[Sappykun]

The answer to "will the game server try to send the client the files manually" is "no".

Spoiler

Say I have a Source server that has sv_downloadurl set to a fastdl server, and that everything is configured properly. The fastdl server is separate from the game server.

I want to use Late Downloads to create a file while players are playing, send it to them, then add it to the downloads table so anyone who joins afterwards downloads the file and precaches it. The files are very small, about 350 bytes uncompressed.

If I do not copy the files to the fastdl server, will the game server try to send the client the files manually after the fastdl server fails to send the file?

The files in question are VMT files. They will be generated the moment the client requests them, and will be precached as soon as all connected clients have received the file. Since they will be made dynamically, I cannot preemptively add them to the fastdl server.

[asherkin]

Originally Posted by Sappykun If I do not copy the files to the fastdl server, will the game server try to send the client the files manually after the fastdl server fails to send the file?

Yes, assuming the client has in-game downloads enabled (cl_allowdownload / sv_allowupload)

[Sappykun]

Originally Posted by asherkin Yes, assuming the client has in-game downloads enabled (cl_allowdownload / sv_allowupload)

I've been observing the opposite. I have an HTTP server running on the same machine as my game server.
When I create the files, add them to the downloads table, then have someone join the game, they do not get the files.
When I make a symlink from the directory the files are stored in to an equivalent spot on the fastdl server, THEN have someone join, they are able to receive the files.

Making a symlink is trivial in my use case, but it means that other users who have a separate fastdl server from the game server won't be able to use my plugin without some kind of external network syncing tool.

If sv_downloadurl is set, does that effectively disable downloading directly from the server itself?