Decision 0004: Server Content Manager Is The Workshop Layer

Workspace reference: GSP-WORKSPACE.md

Status

Accepted, Panel-side orchestration active

Decision

Panel/modules/addonsmanager should remain the primary future home for Workshop items, mods, add-ons, and server content. steam_workshop should remain a deprecated compatibility layer only.

Phase 1 implements this decision by routing the user-facing Workshop install flow through addonsmanager/workshop_content.php and suppressing the standalone steam_workshop monitor button.

The current implementation keeps Workshop business logic in the Panel. Agents are generic executors: the Panel writes manifests, writes generated per-job scripts, invokes exec, reads logs/results, and updates database state. New first-class Workshop subsystems should not be added to Agent-Windows or Agent_Linux unless a future decision explicitly changes this.

Reasoning

addonsmanager already has the richer schema and more complete product direction.
It supports content types beyond Steam Workshop.
It is a better fit for load order, enable/disable, install history, and metadata.

Alternatives Considered

keep steam_workshop as the main module
split mods, add-ons, and Workshop into separate modules

Why Those Were Not Chosen

steam_workshop is explicitly deprecated in the codebase.
Separate modules would fragment user workflows and duplicate install logic.

Implementation Notes

Workshop input accepts numeric IDs or Steam URLs, then stores numeric IDs only.
Manifests are written under the server home in gsp_server_content.
A generated Linux/Cygwin-compatible job script is written under gsp_server_content/jobs/workshop/ before execution.
The generated job script creates a temporary SteamCMD runscript and runs SteamCMD with +runscript.
Default script names are not treated as existing agent paths.
Static custom Workshop scripts are deprecated for the primary path and logged if encountered.
Known Workshop items are cataloged in server_content_workshop_catalog.
Per-server item state, enablement, load order, update policy, and pending action are stored in server_content_workshop.
Scheduler integrates via workshop_update, workshop_update_and_restart, workshop_download_only, and workshop_install_pending_on_restart.
Generic content installs under {SERVER_ROOT}/workshop/{MOD_FOLDER} by default.
DayZ/Arma-style installs default to @<workshop_id> folders and copy .bikey files into keys when present.
Startup parameter generation remains a later phase.
Game XML uses the canonical workshop_support block. The schema validates this block and no longer requires loose top-level Workshop tags.
The Panel helpers read workshop_support first, then tolerate older direct tags only as compatibility fallbacks.
Arma 3 Linux and Windows configs declare Workshop app ID 107410 through workshop_support.

Reference Module Findings

The old reference/Module-Steam_Workshop module stored per-game profile XML under its own module folder, required admin-managed Workshop mod lists for some workflows, called dedicated agent RPCs such as steam_workshop, and used regex/profile rules to mutate game config values. Useful lessons retained:

Customers should be able to paste one or more Workshop IDs or URLs.
The Panel should store per-server installed Workshop rows.
SteamCMD command generation should be controlled by admin/game configuration, not customer shell text.

Rejected legacy behavior:

making steam_workshop the primary user module
requiring admins to pre-enter every Workshop item ID
mutating base game XML per customer install
adding new Workshop-specific agent business logic

Validation

Current validation commands:

php Panel/modules/addonsmanager/tests/workshop_helpers_test.php
php Panel/modules/config_games/tests/validate_server_configs.php
bash -n Panel/modules/addonsmanager/scripts/workshop/generic_steam_workshop_linux.sh
bash -n Panel/modules/addonsmanager/scripts/workshop/generic_steam_workshop_windows_cygwin.sh

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