# RCON Client for Game Servers

Tempest is a **GUI RCON client** for game servers. Add a Minecraft, ARK, Rust, Counter-Strike 2, Source-engine, Factorio, or any other RCON-speaking server as a connection, and you get the same tabbed interface as your SSH hosts — only the channel is the Source RCON protocol instead of SSH.

If you've been juggling separate Minecraft Console apps, ARK admin tools, and Source RCON tools per game, Tempest replaces all of them with one client.

## Add an RCON server

1. Click `+` → **RCON**.
2. Set host and port (Minecraft Java default `25575`, Source-engine default `27015`).
3. Set the RCON password (matches `rcon.password` in `server.properties` or your engine's equivalent).
4. Save and connect.

The tab opens with a command prompt. Type any RCON command supported by your server.

## Common commands

**Minecraft Java**:

```
list                    # list online players
kick PlayerName Goodbye
ban PlayerName
op PlayerName
say Server restart in 5 min
stop                    # graceful shutdown
```

**Source / CS2**:

```
status
say Welcome
mp_restartgame 1
changelevel de_dust2
```

**Factorio**:

```
/players
/silent-command game.print("hello")
```

## Native Rust implementation

As of Tempest 3.6+, RCON is a **native Rust implementation** (no shell-out, no `mcrcon` binary required). Same client works identically on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

## Proxy support

RCON connections support the same proxy modes as SSH:

* HTTP CONNECT
* SOCKS5
* ProxyCommand

Use this if your game server is behind a corporate firewall or a VPN gateway you reach through `cloudflared access` or a Tailscale-like tunnel.

## Why RCON in an SSH client?

Most homelab / indie hosting setups use the same machine for an SSH-managed Linux box and the Minecraft / ARK server it hosts. Tempest lets you keep them in adjacent tabs — type `tail -f /var/log/whatever` on the SSH side, run `say Server restart in 5 min` on the RCON side.

## See also

* [Connect to Telnet servers](/connect-to-servers/connect-to-telnet-servers.md) — same Rust networking layer
* [Tempest Push Notifications](/productivity/tempest-push-notifications.md) — alert when a player joins or a server crashes (via scripted snippets)


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