--- name: "freeciv-server" section: "6" platform: "linux" package: "freeciv-common" version: "3.2.6-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/freeciv-server" --- # freeciv-server(6) The server for the Freeciv game ## NAME freeciv-server - The server for the Freeciv game ## SYNOPSIS **freeciv-server \[ -A\|--Announce *protocol* \] \[ -b\|--bind *address* \] \[ -B\|--Bind-meta *address* \] \[ -d\|--debug *level* \] \[ -e\|--exit-on-end \] \[ -F\|--Fatal \[ *signal\_number* \] \] \[ -f\|--file *filename* \] \[ -h\|--help \] \[ -i\|--identity *address* \] \[ -k\|--keep \] \[ -l\|--log *filename* \] \[ -M\|--Metaserver *address* \] \[ -m\|--meta \] \[ -p\|--port *port* \] \[ -q\|--quitidle *time* \] \[ -R\|--Ranklog *filename* \] \[ -r\|--read *filename* \] \[ -S\|--Serverid *id* \] \[ -s\|--saves *directory* \] \[ --scenarios *directory* \] \[ -v\|--version \]** Auth aware servers have additional parameters: **\[ -a\|--auth \] \[ -D\|--Database *file* \] \[ -G\|--Guests \] \[ -N\|--Newusers \]** Servers with AI module support have an additional parameter: **\[ -L\|--LoadAI *module* \]** ## DESCRIPTION Freeciv is a free turn-based multiplayer strategy game, in which each player becomes the leader of a civilization, fighting to obtain the ultimate goal: To become the greatest civilization. Players of Civilization II® by Microprose® should feel at home, since one aim of Freeciv is to have compatible rules. Freeciv is maintained by an international team of coders and enthusiasts, and is easily one of the most fun and addictive network games out there! This is the server program used to establish a Freeciv server - see also [*freeciv-client*(6)](/freeciv-client/6.md) . This manual page only lists the command line arguments. For details of the directives necessary to configure **freeciv-server** see the Server Manual which can be found at the Freeciv website ⟨⟩ as well as the documentation which is part of the Freeciv distribution. ## OPTIONS The following options are accepted on the command line of the server. They may not be combined; that is, "freeciv-server -fp savegame.sav 5557" will not work, instead you would need to enter "freeciv-server -f savegame.sav -p 5557". Most options have a short form (single hyphen and single letter) and a long form (double hyphen and a complete word); their effects are identical. - **-A *protocol*, --Announce *protocol*** Uses *protocol* when announcing game in LAN. Possible values for *protocol* are: **IPv4** **IPv6** **none** - **-a, --auth** Enables server authentication and allows access to registered players only. Requires the *--Database* option to be specified. - **-b *address*, --bind *address*** Sets the *address* on which the server will listen for clients. - **-B *address*, --Bind-meta *address*** Sets the *address* which request to metaserver are sent from. Defaults to address given by *-b* option. - **-d *level*, --debug *level*** Sets the amount of debugging information to be logged in the file named by the *-l* option. Acceptable values for the *level* are: **fatal** for fatal messages only. **error** for fatal and error messages. **warning** for fatal, error and warning messages **normal** for fatal, error, warning and normal messages (default). **verbose** for fatal, error, warning, normal, and verbose messages. - **-D *filename*, --Database *filename*** Specifies a database configuration file for authentication. This file specifies the details of the database. See README.fcdb in the Freeciv distribution for details of its format. - **-e, --exit-on-end** When a game ends, exit instead of restarting. - **-F \[ *signal\_number* \], --Fatal \[ *signal\_number* \]** Raise a custom signal on failed assertion. If *signal\_number* is not specified, then the ABRT signal will be used. - **-f *filename*, --file *filename*** Loads a saved game (*filename*) into the server before initialization, instead of starting a new game. This is for reloading saved games, or for loading scenarios. See *ENVIRONMENT* for where the server looks for these files. The distribution comes with several scenarios, typically stored in */usr/local/share/freeciv/scenarios*, for example: - • *british-isles-85x80-v2.80.sav* • *earth-160x90-v2.sav* • *earth-80x50-v3.sav* • *europe-200x100-v2.sav* • *hagworld-120x60-v1.2.sav* • *iberian-peninsula-136x100-v1.0.sav* - **-G, --Guests** Allow guests to login as 'guest' when authentication is enabled. - **-h, --help** Prints out a description of the command line options and exits. - **-i *address*, --identity *address*** Reports the *address* to the metaserver. Then, the metaserver will use this address to redirect the users. - **-L *module*, --LoadAI *module*** Loads AI module. This option can appear multiple times to load different modules. - **-l *filename*, --log *filename*** Defines a log file, *filename*, to be produced during processing. Use the *-d* option to set how much is logged. By default, fatal, error, warning, and normal messages are printed to standard output. With a log file, such messages go to the log instead. If *filename* already exists, it is appended to. - **-M *address*, --Metaserver *address*** Specifies the *address* of the metaserver to send your server's information to. By default, the standard metaserver run by the Freeciv maintainers will be used. - **-m, --meta** Directs the server to communicate with a metaserver, a place where Freeciv servers can publish their presence. Freeciv clients consult the metaserver to offer users a selection of games to join. By default the standard Freeciv metaserver is used. You may specify an alternate metaserver with the *-M* option. - **-k, --keep** Usually freeciv server stops sending updates to the metaserver, when there's problems on the connection once. With this option it keeps on trying to send further updates even after it has failed to send updated status once. This option implies *-m* option. - **-N, --Newusers** Allow new users to login and be registered in the players base if authentication is enabled. - **-p *port*, --port *port*** Specifies the TCP *port* number to which clients will connect; players must know this number to be able to connect if they are not to use the default of 5556 decimal. You may need to use this if 5556 is not available for your use on your system, or if you would like to run multiple servers on the same system. - **-q *time*, --quitidle *time*** Quits if no players are present for the specified *time*, in seconds, and restarts a new server. - **-R *filename*, --Ranklog *filename*** Defines a log file, *filename*, to be produced during processing. This log contains information for player ranking. - **-r *filename*, --read *filename*** Specifies a file, *filename*, of server commands which the server will automatically read and process, as if you had typed them in at the server's prompt. The distribution comes with a few examples, including files that set options to be similar to Civilization I® and Civilization II® . The files are named *civ1.serv* and *civ2.serv*, and are typically found at */usr/local/share/freeciv/*. - **-S *id*, --Serverid *id*** Sets the server *id*. This is used to identify a particular running game. - **-s *directory*, --saves *directory*** Specifies the *directory* to place save game files created by the server. This is especially useful when you're running more than one server on the same system, as it inhibits your servers from clobbering other's save game files. (This does not influence where the server looks when loading save game files; see **FREECIV\_SAVE\_PATH** for that.) - **--scenarios *directory*** Specifies the *directory* to place scenarios saved by the server (for instance, those created with the in-game editor). (This does not influence where the server looks when loading scenario files; see **FREECIV\_SCENARIO\_PATH** for that.) - **-v, --version** Causes the server to display its version number and exit. ## EXAMPLES - **freeciv-server --file oldgame.sav --port 2244** Starts a server on port *2244*, loading the save game file *oldgame.sav*. - **freeciv-server -R ranklog -l logfile -r script -f oldgame.sav.gz -p 2244** Starts a server on port *2244*, loading the save game file *oldgame.sav.gz*. Ranking related events are written to *ranklog*, other logging information is written to *logfile*. When the server starts, it immediately executes the commands contained in *script*. - **freeciv-server -m -a -D fc\_auth.conf -q 60 -p 2244 -d normal -l logfile -r script -s ~/saves** Starts a server on port *2244* with authentication enabled and communicates its existence to the standard Freeciv metaserver. Fatal, error, warning, and normal messages are written to *logfile*. When the server starts it immediately executes the commands contained in *script*. Save game files are stored in the *~/saves* directory. When there are no users on the server for *60* seconds, the server will restart. ## COMMANDS You may enter commands into the server at any time, either before or during the running of a game. Type "help" or "help help" for starters. ## FILES The Freeciv server requires the following files in the Freeciv data directory, which is */usr/local/share/freeciv* by default: • *civ2civ3/buildings.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/cities.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/effects.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/game.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/governments.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/nations.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/styles.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/techs.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/terrain.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/units.ruleset* • *civ2civ3/script.lua* • *default/default.lua* • *default/nationlist.ruleset* These are the default rule sets used for the game. Alternate sets of rules can be used by placing them in a separate directory and using the **rulesetdir** command to change your server's ruleset directory. Type **help rulesetdir** for more information. ## ENVIRONMENT The Freeciv server accepts these environment variables: - **FREECIV\_CAPS** A string containing a list of "capabilities" provided by the server. The compiled-in default should be correct for most purposes, but if you are familiar with the capability facility in the source you may use it to enforce some constraints between clients and server. - **FREECIV\_COMPRESSION\_LEVEL** Sets the compression level for network traffic. - **FREECIV\_DATA\_ENCODING** Sets the character encoding used for data files, savegames, and network strings). This should not normally be changed from the default of UTF-8, since that is the format of the supplied rulesets and the standard network protocol. - **FREECIV\_INTERNAL\_ENCODING** Sets the character encoding used internally by **freeciv-server**; this encoding should not be visible at any interface. Defaults to UTF-8. - **FREECIV\_LOCAL\_ENCODING** Sets the local character encoding (used for the command line and terminal output). The default is inferred from other aspects of the environment. - **FREECIV\_MULTICAST\_GROUP** Sets the multicast group (for the LAN tab). - **FREECIV\_DATA\_PATH** A colon separated list of directories pointing to the **freeciv** data directories. By default Freeciv looks in the following directories, in order, for any data files: the current directory; the "data" subdirectory of the current directory; the subdirectory ".freeciv/"3.2"" in the user's home directory; and the directory where the files are placed by running "make install". If not set, **FREECIV\_SAVE\_PATH** A colon separated list of directories pointing to the **freeciv** save directories. By default Freeciv looks in the following directories, in order, for save files: the current directory; and the subdirectory ".freeciv/saves" in the user's home directory. (This does not affect where the server creates save game files; see the *--saves* option for that.) - **FREECIV\_SCENARIO\_PATH** A colon separated list of directories pointing to the **freeciv** scenario directories. By default Freeciv looks in the following directories, in order, for scenario files: the current directory; the "data/scenarios" subdirectory of the current directory; the subdirectories ".freeciv/"3.2"/scenarios" and then ".freeciv/scenarios" in the user's home directory; and the directory where the files are placed by running "make install". (This does not affect where the server creates scenario files; see the *--scenarios* option for that.) - **HOME** Specifies the user's home directory. - **http\_proxy** Set this variable accordingly when using a proxy. - **LANG** or **LANGUAGE** Sets the language and locale on some platforms. - **LC\_ALL** or **LC\_CTYPE** Similar to LANG (see documentation for your system). - **USER** Specifies the username of the current user. ## BUGS Please report bugs to the Freeciv bug tracker ⟨https://redmine.freeciv.org/projects/freeciv⟩ . ## MORE INFO See the Freeciv homepage ⟨⟩ . Updates and new info is first posted there. ## AUTHORS The Freeciv Team \<"freeciv-dev at freelists.org"\>. This manpage was originally put together by Florian Ernst \ using the Server Manual and the comments in the sourcecode. It was updated by Ben Bettin \ to add new features, integrate information from the website's online documentation, and for slight formatting adjustments. Feel free to use it as you wish. ## SEE ALSO [*freeciv-client*(6)](/freeciv-client/6.md) and the Server Manual on the Freeciv homepage.