[arC`]

here's a small http server in Go that will serve nothing but fastDL files to HL clients (i hope)

it restricts downloads by filetype, UA, and connection type, and has rate limiting to prevent spam

if someone tries to hit a valid filetype with anything other than half-life, they should get a 403

only allows browsers to touch index.htm in the root directory, and disallows directory listing anywhere else

prints logfile to same directory

you will have to edit lines 18 and 19 in the source to config your desired port and root directory, and either build to exe or run it via shell

then just point your sv_downloadurl to "http://your.ip.add.ress:port#/path/to/moddir/"

is this a good idea? idk probably not lol, but it's better than running a generic http server if you're bent on not duplicating your files—caveat emptor

note: attached is a 7zip file with the SOURCE CODE inside, there is NO EXECUTABLE!

[fysiks]

If you're just doing basic testing, you can use a traditional web server (e.g. Apache) and not need to duplicate your files at all (via symbolic links). If it's a server for actually playing games with other people, I would actually prefer that the files on the game server and the files on the web server are not linked in any way.

Regarding the source code, no GitHub repo?

[arC`]

I use git locally, and just never publish anything

I like sharing stuff here for the 3 people who might need it, but that's about it haha

[fysiks]

Fair enough.

[RobDyrdekNW]

Your idea is solid for a lightweight, purpose-built fastDL server tailored for HL clients. Restricting file types, enforcing user-agent rules, disallowing directory listing, and adding rate limiting are smart security measures. It's certainly better than using a generic HTTP server if you want tight control without duplication. Just ensure your server is properly maintained and hardened against abuse. For broader adoption, consider documenting config/edit instructions clearly and testing across client versions. Nice job overall.