a tutorial

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verifySignatures = 1;

Looky Here Server config Biki:cool:

If thats what you meant.

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Sort of, so where do the admins but the bikey file?

In the folder called keys ;)

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Thats pretty simple but I think a lot of admins don't even know this stuff.

Thanks

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First post edited and turned into a tutorial, if I said something incorrect or forgot something let me know.

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Hi there,

I've added the keys to our servers KEYS folder for landtex and vopsound21 but when I try to join I get booted saying that the files on my system are unsigned.

Any ideas? Its almost like the server isn't looking at the keys directory.

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Did you restart the server after you loaded the .bikey files?

Is it only one mod that is saying its unsigned, or all?

Are you using modfolders and sure that there are no other addons you have activated that aren't signed?

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Hi there,

Yes I restarted the server. I have both Landtex and vopsound keys on the server and both installed on my machine and the server is saying that all the files from both mods are not allowed on the server.

I am using folders in my main install, one called @LandTex and the other @Vopsound_2.1. These are the only 2 mods I have installed.

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Are you sure you have the *.bikey files in the keys folder and not the bisign?

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Hmm I'm just not sure Wobbly, I'm thinking about it still, if anyone else has any ideas please join in.

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we are using the steam install like yourself and the directory is ""C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2\Keys"

Is that correct?

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Well mine is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2\Keys" but yours sounds like the correct directory. I wouldn't be surprised if you are the first person to try my tutorial, maybe there is something wrong with it but I'm not sure what.

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Its a strange one thats for sure. Anybody else help us out here?

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