What command installs the Counter-Strike 2 server with SteamCMD?

As the steam user, run steamcmd +force_install_dir ' ' +login anonymous +app_update 730 validate +quit (Steam App ID 730).

Dedicated Server: Counter-Strike 2 Dedicated Server Linux Setup

Learn how to set up a Counter-Strike 2 Dedicated Server on your Linux VPS for seamless gameplay hosting → Learn more

10 November 20262 min read1 Views0 helpful

Introduction

You have a Linux VPS and want to install the Counter-Strike 2 Dedicated Server on it? You’re in the right place. This guide walks you through installing the service on your Linux server with SteamCMD. We use Ubuntu as an example, but the process is very similar on other distributions.

Dedicated Server: Counter-Strike 2 Dedicated Server Linux Setup

Preparation

First, connect to your VPS via SSH. If you need help, follow our SSH Getting Started guide. You’ll also need to set up SteamCMD on your Linux server the first time you use it. Follow our SteamCMD Linux Setup guide, and make sure SteamCMD is fully set up before continuing.

Installation

Code

sudo -u steam -s
cd ~

Once logged in, start the installation with the following command. It uses SteamCMD to install the server directly in the steam user’s directory:

Code

steamcmd +force_install_dir '/home/steam/cs2-ds' +login anonymous +app_update 730 validate +quit

Please be patient while the download completes—it may take a while for larger games. If everything worked, you’ll see a confirmation message.

Configuration

You’ve now completed the basic installation of your Counter-Strike 2 server. You can adjust additional server settings directly in the startup file.

Go to your root directory. Then navigate to the cfg folder and open the server.cfg file. You can edit the server options here.

Code

nano /home/steam/cs2-ds/game/csgo/cfg/server.cfg

Register a GSL Token

To let other players join your server, you need to generate and add a Game Server Login Token (GSLT). This token authenticates your server with Steam. Create your GSLT at http://steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers using Game ID 730, which is for Counter-Strike 2.

Then add the token to your server startup parameters with +sv_setsteamaccount <TOKEN>.

Start and Connect to the Server

You can now start your server. Go to the main game directory and run the following command:

Code

./cs2 -dedicated +map de_dust2

You should now see logs in the terminal confirming that the server started successfully. Note that the first startup may take a little longer while everything is set up. Alternatively, you can connect directly by using the search at the bottom of the server list and entering [your_ip_address]:2456.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed and configured your Counter-Strike 2 server on your VPS. As a next step, we recommend following our Linux Service Setup guide, which shows you how to set up your new Dedicated Gameserver as a service. This offers many benefits, such as automatically starting the server when your system boots, automatic updates, easy management, and access to logs—and much more!

If you have any questions or run into issues, our support team is here to help every day. Don’t hesitate to contact us! 🙂

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

You need SSH access to your Linux server and a one-time SteamCMD setup (see the “SteamCMD Linux Setup” guide).

As the steam user, run steamcmd +force_install_dir '<path>' +login anonymous +app_update 730 validate +quit (Steam App ID 730).

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Dedicated Server: Counter-Strike 2 Dedicated Server Linux Setup

Introduction

Preparation

Installation

Configuration

Register a GSL Token

Start and Connect to the Server

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions

Software

Preparation

Installation

Configuration

Register a GSL Token

Start and Connect to the Server

Conclusion

Game Server

Servers & Hosting

ZAPX

Resources

ZAP-Hosting