VPS: ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server Linux Setup
This guide was created with the following products:
(Details may vary with products from different providers but the main concepts remain the same)
Introduction
Do you have a Linux VPS or root server and you want to install the ARK: Survival Ascended Dedicated server service on it? You are in the right place. In this guide, we will explain the step by step process of installing this service on your Linux server through the use of SteamCMD. We will be using Ubuntu in the examples, but the process should be very similar for other distributions.
Did you know that you can install our ZAP GS/TS3 Interface directly onto your VPS or root server, allowing you to setup game server services, with direct integration to your ZAP-Hosting dashboard, in just a few clicks! Learn more about the GS/TS3 Interface here.
Preparation
To begin with, connect to your VPS or root server via SSH. Use our SSH Initial Access guide if you need help doing this.
You will also have to complete a first-time setup for SteamCMD if this is your first time using this on your Linux server. Please use our SteamCMD Linux Setup guide and ensure SteamCMD is fully setup before proceeding.
ARK: Survival Ascended currently does not offer a native Linux-based server build, which means that there is an extra preparation step necessary to run the Windows server build on Linux.
You have to complete a one-time installation of the Wine compatibility layer if this is your first time using this on your Linux server. Please use our quick Wine Compatibility Layer Setup guide to set this up before proceeding.
Installation
Begin by logging in to your steam user and heading over to the root home/steam user directory to keep things organised.
sudo -u steam -s
cd ~
When logged in, you can start the installation process using the following command to easily start the installation through the use of SteamCMD directly to your steam user.
steamcmd +force_install_dir '/home/steam/ARK-SA-Server' +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit
Please be patient as the download completes, it can take some time for games with larger sizes. Once successful, you will see a success message appear confirming this.
Configuration
By this stage, you have finished the setup for your ARK: Survival Ascended server. You can perform further server configuration through a configuration file found within the directory of your server.
You will be able to adjust all configuration parameters by accessing and editing the GameUserSettings.ini configuration file found within the Saved folder.
nano /home/steam/ARK-SA-Server/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/WindowsServer/GameUserSettings.ini
See our ARK: Survival Ascended Server Configuration guide to view all of the available options and what they each do.
Starting & Connecting to your server
Now it is time to start your server. Head over to the main game directory and run the ArkAscendedServer.exe executable file using the command below. Ensure that you add the xvfb-run and wine commands to run it through the Wine compatibility layer.
xvfb-run wine /home/steam/ARK-SA-Server/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ArkAscendedServer.exe TheIsland_WP?listen
Unfortunately due to a lack of support, you cannot run the Anti-Cheat Battleye version of the server on Linux. This is because the Anti-Cheat is not compatible at all.
You should now see logs appear in your command prompt which signals that the start up was successful. Please note that first time start up could take some time as everything is setup. Alternatively, you will be able to connect directly by using the bottom search bar on the server list and searching for: [your_ip_address]:7777.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you have successfully installed and configured the ARK: Survival Ascended server on your VPS! As a next step, we recommend looking over our Setup Linux Service guide, which covers setting up your new dedicated game server as a service. This provides various benefits including automatic server launching on boot, automatic server updates, easy management and access to logs, plus much more!
If you have any further questions or problems, please contact our support team, who are available to help you every day!