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This script will:
- Download Proton from Glorious Eggroll's build
- Install Steam and SteamCMD
- Create a
steamuser for running the game server - Install ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server using standard Steam procedures
- Setup a systemd service for running the game server
- Add firewall service for game server (with firewalld or UFW)
- Setup NFS shares for multi-server environments
- Adds a management script for controlling your server
- Adds backup/restore scripts for archiving and migrating data
- Features
- Requirements
- Installation
- Finding Your Game
- Directory Structure
- Managing your Server (Easy Method)
- Backups and Migrations
- Installing Modded Maps
- Accessing Files
- Common Issues and Troubleshooting
Because it's managed with systemd, standardized commands are used for managing the server. This includes an auto-restart for the game server if it crashes.
By default, any enabled game map will automatically start at boot!
A management console (manage.py) is included for managing all maps in the cluster.
Scripts for starting all, stopping all, updating, backing up user data, and restoring user data are included for administration tasks.
Sets up multiple maps on a single install, and all of them can run at the same time (providing your server has the horsepower to do so).
If your single server cannot run all maps, this script supports multiple servers
sharing the same cluster directory via NFS to allow players to jump between maps,
even if they are on different physical servers.
In addition to the base maps, modded maps are supported too!
Supports integration with Discord to send messages on start, stop, and restart events.
Read more about enabling Discord integration.
Supports fine-grained management of game configuration via Beacon App thanks to their SFTP deployment feature. Read about using Beacon with this installer.
Imports from Nitrado server backups are SUPPORTED, including all player and tribe data.
- Basic familiarity with running commands in Linux.
- Debian or Ubuntu
- At least 40GB free disk space (an SSD is strongly recommended)
- 16GB RAM per map or 96GB RAM for a full cluster
- CPU/vCPU cores, at least 2 cores per map and 4GHz or faster.
The easiest way to install ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server on Linux is to use Warlock, a game server management tool we have developed.
To install ARK Survival Ascended Dedicated Server on Debian 12 or Ubuntu 24.04, download and run server-install-debian12.sh as root or sudo.
- Debian 12 tested on Digital Ocean, OVHCloud, and Proxmox.
- Debian 13 tested on Proxmox.
- Ubuntu 22.04 tested on Proxmox.
- Ubuntu 24.04 tested on Proxmox.
Quick run (if you trust me, which of course you should not):
sudo su -c "bash <(wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cdp1337/ARKSurvivalAscended-Linux/main/dist/server-install-debian12.sh)" rootQuick note for Debian users; you need sudo installed to run the above command. If you do not have sudo installed, run:
# Login as root
su -
# Install the script
bash <(wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cdp1337/ARKSurvivalAscended-Linux/main/dist/server-install-debian12.sh)As of v2025.11.02, the installation script will be saved in /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/.
This script can be used to fix proton, force a reinstall, or uninstall the game completely.
# Reset and rebuild proton directories (if the prefix gets corrupted somehow)
sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/installer.sh --reset-proton
# Force reinstall game binaries, (useful after a major update when Wildcard breaks the build)
# This will NOT remove your save data!
sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/installer.sh --force-reinstall
# Completely uninstall the game server and all player data
# This WILL wipe all save data!!!
sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/installer.sh --uninstall
# Install a modded map, you will be asked for the Mod ID and map name in the installer.
sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/installer.sh --install-custom-mapRe-running the installation script on an existing server is safe and will not overwrite or delete your existing game data. To install new features as they come out, simply re-download the script installer via the steps above and re-run the installer application.
Once installed and running, you should be able to search for your server in the "Unofficial" server list after ticking "Show Player Servers".
(This was an added step Wildcard implemented to make it harder for players to find servers that are hosted outside Nitrado's network...)
/home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended
├── AppFiles/ # Game Server Files (directly managed from Steam)
├── prefixes/ # Proton prefix directory (emulates windows filesystem)
│ ├── ark-aberration/
│ ├── ark-club/
│ ├── ark-island/
│ ├── ark-scorched/
│ ├── ark-thecenter/
│ ├── ark-extinction/
│ ├── ark-astraeos/
│ ├── ark-lostcolony/
│ └── ark-valguero/
├── services/ # Service file overrides (for setting startup options)
│ ├── ark-aberration.conf
│ ├── ark-club.conf
│ ├── ark-island.conf
│ ├── ark-scorched.conf
│ ├── ark-thecenter.conf
│ ├── ark-extinction.conf
│ ├── ark-astraeos.conf
│ ├── ark-lostcolony.conf
│ └── ark-valguero.conf
├── GameUserSettings.ini # Game Server Configuration
├── Game.ini # Game Server Configuration
├── ShooterGame.log # Game log file
├── PlayersJoinNoCheckList.txt # Player whitelist
├── admins.txt # Admin whitelist (needs manually setup)
├── start_all.sh # (DEPRECATED) Start all maps
├── stop_all.sh # (DEPRECATED) Stop all maps
├── backup.sh # (DEPRECATED) Backup game files to local archive
├── restore.sh # (DEPRECATED) Restore game files from archive
├── update.sh # (DEPRECATED) Update game files (only when all maps stopped)
└── manage.py # Management console for game server, maps, and settings
Once installed, run sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/manage.py to access the management console:
== Welcome to the ARK Survival Ascended Linux Server Manager ==
| # | Map | Session | Port | RCON | Auto-Start | Status | Mem | Players |
|----|------------------|-------------------------------|------|-------|-------------|------------|---------|---------|
| 1 | Extinction_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Extinction) | 7706 | 27006 | ❌ Disabled | ✅ Running | 5.68 GB | 0 |
| 2 | Astraeos_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Astraeos) | 7707 | 27007 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | ScorchedEarth_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Scorched) | 7704 | 27004 | ❌ Disabled | ✅ Running | 5.90 GB | 0 |
| 4 | TheCenter_WP | BitsnBytes Test (TheCenter) | 7705 | 27005 | ❌ Disabled | ✅ Running | 2.01 GB | N/A |
| 5 | Aberration_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Aberration) | 7702 | 27002 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 6 | TheIsland_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Island) | 7701 | 27001 | ❌ Disabled | ✅ Running | 9.77 GB | 0 |
| 7 | BobsMissions_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Club) | 7703 | 27003 | ❌ Disabled | ✅ Running | 1.57 GB | 0 |
| 8 | Valguero_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Valguero) | 7709 | 27009 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 9 | Ragnarok_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Ragnarok) | 7708 | 27008 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 10 | LostColony_WP | BitsnBytes Test (Lost Colony) | 7710 | 27010 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
1-9 to manage individual map settings
Configure: [M]ods | [C]luster | [A]dmin password/RCON | re[N]ame | [D]iscord integration | [P]layer messages
Control: [S]tart all | s[T]op all | [R]estart all | [U]pdate
Manage Data: [B]ackup/Restore | [W]ipe User Data
or [Q]uit to exit
The main screen of the management UI shows all maps and some basic info, including how many players are currently connected.
Pressing m will open the mods overview screen:
== Mods Configuration ==
| Session | Mods |
| VN Test Boxes (Scorched) | |
| VN Test Boxes (Island) | |
| VN Test Boxes (TheCenter) | |
| VN Test Boxes (Astraeos) | 947033, 928793 |
| VN Test Boxes (Aberration) | |
| VN Test Boxes (Extinction) | |
| VN Test Boxes (Club) | 1005639 |
Installed Mods:
- 1005639: Club ARK (In Use)
- 1365929: Fancy Ark QoL Plus (In Use)
- 947033: Awesome Spyglass! (In Use)
- 928793: Pelayori's Cryo Storage (Crossplay!) (In Use)
[E]nable mod on all maps | [D]isable mod on all maps | [B]ack:
Here, e will allow you to enable (aka add) a mod on all maps and d will disable a mod on all maps.
Enabling (aka adding) a mod is done by providing the Curseforge Project ID in the interface when asked. This adds the mod ID to the list of mods in the game configuration, which will get downloaded and installed automatically on next server start.
b will go back to the main menu overview.
Pressing c will open the cluster overview screen:
== Cluster Configuration ==
| Session | Cluster ID |
| VN Test Boxes (Scorched) | some-test-name |
| VN Test Boxes (Island) | some-test-name |
| VN Test Boxes (TheCenter) | some-test-name |
| VN Test Boxes (Astraeos) | some-test-name |
| VN Test Boxes (Aberration) | some-test-name |
| VN Test Boxes (Extinction) | some-test-name |
| VN Test Boxes (Club) | some-test-name |
[C]hange cluster id on all maps | [B]ack:
Pressing c on the cluster page will allow you to set the cluster ID for all maps.
b will go back to the main menu overview.
Pressing a will open the admin password and RCON management screen:
== Admin and RCON Configuration ==
| Session | Admin Password | RCON |
| VN Test Boxes (Scorched) | foobarblaz | 27004 |
| VN Test Boxes (Island) | foobarblaz | 27001 |
| VN Test Boxes (TheCenter) | foobarblaz | 27005 |
| VN Test Boxes (Astraeos) | foobarblaz | 27007 |
| VN Test Boxes (Aberration) | foobarblaz | 27002 |
| VN Test Boxes (Extinction) | foobarblaz | 27006 |
| VN Test Boxes (Club) | foobarblaz | 27003 |
[C]hange admin password on all | [E]nable RCON on all | [D]isable RCON on all | [B]ack:
This allows you to change the admin/rcon password across all maps, as well as enable or disable RCON.
Note, you should leave RCON enabled, as it allows the script to warn users upon restarts and gracefully save prior to shutting down the server.
== Discord Integration ==
Discord integration is currently available and enabled!
Discord Webhook URL: https://canary.discord.com/api/webhooks/1348175098775081070/xjCt************
Discord Channel ID: 919624281904783472
Discord Guild ID: 909843670214258729
Discord Webhook Name: Testy McTesterFace
[D]isable | [C]hange Discord webhook URL | configure [M]essages | [B]ack
Provides an option to automatically send messages to Discord on start, restart, and stop events for maps. Default messages are provided and can be customized to match your preferences.
Read more about enabling Discord integration.
From the main menu overview, pressing n will allow you to rename all maps.
By default, all maps are suffixed with the map name, allowing you to have the same name
for every map in the cluster.
From the main menu overview, the options s, t, and r respectively
will start, stop, and restart all maps that are currently enabled.
When RCON is enabled and available, (default), the stop logic will first check if there are any players currently on the map. If there are, it will send a 5-minute warning to all players and then wait for a minute before another warning is sent if they are still logged in.
3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, and 30 second warnings are also sent.
If all players have left the map prior to the countdown completing, the server will skip the remaining countdown and will proceed with the shutdown.
A world save is automatically requested on the map prior to shutdown.
New as of 2025.03.10 release, Discord messages are sent prior to shutdown and after startup.
If all maps are stopped, the u option will update the game server files from Steam.
Updating the game binaries can also be done by invoking the management script with the --update option:
/home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/manage.py --updatePressing 1 through (however many maps there are), will open the individual map page.
Map: ScorchedEarth_WP
Session: VN Test Boxes (Scorched)
Port: 7704
RCON: 27004
Auto-Start: Yes
Status: Stopped
Players: None
Mods: Awesome Spyglass! (947033)
Pelayori's Cryo Storage (Crossplay!) (928793)
Cluster ID: some-test-name
Other Options: AllowFlyerCarryPvE=True?DinoDamageMultiplier=25
Other Flags: -servergamelog
[E]nable | [D]isable | [M]ods | [C]luster | re[N]ame | [F]lags | [O]ptions | [S]tart | s[T]op | [R]estart | [B]ack:
This page allows you to configure a specific map, notably enabling, disabling, and configuring flags and options.
Options are any variable as defined in the Server Configuration
and flags are command line arguments (ie: those that start with a -.)
Useful for servers which have seasons that get rotated periodically,
the w option from the main menu overview will allow you to wipe all user data
for individual maps and for the entire cluster.
Only map and player data is removed; all configurations and mods remain intact.
== Wipe User Data ==
Wiping user data will remove all player progress, including characters, items, and structures.
This action is irreversible and will reset the game to its initial state.
| # | Map | Map Size (MB) | Player Profiles |
|---|------------------|---------------|-----------------|
| 1 | Extinction_WP | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Astraeos_WP | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | ScorchedEarth_WP | 33 | 0 |
| 4 | TheCenter_WP | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Aberration_WP | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | TheIsland_WP | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | BobsMissions_WP | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Valguero_WP | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Ragnarok_WP | 0 | 0 |
1-9 to reset individual map
or [A]ll to wipe all user data across all maps, [B]ack to return
As of 2025.05.05, simple backup and restore scripts have been added to /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/
Backups are just a tarball of the game map, user data, tribe data, and configuration files. You can use your native archive manager to view these files, or 7-zip, winrar, etc.
(As of v2025.10.19 this functionality is also available within the management interface)
As of v2025.11.02, running the --backup option on the management console will safely stop any running map
prior to initiating a backup, followed by starting any enabled maps after the backup is complete.
sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/manage.py --backup
# Created backup /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/backups/ArkSurvivalAscended-2025-05-05_13-04.tgzTo migrate this game data to another server running this system, you can copy that tarball to
/home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/backups/ (or somewhere that makes sense to you),
and run:
sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/restore.sh /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/backups/ArkSurvivalAscended-2025-05-05_09-05.tgz
# Extracting backups/ArkSurvivalAscended-2025-05-05_09-05.tgz
# Restoring service files
# Ensuring permissionsFeel free to read through some advanced usages for more information on how things work behind the scenes.
Once your base server is installed, you can install additional maps and use them with the built-in management console.
sudo /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/installer.sh --install-custom-map
# Will provide:
Checking Github for updates...
================================================================================
ARK Survival Ascended *unofficial* Installer v20251102
Using legacy save format for existing installation
? Enable whitelist for players?
> (y/N):
? Enable multi-server cluster support? (Maps spread across different servers)
> (y/N):
Please enter the Mod ID of the custom map to install.
This is also called 'Project ID' on Curseforge.
> : 965379
Please enter the Map Name to install.
This is usually listed on the Curseforge description page.
> : Amissa_WPOnce installed, the new map will appear in the management console and can be started/stopped/managed like any other map.
| # | Map | Session | Port | RCON | Auto-Start | Status | Mem | Players |
|----|------------------|------------------------------|------|-------|-------------|------------|---------|---------|
| 1 | Extinction_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Extinction) | 7706 | 27006 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | Astraeos_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Astraeos) | 7707 | 27007 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | ScorchedEarth_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Scorched) | 7704 | 27004 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 4 | TheCenter_WP | BitsNBytes Test (TheCenter) | 7705 | 27005 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 5 | Aberration_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Aberration) | 7702 | 27002 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 6 | TheIsland_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Island) | 7701 | 27001 | ✅ Enabled | ✅ Running | 9.66 GB | 0 |
| 7 | BobsMissions_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Club) | 7703 | 27003 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 8 | Valguero_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Valguero) | 7709 | 27009 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 9 | Ragnarok_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Ragnarok) | 7708 | 27008 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
| 10 | Amissa_WP | BitsNBytes Test (Amissa) | 7801 | 27101 | ❌ Disabled | ❌ Stopped | N/A | N/A |
The game starts as a system user and thus root or an admin account must be used
to start/stop/mange the server. Accessing the files however should be done with the steam user.
Read some tips on accessing game files via SSH.
Problem
Server starts but can never be connected to and RCON can never connect.
Details
ARK: SA server takes a LOT of memory to run, so the most common issue is server out of memory. For example, a fresh install of The Island takes about 11GB of RAM and an established instance with some history can easily balloon to 22GB of memory.
The most recent build of this library includes checks for this issue, and will warn you when browsing to a map:
== Service Details ==
Map: TheCenter_WP
Session: Test ARK Server (TheCenter)
Port: 7705
RCON: 27005
Auto-Start: No
Status: Stopped
Players: None
Mods:
Cluster ID:
Other Options:
Other Flags: -servergamelog
❗⛔❗ WARNING - Service was recently killed by the OOM killer
This may indicate that your server ran out of memory!
Map Sizes
Below is a table of each map (as of 73.42) and the approximate RAM required for a fresh install:
| Map | Fresh Install RAM |
|---|---|
| TheIsland | 9.4 GB |
| Aberration | 6.6 GB |
| Bob's Missions (Club ARK) | 2.6 GB |
| Scorched Earth | 9.1 GB |
| The Center | 9.7 GB |
| Extinction | 6.3 GB |
| Astraeos | 11.2 GB |
| Ragnarok | 10.2 GB |
| Valguero | 8.6 GB |
| Lost Colony | 20.0 GB |
Fix
Install more memory or reduce the number of maps running at a time.
Problem
A mod was recently updated and the server will not start.
Details
It's possible that a mod was only partially downloaded from Curseforge. The game server may see the mod was present and will skip validation check that it was actually fully downloaded.
Fix
To resolve this, remove the incomplete mod from /home/steam/ArkSurvivalAscended/AppFiles/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ShooterGame/Mods/
and try restarting the game server.
(It's up to you to determine which mod is causing issues unfortunately.)
Problem
New major version released and the server will not start.
Details
Occasionally after a major update in the game server, the Steam tracking meta can get corrupted / confused. If there recently was a major update and your server just won't start, try force-reinstalling the binaries.
Fix
sudo ./server-install-debian12.sh --force-reinstall can reinstall all binaries while preserving player and map data.
Problem
Server is not visible in the server list.
Details
Game servers running on a box with a public IP should immediately be visible in the server list with no additional work required.
For servers running on a private network, try to connect directly to verify the game server is working by opening the game and pressing backtick (key above TAB beside 1 on a QWERTY keyboard) and type:
open 192.168.0.0:7701
(replacing the IP and port number with the actual IP and port of your map)
important, this only works if you are on the same network as the server or have access via a VPN to the server network.
Fix
For servers on a private network that you can connect to directly, you will need to configure port forwarding on your gateway. Add the ports to forward, (7701-7707 UDP) to forward to your internal IP.
If you want to forward RCON as well, repeat for the requested map (27001-27007 TCP).
Problem
Server is visible in the server list but cannot connect to it.
Details
If you have added NAT forwarding and can see the server in the list but cannot connect to it while inside the same network, your gateway may have an issue with NAT reflection.
Try connecting to the server directly via its internal IP address by opening the game and pressing backtick (key above TAB beside 1 on a QWERTY keyboard) and type:
open 192.168.0.0:7701
(replacing the IP and port number with the actual IP and port of your map)
If you can connect directly and the map is visible in the list but you cannot connect via the list, your gateway most likely does not support NAT loopbacks. This is very common with home wifi routers and residential ISP-provided equipment.
Fix
Research if your router supports NAT reflection/loopback and enable it if possible.
Sadly most ISP-provided equipment is absolute garbage and does not provide this feature, so the only options are to switch your router to passthrough mode and buy a better router or continue to use the direct connect method.
Problem
Server installs on Proxmox, but will not start and throws the message when starting:
Please manually check if the game is available.
In the server logs, you will see:
This CPU does not support a required feature (SSE4.2)
Details
The newest version of the server runs Unreal Engine 5.5 which requires the SSE4.2 instruction set on the CPU.
The default Proxmox CPU type is kvm64 which does not support this flag.
Fix
Stop your virtual machine, edit the CPU type to be host, and start the guest. Modern CPUs have this instruction set
and setting it to use the host will 1) provide better performance and 2) expose this flag to the guest.
Problem
Maps can be imported from Nitrado but player and tribe data is missing
Details
Nitrado and official uses a non-default format for saving player and tribe data. Notably that data is all stored within the main map file.
(Refer to ARK Wiki on wiki.gg for more details)
Fix
New server installs should say "y" when prompted if you plan on importing from Nitrado. This will configure the server to use the Nitrado-compatible save format.
For existing installs, stop all maps and edit each one from the management interface.
For each map, press F to edit flags and add the following flag:
-newsaveformat -usestore
Resulting output should resemble:
== Service Details ==
Map: Astraeos_WP
Session: BitsNBytes ubuntu Test (Astraeos)
Port: 7707 (UDP)
RCON: 27007 (TCP)
Auto-Start: No
Status: Stopped
Players: N/A
Mods:
Cluster ID:
Other Options:
Other Flags: -servergamelog -newsaveformat -usestore
- RCON library by Conqp (GPLv3)
- Scripts Collection compiler by eVAL (AGPLv3)
- Proton-GE by Glorious Eggroll (BSD-3)
- SteamCMD by Valve
- curl
- wget
- sudo
- systemd
- python3
- python3-venv
- ufw
- nfs-kernel-server
- nfs-common
