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Godlike.Host offers hosted Rust servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
SteamCMD is the supported way to download and update a Rust dedicated server. Install SteamCMD, use Rust’s Steam App ID 258550, launch RustDedicated.exe (or the Linux equivalent) with explicit server settings, then open the required firewall and router ports for internet players. The procedure below covers Windows, Linux and macOS hosts, local testing, persistent configuration, updates, plugins and common failures.
What you need before installing
Facepunch’s current Rust server guidance lists Windows, Linux and macOS as supported host platforms. Reserve at least 12 GB of free RAM and 15 GB of free disk space. Those are baseline figures, not a guarantee for every map or player load: a procedural 6,000-size map needs more memory than a smaller world. SSD or NVMe storage is preferable because the server continually reads and writes world and log data.
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|---|---|---|
| Host operating system | Windows, Linux or macOS | Use the SteamCMD build and server executable appropriate to the host. |
| Free RAM | 12 GB | Facepunch’s baseline; larger maps, especially 6k maps, need more headroom. |
| Free disk space | 15 GB | Allows the server files, downloaded updates, maps and logs to coexist. |
| Storage | SSD or NVMe preferred | Faster storage improves world loading and reduces update and restart delays. |
| Steam account | Not required to install or run the server | Players still need a Steam account with Rust to join and play. |
Keep SteamCMD and the Rust server in separate directories. This makes updates, backups and permission troubleshooting much easier. On a home connection, give the host a stable LAN address before configuring port forwarding.
Install SteamCMD and download Rust
Linux installation
Download and unpack SteamCMD from Valve’s distribution for your Linux system, then make the launcher executable. Create a directory for the Rust files outside the SteamCMD directory. From the SteamCMD directory, run the documented anonymous-install command:
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./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ../rust +login anonymous +app_update 258550 validate +quit+login anonymous uses SteamCMD’s anonymous mode. The Rust App ID is 258550. +force_install_dir ../rust directs the files to the separate Rust directory, +app_update 258550 downloads or updates the dedicated server, validate checks the installed files, and +quit closes SteamCMD when the operation completes.
Run the command again whenever you deliberately update the server. Stop the running server first so files are not changed while the executable is using them. A successful installation leaves the Rust server executable and supporting files under the directory you selected.
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Download the Windows SteamCMD package, extract it to its own directory and use the Windows executable with the same SteamCMD arguments. The equivalent command has the same App ID and installation options, with Windows path syntax:
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir ..rust +login anonymous +app_update 258550 validate +quitRun it from a command prompt or a batch file. If the path contains spaces, quote the path in the normal Windows command-prompt manner. Keep the SteamCMD directory separate from the Rust directory so a later SteamCMD update does not obscure which files belong to the server.
macOS considerations
macOS is listed by Facepunch as a supported host platform. Install the SteamCMD package appropriate to the macOS version and architecture you are using, then apply the same anonymous login and +app_update 258550 validate sequence with macOS path syntax. Confirm that the downloaded server executable and any required runtime components match the host before creating an automatic launch script.
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Understand the Rust server directories
Rust stores persistent server data below the installation’s server directory. The value supplied to +server.identity becomes the directory name for that instance. For example, an identity of server1 uses:
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rust/server/server1/cfg/server.cfgCreate the cfg directory if it does not exist. This layout lets one Rust installation host multiple identities, each with its own world, configuration and save data. Back up the identity directory before changing maps, installing plugins or performing a major update.
Launch a first server with explicit settings
Use the following documented Windows example as a starting point. Run it from the Rust installation directory, or replace RustDedicated.exe with the correct path for your host:
RustDedicated.exe -batchmode +server.port 28015 +server.level "Procedural Map" +server.seed 1234 +server.worldsize 4000 +server.maxplayers 10 +server.hostname "Name of Server as Shown on the Client Server List" +server.description "Description shown on server connection window." +server.identity "server1" +rcon.port 28016 +rcon.password CHANGE_THIS +rcon.web 1 -logfile rustserverlog.txtReplace the sample hostname, description and RCON password. Never leave CHANGE_THIS as the password on an internet-reachable server. The -batchmode switch runs without a graphical interface, while -logfile writes startup and runtime messages to a file you can inspect after a crash or failed boot.
| Argument | Function | Value in the example |
|---|---|---|
+server.port |
UDP game port used by clients | 28015 |
+server.level |
Map type | Procedural Map |
+server.seed |
Procedural generation seed | 1234 |
+server.worldsize |
Procedural world size | 4000 |
+server.maxplayers |
Player-limit setting | 10 |
+server.hostname |
Name shown in the client server list | Name of Server as Shown on the Client Server List |
+server.description |
Text shown in the connection window | Description shown on server connection window. |
+server.identity |
Persistent data-directory name | server1 |
+rcon.port |
RCON administration port | 28016 TCP in this example |
+rcon.password |
Password for RCON access | Replace the sample value |
+rcon.web |
Enables the web-enabled RCON interface | 1 |
Procedural world sizes shown in Facepunch’s parameter table range from 1,000 to 6,000. A 6,000 map is a substantially heavier choice than the 4,000 example, so allow more than the 12 GB baseline when selecting it.
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Move persistent settings into server.cfg
Command-line arguments are useful while testing, but a configuration file is easier to maintain. In rust/server/server1/cfg/server.cfg, enter settings without the command-line prefix characters. For example:
server.port 28015
server.level Procedural Map
server.seed 1234
server.worldsize 4000
server.maxplayers 10
server.hostname Name of Server as Shown on the Client Server List
server.description Description shown on server connection window.
server.identity server1
rcon.port 28016
rcon.password REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_UNIQUE_PASSWORD
rcon.web 1Do not put the leading + or - characters in this file. Facepunch states that the server reads server.cfg at startup and gives it priority over command-line settings. Keep the launch command for switches such as -batchmode and -logfile, while placing tunable server variables in the configuration file. After editing, restart the server and check the log for the values you intended to use.
Start-up verification and local connection
Watch the console or log until it reports Server startup complete. Do not test the client connection before that message appears; the process may be running while the world is still loading.
- Start the server with your launch command.
- Wait for
Server startup completein the console orrustserverlog.txt. - Launch Rust on the same computer.
- Open the in-game F1 console.
- Run
connect localhost:28015.
If you selected another game port, substitute that port in the connect command. A local connection bypasses the router, so it is the fastest way to separate server configuration problems from firewall, NAT or ISP problems.
Open firewall and router ports for remote players
A LAN-only server does not require router port forwarding. Internet players do. First assign the host a stable address on your LAN, either with a DHCP reservation in the router or a correctly configured static address. Then create firewall rules on the host and forwarding rules on the router.
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Ports and protocols
| Service | Protocol | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
Rust game port (server.port) |
UDP | Must be allowed through the host firewall and forwarded from the router. |
Rust query port (server.queryport) |
UDP | Must be reachable so services can query server information; it cannot be the same port as the game port. |
RCON (rcon.port) |
TCP | Open only when remote administration is needed, and restrict it to trusted addresses where possible. |
| Rust+ | TCP when enabled | Configure separately if you enable the service. |
The documented example uses UDP game port 28015 and TCP RCON port 28016. Set a distinct UDP query port in your configuration; do not assume it can share the game port. Forward only the ports you actually use, and keep RCON closed to the public internet unless your administration setup requires it.
Port-forwarding sequence
- Record the host’s stable LAN address, such as the address assigned by your router.
- Allow the Rust server executable through the operating system firewall, or create inbound UDP rules for the configured game and query ports.
- In the router’s port-forwarding page, create a rule for the game UDP port to the host’s LAN address.
- Create a second UDP rule for the query port to the same host; use a different number.
- If remote RCON is required, add a TCP rule for the RCON port and restrict its source addresses when the router supports that option.
- Restart the server, then test from a different network, such as a phone hotspot. Testing from inside the same LAN can be misleading because some routers do not support NAT loopback.
An Ethernet cable between the host and router can make the LAN connection more stable than Wi-Fi, but it does not replace firewall or forwarding rules.
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Updating Rust safely
SteamCMD is responsible for installing and updating the dedicated server. Stop Rust, run the SteamCMD command again, wait for it to finish, and then start the server. Use validate when you need SteamCMD to check the downloaded files.
The old quick-install ZIP is dated to 2015. Its automatic-update claim is obsolete, and -autoupdate is no longer a valid solution. Do not add that switch to a modern launch command.
Plugin and mod workflow
If you use a server plugin framework such as Oxide/uMod, update the vanilla Rust files first and install the matching plugin package afterward. Facepunch warns that running SteamCMD in a startup script can restore vanilla files and remove or overwrite plugin files. A safer sequence is:
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- Stop the server and back up the identity and plugin directories.
- Run SteamCMD and update App ID
258550. - Install the plugin framework version compatible with the updated server.
- Restore or reinstall plugins, checking their compatibility.
- Start the server and inspect the log for load errors.
Do not treat a successful SteamCMD download as proof that third-party plugins remain installed. Keep plugin deployment separate from the vanilla update command.
Troubleshoot the most common failures
The server never reaches “Server startup complete”
- Read the last lines of the console and
rustserverlog.txtfor a malformed argument, missing file or permission error. - Check that the host has at least the documented free RAM and disk space; larger maps need more than the baseline.
- Remove recently added settings temporarily, start with the documented command, and add custom values back one at a time.
- Confirm that the selected identity directory is writable and that the configuration file is located at
server/server.identity/cfg/server.cfg.
Local connection fails
- Verify the server has completed startup.
- Use
connect localhost:28015only when 28015 is the configured game port; otherwise use your actualserver.port. - Check for another process already using the game port.
- Make sure the client and server are running compatible current builds by updating through SteamCMD.
Local works but remote players cannot join
- Confirm the router forwards the game UDP port to the correct LAN address.
- Forward and allow the separate UDP query port; server-list visibility depends on query access.
- Check the host firewall as well as the router. Opening one does not open the other.
- Test from outside the home network and consider whether the ISP uses carrier-grade NAT, which can prevent inbound forwarding.
- Ensure the host’s LAN address has not changed since the forwarding rule was created.
Plugins disappear after a restart
Look for a startup script that runs SteamCMD every time the server launches. SteamCMD can restore vanilla files. Update first, then reinstall the plugin framework and plugins before starting the server.
The server runs out of memory
Reduce the procedural world size, stop other applications on the host and add RAM. The 12 GB figure is a baseline from Facepunch, not a fixed capacity guarantee; 6,000-size maps specifically require more memory.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
Self-hosting gives you direct control over files, ports, firewall rules, identities and plugin deployment, but you provide the hardware, storage, network connection, backups and maintenance. A managed Rust host or VPS can be attractive when you cannot reserve the documented RAM and disk, lack router port-forwarding control, or need remote administration without maintaining a home server. Compare the options using the factors below rather than assuming one is universally faster or cheaper.
| Decision factor | Self-hosted machine | Managed host or VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront hardware and storage | You supply and maintain the computer, RAM and SSD/NVMe storage. | Included in the service plan; capacity depends on the plan. |
| RAM and CPU headroom | You can upgrade hardware, but you pay for the upgrade. | Choose a plan with enough headroom for the selected map and player load. |
| Ports and firewall | You control the host firewall and router forwarding. | The provider supplies network access; available ports and controls vary. |
| Updates | You run SteamCMD and schedule restarts. | The service may provide update controls, but you remain responsible for plugin compatibility. |
| Plugin workflow | Full file access, with the risk that SteamCMD overwrites plugin files. | Depends on the provider’s file and restart access. |
| Remote administration | Configure RCON and secure it yourself. | May include a control panel or managed console, subject to the service. |
| Monthly cost | No hosting bill, but electricity, hardware and connection costs remain. | Recurring fee; exact pricing was not established here. |
A reliable operating routine
Once the server works, keep a short operational checklist: back up the identity directory, record the game, query and RCON ports, update during a maintenance window, verify the startup-complete message, and test a local connection after each configuration change. For public servers, use a unique RCON password, expose only the ports required for the services you enabled, and monitor disk space so logs and world saves cannot fill the volume.
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