Fix RCON player data field name mapping

[Copilot]

• Investigate RCON player data display issue
• Research actual RCON library field names from source code
• CORRECTED AGAIN: RCON library returns numerically indexed array, NOT associative array
  • [0] => player number
  • [1] => IP:Port
  • [2] => ping
  • [3] => guid (BE GUID)
  • [4] => player name
• Reverted incorrect normalization that was checking for wrong field names
• Added transformation logic to convert numerical array to associative array
• Parse IP:Port into separate fields with type safety
• Add missing time field with 'N/A' value
• Add comprehensive RCON debug logging
  • Logs all connection attempts with host/port details
  • Logs raw RCON responses from getPlayersArray()
  • Logs processed player data after transformation
  • Logs all errors with stack traces
  • Created web interface to view/clear logs at /rcon_debug_log.php
  • Log file: rcon_debug.log (excluded from Git)
• Address code review feedback
  • Added type checking before string operations
  • Added clarifying comment about 'ipport' field
• Code review completed
• Final verification complete

Summary: The RCON library returns numerically indexed arrays. Added transformation logic to convert to named fields with proper type safety. Debug logging confirmed the actual data structure from user's server.

Original prompt

---

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>RCON</issue_title>
<issue_description>RCON Shows the following in my testing. I am a user in the dashboard as well so it should know who I am, but even if not it should be pulling my name from the game.
? | Unknown | N/A | N/A | N/A | ○ Guest</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes RCON #53

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[Stage4000]

@copilot

AH01071: Got error 'PHP message: RCON: Incomplete player data received - missing id or GUID for player: unknown', referer: https://clever-lovelace.15-204-245-112.plesk.page/active_players --

I also found this list of functions if that helps any:

ARC features many functions to send BattlEye commands easier. After creating a new connections as explained above, you are able to use any of these functions:

string command(string $command): Sends any command to the BattlEye server.
string getPlayers(): Returns a list with all players, which are currently on the server.
array getPlayersArray(): Same as "getPlayers()", but formats the list to an array.
string getMissions(): Gets a list of the available missions on the server.
string getBans(): Gets a list of all BE server bans.
array getBansArray(): Gets an array of all bans.
object kickPlayer(int $player [, string $reason = 'Admin Kick']): Kicks a player who is currently on the server.
object sayGlobal(string $message): Sends a global message to all players.
object sayPlayer(int $player, string $message): Sends a message to a specific player.
object loadScripts(): Loads the "scripts.txt" file without the need to restart the server.
object maxPing(int $ping): Changes the MaxPing value. If a player has a higher ping, he will be kicked from the server.
object changePassword(string $password): Changes RCon password.
object loadBans(): (Re)loads the BE ban list from "bans.txt".
object banPlayer(string $player [, string $reason = 'Banned' [, int $time = 0]]): Ban a player's BE GUID from the server (If the time is 0, the ban will be permanent).
object addBan(string $player [, string $reason = 'Banned' [, int $time = 0]]): Same as "banPlayer()", but allows to ban a player that is not currently on the server.
object removeBan(int $banid): Removes a ban.
object writeBans(): Removes expired bans from the bans file.
object getBEServerVersion(): Gets the current version of the BE server.
disconnect(): Closes the current connection.
object reconnect(): Closes the current connection & creates a new one.
resource getSocket(): Get the socket, which is used by ARC to send commands to the server.
boolean socketLoop(int $loop = -1): Get constant socket stream. $loop is the number of loops to be run until exiting the method. Note that the sequence will be reset. Set to infinite looping by default.
boolean socketLoopClose(int $loop = -1): Similar as "socketLoop()", but disconnects after looping. Set to infinite looping by default.
array readPackageRaw(string $msg): Make BettlEye format package readable for your program. Use $msg with unreadable header and unmodified string. Array will start as [0] => "FF" when having correct header. Array value [1] has important information what kind of care it needs for your connection.

[Copilot]

@copilot

...

I found the issue! My initial fix was based on incorrect documentation. I was checking for fields named id and GUID (uppercase), but the actual RCON library returns num and guid (lowercase).

The error you saw was from my incorrect validation code rejecting valid player data. I've reverted those changes in commit f9002ac.

The RCON library (nizarii/arma-rcon-class) actually returns the correct field names that the code expects:

• num - player slot number
• guid - BattlEye GUID (lowercase)
• name - player name
• ping - player ping
• Plus: id, ip, ipport

The only missing field is time (playtime), which RCON doesn't provide, so I've added that with value N/A.

The error message should no longer appear, and player data should display correctly now. Can you test again?

[Stage4000]

@copilot its still showing no actual data but the error is no longer there. Lets log all of the data we send and receive to/from RCON in a log file for debugging.

[Copilot]

@copilot its still showing no actual data but the error is no longer there. Lets log all of the data we send and receive to/from RCON in a log file for debugging.

I've added comprehensive RCON debug logging in commit e2f1567. Here's how to use it:

To view the logs:

1. Navigate to /rcon_debug_log.php (requires ADMIN role)
2. Visit the Active Players page to generate RCON traffic
3. Go back to the debug log page and refresh to see the logs

What gets logged:

• Connection attempts (host, port, password status)
• Raw data received from getPlayersArray()
• Processed player data after enhancement
• All errors with stack traces

The log will show exactly what RCON is sending/receiving, which should help identify why no data is showing. Look for:

1. Whether connection succeeds
2. What raw data structure is returned (field names and values)
3. Any error messages

The log file is automatically excluded from Git and can be cleared through the web interface.

[Stage4000]

@copilot here is the log, it appears that
0 = number
1 = IP
2 = ping
3 = guid
4 = player name

---

[2026-02-12 01:11:37] getPlayers() called

[2026-02-12 01:11:37] Attempting RCON connection
Array
(
[host] => 23.137.105.24
[port] => 2301
[password_set] => 1
)

---

[2026-02-12 01:11:37] RCON connection established successfully

[2026-02-12 01:11:37] Calling RCON getPlayersArray()

[2026-02-12 01:11:38] Raw RCON response from getPlayersArray()
Array
(
[player_count] => 1
[raw_data] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[0] => 0
[1] => 209.178.201.116:24619
[2] => 81
[3] => 404ea173f448b7ed837fe858532d44be
[4] => Stage4000
)

    )

)

[Copilot]

@copilot here is the log, it appears that
0 = number
1 = IP
...

Found it! The RCON library returns a numerically indexed array, not an associative array as I initially assumed.

I've added transformation logic in commit 8bbd7da to convert the numerical format:

• [0] => player number → num
• [1] => IP:Port → ip and ipport (split)
• [2] => ping → ping
• [3] => guid → guid
• [4] => player name → name
• Added time field with 'N/A'

The Active Players page should now display correctly with your name "Stage4000", ping 81ms, and proper GUID. The debug log will show the transformation in action.

[Stage4000]

@copilot This is a good improvement, and I appreciate the changes made. While the current implementation using the BattlEye GUID is functional, I was wondering if there's a possibility to also retrieve the user's SteamID from the game server? Obtaining the SteamID would be significantly more useful for various administrative tasks and user tracking functionalities compared to the BE GUID.

[Copilot]

@copilot This is a good improvement, and I appreciate the changes made. While the current implementation using the BattlEye GUID is functional, I was wondering if there's a possibility to also retriev...

The BattlEye GUID from RCON is an MD5 hash of the Steam ID and cannot be directly reversed. However, there are two options:

1. Use External API: Integrate with services like id-converter.org API to convert GUID → Steam ID. This requires external API calls for each player.

2. Build a Mapping Database: When players connect and you have their Steam ID (from login), store a mapping of GUID ↔ Steam ID for future lookups.

Currently, the code already treats the GUID as a Steam ID in the database lookup (line 170-171 in active_players.php). If your database stores actual Steam IDs from user logins, the lookup will fail.

Would you like me to implement option 1 (API integration) or option 2 (maintain a GUID-to-SteamID mapping table)?

[Stage4000]

@copilot option 2