[GUIDE]Your Public Server from Scratch

[Zayfox]

One of my first few posts, but looking around some people don't really understand how some of this works, so I thought I'd put it all in one guide. For the skepticals, don't misjudge me for my postcount, I spend a lot of time on the MaNGOS forums, along with the forums of various private servers. I know what I'm talking about.
Alright, let's get going.

Tools:
Firstly, you're going to need the tools of the trade. As this is a MaNGOS forum, I'll assume you're using MaNGOS. Download the GIT client HERE(MysisGIT).
Install this, then load it up, select "Clone existing repository" and place

git://github.com/mangos/mangos.git

into the field. Let it download, then proceed to compile it. (I won't go into compiling, there's guides out there for that).

For the database, we'll use UDB, it's a reliable database and in my opinion it's the best out there. Download UDB HERE and the UDB update packs (For 3.1.3) HERE.

MySQL database is necessary, so download MySQL from HERE. Make sure you get release 5.1 or above (NOT a BETA build!). Download, install, and basically just follow the prompts. It's not overly hard.

The SQL tool of my choice is Navicat. If you use SQLYog or another tool, I can't help you there. I've never used them. Navicat is more reliable anyway. Download Navicat from HERE.

As this is a public server, you'll need a website for your clients to join. My server software of choice is Apache. Download the Apache HTTPD server from HERE.

MiniManager is a PHP service, therefore you'll need the PHP client hook to allow it to work. You can download PHP HERE.
Obviously, you're going to need a page for the server too. Download MaNGOS' Mini Manager from HERE.

Now you have the tools, onto the tutorial!

TUTORIAL!
Firstly, we'll do things in order to make it simple. So create a folder wherever you want your server to be. I'll use C:\WoWServer.

Assuming you've downloaded your MaNGOS release into this folder and compiled, along with extracting your maps using "contrib/extractor/ad.exe", and the vmaps using "contrib/vmap_extract_assembler_bin/makevmaps_SIMPLE.bat" and have the MySQL server up and running, I'll move on.

Open Navicat and fill in the connection details you gained from your MySQL installation. Generally, the default port is 3306, and the username is root. Once you're inside, create three databases; mangos, characters, and realmd.

Double click on your characters database, and then right click on it and select "Execute batch file...", navigate to your WoW server folder, and then to the "sql" folder. Select the "characters" or "characters.sql" file from there and hit "Execute". Do the same for the realmd database, but with "realmd" or "realmd.sql".

The mangos database is slightly different. If you want a full database, follow these instructions. If not, simply execute the "mangos" or "mangos.sql" batch file on that database.

Otherwise, find the file named "UDB_0.11.5_Core_7681_SD2_1012" (This was the latest at time of typing) and execute it. It has around 10,000 queries to execute, and takes about 10-20 minutes on an average computer. When that is complete, go back to the "General" tab of that window, and then execute the file "380_corepatch_mangos_7682_to_7894", "380_updatepack_mangos", "381_corepatch_mangos_7895_to_8029", and finally "381_updatepack_mangos" in order. After all of these batch files have completed, exit Navicat.

In the root folder (C:\WoWServer in my case), There should be a "mangosd.conf" and a "realmd.conf". Open both and edit them accordingly. Note that the sections surrounded by #'s will not be picked up by the server application. These sections simply serve as instructions as to each part of that file.

When you've finished editing both of these files (You really need to edit only the MySQL information and the "BindIP" of each file!), reopen Navicat. Open the realmd database and open the realmlist table. Ensure that 1) The realmID column matches the RealmID in your mangosd.conf file; and 2)The BindIP is the same in both the table and the mangosd.conf file.

Exit both the config files and Navicat. Load up mangosd.exe and realmd.exe and check that they run completely. Realmd.exe will load instaneously, whereas mangosd will take a while on first-run, but will beep when completed. If mangosd closes, check the file called "server" or "server.log"(?) in the root folder.

Website
Now for the webserver. Install Apache, and change the Installation folder to a folder in your WoW's root folder called Web or something (C:\WoWServer\Web in my case). Go to the Web folder, then to config, and find "httpd.conf", open this and fill it in accordingly (Again, it has instructions for each component).

Open your webbrowser and navigate to "127.0.0.1", if you get a page that says "It Works!" then proceed. Otherwise, there may be errors in your "httpd.conf" file. Google.

Install PHP, making sure you select "Apache 2.2" for the server version, and the "Apache directory" option is the folder you installed Apache into. Restart your Apache server (right click the feather in the system tray and click "Restart") and check that it restarts successfully.

Finally, you can extract your MiniManager archive into the "htdocs" folder in that web directory. Then go to the config directory. Rename config-dist.php to config. Open this in any ASCII text editor (notepad, whatever) and fill in the areas that require it.

FAQs
1) Pictures please?
A) I can upload pictures when I'm uncapped. It won't be long as I'm almost at the end of my billing period. If you want to find something right now, just CTRL+F it.

2) How does MiniManager know passwords and the like?
A) MiniManager's login and signup is connected to the "Account" table in the "realmd" database of your SQL server. Therefore account creation will enable account login.

3) Can you help me?
A) To a certain extent, yes. If you want me to help you fully, I can even VNC you to fix your problems. I've setup 6 different private servers and I know what I'm doing with MaNGOS. If I don't, I know exactly where I get help.

4) Isn't this guide just a collection of stuff from everywhere?
A) Yes and no. Some of the information in this guide is common knowledge, while other bits are just things I happen to know that make it easier (Like the Web folder).

5) Where do I get x?
Check the "Tools" part of my post, right at the top.

6) Could I get a domain?
You could, but I don't quite know how to link it to a computer's IP. You could use No-IP's DNS tools, I believe they have domain registration there.

Any other questions just post them here.

05/7/2009 -- Updated MiniManager's section. Pictures coming soon -- All taken, just waiting for bandwidth.

[Adrian_Williams]

This was the only helpful windows guide that I could find. Good work.

[thadude]

thank you for the simple straightforward guide. Recommend for those that want to do it on their own without scripts

[Ericmck2000]

+Rep
Awesome guide, thanks

[Rood]

Thank you very much +Rep!

EDIT: Damn "You can't give Reputation to this post"