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The System Settings page allows administrators to configure global options that affect the entire GamePanelX installation.

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Settings Overview

System settings are organized into several categories:

General Settings

Language, theme, email, and company information

Steam Configuration

Steam account credentials for automated game installations

API Settings

API key for programmatic access

Version Information

Current GamePanelX version

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General Settings

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Default Language

Select the default language for the GamePanelX interface:
  • Language files are located in /languages/ directory
  • Available languages are automatically detected from PHP files in the languages folder
  • Default: English
To add a new language, place a translated language file (e.g., spanish.php) in the /languages/ directory. It will automatically appear in the dropdown.

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Theme

Choose the visual theme for the control panel:
  • Themes are located in /themes/ directory
  • Each subdirectory represents an available theme
  • Themes control colors, layouts, and styling
/themes/
  ├── default/
  ├── dark/
  └── custom/
Users can override the default theme in their individual account settings.

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Email Address

The default email address used for:
  • System notifications
  • Password resets
  • User communications
  • Administrative alerts
Example: [email protected]
Ensure your server’s mail system is properly configured to send emails from this address.

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Company Name

Enter your company or organization name. This appears:
  • In email templates
  • On login pages (depending on theme)
  • In system-generated messages
Example: Acme Game Servers

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API Configuration

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API Key

The API key authenticates programmatic access to GamePanelX:
  • Automatically generated during installation
  • Read-only in the interface (cannot be edited)
  • Used for REST API requests
  • Required in API request headers
To use the API, include the API key in your requests:
curl -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key-here" \
  https://your-gpx-server/api/api.php?action=list_servers
Keep your API key secure. It grants full administrative access to your GamePanelX installation.

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Regenerating API Key

To regenerate the API key:
  1. Access the database directly
  2. Update the api_key value in the configuration table
  3. Use a secure random string generator
UPDATE configuration 
SET config_value = 'new-secure-random-key' 
WHERE config_setting = 'api_key';

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Steam Configuration

For automatic Steam-based game installations, configure Steam account credentials:

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Steam Login User

Your Steam account username used for SteamCMD authentication. Requirements:
  • Valid Steam account
  • Account must own the games you want to install (for paid games)
  • Consider using a dedicated Steam account for GamePanelX

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Steam Login Password

The password for your Steam account.
Security Considerations:
  • Password is encrypted in the database using base64 encoding with obfuscation
  • Only use a dedicated Steam account for GamePanelX, never your personal account
  • Enable Steam Guard for additional security

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Steam Auth Code

Steam Guard authentication code for two-factor authentication.
1

Enable Steam Guard

Ensure Steam Guard is enabled on your Steam account.
2

Retrieve Auth Code

When prompted by Steam, obtain the authentication code from:
  • Steam Mobile App (recommended)
  • Email (if email-based Steam Guard is used)
3

Enter Code

Paste the code into the Steam Auth Code field.
4

Save Settings

Click Save to store the authentication code.
Steam authentication codes are time-sensitive. You may need to update this code periodically if SteamCMD installations fail with authentication errors.

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Steam Installation Process

With Steam credentials configured, GamePanelX can automatically:
  1. Authenticate with Steam servers
  2. Download game server files via SteamCMD
  3. Install games without manual intervention
  4. Update installed games
Supported Steam Installation Methods:
MethodDescriptionStatus
SteamCMD (Method 2)Modern Steam installerRecommended
hldsupdatetool (Method 1)Legacy Steam installerDeprecated

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Version Information

The Version field displays the current GamePanelX installation version.
  • Read-only field
  • Used for troubleshooting
  • Checked during update processes
GamePanelX automatically checks for updates when you access the admin dashboard. If an update is available, you’ll receive a notification.

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Saving Settings

After modifying any settings:
  1. Review your changes
  2. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page
  3. Wait for the success confirmation
Settings are saved via AJAX, so the page won’t reload. Watch for the success message in the info box at the top of the page.

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Configuration File Settings

Some advanced settings are not available in the web interface and must be configured in /configuration.php:

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Database Configuration

define('DBHOST', 'localhost');      // Database host
define('DBUSER', 'gpx_user');       // Database username
define('DBPASS', 'secure_password'); // Database password
define('DBNAME', 'gpx_database');   // Database name

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Document Root

define('DOCROOT', '/var/www/gamepanelx');
Absolute path to the GamePanelX installation directory.

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Debug Mode

define('GPXDEBUG', false);  // Set to true to enable debug mode
Debug mode should only be enabled during development or troubleshooting:
  • Displays detailed error messages
  • Shows MySQL queries and errors
  • Exposes system paths
  • Never enable on production systems

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Encryption Key

$settings['enc_key'] = 'your-encryption-key';
Used to encrypt sensitive data like SSH passwords.
Critical Security Setting:
  • Generated during installation
  • Must remain consistent for data to be decrypted
  • Changing this key will break access to existing network servers
  • Store backups securely

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Plugin Settings

The settings page includes a plugin hook for extending functionality: 
$Plugins->do_action('settings_table');
Plugins can add custom settings fields by hooking into this action.
For more information on extending GamePanelX with plugins, see the Plugin Development documentation.

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Troubleshooting Settings

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Settings Not Saving

1

Check Permissions

Ensure the web server can write to the database:
# Verify database connectivity
mysql -u gpx_user -p gpx_database
2

Review Error Logs

Check Apache/Nginx error logs for PHP errors.
3

Test AJAX

Open browser developer tools and check for JavaScript errors.
4

Verify Database Structure

Ensure the configuration table exists and has proper structure:
DESCRIBE configuration;

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Steam Authentication Failing

  • Verify Steam username and password are correct
  • Check that Steam Guard code is current (codes expire)
  • Ensure SteamCMD is installed on network servers
  • Try authenticating manually via SSH: 
    ./steamcmd.sh +login username password authcode

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Language/Theme Changes Not Appearing

  • Clear browser cache
  • Check that language/theme files exist in their directories
  • Verify file permissions (should be readable by web server)
  • Log out and log back in to reload settings

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Security Best Practices

Secure API Key

Treat the API key like a password. Never expose it in public repositories or logs.

Dedicated Steam Account

Use a separate Steam account for GamePanelX, not your personal account.

Strong Encryption Key

Use a long, random encryption key in configuration.php.

Disable Debug Mode

Always disable debug mode in production environments.

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Next Steps

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