A data server is remote server used for accessing, storing, and transferring data between users or other servers. In Call of Duty: Black Ops, data servers are accessed using the computer terminal. Four data servers exist in-game. They are named "CIA", "DERRIESE", "DOD" and "DREAMLAND". Nobody has confirmed to have connected to any other servers.
Computer Terminal Commands
Various commands, which are instructions written in human-readable words for a computer to execute, are available on the terminal. Commands can be typed into the terminal using the on-screen keyboard, by using a USB keyboard.
The help command displays a list of some (but not all) commands that can be used on the terminal:
- cat - prints the contents of a file (.TXT, .PIC, .SND). Syntax is cat [filename].
- cd [ |.|..|path] - changes the current directory. "." is used within a path to indicate the path to the current directory, ".." is used to go up to the parent directory of current directory. Known paths are "/home/" (system directory with all users' home directories), "/bin/" (On UNIX systems, traditionally called shell-environment, containing commands usable by all users), and "/" (root directory of the system).
- clear - clears the screen.
- dir - displays the contents of the current directory.
- decode - decodes an encrypted string using an agency standard cypher. Syntax is decode [string].
- encode - encodes a string using an agency standard cypher. Syntax is encode [string].
- exit - exits the current login session, i.e. logs the current user out and returns to the previous user who has logged in.
- login - log in as a different user to the system that is currently connected.
- mail - opens the current user's electronic mailbox. This is a very informational place to look around.
- rlogin [system] - connect to a remote system/server, Known systems are CIA, Dreamland, DOD and DerRiese.
- who - lists the users who have user accounts on the system tht is currently connected. To find user accounts not listed within this command, check the home directory by typing CD HOME then LS or DIR.
Additional Commands
Like a real-life UNIX-based system, more commands can be found on the system within the binaries (or "/bin/") directory. To reach the /bin/ directory and view all available commands (minus the hidden 3arc command), type the following commands (Note: the dollar sign ($) indicates the command prompt.):
- $CD BIN
- $DIR
Many of the commands that can be seen here are duplicates of other commands. For instance, print and type do the exact same thing as cat does: prints the contents of a file.
Here is a list of additional commands found in the /bin/ directory:
- alicia - begins a session with Alicia, your virtual therapist. Type quit to exit.
- cls - clears the screen (same as clear)
- doa - Launches a hidden game called Dead Ops Arcade. Launching this game gives the player the Insert Coin achievement/trophy. After launching the game once, the Dead Ops Arcade game mode will be accessible from the Zombies menu.
- foobar - displays the string Fee Fie Foe Foo!
- hello - typing hello alone displays the string
- Error: Invalid Input - common usages include:
- hello brother, hello nurse, and hello sailor.
- Typing hello sailor will launch the Zork minigame.
- ls - displays the contents of the current directory (same as dir)
- more - changes the prompt from $ to --MORE--. this command serves virtually no purpose on the in-game terminal. However, one can see the --MORE-- prompt when printing a large text file on screen. In real command-line interfaces, the more command would be piped to a filename to allow for the printing of the file to be paused after n lines.
- print - prints the contents of a file (same as cat)
- type - prints the contents of a file (same as cat)
- zork - launches the Zork minigame. Launching this game gives the player the Eaten by a Grue achievement/trophy.
Special Commands
The following special command - 3arc - has been found. The command is in fact the Clan Tag any bot has when playing the Combat Training mode.
- 3arc unlock - a cheat code which unlocks the Zombies map "Five" and all the single player missions. This disables the 'Stand Down' Achievement/Trophy.
- 3arc intel - a cheat code which unlocks all intel in the game for viewing, but disables the 'Closer Analysis' Achievement/Trophy.
Server Access
The data servers hosting the systems are accessible through the in-game computer terminal using the LOGIN and RLOGIN [system] computer commands.
Enter the LOGIN command to log into a different user account on the server that is currently connected. For example, when first using the computer, one is connected to the Central Intelligence Agency Data System as user amason. To connect as Jason Hudson, enter LOGIN, then enter JHUDSON as the username and BRYANT1950 as the password. (Note: the dollar sign ($) indicates the command prompt.):
- $LOGIN
- Central Intelligence Agency Data system
- Unauthorized use of this system is against the law.
- Security Privileges Required
- USER:JHUDSON
- PASSWORD:**********
- $
The RLOGIN [system] command is for reaching remote servers, i.e. any system other than the one currently connected to. It is possible still to use RLOGIN [system] followed by a USER and PASSWORD prompt, even when connected to that system already.
Note that any user is accepted at the USER: prompt when using the LOGIN and RLOGIN commands, implying one cannot try to guess for user on target system. Both commands will only return the connection result after a player has given both a user with a password:
- If the given USER - PASSWORD combination does not exist, both LOGIN and RLOGIN commands will display Error: Invalid Password.
- If the given USER - PASSWORD combination does exist, the connection will succeed. LOGIN starts a new connection session for the given USER on the system a player was already successfully connected to. RLOGIN [system] starts a new connection session for the given USER on the target system.
One can guess for valid system names though, as the RLOGIN command validates the given system value for existence:
- If the target system does not exist, RLOGIN will display Error: unknown system.
- If the target system does exist, RLOGIN will continue by asking for a user and password.
Server Structure
Directories
Each server is (or presumed to be) identically structured, apart from the files and users on the server. Each server contains a root directory (/), a binaries directory (/bin/), a home directory (/home/), and user directory (/home/[user]/), which is also called the user's home directory. Each server contains the same commands in the /bin/ directory. These directories can be accessed by typing CD [path].
/ Directory
The / directory contains no files. it does, however, contain two directories: the /bin/ and the /home/ directories. These can be seen by typing DIR or LS.
/bin/ Directory
The /bin/ directory contains no directories or readable files. The files in the /bin/ directories are the terminal's commands. Typing CAT [command] will result in only a line break. The commands can be seen by typing DIR or LS.
/home/ Directory
The /home/ directory contains no files, only the directories of all the users on the server (including ones not listed via the WHO command on the CIA system). The only user directory that can be accessed is the current user's (On the CIA system, hkissinger, jehoover, and sagnew can be accessed as well).
Security
Although most of the information on the data servers is top secret, the servers themselves are not very secure.
Files
The player can view thwe contents of other user's files without needing to log in as a particular user. For instance, if the current user is amason and the player were to type in CAT OXCART.TXT, one of jfkennedy's files, the contents of the file would be printed on the screen without any error messages. However, If the player were to type in CAT SERVANTA00001.TXT, one of vbush's files on the Dreamland Server, while still logged in as amason on the CIA server, the message Error: Invalid Path would be displayed on the screen. This implies that, on each server, all of the files are stored in one directory and are completely isolated from other servers' files.
User Accounts
Traditionally, the way to change users in a system would be to log in as a different user. To do this, one must know the other user's password. It has been found that the player can change users on the Black Ops data servers without needing to know their password. For instance, simply typing CD JFKENNEDY will result in the message Error: Insufficient Permissions, thus, not allowing the player to enter jfkennedy's home directory. To get around this, the player must know at least one of the files' names into the target user's home directory. In this example, the file will be jfkennedy's OXCART.TXT. To do this, the player must type the following commands (Note the dollar sign ($) indicated the command prompt):
- $CD OXCART.TXT
- $CD ..
If the player types CD after typing CD OXCART.TXT, he/she will notice that the current directory has been switched to /home/jfkennedy/OXCART.TXT/. Typing CD .. after CD OXCART.TXT brings the player up to the parent directory (/home/jfkennedy/) and is now able to view all of jfkennedy's files by typing DIR or LS.
The only downside to using this method of changing users is that the player will not have access to the target user's mailbox. For Example, if the player changed to jfkennedy's account from amason using the method above, typing MAIL would open amason's mailbox, not jfkennedy's.
Trivia
- The terminal console's on-screen keyboard is an incomplete QWERTY keyboard.
- Although output text is displayed in lowercase characters and uppercase where expected, a player can only enter uppercase characters when typing in commands through the on-screen keyboard.
- The computer console's input cursor cannot be repositioned.
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