A Soldier of Fortune II server writes its game events to games.log, set by g_log: who joined and left, kills, chat and map changes. g_logSync 1 writes each line straight away instead of in batches, and g_logHits 1 adds a line for every bullet hit, which makes the file very large. Logs are useful for dealing with abuse and building your own statistics. SOF2MP.com doesn’t need them to list your server.
The log settings
| CVAR | What it does | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
g_log | Filename for the game event log. | games.log | — |
g_logSync | Forces synchronous (immediate) writes to the game log file. | 0 | — |
g_logHits | Logs individual bullet hit events to the game log. | 0 | — |
logfilename | Filename for the console output log. | qconsole.log | — |
games.log: the game log
The game log records what happens in matches, line by line, with a timestamp. It’s the file to check when a player reports abuse, or when you want to know who was on the server at a certain time.
- Turn it on by setting a file name:
seta g_log "games.log". Set it to an empty value to turn logging off. - It’s written in the folder of the mod the server runs, for example
rocmod/games.log, orbasewith no mod. - Use
g_logSync 1if a script or tool reads the log while the server is running, so it sees events straight away.
Hit logging
g_logHits 1 writes a line for every hit, which turns a few megabytes a day into far more on a busy server. It’s useful for a short time, for example to look into suspected cheating or to study weapon balance, but turn it off afterwards.
The console log
The server’s console output can also be saved to a file, named by logfilename, qconsole.log by default. It holds what you’d see in the server window: start-up messages and errors. When a server won’t start or a map won’t load, look for this file in the server’s folder, or run the server in a terminal and read the output directly.
Keep logs from growing forever
SoF2 adds to the same log file indefinitely. On a busy server it grows to a large size over months. Rotate it:
On Linux
Use logrotate. A file like this in /etc/logrotate.d/sof2 keeps four weeks of compressed logs:
/home/sof2/sof2/rocmod/games.log {
weekly
rotate 4
compress
missingok
notifempty
copytruncate
}copytruncate matters: the server keeps the file open, so the log is copied and then emptied in place rather than moved. Change the path to where your log is.
On Windows
Stop the server at a quiet time, move games.log into an archive folder with the date in its name, and start the server again. A scheduled task can do this for you, alongside a regular restart.
Logs and privacy
Logs contain player names, chat and IP addresses. In the UK and EU that’s personal data, so:
- Keep logs only as long as you need them. A few weeks is usually enough for dealing with abuse.
- Don’t publish raw logs. Share only what’s needed with your admins.
- Say in your server rules or on your website that the server keeps logs and why.
Logs and SOF2MP.com stats
SOF2MP.com builds player and server statistics by querying each public server’s status every few minutes, the same way the in-game browser does. You don’t need to send us logs or install anything. How it works is explained in how we count SoF2 players, and how to get listed is in getting your server listed.
Frequently asked questions
Where is games.log on a SoF2 server?
In the folder of the mod the server runs, such as rocmod, or in base if it runs without a mod.
How do I turn off logging on a SoF2 server?
Set g_log to an empty value: seta g_log "".
What does g_logHits do?
It logs every bullet hit. It makes logs very large, so only turn it on for a short time.
Do I need to share my logs to appear on SOF2MP.com?
No. SOF2MP.com queries servers directly, so no logs are needed.