How to make/convert .BSP files to .BZ2 files for quick HTTP map downloading

[rec]

I thought I'd post this useful info for anyone else setting up a TF2 or CSS server with the intention of enabling HTTP downloads.

Obviously some maps are still huge, but you can actually compress them for the HTTP directory in .bz2 format which the Source engine seems to be happy using.

You'll slice the file size of the maps dramatically, enabling even quicker downloads of big maps...

• First, download BZIP2 executable for your platform.
• When you downloaded the file, save it at the root of your hard disk (C:\) for a more practical use, and rename it as BZIP2.EXE.
• Now, create a directory named BZIP2 in the root of the hard disk
• Copy maps with the .BSP extension to your C:\BZIP2 directory
  you can have 1 to 20 maps in this folder to be made into the bz2 format.
• Open up a command prompt. Click on the Start button >> click Run >> type CMD >> click OK
• Type CD \ >> then type BZIP2 \BZIP2\*.* in the window

The bzip2 will start to compress all maps in the bzip2 folder.

Upload all new files in this folder to your http map folder, but make sure in the actual map directory for the server you keep the original .bsp files.

Easy as that. Enjoy.

[therrin]

So the bz2 files are only for converting the bsp? The soundcache and nav files arent included in that and they'll still download fine from the server without having to be included in the same file tree format on the HTTP site?


When I run bzip2 it outputs as a .rar file. Do I just edit the file extension to ".bz2" or is the .rar recognized as a .bz2 file?? :sad:

[neotheo]

is the file extension .rar or is it just the winrar icon on the compressed file. Winrar can read bzip2

[therrin]

The file extension shows as a .rar but when i upload it it shows it as a .bz2 I found out. I guess that's just how it works.

Only thing is, Cant get any of the maps I uploaded to work in the server. *I* can connect, but everyone else errors out on loading the map.

I uploaded all the correct files through ftp to the server side, edited the maplist, all that fun stuff. Then uploaded the bz2 to fastdownloads and it's all set up right. The other maps that were already in there work fine, but not any new ones that I put, so I'm missing *something* somewhere.

Wasnt sure if im supposed to have the file-tree on the fastdownloads folder set up the same way as i have in the Maps folder on the server, with the files set up as bz2's, or if I only need the .bsp bz2 in there as a standalone maps folder for fastdownloads.