📘 Hytale Dedicated Server for Proxmox LXC (Debian 12)

This guide explains how to setup a dedicated Hytale-Server on an unprivileged Proxmox LXC with:

• Stable Autostart
• Working Proxmox-Console
• Clean Network
• Crash-Recovery
• Update-Workflow

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1️⃣ Create LXC (Proxmox)

Template

• Debian 12 Standard

Recommended Resources

• CPU: 8-16 Cores (depending on your hardware)
• RAM: 12-16 GB
• Swap: 0
• Disk: ≥ 16 GB
• Unprivileged: Yes
• Hostname: hytale-server (or whatever you like)
• Features: nesting=yes
• Network: DHCP (vmbr0)

Start the container after creation.

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2️⃣ Basic Container Setup

Select your Server-Node, open the Node-Console, and enter the container:

pct enter <containerID>

Enable the console and configure networking:

systemctl enable console-getty.service
systemctl add-wants multi-user.target console-getty.service

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt purge -y ifupdown
systemctl mask networking.service
systemctl enable systemd-networkd
mkdir -p /etc/systemd/network
nano /etc/systemd/network/10-eth0.network

Paste the following configuration into the file:

[Match]
Name=eth0

[Network]
DHCP=yes
IPv6AcceptRA=yes

Save with CTRL+X, confirm with Y, then ENTER.

⚠️ Action required: Shutdown the container via Proxmox UI, wait a few seconds, and start it again.

⚠️ You can now use the Container-Console directly. Log in with root & your password.

Install dependencies:

apt install -y ca-certificates curl wget unzip gnupg

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3️⃣ Install Java (Temurin LTS)

Add the repository and install Java:

wget -O - https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/api/gpg/key/public | gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/adoptium.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/adoptium.gpg] https://packages.adoptium.net/artifactory/deb bookworm main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/adoptium.list

apt update
apt install -y temurin-25-jdk

Check if Java installation was successful:

java -version

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4️⃣ Create Hytale-Directory & User

mkdir -p /opt/hytale
useradd -r -m -d /opt/hytale -s /usr/sbin/nologin hytale
chown -R hytale:hytale /opt/hytale

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5️⃣ Install Hytale Downloader & Server

cd /opt/hytale
wget https://downloader.hytale.com/hytale-downloader.zip
unzip hytale-downloader.zip
chmod +x hytale-downloader-linux-amd64
mv hytale-downloader-linux-amd64 hytale-downloader
rm hytale-downloader.zip hytale-downloader-windows-amd64.exe

Download the game files:

⚠️ Note: You will need to authenticate with your Hytale Account before the download starts. Follow the prompots from hytale-downloader!

Go to https://oauth.accounts.hytale.com/oauth2/device/verify and enter the code shown in the console.

./hytale-downloader download-path game.zip
unzip 2026*.zip
rm 2026*.zip

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6️⃣ Make script executable

chmod +x /opt/hytale/start.sh
chown -R hytale:hytale /opt/hytale

⚠️ Note: This is required after every update because the ZIP doesn't preserve the executable bit.

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7️⃣ systemd-Service for Autostart & Crash-Recovery

Create Service File

nano /etc/systemd/system/hytale.service

Content

Paste the following:

[Unit]
Description=Hytale Server
After=network.target systemd-user-sessions.service

[Service]
Type=simple
User=hytale
WorkingDirectory=/opt/hytale
ExecStart=/opt/hytale/start.sh
Restart=always
RestartSec=15
LimitNOFILE=1048576

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save with CTRL+X, confirm with Y, then ENTER.

Enable Service

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable hytale

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8️⃣ Reboot-Test

1. Shutdown Container through Proxmox UI.
2. Wait a few seconds.
3. Start Container again.

Check status:

systemctl is-system-running
systemctl status hytale  # (CTRL+C to exit)
ip a show eth0

Expected results:

• System: running
• Hytale: active (running)
• Network: Has IP

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🔐 9️⃣ Authentication with your Hytale Account

You need to authenticate once to make the server work.

1. Stop the service and run manually:

   systemctl stop hytale
   cd /opt/hytale
   ./start.sh

2. Wait for the server to boot. You will see:

   "Hytale has Booted" ... "No server token configured..."

3. In the console, type:

   /auth login device

4. Go to https://oauth.accounts.hytale.com/oauth2/device/verify and enter the code shown in the console.

5. After authentication is complete, type in the console:

   /auth persistence Encrypted

   ➡️ auth.enc created. Never delete this file.

6. Shutdown the manual server instance:

   /stop

7. Change File Owner to hytale:

   chown -R hytale:hytale /opt/hytale

8. Start the service again:

   systemctl start hytale

🎇🎊 YOU ARE DONE! Have fun playing Hytale! 🥳🎉

Default Server-Port is 5520

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🔁 🔟 Test Crash-Recovery (optional)

We are going to crash the server intentionally to see if automatic restart works.

pkill -9 -f HytaleServer.jar

Expected: Automatic restart after ~15-30s.

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🔄 1️⃣1️⃣ Update-Workflow

Run these commands to update the server:

systemctl stop hytale
cd /opt/hytale
./hytale-downloader download-path game.zip
unzip -o 2026*.zip
chmod +x /opt/hytale/start.sh
chown -R hytale:hytale /opt/hytale
rm 2026*.zip
systemctl start hytale

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🧠 Important to remember

Start Server (Automatic on boot)

systemctl start hytale

Stop Server

systemctl stop hytale

Restart Server

systemctl restart hytale

Server Status (CTRL+C to exit)

systemctl status hytale

Live-Logs

journalctl -u hytale -f

Show last lines of log

journalctl -u hytale --no-pager

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✅ Config

If you want to change settings (password, servername, etc.):

systemctl stop hytale
cd /opt/hytale/Server
nano config.json

Save with CTRL+X, confirm with Y, then ENTER.

systemctl start hytale

💾 Backups

Don't forget to setup your Proxmox backups 😊 I usually go for these settings:

Proxmox UI: Datacenter → Backup → Add

General

• Schedule: 04:00 (Daily at 4AM)
• Mode: Suspend
• Selection Mode: Include selected VMs
  (1 backup job per VM / container)

Retention

• Daily: 3
• Weekly: 4
• Monthly: 2

Useful Links

https://support.hytale.com/hc/en-us/articles/45326769420827-Hytale-Server-Manual

Join me!

If you want to join my Creative Hytale Server, feel free to!

Server:

tronnic-srv.duckdns.org:5521

If you play there and decide to leave at some point, I don't mind exporting the World / Playerdata for you 😃