Punkbuster commands
The easiest way to quickly test that your PunkBuster Server is properly installed, Enabled, and working is to type "PB_SV_VER" into the game console. If PunkBuster is working properly, it will respond by displaying the version number that is currently installed and running. If there is no response, then PunkBuster is either not installed properly or has become corrupted and should be reinstalled.
Some commands are standalone and others may require or accept additional parameters. For example, the command "PB_SV_VER" is standalone, typing in "PB_SV_VER" tells PunkBuster that you would like to know the currently running Version number. The command "PB_SV_LOAD" takes one parameter (a filename), typing in "PB_SV_LOAD ABC.CFG" tells PunkBuster to load the PB configuration file called "ABC.CFG".
Many Server Admins remotely control their game servers via the rcon facility built into the game. Most PunkBuster commands will operate the same way whether issued directly into the game console or remotely. A few of the Server commands listed below send queries to Clients and the responses are not directed back to the user when issued remotely via rcon. These commands are denoted by a {rcon limited} designation after the command name in the descriptions below.
Most Server Admins will not use the PB_SV_LOAD command, but rather will use the game-specific exec command so that configuration files can be loaded that have both Game and PunkBuster commands and settings changes. Configuration files loaded by the PB_SV_LOAD command may contain only PunkBuster related commands and settings.
Listed below (in alphabetical order) is a list of PunkBuster Commands and Settings along with a general description and usage instructions where necessary.
PB_SV_AutoUpdBan [0/1]
Set to 1 (defaults to 0) if you want PB to automatically update the permanent ban file (pbbans.dat) after each change to the banlist in memory
PB_SV_BadName [grace_seconds] [text_filter]
Adds a bad name to the list of bad names for the server to disallow in player names
PB_SV_BadNameDel [slot #]
Deletes a bad name from the list of bad names
PB_SV_BanNameEmpty
Empties the list of badnames (from PB's memory); the list is reloaded from the pbbans.dat file once the PB server is restarted
PB_SV_BadNameList
Displays the current bad name list for the Game Server; see the section dealing with the Player Name Management Facility
PB_SV_Ban [name or slot #] [displayed_reason] | [optional_private_reason]
Removes a player from the game and permanently bans that player from the server based on the player's guid (based on the cdkey); the ban is logged and also written to the pbbans.dat file in the pb folder
PB_SV_BanEmpty
Empties the current ban list stored in memory
PB_SV_BanGuid [guid] [player_name] [IP_Address] [reason]
Adds a guid directly to PB's permanent ban list; if the player_name or IP_Address are not known, we recommend using "???"
PB_SV_BanList [optional_search_text]
Displays the list of bans in the console, including kicks with a temporary ban; if the [optional_search_text] parameter is specified, then only bans/kicks that include the search text are listed (useful for searching for a specific name / guid).
PB_SV_BanLoad [optional filename]
Loads a PB Ban List from the specified file; if no filename specified, then pbbans.dat is loaded
PB_SV_BanMask [IP Address / Subnet Mask]
Permanently bans players from joining the server from the specified IP Address / Subnet Mask; for example: issuing PB_SV_BanMask "12.34." will cause PB to deny access to all players trying to join from an IP Address that begins with "12.34."; These bans are written to the pbbans.dat file just like bans issued with the PB_SV_Ban command
PB_SV_BindSrch [search_text] [player_name_or_slot#] {rcon limited}
Sends a request to all applicable connected players asking for a report on which local player key bindings contain the specified [search_text]; to specify a player name or substring (as opposed to slot #), surround the text with double-quote marks
PB_SV_Cvar [Cvar_name] [IN/OUT/INCLUDE/EXCLUDE] [Param1] [optional_Param2]
Adds an automatic cvar check to the list of cvars for the server to check for during gameplay
PB_SV_CvarChanged [player_name_or_slot#] {rcon limited}
Sends a request to all applicable connected players asking for a list of which local player cvar values have been changed from their original default value; to specify a player name or substring (as opposed to slot #), surround the text with double-quote marks
PB_SV_CvarDel [Cvar slot #]
Deletes a Cvar range check from the list of checks stored in memory; the Cvar slot # can be obtained via the pb_sv_cvarlist command
PB_SV_CvarEmpty
Empties the list of Cvar range checks in memory
PB_SV_CvarList
Displays the allowed cvar ranges for all cvars that the Game Server is monitoring; see the section dealing with the Variable Monitoring Facility
PB_SV_CvarSrch [search_text] [player_name_or_slot#] {rcon limited}
Sends a request to all applicable connected players asking for a list of which local player cvar values contain the specified [search_text]; to specify a player name or substring (as opposed to slot #), surround the text with double-quote marks
PB_SV_CvarUser [player_name_or_slot#] {rcon limited}
Sends a request to all applicable connected players asking for a list of which local player cvars were created by the user (as opposed to being part of the game itself); to specify a player name or substring (as opposed to slot #), surround the text with double-quote marks
PB_SV_CvarVal [Variable_Name] [player_name_or_slot#] {rcon limited}
Sends a request to all applicable connected players asking for the value of the specified variable (cvar); to specify a player name or substring (as opposed to slot #), surround the text with double-quote marks
PB_SV_Disable
Disables the PunkBuster Server Software - the disabling does not take effect until the game server is exited and restarted
PB_SV_Enable
Enables the PunkBuster Server Software
PB_SV_GetSs [player_name_or_slot#]
Sends a request to all applicable connected players asking for a screen shot to be captured and sent to the PB Server; to specify a player name or substring (as opposed to slot #), surround the text with double-quote marks
PB_SV_HomePath
Use this command to display PB's home path
PB_SV_IPGuard [IP Address]
The PunkBuster Server automatically adds suspicious IP Addresses to the IP Guard list when players join with a non-functioning PunkBuster client; Players joining from a guarded IP with an old version of PunkBuster are removed from the server; The PB_SV_IPGuard command allows admins to add their own suspicious IP Addresses to the list
PB_SV_Kick [name or slot #] [minutes] [displayed_reason] | [optional_private_reason]
Removes a player from the game and won't let the player rejoin until specified [minutes] has passed or until the server is restarted, whichever comes first - kicks are not written to the pbbans.dat file but they are logged and will show up in the output from the pb_sv_banlist command
PB_SV_Load [File Name]
Loads the specified PunkBuster configuration file which can contain PunkBuster commands and/or setting changes
PB_SV_NameLock [GUID or partial match] [Name to Lock]
Causes the PunkBuster Server to kick players wearing a locked name unless the player's GUID contains the specified GUID or partial match associated with a locked name; NameLocks are not stored to disk automatically so Admins should add these to the pbsvuser.cfg file in order to have NameLocks extend to future server sessions
PB_SV_NameLockEmpty
Empties the list of NameLocks in memory
PB_SV_NameLockList
Displays the list of NameLocks to the server console
PB_SV_NewLog
Causes PunkBuster to close the current PunkBuster log and open a new one
PB_SV_PList
Displays a list of connected players and their current status
PB_SV_Power [slot #] [power rating]
Adds player in specified slot # to the locally stored PB Player Power database with the specified power rating. (NOTE: The order of the arguments for this command was reversed for consistency starting in version 0.996).
PB_SV_PowerList [filter]
Displays a list of Power Players in the database; if filter is specified, then only entries where the filter is either in the guid and/or name fields are displayed
PB_SV_PowerPoints [power slot #] [points]
Changes the number of Power Points assigned to a Power Player in the database; use the PB_SV_PowerList command to get the power slot #
PB_SV_ProtectName [Unique ID] [Registered Name]
Protects the specified PunkBuster Registered Name on the local server so that players who wear the protected name without having the correct Registration Credentials will be removed from the server
PB_SV_ProtectTag [Unique ID] [Registered Tag]
Protects the specified PunkBuster Registered Tag on the local server so that players who wear the protected tag without having the correct Registration Credentials will be removed from the server
PB_SV_RCon [min power points] [command prefix]
Add a new command to the PB RCon list and define the power points required to issue the command.
NOTE: you are entering prefixes - if a player enters a command that "starts with" an exact entry in the list, then it will be considered valid as long as the player has enough points to issue that command. For example, entering PB_SV_RCon 75 PB_SV_ means that any player with 75 or more power points can issue any PB server command (not recommended by the way unless you are the only player with 75 or more power points and you wish to do this for yourself).
PB_SV_ReBan [slot #]
Rebans a player who has been mistakenly Unbanned with the pb_sv_unban command; use pb_sv_updbanfile to update the permanent ban file after using this command
PB_SV_RList
Display the list of all currently defined RCon command prefixes as well as the power points required to issue each command prefix.
PB_SV_Task [X] [Y] [command]
Adds a task to PB's Task List; The Task will be executed X seconds after entry and every Y seconds thereafter; use -1 for Y if a one-time task is desired; this can be used to execute game server commands as well as PB commands
PB_SV_TaskDel [task slot #]
Removes the task from PB's Task List that corresponds to the specified task slot #
PB_SV_TaskEmpty
Empties the list of Tasks in memory
PB_SV_TList
Displays a list of PB Tasks along with a task slot # for each task
PB_SV_UnBan [slot #]
Unbans a player from the ban list stored in memory; use pb_sv_updbanfile to update the permanent ban file after using this command
PB_SV_UnBanGuid [guid]
Unbans a guid from the ban list stored in memory; use pb_sv_updbanfile to update the permanent ban file after using this command
PB_SV_Update
Forces the PB Server to attempt a PB software update even if no players are currently connected
PB_SV_UpdBanFile [optional filename]
Updates the specified ban file (pbbans.dat is used if none specified) with regard to recent unbans/rebans
PB_SV_Ver
Displays the currently running version of the PunkBuster Server software
PB_SV_WriteCfg
Writes the current values of the PunkBuster Server settings to the local hard drive (creating or overwriting a file called pbsv.cfg) in such a way that they will be loaded automatically the next time the PunkBuster Server starts; server admins who wish to manage multiple config files for different situations will usually not use this command at all
PB_SV_AutoSs [0/1]
Set to 1 (default is 0) if you want the PB server to regularly retrieve screen shots from connected players
PB_SV_AutoSsFrom [Seconds]
Minimum number of seconds (default is 60) PB will wait before requesting a screen shot after the previous request from each player
PB_SV_AutoSsTo [Seconds]
Maximum number of seconds (default is 1200 = 20 minutes) PB will wait before requesting a screen shot after the previous request from each player
PB_SV_ChangePeriod [1-999]
This setting works in combination with pb_sv_changemax. It defines a period of time (in seconds) during which a player may do up to pb_sv_changemax name changes. Default is 999 which means disabled.
PB_SV_ChangeMax [1-50]
This setting works in combination with pb_sv_changeperiod. This setting defines how many name changes can be done over a specified period of seconds (pb_sv_changeperoid). If the player does more name changes during this period the player will be kicked.
PB_SV_CQC [0/1]
CQC means Client Query Capability - setting this to 0 (default is 1) means that connected players cannot use PB to check the value of game server cvars (we recommend leaving this set to the default of 1 to promote goodwill); NOTE that PB doesn't let players see the value of any server-side cvars that include the text "pass" nor any PB settings
PB_SV_CvarChangedPulse [Number]
The number of minutes (default is 99 which means disabled) between automatic sends of the CVARCHANGED command described in the command section above
PB_SV_CvarFreq [Number]
The number of times per minute (default is 6) that each player has one cvar value checked against the current list of cvar ranges on this server
PB_SV_CvarLogging [0/1/2/3]
Determines the target destination of log output related to player cvar checks; The value of 1 (default) specifies the server console and normal log file, the value of 2 specifies separate log files in the "svlogs" folder with the var file extension, and the value of 3 specifies both
PB_SV_CvarUserPulse [Number]
The number of minutes (default is 99 which means disabled) between automatic sends of the CVARUSER command described in the command section above
PB_SV_CvarWalk [Number]
The default setting of 0 tells PunkBuster to simply log lists of cvar names returned by the CVARSRCH, CVARUSER and CVARCHANGED commands so that the Admin would have to manually query the individual values if desired; a non-zero setting tells PunkBuster to "walk" through each cvar returned in such a list automatically and log the values of each cvar - the higher the number for this setting, the more cvars PunkBuster walks through during each processing cycle
PB_SV_DupNameGrace [Seconds]
Set to the number of seconds (default is 0 which means duplicate name kicking is disabled) of grace period a player should be granted to change names before being kicked for having the same (duplicate) name as another player (first come first served) on the server
PB_SV_EmptyName [0/1]
When set to 0 (which is the default), PunkBuster will remove players who join with an Empty Name or who change to an Empty Name during gameplay
PB_SV_ExtChar [0/1]
The default setting of 0 tells PunkBuster to disallow extended ASCII Characters in player names; for the purposes of this command, characters that cannot be easily entered with simple keystrokes are considered extended
PB_SV_GUIDRelax [0-7]
Defaults to 0; Controls PunkBuster's kicking behavior related to GUIDS; A Value of 1 means PB will not kick for UNKN (Unknown) GUIDs; A Value of 2 means PB will not kick for WRONGIP GUIDs (these are GUIDS which are valid but not from the IP Address the player is connecting from); A Value of 4 means PB will not kick for DUPLICATE GUIDs; These values (1, 2 and 4) can be combined to achieve the desired behavior
PB_SV_HttpAddr [IP Address]
The IP Address of the computer running the PunkBuster WebTool; if this setting is left empty ("" which is the default), then the WebTool will only operate properly when used with a web browser running on the same machine as PunkBuster itself (i.e. using 127.0.0.1 as the IP address)
PB_SV_HttpKey [Key (password) for WebTool use]
The Key or Password used by the WebTool to limit access to its features; if this setting is left empty ("" which is the default), then the game server's rconpassword will be used instead; if both are empty, then the WebTool will not be usable at all
PB_SV_HttpMaps [List of Maps]
By default, this setting is empty which means that the standard official maps will be displayed in the 'change map' dropdown list inside the WebTool; if you wish to customize the entries in the dropdown, then use this setting to store the list of maps (each separated by a space)
PB_SV_HttpPort [Port Number]
The TCP port number used by the WebTool's http server; this setting defaults to 0 which means the WebTool is deactivated
PB_SV_HttpRefresh [Number]
The number of seconds between auto-refreshes of the Player List screen inside the WebTool; setting this to 999 means that the page will not auto-refresh at all
PB_SV_KickLen [Minutes]
The number of minutes (default is 2) a player will be kept from being able to rejoin after getting kicked by PunkBuster
PB_SV_LAN
Setting defaults to 0; when set to 1, PB will behave as though it has no Internet access
PB_SV_LanMask [IP Subnet Mask]
This setting is used for Internet Servers that also have local LAN game clients connecting; it should be set to hold the subnet of the LAN; for example, if the LAN IP Addresses are 192.168.1.x, then set pb_sv_lanmask to 192.168.1
PB_SV_LogAddr [Address / Internet Hostname]
Holds the address of the machine to which remote logging is sent (default is empty meaning the feature is not used)
PB_SV_LogCeiling [Number]
The highest serial number (default is 1000) that PunkBuster will use in numbering its log files before starting over at 1
PB_SV_LogNext [Number]
The next serial number that PB will use to name a PB log file; this setting is automatically maintained by PunkBuster and is incremented after each map change by the Game Server as PB opens a new log file
PB_SV_LogPort [Port #]
Holds the listen port of the machine to which remote logging is sent (default is 0 meaning the feature is not used)
PB_SV_LogPw [Password]
Holds the password required to send logging output to a listening remote logging machine
PB_SV_LogSync [0/1]
When set to 1 (default is 0), PB will name Game log files in accordance with PB log files using the same serial number system; Game log files will still be stored in the same location inside the game directory either way, but will have the same filename as the corresponding PB log file and both will be closed at the end of each map and a new log file will be opened
PB_SV_LogUser [Username]
Holds the username required to send logging output to a listening remote logging machine
PB_SV_MaxConDls [Number]
The maximum number (default is 3) of PB updates that PB will attempt to download at the same time
PB_SV_MaxConUpdates [Number]
The maximum number (default is 12) of PB Clients that PB will attempt to update at the same time.
PB_SV_MaxDlRate [KB/sec]
The (roughly) maximum bandwidth (default is 1 KB/sec) requested per file for PB update downloads
PB_SV_MinName [0-4]
Holds the minimum player name length (default is 0) allowed on the server (after stripping color codes)
PB_SV_MsgPrefix [New Prefix]
Holds the text that the PunkBuster Server displays in front of every output line displayed; the default is "^3PunkBuster Server" (note the ^3 means output in the color GOLD); If the game server is running in non-dedicated (listen) mode, all PunkBuster Server output goes to both the top of the playing screen and to the console by default; To prevent PunkBuster Server messages from being displayed on the playing screen, insert the text [skipnotify] before any desired message prefix text. For example, the command pb_sv_msgprefix [skipnotify]^3PunkBuster Server will cause all PunkBuster Server output to go only to the console and not to the playing screen.
PB_SV_NoGuidGrace [Seconds]
Holds the number of seconds PB will wait (default is 1) before kicking players who join without having a GUID; Refusing to enter a CDKey into the game causes the "no guid" condition
PB_SV_PowerDef [power points]
Holds the default number of Player Power points (default is 1) assigned to players who are not in the locally stored PB Player Power database
PB_SV_PowerKickLen [minutes]
The number of minutes (default is 5) a player will be kept from being able to rejoin after being removed via the PB Player Power facility
PB_SV_PowerMin [power points]
A player is removed from the server when the number of power points applied against him/her is equal to or greater than the value of this setting (default is 10)
PB_SV_Restrictions [0/1]
Setting defaults to 1 (which means kicking for PB Restrictions is Enabled)
PB_SV_ScoreKick [low_negative_score]
Players whose score drops below this setting will be kicked from the server; the default of 0 means disabled; the allowable range is -1 to -20
PB_SV_Sleep [Period]
Holds the period of time (milliseconds) that the PunkBuster Server "sleeps" between processing cycles; lower numbers will cause PunkBuster to process more times each second which also may have the effect of marginally increasing the bandwidth used by PunkBuster
PB_SV_Specname [text]
If a special spectator client "bot" is used on the server, this setting should hold the player name corresponding to that client so that the PB Server will know this is not a real player; if the player with this name ever has a non-zero score, the "special" status is lost
PB_SV_SsCeiling [Number]
The highest serial number (default is 100) that PB will use in numbering Screenshot (PNG) files obtained from players before starting over at the PB_SV_SsFloor value
PB_SV_SsCmd [Filename]
The name of the script file (default is "" empty which means "not used") that PB calls after each screen shot PNG image file is received; this can be used by admins to copy or otherwise process screenshot files that are obtained automatically during gameplay
PB_SV_SsDelay [Seconds]
When this is non-zero (default is 0), then each PB client will wait a random number of seconds up to the value of this setting after receiving the request before actually capturing a screen image for sending back to the server
PB_SV_SsFloor [Number]
The lowest serial number (default is 1) that PB will use in numbering Screenshot (PNG) files obtained from players
PB_SV_SsHeight [Pixels]
The requested height (default is 240 pixels) of images captured by PunkBuster Clients for sending to the PB Server
PB_SV_SsNext [Number]
The next serial number that PB will use to name a PNG screen shot image file
PB_SV_SsPath [Path]
If specified (default is "" empty), PB will write captured screen shot images obtained from connected players to this alternate location, this can be a network share or some other location where you would prefer to place screen shot images and the "helper" htm files that go with them
PB_SV_SsSRate [Number]
The sample rate (default is 1) used for capturing screen shots, specifies how many pixels get skipped in the processing of the image to keep file sizes down; if set to 2, then only every 2nd pixel is taken (in both horizontal and vertical directions); if set to 4, then only every 4th pixel is taken
PB_SV_SsWidth [Pixels]
The requested width (default is 320 pixels) of images captured by PunkBuster Clients for sending to the PB Server
PB_SV_SsXPct [Percentage]
The percentage across the screen (default is 50%) where the center of the requested screenshot should be captured from
PB_SV_SsYPct [Percentage]
The percentage down the screen (default is 50%) where the center of the requested screenshot should be captured from
PB_SV_UpdateGrace [Seconds]
Holds the number of seconds (default is 600) that PunkBuster allows for a player to successfully update to the version of PunkBuster currently in use at the server