This is a server component for Gloomhaven Secretariat (Source). It synchronizes the game state between all clients via websockets. Access is controlled by providing a password in all messages.
It's a java application to run on most systems the old Gloomhaven Helper (by Esoteric Software®) Desktop version run. Besides an headless mode is integrated.
A public server is available under gloomhaven-secretary.de port 8443 with secure option. I also manage a public server list, so please contact me, if you're running a public instance yourself.
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Prerequisite:
- Java 11 (or higher) Runtime Environment
Download the corresponding latest jar-executable from the latest release assets.
Execute the jar-file with your Java Runtime Environment or run java -jar ghs-server-*.jar in your terminal.
If you want to use docker for running on port 8080 execute following:
docker pull gloomhavensecretariat/ghs-server
docker run --rm -p 8080:8080 --name ghs-server gloomhavensecretariat/ghs-serverIf you want to configure the application.properties file, replace the docker run command with
docker run --rm -p 8080:8080 -v {local_path}:/root/.ghs --name ghs-server gloomhavensecretariat/ghs-serverThe .ghs folder is now accessible from your {local_path}.
For usage with docker compose, simple run docker compose up -d.
The server is also capable of serving the client. Simple click the "Install latest Client" button in GUI. If you run headless, just download zip file (NOT source code!) of Gloomhaven Secretariat Release and extract in folder <your-home-folder>/.ghs/gloomhavensecretariat. Afterwards GHS is accessible under http://{your-ip}:{server-port} (http://localhost:8080 with default values). To automatic install latest client on startup, edit the application.properties-file in GHS server config folder <your-home-folder>/.ghs and add the following line: ghs-server.lastestClientOnStartup=true.
To run the server in headless mode, just set -Djava.awt.headless=true parameter for execution. For example java -jar ghs-server-*.jar -Djava.awt.headless=true.
To run the server on a different port (default: 8080), edit the application.properties-file in GHS server config folder <your-home-folder>/.ghs and add the following line: server.port=<NEW PORT>.
Replace <NEW PORT> with the port of your choice.
A public server accepts any password and creates a game for it. So the password is more an identifier for an individual game than a protection. To make a public server edit the application.properties-file in GHS server config folder <your-home-folder>/.ghs and add the following line: ghs-server.public=true.
If you want to connect to the server from a client using HTTPS the websocket connection is upgraded to wss by any modern browser. Therefore a connection to a server in local network is only possible when enabling SSL. A self-signed certificate is already shipped within (yes, inlcuding hardcoded password visible for everyone). So to simple enable SSL, just edit the application.properties-file in GHS server config folder <your-home-folder>/.ghs and add the following line: server.ssl.enabled=true. Because self-signed certificate is used, it is untrusted by all modern browsers. To be able to connect, just call https://{your-ip}:{server-port} (https://localhost:8080 with default values) and accept the security warnings. Afterwards you should be able to connect via SSL. (This has to be done for each client.)
To serve with your own certificate, overwrite the following properties in your application.properties-file:
server.ssl.key-store-type=
server.ssl.key-store=
server.ssl.key-store-password=
server.ssl.key-alias=
To create a cert file from your Let's Encrypt-certificate, use
openssl pkcs12 -export -in fullchain.pem -inkey privkey.pem -CAfile chain.pem -caname root -name ghs-server -out ghs-server.p12
This will ask for a password and afterwards create a ghs-server.p12-file to be referenced as server.ssl.key-store.
When running with SSL, a non-SSL server will be automatically available at port 8081. To change this port, edit the application.properties-file in GHS server config folder <your-home-folder>/.ghs and add the following line: server.http.port=<HTTP PORT>.
Go to the main menu in Gloomhaven Secretariat (GHS) and click on Connect to Server. Enter the server's IP/Hostname into Host (on same machine just use localhost), set Port to 8080 (if not changed default port).
On the first time, just choose the Password of your choice. This will create a new Game with this password. Afterwards, any connection to the server will need the same password to be set (It is not changeable by now!). Alternatively make the instance public to allow multiple games/passwords.
- updated GUI (it's more a placeholder by now)
- add/change/update password/permissions
- optional: track Undo/Redo also on server
- The database is a simple
ghs.sqlite-file in GHS server config folder<your-home-folder>/.ghs. You can manipulate the file directly withSqlite. To reset the database, simple delete thesqlite-file. - on startup, all passwords are written into syslog in plaintext.
This application does NOT collect ANY personal data besides the GHS game state, authentication and permission data. Please keep in mind that this data is NOT ENCRYPTED. Take care that you need to trust any third party provider of a server component to not collect any more data like IP addresses.
Gloomhaven and all related properties, images and text are owned by Cephalofair Games.
Source code is licenced under AGPL
This is a hobby project I do in my free-time. The software provides a practical need due to the end of the original Helper app and so I completely follow the Quick'n'Dirty approach to get things fast done. This leads of course to a lack of quality and testing and the code base does definitely not comply with my profession.