ansible-lgsm-l4d-l4d2

⚠️ You need to have some experience with Ansible and left4dead games before using this repo !

Example of a basic ansible configuration

1/ On the ansible controller (tested on Debian 12)

As root user :

Install requirements packages :

apt-get install sudo openssh-server openssh-client whois python3 python3-apt python3-venv python3-full git

Create a user ansible with sudo group :

controlleruser=ansible
adduser "${controlleruser}"
usermod -aG sudo "${controlleruser}"

Add NOPASSWD sudo + hardening sudoers :

echo "${controlleruser} ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL" > /etc/sudoers.d/"${controlleruser}"
chmod 750 /etc/sudoers.d
chmod 440 /etc/sudoers.d/"${controlleruser}"

Install ansible package with python3 environnement as ansible user :

su - "${controlleruser}"
python3 -m venv --upgrade-deps ~/venv
echo "source ~/venv/bin/activate" | tee -a ~/.profile
source ~/venv/bin/activate
pip install ansible ansible-core ansible-lint

Generate a ssh key as ansible user :

⚠️ Accepted hostkey rsa minimun 4096 bits and ed25519

Recommended : ed25519

ssh-keygen -o -a 256 -t ed25519 -C "${USER}@${HOSTNAME}" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_ansible -N ""

or rsa

ssh-keygen -o -a 256 -t rsa -b 4096 -C "${USER}@${HOSTNAME}" -f ~/.ssh/rsa_ansible -N ""

Download repository :

git clone https://github.com/fbapt/ansible-lgsm-l4d-l4d2.git ~/ansible-lgsm-l4d-l4d2

2/ On each ansible nodes

As root user :

Install requirements package :

apt-get install sudo openssh-server python3 python3-apt cron

Create a user ansible with sudo group :

nodeuser=ansible
adduser "${nodeuser}"
usermod -aG sudo "${nodeuser}"

Add NOPASSWD sudo + hardening sudoers :

echo "${nodeuser} ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL" > /etc/sudoers.d/"${nodeuser}"
chmod 750 /etc/sudoers.d
chmod 440 /etc/sudoers.d/"${nodeuser}"

Save ip of each ansible nodes :

ip a

3/ On the ansible controller

As ansible user, copy ssh key with user and ip of each ansible nodes :

nodeip=x.x.x.x
nodeuser=ansible
sshtype=ed25519 or rsa
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_"${sshtype}"_ansible.pub "${nodeuser}@${nodeip}"

Configuration and installation

1/ Configure files of left4dead1 and/or left4dead2

If you are on vscode add this to your c:/Users/USER/AppData/Roaming/Code/User/settings.json

    ..........,
	"terminal.integrated.shellArgs.linux": ["-l"],
	"terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.linux": "bash",
	"terminal.integrated.profiles.linux": {
	  "bash": {
		"path": "/bin/bash",
		"icon": "terminal-bash",
		"args": [ "-l" ]
	  },
	}

Edit files :

• inventory/lgsmhosts.yml

  *Change parameters of your host

• host_vars/production/production.yml

  *Change parameters as you want

  *(optional) : create ssh keys if you want to use playbook configure_ssh_iptables.yml :

⚠️ You need to create each user ssh key (l4d1,l4d2) on your server and download it on your computer !

Accepted hostkey rsa minimun 4096 bits and ed25519 for security

I assume you are on Windows :

use a sofware such as PuTTYgen + pageant (include in PuTTY)...

In PuTTYgen for security tick :

"Use proven primes with even distribution (slowest)" and "Use "strong" primes as RSA key factors"

Click on RSA with 4096 bits or EdDSA(recommended) and Generate

Add a passphrase that should be at least 26 characters for security

Edit "ssh-keys:" and copy paste public key

File --> Save private key

Load key with pageant --> Add key

• host_vars/production/vault.yml

  *Use a strong user password

  *.vault_pass :

Comment line in file ansible.cfg --> #vault_password_file=.vault_pass

change password (example for debian12testing)

ansible-vault rekey host_vars/debian12testing/vault.yml

Uncomment line in file ansible.cfg --> vault_password_file=.vault_pass

Edit .vault_pass with the new password

• Add l4d1/2 configuration files in each roles if variables in host_vars/production/production.yml are on true, examples :

  In role/lgsminstallation/files/l4d[2]server/lgsm_cfg

  put file like l4dserver.cfg

  In role/lgsminstallation/files/l4d[2]server/server

  put file like host.txt or mymotd.txt

  In role/lgsminstallation/files/l4d[2]server/server_cfg

  put file like server.cfg, l4dserver.cfg

  In role/maps/files/l4d[2]server/maps

  put maps not on the steam workshops

  In role/maps/files/l4d2server/maps/workshops

  put workshops maps in workshops folder for l4d2 only

  In role/metamod/files/l4d[2]server/metamod_plugins

  put files in metamod folder

  In role/sourcemod/files/l4d[2]server/sourcemod_plugins

  put files in addons and cfg/sourcemod folders

  In role/strippersource/files/l4d[2]server/stripper_cfg

  put cfg maps in dumps and maps folders

2/ Installation of left4dead1 and/or left4dead2 dedicated servers

On the ansible controller, as ansible user run playbooks on a Debian 11 or 12 :

Install left4dead1 and/or left4dead2 dedicated servers :

ansible-playbook system_update.yml --limit production
ansible-playbook lgsm.yml --limit production

(optional) configure hardening firewall + ssh with creation of ssh keys (sshd_config is restricted to IPV4 and accept only ssh keys) :

ansible-playbook configure_ssh_iptables.yml --limit production

(optional) improve performance of the server :

ansible-playbook performance.yml --limit production

About

Playbooks have been tested with packages of ansible community (9.4.0), ansible-core (2.16.6) and ansible-lint (24.2.2).

Tested on Debian 11 and 12

Documentation of lgsm :

https://docs.linuxgsm.com/

https://linuxgsm.com/servers/l4dserver/

https://linuxgsm.com/servers/l4d2server/

Documentation of Ansible :

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/getting_started/index.html