Privileges

Privileges provide a means for server administrators to give certain players access to special abilities in the engine, games or mods. For example, game moderators may need to travel instantly to any place in the world, this ability is implemented in /teleport command which requires teleport privilege.

Registering privileges

A mod can register a custom privilege using minetest.register_privilege function to give server administrators fine-grained access control over mod functionality.

For consistency and practical reasons, privileges should strictly increase the abilities of the user. Do not register custom privileges that e.g. restrict the player from certain in-game actions.

Checking privileges

A mod can call minetest.check_player_privs to test whether a player has privileges to perform an operation. Also, when registering a chat command with minetest.register_chatcommand a mod can declare privileges that the command requires using the privs field of the command definition.

Managing player privileges

A mod can update player privileges using minetest.set_player_privs function. Players holding the privs privilege can see and manage privileges for all players on the server.

A mod can subscribe to changes in player privileges using minetest.register_on_priv_grant and minetest.register_on_priv_revoke functions.

Built-in privileges

Minetest includes a set of built-in privileges that control capabilities provided by the Minetest engine and can be used by mods:

  • Basic privileges are normally granted to all players:

    • shout: can communicate using the in-game chat.
    • interact: can modify the world by digging, building and interacting with the nodes, entities and other players. Players without the interact privilege can only travel and observe the world.

  • Advanced privileges allow bypassing certain aspects of the gameplay:

    • fast: can use "fast mode" to move with maximum speed.
    • fly: can use "fly mode" to move freely above the ground without falling.
    • noclip: can use "noclip mode" to fly through solid nodes (e.g. walls).
    • teleport: can use /teleport command to move to any point in the world.
    • creative: can access creative inventory.
    • bring: can teleport other players to oneself.
    • give: can use /give and /giveme commands to give any item in the game to oneself or others.
    • settime: can use /time command to change current in-game time.
    • debug: can enable wireframe rendering mode.

  • Security-related privileges:

    • privs: can modify privileges of the players using /grant[me] and /revoke[me] commands.
    • basic_privs: can grant and revoke basic privileges as defined by the basic_privs setting.
    • kick: can kick other players from the server using /kick command.
    • ban: can ban other players using /ban command.
    • password: can use /setpassword and /clearpassword commands to manage players' passwords.
    • protection_bypass: can bypass node protection. Note that the engine does not act upon this privilege, it is only an implementation suggestion for games.

  • Administrative privileges:

    • server: can use /fixlight, /deleteblocks and /deleteobjects commands. Can clear inventory of other players using /clearinv command.
    • rollback: can use /rollback_check and /rollback commands.

Minetest includes the following settings to control behavior of privileges:

  • default_privs: defines privileges granted to new players.
  • basic_privs: defines privileges that can be granted/revoked by players having the basic_privs privilege. This can be used, for example, to give limited moderation powers to selected users.