corrosion-admin-panel/docs/reference-repos/the4rchangel

Dune: Awakening — Server Manager

Caution

This is an experimental assistant dashboard. I am not associated with Funcom or the Dune: Awakening team and cannot guarantee this will work perfectly for you. Always take backups. This works for me and I thought the community might find it helpful. I ran this myself including the server setup and played on it no problem. I hope you experience the same.

A local web-based UI for managing Dune: Awakening Self-Hosted Servers. Replaces the clunky battlegroup.bat terminal menu with a clean, modern dashboard that handles everything from first-time setup to daily operations and game configuration.

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Table of Contents

• Features
• Prerequisites
• Quick Start
• Setup Wizard
• Tabs
  • Dashboard
  • Battlegroup
  • Monitoring
  • Database
  • Characters
  • Game Config
  • Settings
  • Experimental
• How It Works
• Project Structure
• Configuration
• Troubleshooting
• Ports
• License

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Features

• Setup Wizard — Guided 6-step first-time installation (VM import, network, SSH, bootstrap — no bat file needed)
• Dashboard — VM status, memory, uptime, IP, and battlegroup health at a glance
• Battlegroup Controls — Start, stop, restart, and update with one click
• Character Editor — Edit stats (health, tech points, hydration, spice, Eyes of Ibad) and manage inventory with a searchable 1,000-item catalog
• Game Config — Edit PvP, sandstorms, sandworm behavior, mining rates, decay, building limits, and more through a visual editor
• Monitoring — Direct links to the File Browser and Director web interfaces
• Database — Take and import backups
• Log Export — Download battlegroup and operator logs
• Settings — Change VM password, rotate SSH keys, enable swap memory
• Live Console — Real-time command output streamed to the browser via WebSocket

Prerequisites

Before using this tool, you need the following installed and ready:

1. Windows 10/11 Pro with hardware virtualization enabled in BIOS
2. Hyper-V enabled (Settings → Apps → Optional Features → More Windows Features → Hyper-V)
3. Dune: Awakening Self-Hosted Server downloaded via Steam (search "Dune Awakening Self-Hosted Server" in your Steam library under Tools)
4. Node.js 18+ — download here (LTS recommended)
5. OpenSSH Client — included with Windows 10/11 by default (verify: run ssh in a command prompt)
6. A server token from account.duneawakening.com

The app assumes the default Steam install path:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dune Awakening Self-Hosted Server\

If yours differs, edit DEFAULT_SERVER_PATH at the top of server.js.

Quick Start

1. Clone this repo anywhere on your server machine:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USER/dune-server-manager.git
   cd dune-server-manager
   

2. Double-click start_as_admin.bat in Windows Explorer.

   It will:

   • Request Administrator privileges (UAC prompt) — required for Hyper-V
   • Install npm dependencies automatically on first run
   • Open http://localhost:3000 in your default browser

3. If this is a fresh install, click the Setup tab and follow the wizard. If you've already run the official battlegroup.bat initial-setup before, go straight to the Dashboard.

Important

The app must run as Administrator. Hyper-V commands require elevated privileges. If you see permission errors, the Node process is not running as admin.

• Use start_as_admin.bat — it auto-elevates via UAC.
• Or open an Administrator Command Prompt / PowerShell, cd into the project folder, and run npm start.
• Do not run from WSL — WSL cannot elevate to Windows admin for Hyper-V operations.

Setup Wizard

The Setup tab provides a guided walkthrough that replaces the entire battlegroup.bat → initial-setup flow:

Step	What happens
1. Pre-flight	Verifies Hyper-V is enabled, server files (.vmcx) are present, and a drive has 100GB+ free
2. Configuration	Enter your server token, choose install drive, VM memory (10–40 GB), network mode, and NIC
3. Installing	Imports the VM, creates the network switch, resizes the virtual disk, sets memory, and starts the VM — progress streams live
4. Security	Generates and installs an SSH key, then sets a new password for the dune user
5. Networking	DHCP vs static IP, auto-detects your public IP, lets you pick the player-facing IP
6. Finalize	Enter your world name and region, upload bootstrap files, run first-time battlegroup setup, optional swap memory

After setup, flip to the Dashboard to start your battlegroup.

Tabs

Dashboard

Live overview of your VM and battlegroup with one-click controls.

Battlegroup

Start, stop, restart, check for updates, and enable swap memory.

Monitoring

Quick access to the VM's built-in File Browser and Director interfaces, plus log exports.

The File Browser lets you browse config files, logs, database dumps, and UserSettings directly:

The Director shows live battlegroup stats, player counts, character transfer settings, and per-server details:

Database

Back up and restore the battlegroup database. Stop the battlegroup first for best results.

Characters

Edit player stats and inventory directly in the game database. Stop the battlegroup and have the player logged out before editing. Includes a searchable catalog of 1,000 items (wiki scrape + game-file IDs for vehicle modules, patents, and more).

Search for any item by display name or template ID (e.g. TreadwheelChassis_5, Patent), filter by category, and add it to a character's inventory:

Warning

Editing characters directly modifies the game database. This may corrupt save data and cause total character loss. Always take a database backup first.

Section	What you can edit
Stats	Max Health, Tech Knowledge Points, Hydration, Heat Exhaustion, Spice, Addiction Level, Tolerance, Eyes of Ibad
Inventory	View all items, remove items, add items by name or template ID from a 1,000-item catalog with category filter
Stack limits	Equipment (weapons/armor/tools) enforced at 1, resources at 100, consumables at 20 — warns before exceeding
Tech Tree	Unlock or lock all fabrication recipes and blueprints — Unlock All merges all 356 game tech nodes into your save (not just ones already discovered)
Specializations	Set level and XP for Combat, Crafting, Exploration, Gathering, Sabotage — unlock all 205 keystones (perks) per tree
Economy	Set Solari and House Scrip balances
Faction Reputation	Set reputation with Atreides, Harkonnen, and Smuggler factions
Cosmetics & Skins	Searchable catalog of 621 cosmetics (dye packs, MTX skins, armor/weapon/vehicle swatches) — click Add/Remove per row, or Unlock All Cosmetics & Swatches in one shot

Tech tree, specializations, economy, and faction reputation:

Cosmetics and skins — searchable list with Add/Remove toggle and bulk unlock:

Patents vs skins: Building/furniture vendor packs are Patent items in inventory (search furniture or CHOAM). Weapon, armor, and vehicle looks are cosmetics — use the Cosmetics section above, not the item catalog. Unlock All Recipes only covers the fabrication tech tree.

Game Config

Visual editor for all gameplay settings. Stop the battlegroup before editing — changes apply on next start.

Available settings:

Category	Settings
PvP & Security	Force PvP on all partitions, security zones
Environment	Coriolis storms, sandstorms, sandstorm treasure
Sandworm	Enable/disable, danger zones, vehicle collision, invulnerability timers
Economy & Resources	Mining multipliers, PvP resource multiplier, item decay rate, vehicle durability
Building	Max landclaims, blueprint extensions, base backup extensions, restriction limits
Server	Display name, login password, game port, IGW port

Settings

Change the VM password and rotate SSH keys.

Experimental

Warning

Features on this tab are untested and may break your battlegroup. Always take a database backup before making changes.

Multi-Sietch allows you to add additional Hagga Basin instances (sietches) to your battlegroup. All sietches share the same Overmap, Deep Desert, Arrakeen, Harkonnen Village, and instanced content (dungeons, story missions). Players from different sietches will see each other in shared areas but not in their respective Hagga Basin maps.

Sietches	Estimated RAM
1 (default)	~18 GB
2	~30 GB
3	~42 GB

Each sietch requires approximately 12 GB RAM. The Overmap and infrastructure (database, RabbitMQ, Kubernetes) use an additional ~6 GB on top of that.

Port forwarding: Each additional sietch adds a game server pod using host networking. When in doubt, forward UDP 7777–7900 to your VM to cover any additional game server ports.

After adding or removing a sietch, restart the battlegroup for changes to take effect.

How It Works

The app is a lightweight Node.js server that:

1. Calls PowerShell for Hyper-V operations (start/stop VM, query status, import, configure)
2. Uses SSH to communicate with the VM for battlegroup commands (same key and mechanism as the official scripts)
3. Reads and writes INI config files on the VM for game settings
4. Queries the PostgreSQL database via kubectl exec for character editing
5. Serves a static web UI that talks to the REST API and receives real-time output over WebSocket

No data leaves your machine. Everything runs locally on localhost:3000.

Project Structure

├── server.js              # Express + WebSocket server, all API routes
├── lib/
│   ├── powershell.js      # PowerShell execution wrapper
│   └── ssh.js             # SSH execution wrapper (with timeout + TTY support)
├── public/
│   ├── index.html         # UI (dashboard, setup wizard, game config, character editor, all tabs)
│   ├── css/style.css      # Dune-themed dark UI
│   ├── js/app.js          # Frontend logic (tabs, wizard, config editor, character editor, API calls)
│   └── data/
│       ├── item-catalog.json      # 1,000 items (wiki + CUE4Parse game-file IDs)
│       ├── cosmetic-catalog.json  # 621 cosmetics/skins/swatches (from Systems.pak)
│       └── stat-reference.json    # Character stat keys and inventory type mapping
├── scripts/
│   └── build-cosmetic-catalog.py  # Regenerate cosmetic-catalog.json from game paks
├── tools/
│   └── Cue4ParsePatents/          # CUE4Parse scanner for item/patent/module IDs in game files
├── start_as_admin.bat     # One-click Windows launcher (auto-elevates to admin)
├── docs/screenshots/      # README screenshots
└── package.json

Configuration

Setting	Default	Where to change
Server install path	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dune Awakening Self-Hosted Server\	DEFAULT_SERVER_PATH in server.js
SSH key path	%LOCALAPPDATA%\DuneAwakeningServer\sshKey	getKeyPath() in lib/ssh.js
VM name	dune-awakening	VM_NAME in server.js
Web UI port	3000	PORT in server.js or PORT env variable

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
"You do not have the required permission"	Run the app as Administrator (use start_as_admin.bat or an admin terminal)
"Cannot find module 'express'"	Dependencies weren't installed. Run npm install in the project folder, then try again
"running scripts is disabled on this system"	PowerShell execution policy is blocking npm. Open PowerShell as Admin and run: Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
"EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::3000"	Another process is on port 3000. Kill it or set a different port: set PORT=3001 && npm start
"Node.js is required but not found"	Install Node.js 18+ from nodejs.org and restart your terminal
Battlegroup says "Starting" then nothing	Check the console output — it may be a timeout or SSH issue. Make sure the VM is fully booted and SSH is reachable. The battlegroup can take several minutes to start on first boot
Battlegroup shows as inactive despite VM running	The battlegroup may not have been started yet — click Start and wait. If it was recently started, the game servers take a few minutes to reach "Running" state
SSH connection failures	Make sure the VM is running and you've completed initial setup (the SSH key is generated in step 4)
"No .vmcx file found"	Verify the Dune Awakening Self-Hosted Server is installed in Steam and the path is correct
VM fails to start with memory error	Your system doesn't have enough free RAM. Lower the memory allocation and enable swap memory
"No battlegroup found" on start	The initial setup didn't complete. Re-run the setup wizard or use battlegroup.bat → initial-setup
Database stuck on "Modifying" after first start	The app auto-detects and fixes this (placeholder image tags). If it persists, restart the battlegroup — the app will patch the Kubernetes CRD with the correct image versions on the next start
Server not in finder / 0 ping	Set visibility to your public IP in Game Config, forward TCP 31982, Director NodePort, and UDP 7777–7810 to the VM IP, then stop and start the battlegroup. Look under Servers → Experimental in-game (not Official/Private).
Server visible in browser but players can't connect	Make sure Server Visibility is set to your public IP (not a private/LAN IP), the battlegroup was stopped and started after changing it, and the required ports are forwarded on your router to the VM (see Game Config port-forward panel)
Visibility IP reverts to LAN after applying	Update the app — this was a bug in older versions where settings.conf wasn't being read correctly

Ports

If players outside your LAN need to connect, forward these on your router to your VM's IP address (not your Windows host IP):

Port	Protocol	Purpose
7777–7800	UDP	Game server traffic
Director NodePort	TCP	Client matchmaking (check kubectl get svc -A for the actual port — it's randomized by Kubernetes, typically 30000–32767)

Tip

To find the Director NodePort, look at the Dashboard — it's shown in the Quick Links section. You can also SSH into the VM and run:

sudo kubectl get svc -A | grep bgd-svc

The number after 11717: (e.g. 11717:31642) is the NodePort to forward.

The web UI itself (localhost:3000) does not need to be exposed — it's for local management only.

License

MIT