Unturned Server Setup: Dedicated Server Guide

Introduction

Unturned is a free-to-play open-world survival game with a zombie theme. By setting up your own dedicated server, you can play with friends or build a community. This guide covers the complete Unturned dedicated server setup on your REXE VDS, including Rocket mod framework integration and server configuration.

System Requirements

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	2 Cores	4+ Cores
RAM	4 GB	8+ GB
Disk	10 GB SSD	20+ GB NVMe
OS	Ubuntu 22.04+	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Bandwidth	3 Mbps	5+ Mbps

Prerequisites

hljs bash

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y lib32gcc-s1 lib32stdc++6 wget tar screen unzip

Create a server user:

hljs bash

sudo adduser unturned --disabled-login --gecos ""
sudo su - unturned

SteamCMD Installation

hljs bash

mkdir -p ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
tar -xzf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
rm steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
./steamcmd.sh +quit

Download Unturned Server Files

hljs bash

~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/unturned-server \
  +login anonymous \
  +app_update 1110390 validate \
  +quit

App ID 1110390 is the Steam ID for Unturned Dedicated Server. The download is approximately 3-4 GB.

Server Configuration

Commands.dat File

The main server configuration file is Commands.dat:

hljs bash

mkdir -p ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer
nano ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer/Commands.dat

name REXE Unturned Server
port 27015
maxplayers 24
map PEI
perspective both
mode normal
pvp
owner STEAM_ID
welcome Welcome!
loadplugins

Key Commands Explained

Command	Description	Example
name	Server name	name My Server
port	Game port	port 27015
maxplayers	Maximum players	maxplayers 24
map	Map name	map PEI
mode	Difficulty (easy/normal/hard)	mode normal
perspective	Camera (first/third/both/vehicle)	perspective both
pvp/pve	PvP or PvE mode	pvp
password	Server password	password pass123
cycle	Day/night cycle (seconds)	cycle 3600
owner	Server owner Steam ID	owner 76561198...

Popular Maps

Map	Size	Description
PEI	Small	Starter map, Prince Edward Island
Washington	Medium	US Washington state
Russia	Large	Russia-themed large map
Germany	Large	Germany-themed map
Greece	Medium	Greek islands
Hawaii	Medium	Hawaiian islands

Port Configuration

Port	Protocol	Usage
27015	UDP	Game port
27016	UDP	Query port

Firewall Rules

hljs bash

sudo ufw allow 27015/udp comment "Unturned Game"
sudo ufw allow 27016/udp comment "Unturned Query"

Path Panel Firewall

From the REXE Path Panel:

Unturned UDP: Protocol: UDP, Port: 27015-27016

Starting the Server

Startup Script

hljs bash

nano ~/unturned-server/start.sh

hljs bash

#!/bin/bash
cd ~/unturned-server

export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=~/unturned-server/linux64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

./Unturned_Headless.x86_64 \
  -nographics \
  -batchmode \
  +secureserver/MyServer

hljs bash

chmod +x ~/unturned-server/start.sh

Running with Screen

hljs bash

screen -S unturned
~/unturned-server/start.sh

Auto-Start with systemd

hljs bash

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/unturned.service

hljs ini

[Unit]
Description=Unturned Dedicated Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=unturned
Group=unturned
WorkingDirectory=/home/unturned/unturned-server
Environment=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/home/unturned/unturned-server/linux64
ExecStart=/home/unturned/unturned-server/Unturned_Headless.x86_64 -nographics -batchmode +secureserver/MyServer
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=15

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

hljs bash

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable unturned
sudo systemctl start unturned

Rocket Mod Framework

Rocket (LDM - Legally Distinct Missile) is the most popular mod framework for Unturned servers:

Installation

hljs bash

cd ~/unturned-server
mkdir -p Modules
cd Modules

wget https://github.com/SmartlyDressedGames/Legally-Distinct-Missile/releases/latest/download/Rocket.Unturned.zip
unzip Rocket.Unturned.zip -d Rocket.Unturned
rm Rocket.Unturned.zip

Rocket Configuration

Start and stop the server once, then edit the configuration:

hljs bash

nano ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer/Rocket/Rocket.Unturned.config.xml

hljs xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RocketConfiguration>
  <RCON Enabled="true" Port="27014" Password="RCON_PASSWORD" />
  <AutomaticSave Enabled="true" Interval="300" />
  <MaxFrames>60</MaxFrames>
</RocketConfiguration>

Popular Rocket Plugins

Plugin	Description
Kits	Kit distribution system
TPA	Player-to-player teleportation
Home	Home point system
Warp	Warp point creation
Shop	In-game shop system
Vault	Secure storage

Plugin installation:

hljs bash

cp PluginName.dll ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer/Rocket/Plugins/

Workshop Mod Support

Add Steam Workshop mods by editing WorkshopDownloadConfig.json:

hljs bash

nano ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer/WorkshopDownloadConfig.json

hljs json

{
  "File_IDs": [
    123456789,
    987654321,
    111222333
  ]
}

Get Workshop mod IDs from the URL on the Steam Workshop page.

Permission System

Adding Admins

Edit the Rocket permissions file:

hljs bash

nano ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer/Rocket/Permissions.config.xml

hljs xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RocketPermissions>
  <DefaultGroup>default</DefaultGroup>
  <Groups>
    <Group>
      <Id>admin</Id>
      <DisplayName>Admin</DisplayName>
      <Prefix>[Admin]</Prefix>
      <Color>Red</Color>
      <Members>
        <Member>76561198XXXXXXXXX</Member>
      </Members>
      <Permissions>
        <Permission>*</Permission>
      </Permissions>
    </Group>
    <Group>
      <Id>default</Id>
      <DisplayName>Player</DisplayName>
      <Prefix></Prefix>
      <Color>White</Color>
      <Members />
      <Permissions>
        <Permission>tpa</Permission>
        <Permission>home</Permission>
      </Permissions>
    </Group>
  </Groups>
</RocketPermissions>

Auto-Update and Backup

Update Script

hljs bash

nano ~/update_unturned.sh

hljs bash

#!/bin/bash
sudo systemctl stop unturned
~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/unturned-server +login anonymous +app_update 1110390 +quit
sudo systemctl start unturned

Backup Script

hljs bash

nano ~/backup_unturned.sh

hljs bash

#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DIR="/home/unturned/backups"
SERVER_DIR="/home/unturned/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/unturned_$DATE.tar.gz -C $SERVER_DIR .
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "unturned_*.tar.gz" -mtime +7 -delete
echo "$(date): Backup completed"

hljs bash

chmod +x ~/backup_unturned.sh
crontab -e
0 */4 * * * /home/unturned/backup_unturned.sh >> /home/unturned/backup.log 2>&1

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

hljs bash

tail -50 ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer/Logs/Server.log
sudo ss -tulnp | grep -E '27015|27016'

Rocket plugins not working

hljs bash

tail -50 ~/unturned-server/Servers/MyServer/Rocket/Logs/Rocket.log

Conclusion

Unturned dedicated server setup can be completed quickly with SteamCMD. With Rocket mod framework for plugin support, Workshop mods, and a detailed permission system, you can provide a professional server experience. REXE VDS reliable infrastructure provides ideal performance for your Unturned server.

Unturned Server Setup: Dedicated Server Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction

System Requirements

Prerequisites

SteamCMD Installation

Download Unturned Server Files

Server Configuration

Commands.dat File

Key Commands Explained

Popular Maps

Port Configuration

Firewall Rules

Path Panel Firewall

Starting the Server

Startup Script

Running with Screen

Auto-Start with systemd

Rocket Mod Framework

Installation

Rocket Configuration

Popular Rocket Plugins

Workshop Mod Support

Permission System

Adding Admins

Auto-Update and Backup

Update Script

Backup Script

Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Rocket plugins not working

Conclusion

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