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To edit a Starbound dedicated server, stop the server, run starbound_server.exe once so it creates its configuration, then open starbound_server.config in the storage folder beside the server binaries. Change the JSON in a plain-text editor, save a backup, and start the server again. The file must remain valid JSON: Starbound can rename a syntactically invalid file to starbound_server.config.old and generate a default replacement.
What the Starbound server config file controls
starbound_server.config is the dedicated server’s main JSON configuration file. It is separate from the settings used by the normal game client. Server access controls, account entries and other dedicated-server options are represented as JSON properties in this file.
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The file is generated on the server machine; it is not necessarily present in a fresh installation. File names and installation paths have changed in community documentation, so use the storage directory that belongs to the server you actually start rather than relying on a copied path from another installation.
Find the correct file
Windows Steam installation
- Open the Starbound installation directory in Steam’s library folders. A typical layout has a
win64directory containingstarbound_server.exe. - Run
starbound_server.exeonce and allow it to initialize. - Close the server cleanly.
- Open the
storagedirectory besidewin64. In a conventional Steam layout, this is similar to...steamappscommonStarboundstorage. - Look for
starbound_server.configand open that file, not a similarly named client configuration.
The exact Steam-library drive and parent folders depend on your installation. The reliable rule is the relationship between the executable and the storage folder, not a fixed drive letter.
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Linux installation
Linux installations also use a storage directory containing starbound_server.config. Some community setups place the game under a path such as /home/steam/starbound/storage/, but that is only an example. Locate the directory in your own Starbound installation and confirm that it is next to the server’s assets, mods and server executable directories.
If you run the server with a service manager, container, panel or custom wrapper, its working directory may differ from the shell account’s home directory. Check the working directory configured for that service before editing a file elsewhere.
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Docker and hosted panels
Containerized and hosted installations can map the game files to provider-specific paths. No single Docker path can be assumed. Use the panel’s file manager or inspect the container’s mounted Starbound directory, then apply the same rule: edit the storage/starbound_server.config used by the running server.
Generate the file when it is missing
- Stop any existing Starbound server process.
- Change to the directory that contains the dedicated-server executable.
- Start the dedicated server from that directory.
- Wait for initialization to finish, then stop it.
- Open the adjacent
storagedirectory and check again forstarbound_server.config.
The first run is important because the configuration is generated rather than shipped as a guaranteed, ready-to-edit file. If it still does not appear, verify that you started the dedicated server executable—not the game client—and that the account running it can write to the installation’s storage directory.
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Back up the file before changing it
Make a copy in the same directory before editing. For example, duplicate starbound_server.config as starbound_server.config.backup. Keep the backup outside any automated synchronization or deployment process that might overwrite it. A backup lets you restore your previous settings if a typo causes a reset or if a change prevents the server from starting as expected.
Do not edit while the server is writing to the file. Stop the server first, save the file, and restart only after the edit is complete. Stop-before-edit and restart-after-edit are prudent operational practices even when a particular build appears to reload some values.
Edit the JSON safely
Use a plain-text editor
Use an editor that preserves plain text and UTF-8 (or the file’s existing encoding) without adding formatting. Avoid word processors that insert smart quotation marks, hidden characters or rich-text markup. Keep the existing braces, brackets, commas and quotation marks unless you are deliberately changing the corresponding JSON structure.
Understand the basic JSON rules
- Property names and text values use straight double quotes:
"name". - Objects use curly braces, and arrays use square brackets.
- Separate adjacent properties with commas, but do not leave a trailing comma before a closing brace or bracket.
- Boolean values are lowercase
trueorfalse; they are not quoted strings. - Numbers are written without quotation marks when the existing schema expects numbers.
Preserve the file’s overall structure. A visually minor punctuation error can make the entire configuration invalid.
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Validate before launching
After saving, validate the complete file with a JSON-aware editor or validator. Validation only checks syntax; it cannot tell you whether a property is supported by your Starbound build. If validation reports an error, use the line and column information to find a missing comma, unmatched brace or altered quotation mark.
What happens after a syntax error
Community documentation reports that when the server encounters invalid JSON at startup, it renames the broken file to starbound_server.config.old and writes a default configuration in its place. This behavior means your changes can disappear from the active file after a failed start. Stop the server, compare the .old copy with your backup, correct the JSON, and restore only the settings you understand. Treat the reset behavior as a recovery mechanism, not as a substitute for backups.
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A community configuration summary notes that sbinit.config uses relative paths for directories such as assets, mods and storage. For that reason, start the server with its installation directory as the working directory. Launching an executable from an unrelated directory can cause it to resolve relative paths against the wrong location and make you think an edit was ignored. This relative-path detail is community-reported; if your wrapper deliberately sets a working directory, confirm that setting in the wrapper or service definition.
Configure accounts and access
The serverUsers object
Community examples place named accounts under a serverUsers object keyed by username. A representative structure is:
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"serverUsers" : {
"UsernameHere" : {
"admin" : true,
"password" : "PasswordHere"
}
}The exact account schema is not confirmed by an official Starbound reference in the available documentation. Compare the spelling, capitalization and surrounding structure with the configuration generated by your own server before adding an entry. Keep the JSON valid and use a unique, strong password. Anyone who can read the file may be able to read the value, so protect the server directory and backups.
Private-server settings reported by community references
Community references also mention these properties:
| Property | Community-described use | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
serverPassword |
A server-wide password; examples show it empty by default. | Verify the property and value type in your generated file and build. |
allowAnonymousConnections |
Set to false in examples to restrict connections to listed accounts. |
Community guidance; behavior and spelling should be checked against your installation. |
allowAdminCommandsFromAnyone |
Appears in testing examples that allow administrative commands broadly. | Do not enable casually. The setting is reported as a testing example, not a recommended production configuration. |
Do not add all three properties merely because they appear in an online snippet. First inspect the generated file, make one controlled change, and test with a non-administrator account where possible.
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- Save the edited file under the exact name
starbound_server.config. Check that your editor did not append.txt. - Close the editor or finish writing the file before launching the server.
- Start the dedicated server from its installation directory.
- Watch the startup output for JSON errors, file-path messages or an immediate shutdown.
- Connect with the account or password policy you changed and confirm only the intended behavior.
If the server starts with defaults after your edit, stop it and inspect whether starbound_server.config.old was created. That is a strong indication of invalid JSON. Restore your backup, validate it, and reapply changes one at a time.
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Troubleshoot common problems
starbound_server.config is not found
- Run the dedicated server once; the file is generated during initialization.
- Search the
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- Confirm that the process has permission to create files in that directory.
- Look for a similarly named
starbound.config, but do not assume it is the correct file.
The edit has no effect
- Make sure the server was stopped before saving and restarted afterward.
- Verify that you edited the file used by the active instance, especially when more than one Starbound installation exists.
- Start from the server’s own directory so relative paths resolve to the intended
assets,modsandstorage. - Check the exact property name, capitalization and JSON value type.
- Test one change at a time; unrelated startup output can otherwise obscure which setting was accepted.
The file was replaced with defaults
Look for starbound_server.config.old. A syntax error can trigger this rename-and-replace behavior. Keep the .old file for diagnosis, restore a known-good backup, validate the JSON, and then reapply a single corrected change.
Older instructions mention starbound.config
Older forum posts use the name starbound.config, while newer community guides generally refer to starbound_server.config. Follow the filename created by the dedicated server in your installation. Do not rename a file solely to match an old post.
The server starts, but nobody can connect
- Check whether you enabled an account-only policy such as the community-described
allowAnonymousConnectionssetting without creating a matching account. - Confirm that the username key and password value in
serverUsersmatch what the client is using. - Revert the last access-control change from your backup if you have locked out every account.
- Review the server’s startup output for configuration errors before changing network settings elsewhere.
A cautious change workflow
For a production or shared server, use a repeatable sequence rather than editing ad hoc:
- Record the server version, installation directory and the date of the change.
- Stop the server and create a dated copy of
starbound_server.config. - Change one related group of properties, preserving the existing indentation and structure.
- Validate the entire JSON document.
- Start the server from its own directory and retain the startup output.
- Test the affected login or permission path with the least-privileged account available.
- If the result is wrong, stop the server and restore the dated copy instead of repeatedly layering edits.
This process is especially useful when several people administer the server or when a hosting panel automatically restarts it.
Important limitations of online instructions
Available Starbound server configuration guides are community-maintained and were published roughly 1,600 to 3,000 days before October 2026. They disagree on default folder paths and on some setting examples, and there is no official Starbound or Chucklefish configuration reference represented here. Treat the generated file in your own installation as authoritative for its available keys, and keep a backup before testing an unfamiliar option.
The stable, cross-installation procedure is therefore narrow: run the dedicated server once, edit the generated starbound_server.config in the adjacent storage directory as valid JSON, and restart the same server instance from the correct working directory.
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