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terraria-server-manager/README.md
T
adamandClaude Opus 5.5 fc2c08d47b
release / deb (push) Successful in 17s
add doctor, scheduled backups and fetch; release 0.0.12
- doctor [<name>] [--fix]: checks the system (user, programs, folders,
  zips, units and leftover copies in /etc, sandbox access to moved
  folders, journal, polkit, daemon, orphaned boot links and schedules)
  and each instance (ownership, server zip, config paths, mods, ports,
  failed starts/backups), with a fix for each. --fix applies the safe
  ones and re-checks them.
- backup enable|disable|now|list: a systemd timer per instance
  (terraria-backup@.timer, Persistent=), saving the world first, into
  /var/lib/terraria/backups/<name>/ (group-readable), pruning only
  scheduled backups. rename carries the schedule, delete removes it.
  upgrade's backups move there too.
- fetch vanilla|tmodloader [<version>] [--list] [--upgrade <name>]:
  downloads from terraria.org / tModLoader's GitHub releases, checks
  GitHub's sha256 and the zip, names it with its version.
- terractld may write /etc/systemd/system, for backup enable and
  doctor --fix over --host.
- Units, tmpfiles, packaging, completion, docs and changelog.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-10-02 22:26:56 +00:00

97 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown

# terraria-server-manager
Run any number of vanilla **Terraria** and **tModLoader** dedicated servers on one Linux host. Each server is its own systemd service, and they're all managed with the `terractl` command.
```bash
sudo terractl new calamity tmodloader
sudo terractl mods calamity add ~/tmod-export
sudo terractl enable calamity --now
sudo terractl attach calamity
```
## Features
- **Many servers, one host.** Each instance is `terraria@<name>.service`, with its own directory, port, world and mods.
- **Vanilla and tModLoader side by side**, chosen per instance.
- **No manual installs.** `terractl fetch` downloads official Terraria and tModLoader server zips (or drop them into `/var/lib/terraria/dist` yourself); they're unpacked on demand, and each instance can be pinned to a specific version. `terractl upgrade` checks a new zip, backs up the worlds and switches version in one step.
- **Safe shutdowns.** Stopping a server saves the world first.
- **A live console.** `terractl attach` shows the server's output and lets you type commands into it; `terractl watch` just shows the output.
- **Mod management.** `terractl mods` installs, enables and removes mods, with correct file ownership.
- **Tab completion** for commands, instance names, mods and console commands.
- **Export and import.** Pack an instance into one `.tar.gz` for backups or moving to another machine, and import it anywhere, with paths, ports and ownership adjusted.
- **Scheduled backups.** `terractl backup enable <name>` backs an instance up daily (or on any schedule) with a systemd timer, saving the world first and keeping the newest 14.
- **Self-check.** `terractl doctor` checks the whole setup, explains what's wrong with the command to fix it, and `--fix` fixes what it safely can.
- **Manage other hosts.** Run any command on another host with `terractl --host nas ...`, and copy or move instances between hosts with `terractl copy` and `terractl move`, like LXD/Incus remotes. Hosts opt in by running the `terractld` daemon; access is per computer, over pinned TLS.
- **Hardened.** Servers run as an unprivileged `terraria` user and can only write to their own data.
- **Access for moderators.** Members of the `terraria` group can start, stop and restart servers, use the console and read the servers' own logs, without `sudo` and without seeing the rest of the system's logs.
- **Helper for Windows.** A PowerShell script exports your enabled tModLoader mods for the server.
## Requirements
- Debian 12+ or Ubuntu 22.04+ (other systemd-based distributions should work with `make install`)
- `unzip`, `systemd`; for tModLoader, also `curl` and ICU (`libicu`)
- `python3` and `openssl`, for managing other hosts
## Install
From the apt repository, which also brings updates with `sudo apt upgrade`:
```bash
sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://gitea.adbraun.lol/api/packages/adam/debian/repository.key \
-o /etc/apt/keyrings/terraria-server-manager.asc
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/terraria-server-manager.asc] https://gitea.adbraun.lol/api/packages/adam/debian stable main" |
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/terraria-server-manager.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install terraria-server-manager
```
Or download the `.deb` from the releases page, then:
```bash
sudo apt install ./terraria-server-manager_<version>_all.deb
```
Or install from source, without a package:
```bash
sudo make install
```
## Documentation
See [docs/guide.md](docs/guide.md). It covers installation, creating instances, the console, configuration, mods, versions and upgrades, permissions and troubleshooting. Installed systems also have it at `/usr/share/doc/terraria-server-manager/README.md`.
## Repository layout
```
bin/terractl The command-line tool
systemd/ terraria@.service and terraria@.socket
completions/bash/ Bash completion for terractl
config/ /etc/default settings, sysusers.d and tmpfiles.d entries
packaging/deb/ Debian package metadata and install/remove scripts
docs/guide.md Full documentation
tools/windows/ export-tmod-mods.ps1 for exporting mods from Windows
VERSION Current version, used by the build
Makefile make check | deb | install | uninstall | clean
```
## Building
```bash
make check # bash -n on all scripts, plus shellcheck if installed
make deb # build/terraria-server-manager_<version>_all.deb
```
To release, update `VERSION` and `CHANGELOG.md`, commit, and push a matching tag:
```bash
git tag v$(cat VERSION) && git push origin v$(cat VERSION)
```
The `release` workflow (`.gitea/workflows/release.yaml`, Gitea Actions) then builds the `.deb`, publishes it as a release with that version's changelog section as the notes, and adds it to the apt repository. It needs a runner with the `ubuntu-latest` label. To build a package by hand instead, run `make deb`.
## Disclaimer
This is an unofficial community tool. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Re-Logic or the tModLoader team. It does not include any Terraria or tModLoader software; you supply the official server downloads.