Getting started

Configuration

Every setting the backend reads, what it defaults to, and what breaks when it is wrong. Most deployment problems are one of three addresses.

Where settings come from#

The API is a standard ASP.NET Core app, so any setting can come from appsettings.json, the environment, or the command line. On top of that it reads a .env file: it looks in the content root and up to two parent folders, and uses the first one it finds.

Next to the binary in production, for example C:\flicked\api\.env or /opt/flicked/api/.env.
backend/.env in development, found by walking up from the project.
Environment variables win. A key already set in the environment is skipped when .env is read. In the environment, write : as __, for example Api__PublicUrl.

The three addresses#

Nearly every deployment problem is one of these being wrong, and each fails quietly rather than loudly. Each is read by a different program on a different machine, which is why none of them can be localhost in production.

graph LR
    browser["A friend's browser"] -->|"Steam:PublicUrl"| api["Flicked.Api :5165"]
    launcher["Launcher"] -->|"FLICKED_API, compiled in"| api
    cs2["CS2 server + MatchZy"] -->|"Api:PublicUrl"| api
    api -->|"RCON"| cs2

Who reads which address

Setting	Read by	If it is wrong
`Steam:PublicUrl`	A player's browser, signing in	Sign-in sends them back to their own PC
`Api:PublicUrl`	The CS2 server, fetching a match config	The server fetches nothing and stays on its old map, with no error anywhere
`FLICKED_API`	The launcher, compiled in at build time	The launcher looks for FLICKED on the player's own machine

Backend reference#

Network and URLs#

Key	Default	What it does
`Steam:PublicUrl`	required	This API as a browser reaches it. Steam redirects back here after sign-in. Sign-in throws if it is missing; development sets it to `http://localhost:5165`
`Api:PublicUrl`	falls back to `FLICKED_API_PUBLIC_URL`, then `Steam:PublicUrl`	This API as a CS2 server reaches it. Sent to the server over RCON as the config URL and the event endpoint
`Dashboard:Url`	`http://localhost:3000`	Where the dashboard runs. Added to CORS by name, and used for the dashboard's sign-in redirect. Alias `FLICKED_DASHBOARD_URL`
`urls`	localhost only	The interfaces Kestrel listens on. Use `http://0.0.0.0:5165` to be reachable directly, or `http://127.0.0.1:5165` behind a proxy

Identity and secrets#

Key	Default	What it does
`STEAM_API_KEY`	none	Reads names and avatars from Steam. Free from steamcommunity.com/dev/apikey. Alias `Steam:ApiKey`
`FLICKED_ADMIN_STEAM_IDS`	nobody	Comma-separated SteamID64s allowed into the dashboard. Checked on the server on every request. Alias `Admin:SteamIds`
`DataProtection:KeyPath`	`<content root>/keys`	The folder holding the keys that encrypt stored RCON passwords. Alias `FLICKED_KEY_PATH`. Back it up

Database#

Key	Default	What it does
`ConnectionStrings:Flicked`	required	The Npgsql connection string. Development points it at the Docker database
`Database:AutoMigrate`	`true`	Apply EF Core migrations on startup, so a self-hoster upgrades by replacing a binary. Set to `false` to run migrations yourself

Matchmaking#

Key	Default	What it does
`Matchmaking:CompetitivePlayers`	10	Players in a full Competitive match. Set to `2` to test with one other person
`Matchmaking:WingmanPlayers`	4	Players in a full Wingman match
`Matchmaking:MinCompetitivePlayers`	same as full	The smallest Competitive match worth starting when nobody else turns up. Equal to the full size means off
`Matchmaking:MinWingmanPlayers`	same as full	The same, for Wingman
`Matchmaking:ShortHandedAfterSeconds`	20	How long the longest-waiting party waits before a short match is tried

Short-handed matches

For a small community that cannot reliably find ten people, set a minimum and the matchmaker will, after the wait, form a 4v4 or 3v3 out of whoever is queueing, largest first. A full match is always tried first, so a short match is never formed around players who could have had a real one.

.env

Matchmaking:MinCompetitivePlayers=6
Matchmaking:MinWingmanPlayers=2
Matchmaking:ShortHandedAfterSeconds=20

Matches are always even. A minimum of 5 or 7 is read as 6 or 8, and nine people waiting become one 4v4 plus one player still in the queue. 5v4 is not a match worth starting.
A party can still be too big. Party size is capped at half a full match. A five-stack on an instance with a minimum of 6 can only ever play a full 5v5, because six seats split 3-3 and a party is never split.

Build-time settings#

These are baked into a build. Changing them means rebuilding and redistributing.

Variable	Used by	What it does
`FLICKED_API`	Launcher	The API address, compiled into both the Rust side and the webview so they cannot disagree. Unset means `http://localhost:5165`
`NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL`	Dashboard	The API address the dashboard calls

Dashboard runtime#

Variable	Typical value	Why
`PORT`	`3000`	The port the standalone Next.js server listens on
`HOSTNAME`	`0.0.0.0` or `127.0.0.1`	Next binds to localhost otherwise. Use loopback behind a proxy

A complete example#

A production .env for a single VPS serving plain HTTP. For HTTPS behind Caddy, see Deploy on Linux.

C:\flicked\api\.env

ConnectionStrings:Flicked=Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=flicked;Username=flicked;Password=<db-password>

# This machine as the outside world sees it. Never localhost.
Steam:PublicUrl=http://<vps-address>:5165
Api:PublicUrl=http://<vps-address>:5165
Dashboard:Url=http://<vps-address>:3000

# Listen on every interface, not just localhost.
urls=http://0.0.0.0:5165

STEAM_API_KEY=<your-steam-web-api-key>
FLICKED_ADMIN_STEAM_IDS=<your-steamid64>
DataProtection:KeyPath=C:\flicked\keys