How To Install An ARK Survival Dedicated Server On Linux

If you're looking to setup an Ark Dedicated Server for your gaming community, you will need to install the ARK Dedicated Server software on a remote server. The best OS for running an Ark Server is Linux.

This article will show you how to set up Ark: Survival Evolved using a ServerMania dedicated or Cloud Server.

Before You Begin

You have two options when it comes to creating an Ark Server. Either you can do it on your own computer or you can pay a monthly fee and host it online.

If you want to set up a reliable and affordable Ark game server online, ServerMania offers cheap cloud hosting starting at $5 per month. games With a cloud server, you can setup a high-performance Ark game servers on the best hardware, ensuring the lowest possible latency. Hosting the Ark Server online will provide the best gaming experience, as the server will be hosted over a lightning fast network and available 24x7.

What you'll need

In order to install Ark Dedicated Server on Linux, you'll need:

-A Linux Server-Root Access-A sufficient amount Of RAM: We recommend at the minimum 8GB

Ark Dedicated Server Installation Instructions

Follow these steps to install Ark Server under CentOS 7. These instructions may vary for other Linux distributions:

Step 1: Login to update the server

Login to the server by using SSH. Before we begin, let's update the server:

yum update -y

On Ubuntu or Debian:

Update apt-get

This process can take some time, depending on how current your server is.

Step 2: Add an Ark user

To run the Ark server in:

adduser arkserver

Set the password for the new account:

passwd arkserver

Step 3: Open ports to firewall

These commands will allow you to open ports on the firewall.

firewall-cmd -permanent -zone=public -add-port=27015/udpfirewall-cmd -permanent -zone=public -add-port=7777/udpfirewall-cmd -permanent -zone=public -add-port=32330/udp

Step 4 - Install the libraries required

Run the following command to install the libraries required for SteamCMD:

CentOS:

yum: install nano wgetscreen glibc.i686.i686.i686.libstdc++.i686.ncurses.i686.y

Ubuntu / Debian:

apt-get nano wget screen glibc.i686.i686.i686.ncurses.i686.y

Step 5 - Update the system settings

SteamCMD will require a few modifications to sysctl.conf in order to work properly. This command will modify the max files currently open.

echo "fs.file-max=100000" >> /etc/sysctl.confsysctl -p /etc/sysctl.conf

Step 6: Update security limitations file

We'll input information into our limits.conf file with this command:

echo -e "* soft nofile 1000000n* hard nofile 1000000" >> /etc/security/limits.conf

Step 7: Change to arkserver user

We'll now change into our Arkserver user

su - arkservercd ~

Step 8 - Download and install Ark Server

Install SteamCMD and Download SteamCMD

cd Engine/Binaries/ThirdParty/SteamCMDmkdir Linuxcd Linuxcurl http://media.steampowered.com/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz > steamcmd.tar.gztar -zxf steamcmd.tar.gz./steamcmd.sh

When done, press exit.

Step 9: Launch SteamCMD and update it

We will now launch SteamCMD and update it. App 376030 will be Ark Survival Evolved Dedicated Server. It will be installed under the /ark directory.

./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous +force_install_dir ./ark +app_update 376030 validate +quit

This process can take some effort.

The screen will display " Success! After completion, the screen will display "Success! App '376030' fully-installed." games

Step 10: Create an updated script

Let's create a file called updatearkserver and open it in the nano text editor:

nano /home/arkserver/updatearkserver

login anonymousforce_install_dir ./arkapp_update 376030quit

Hit control +x for save and exit.

When you are ready to update the server, just run:

./steamcmd.sh +runscript updatearkserver

Step 11: Create a start script

In the nano text editor, create a file called Arkserver.sh

nano /home/arkserver/ark/arkserver.sh

Copy the following content into the file

#!/bin/bashSessionName="ServerName"port="7777queryport="27015rconport="32330ServerAdminPassword="YourAdminPassword"maxplayers="50screen -dmS ark ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer TheIsland?listen?Multihome=0.0.0.0?SessionName=$?MaxPlayers=$?QueryPort=$?RCONPort=$?Port=$?ServerAdminPassword=$ -server -log

Hit control +x to save the file and exit it.

Update the permissions for the file

chmod +x /home/arkserver/ark/arkserver.sh

Execute the following command to start the server:

sh /home/arkserver/ark/arkserver.sh

Execute:

screen -S ark -X quit

Step 12: Connect to your server

You can now connect to your Ark: Survival Evolved game server. Open Steam, click View > Server > to add your server into the Favorites. After you have opened the game, click Join Ark to connect to your server.

1. Mike says: April 7, 2019 at 12:41 am

Excellent instructions. Just what I needed for Linux.

CloudFormation allows me to automate this entire assembly by putting it on AWS. I was going to use Amazon Linux. It is EL-based so the instructions should work right out of the box.

Cheers!

1. A-Aron: July 1, 2019 at 5 :14 pm

Hey, if you do make it, can you share the process?

The steps using iptables doesn't work on out-of-the-box CentOS 7.4, it's my understanding that it was replaced by firewalld. This is what worked well for me (iptables failed).

firewall-cmd -permanent -add-port=27015/udp firewall-cmd -permanent -add-port=7777/udp firewall-cmd -permanent -add-port=32330/udp

Followed the instructions and everything worked until it came time to start the server. (Except for the firewall rules as mentioned by Mike Wheway, so I added them via webmin to firewalld via panel

Using the command sh /home/arkserver/ark/arkserver.sh Does nothing.

I'm not getting any ark server log files written or anything to know whats actually going on.

I tried everything, but I couldn't get anything to work. Has anyone else had success getting this to work for them? The final booting SH seems ineffective.

1. Mark Lahn says: November 15, 2019 at 3:47 pm

This should do the trick:

cd Engine/Binaries/ThirdParty/SteamCMD mkdir Linux cd Linux curl http://media.steampowered.com/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz > steamcmd.tar.gz tar -zxf steamcmd.tar.gz ./steamcmd.sh

1. eaglebbd: June 21, 2020 at 12 :38 pm

When u try to install steamcmd on Centos 8: /home/arkserver/Linux/linux32/steamcmd: Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type ./steamcmd.sh: ligne 29: /home/arkserver/Linux/linux32/steamcmd: Aucun fichier ou dossier de ce type

What is the purpose of adding a new bank account? Why not just let it run on the root?

1. Chris: June 4, 2020 at 6;04 pm

Security. Security.

Now that Epic gave ARK away for free, have you figured out how to get the Epic version of ARK to see your Linux server on it's unofficial pages? I was told adding a -crossplay to the server is supposed to help, but I'm not sure which command they are referring to.

1. Neil says: July 17, 2020 at 10:14 pm

Hi Steve. This was what allowed me to view my Epic account. Add the following in extra game parameters:

-crossplay -epiconly

Ark Survival will allow you to select "unofficial" under your server filter and "show password protected". That was it. Good luck!

1. Steve says: July 20, 2020 at 3:12 pm

Perfect! That made it work. Thank you!! !

1. Neil says: July 21, 2020 at 3:09 pm

Woot! Happy gaming.