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GamePanelX V3 is a free and open source game control panel that allows you to manage game servers through a web interface. This guide will walk you through the complete installation process.

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System Requirements

Before installing GamePanelX, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

Web Server

Apache or Nginx with PHP support

PHP Version

PHP 5.0 or greater (PHP 7+ recommended)

Database

MySQL 5.0 or greater

PHP Extensions

  • MySQL support (mysql_connect)
  • cURL support (curl_init)
GamePanelX requires specific PHP extensions to function properly. The installer will check for these requirements automatically.

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Pre-Installation Steps

1

Download GamePanelX

Download the latest version of GamePanelX V3 from the official downloads page.
cd /var/www/html
wget https://gamepanelx.com/downloads/GamePanelX-V3-Latest.tar.gz
tar -xzf GamePanelX-V3-Latest.tar.gz
2

Set Permissions

The _SERVERS directory must be owned by your web server user for GamePanelX to manage game servers properly.
# Replace 'www-data' with your web server user
sudo chown www-data: /var/www/html/gpx/_SERVERS -R
sudo chmod ug+rx /var/www/html/gpx/_SERVERS/scripts/*
The installer will verify that the _SERVERS directory has correct permissions. Common web server users include www-data (Debian/Ubuntu), apache (CentOS/RHEL), or nginx.
3

Create MySQL Database

Create a database and user for GamePanelX:
CREATE DATABASE gpx;
CREATE USER 'gpx_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_secure_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON gpx.* TO 'gpx_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

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Installation Process

1

Access the Installer

Navigate to the install directory in your web browser:
http://your-domain.com/install/
You’ll be presented with the GamePanelX installation wizard.
2

Configure Settings

The installer will prompt you for the following information:

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Language Settings

  • Default Language: Select your preferred language (English by default)

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Database Configuration

  • Database Host: localhost (or your MySQL server address)
  • Database Name: The database you created (e.g., gpx)
  • Database Username: Your database user
  • Database Password: Your database password

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Administrator Account

  • Admin Username: Default is admin (can be customized)
  • Admin Email: Your email address for notifications
  • Admin Password: A strong password for the admin account
  • Confirm Password: Re-enter your admin password
Choose a strong admin password! This account has full access to your GamePanelX installation.
3

Run Installation

Click the Install button to begin the installation process.The installer will:
  1. Verify PHP requirements (MySQL and cURL support)
  2. Check PHP version (must be 5.0 or greater)
  3. Verify _SERVERS directory permissions
  4. Create database tables from /install/sql/3.0.12.sql
  5. Create the administrator account
  6. Generate the configuration.php file
  7. Insert default configuration settings
  8. Add a local network server automatically
  9. Create a sample user account
4

Delete Installation Directory

For security reasons, you must delete the install directory after installation:
rm -rf /var/www/html/gpx/install/
GamePanelX will refuse to load if the install directory still exists. This is a critical security measure.

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Configuration File

The installer automatically creates configuration.php in your GamePanelX root directory. This file contains:
configuration.php
<?php
// Main GamePanelX Configuration File
$settings['db_host']      = 'localhost';
$settings['db_name']      = 'gpx';
$settings['db_username']  = 'gpx_user';
$settings['db_password']  = 'your_password';
$settings['docroot']      = '/var/www/html/gpx/';
$settings['enc_key']      = 'auto_generated_key';
$settings['debug']        = false;

if(!defined('DOCROOT'))
{
    define('DOCROOT', $settings['docroot']);
    define('GPXDEBUG', $settings['debug']);
}

date_default_timezone_set('US/Central');

if($settings['debug']) error_reporting(E_ALL);
else error_reporting(E_ERROR);
?>
The installer automatically detects your document root and generates a secure encryption key. You can manually edit this file if needed, but typically no changes are required.

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Database Tables

The installer creates the following core tables:
  • admins - Administrator accounts and credentials
  • configuration - System-wide configuration settings
  • default_games - Game server definitions and templates
  • default_startup - Startup command configurations for games
  • loadavg - Server load monitoring data
  • network - Network servers (physical/virtual machines)
  • servers - Game server instances
  • templates - Game server templates for quick deployment
  • users - Client user accounts

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Post-Installation

After installation completes successfully:
  1. The admin panel is accessible at: http://your-domain.com/admin/
  2. The client portal is accessible at: http://your-domain.com/
  3. A local network server is automatically created using your server’s IP
  4. An example user account is created for testing

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Troubleshooting

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Installation Fails with MySQL Error

If you see an error like Failed to connect to the database, verify:
  • Your database credentials are correct
  • The MySQL server is running
  • The database exists and the user has proper privileges

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Permission Denied on _SERVERS Directory

The installer checks that the _SERVERS directory is owned by the web server user: 
# Check current ownership
ls -la _SERVERS/

# Fix ownership (replace www-data with your web server user)
sudo chown www-data: _SERVERS -R
sudo chmod ug+rx _SERVERS/scripts/*

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Missing PHP Extensions

If the installer reports missing MySQL or cURL support: 
# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install php-mysql php-curl
sudo systemctl restart apache2

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install php-mysql php-curl
sudo systemctl restart httpd

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Can’t Create configuration.php

If the installer can’t write the configuration file:
  1. Create it manually: touch configuration.php
  2. Make it writable: chmod 666 configuration.php
  3. Re-run the installer
  4. Set secure permissions after: chmod 644 configuration.php

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Next Steps

Once installation is complete, proceed to the Quick Start Guide to learn how to:
  • Log in to the admin panel
  • Add your first game server template
  • Create game servers
  • Manage users and permissions

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