DigitalOcean 1-Click Image

The AresMUSH 1-Click Droplet lets you quickly set up your own Ares game through DigitalOcean. It gives you a server (aka droplet) with all the prerequisites already installed. All you need to do is provide your game information.

How It Works

Here’s how it works in brief (full details follow in the rest of the article):

1. You create a DigitalOcean droplet from the 1-click image, which comes with all the software you need already pre-installed.
2. You configure your game.

Full Disclosure: I get a referral bonus from DigitalOcean if you sign up for an account using this referral link, but you also get a starter credit. The referral bonus helps keep the doors at AresCentral open. Using the referral link is not required for the 1-Click Droplet, but is appreciated.

1-Click Droplet Terms of Service

THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THIS SERVICE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. YOU AGREE THAT THE Author (Wordsmyth Creations) IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DEFECTS IN OPERATION, HARM TO THE GAME OR SERVER, OR ANY OTHER CLAIM, DAMAGES OR LIABILITY RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS SERVICE.

You are responsible for maintaining the server after initial setup, including any software upgrades, security patches, and all associated hosting fees.

You are also responsible for complying with the game software’s License Agreement.

If requesting an AresMUSH.com subdomain, you must also agree to the AresMUSH Subdomain Terms of Service.

DigitalOcean does not support or endorse the Ares 1-Click Droplet.

Create a 1-Click Droplet

To get started:

1. Go to the AresMUSH 1-click droplet image in the DigitalOcean Marketplace.
2. Click “Create Droplet” and use the following options:
   • Select a “Shared CPU” and “Basic” droplet.
   • The 2GB/1CPU droplet will suit most Ares games. Giant games may need more RAM, but you can always upgrade later. Below 2GB is not supported.
   • Don’t add block storage.
   • Select a region. New York is a good choice unless your players are predominately from outside the US.
   • Select an SSH key for logging in (if you don’t know what that is, just select the password option) and any other options desired.
   • Do NOT enable IPv6; Ares does not support dual IP versions, and many PCs can still only access v4.

3. Once your droplet is created, find the IP address on your DigitalOcean dashboard.

Getting a Host Name

You can host a game using the raw IP address, but most games will want a domain name. See Getting a Hostname if if you want to request a yourgame.aresmush.com subdomain or set up a custom domain.

Connect to the Server Shell

To connect to your game, you will use the IP address/host name and a tool that supports Secure Shell (SSH) connections:

• Windows PowerShell
• Mac Terminal
• PuTTY, available for Windows and Mac
• Any other SSH tool
• DigitalOcean console (available through your DigitalOcean account, but very rudimentary)

For more detailed help with the server shell, see Connecting to the Server Shell.

Set up Your Game

Next you will configure your game settings.

1. Connect to your game using the server shell using the root user, as described above.
2. If you’re using a domain name, make sure your domain registration has gone through by typing nslookup YOURDOMAINNAME. You should see your IP address returned. You don’t need to do this if you’re just using an IP address for your game.

3. Run the following commands:

    cd /etc/aresmush
       
    ./complete_setup.sh
   

4. Enter the information about your game when prompted.

The installation will take several minutes. There will be a lot of spam, but eventually it will say it’s done.

Add a Security Certificate

If you are using a domain name, it is strongly recommended that you configure your web portal with a security certificate, so players can connect securely using HTTPS instead of HTTP.

1. Log in to your server shell, but this time use the ares user.

2. Run the following commands:

    cd aresmush
       
    bin/certs
   

3. Follow the prompts.

See Configuring HTTPS for details.

Reboot the Server

After all of the installation is complete, type sudo reboot to reboot the server. This ensures everything comes up working properly.

Next Steps

Your game should be up and running. Check out Next Steps to learn about connecting to it and testing it out.

Starting Over

If at any point you need to start over with your oneclick image:

1. Open the Digital Ocean droplet management dashboard.
2. Go to Destroy -> Rebuild Droplet.
3. Select the AresMUSH image from the image list. (You may need to search for ‘aresmush’ if it doesn’t show up automatically.)
4. Click “Rebuild”.

It will take a few minutes, but then your droplet will be restored to the original oneclick image and you can start the install all over again. This will not affect the droplet’s size/region/etc. and shouldn’t impact its IP address or domain either.