Configuration reference

The server creates missing settings on startup while preserving existing values. Prefer the server UI for routine changes. Stop and restart the server after editing server.cfg manually because the file is not monitored for external changes.

Complete example

[Server Settings]
SERVER_PORT=6002
CLIENT_EXPORT_FILE_PATH=clients-list.json
CHECK_FOR_BETA_UPDATES=false
SERVER_UI_THEME=White
UPNP_ENABLED=false

[General Settings]
CLIENT_EXPORT_ENABLED=false
COALITION_AUDIO_SECURITY=false
IRL_RADIO_TX=false
SPECTATORS_AUDIO_DISABLED=false
SHOW_TUNED_COUNT=true
GLOBAL_LOBBY_FREQUENCIES=248.22
SHOW_TRANSMITTER_NAME=true
SECOND_RADIO_ENABLED=true
CHANNEL_LIMIT=5
SHOW_SQUAD_CHANNEL_LABELS=false
RADIO_COLLISION_EFFECTS=false
PRIORITY_TRANSMITTER_NAMES=Axis Command,Allies Command,Axis Airfield,Allies Airfield
ASSIGNED_CALLSIGNS_JSON_FILE=

[Channel Names]
1=Command
2=Tower/ATC

The generated file can also contain an empty [External AWACS Mode Settings] section and reserved DServer RCon keys. Those integrations are not required by the current server and should not be relied upon as active features.

Server Settings

These values control the local server process rather than in-game radio behavior.

Setting	Default	Purpose	Restart after manual edit
SERVER_PORT	6002	TCP control and UDP voice port	Yes
CLIENT_EXPORT_FILE_PATH	clients-list.json	Output path for the optional client export	Yes
CHECK_FOR_BETA_UPDATES	false	Include beta releases in the server update check	Yes
SERVER_UI_THEME	White	Local White or Dark server-window theme	No when changed in UI
UPNP_ENABLED	false	Request automatic TCP and UDP port mappings from a compatible router	Yes

Manual firewall rules and port forwarding are generally more predictable than UPnP on a dedicated host.

General Settings

Setting	Default	Purpose
CLIENT_EXPORT_ENABLED	false	Write connected-client state to the configured JSON export every five seconds
COALITION_AUDIO_SECURITY	false	Separate radio traffic by IL-2 coalition
IRL_RADIO_TX	false	Prevent receiving on the selected AM/FM radio while transmitting on it
SPECTATORS_AUDIO_DISABLED	false	Restrict spectator access to normal radio traffic
SHOW_TUNED_COUNT	true	Let clients display how many users are tuned to a radio
GLOBAL_LOBBY_FREQUENCIES	248.22	Comma-separated AM frequencies available globally
SHOW_TRANSMITTER_NAME	true	Let clients display the current transmitter’s name
SECOND_RADIO_ENABLED	true	Make Radio 2 available to supporting clients
CHANNEL_LIMIT	5	Highest selectable channel; the UI provides 5, 10, 15, 20, or 25
SHOW_SQUAD_CHANNEL_LABELS	false	Append a majority squad tag to eligible channel names above channel 2
RADIO_COLLISION_EFFECTS	false	Signal overlapping same-channel transmissions to supporting clients
PRIORITY_TRANSMITTER_NAMES	See below	Comma-separated exact pilot names protected during collisions
ASSIGNED_CALLSIGNS_JSON_FILE	blank	Local, relative, or UNC path to Pilot Roster assignments

The default priority list is:

Axis Command,Allies Command,Axis Airfield,Allies Airfield

Most General Settings changed in the UI are synchronized live. Restart after manually changing PRIORITY_TRANSMITTER_NAMES or ASSIGNED_CALLSIGNS_JSON_FILE. The contents of an already configured roster file are refreshed automatically.

Channel Names

Define one optional name per channel under [Channel Names]:

[Channel Names]
1=Command
2=Tower/ATC
9=Squad Operations
25=Guard

• Valid channel numbers are 1 through 25.
• Names are trimmed and limited to 32 characters.
• Blank entries are ignored and fall back to CHN n.
• Names change the client display and spoken announcement, not the underlying channel or frequency.

When a friendly RCI is active, current clients temporarily show channel 1 as RCI Control. The configured channel 1 name returns when the RCI is no longer active.

Generated and reserved values

Do not manually add or distribute these as normal operator settings:

• PILOT_ROSTER_DATA_AVAILABLE is calculated by the server and advertised to clients. It is not a persistent configuration switch.
• DSERVER_RCON_ADDRESS, DSERVER_RCON_USERNAME, and DSERVER_RCON_PASSWORD are reserved for unfinished integration work. Current server operation does not depend on them.

Server-only roster paths and reserved credentials are filtered from synchronized client settings. They can still be present in your local file, so redact server.cfg before sharing it for support.

Invalid configuration recovery

If the file cannot be parsed, the server logs the error, writes a server.cfg.bak backup, and regenerates defaults. After recovery, compare the backup with the new file and restore only known-good values. Do not replace the regenerated file wholesale without identifying the invalid entry.