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Prefer not to run the server on your own PC? Godlike.Host offers hosted Valheim servers with free DDoS protection and up to three free backups a day.
The reliable Linux method is to install SteamCMD, download Valheim’s dedicated-server app (Steam app ID 896660) with an anonymous login, open the server’s UDP ports, and launch valheim_server.x86_64 with your world and access settings. The core install command is steamcmd +force_install_dir <folder> +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit. Run that command again after updates, then restart the server so its build matches the clients.
What you are installing
Valheim’s dedicated server is distributed through Steam as app 896660. SteamCMD is the command-line Steam client used to download and update it without installing the graphical Steam client or signing in with a personal Steam account. The server process runs on the host machine; players connect from their own game clients.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThis guide assumes a Linux host such as a home server, virtual private server, or rented game-server machine. The exact SteamCMD package name and repository steps differ by distribution, so use your distribution’s supported SteamCMD installation method first. Once the steamcmd executable runs, the remaining commands are distribution-independent.
Choose where the server will run
| Option | Advantages | What you must handle |
|---|---|---|
| Home machine | Maximum control over files, upgrades, and hardware; no recurring game-server rental fee. | Power, internet reliability, router configuration, firewall rules, backups, and keeping the machine online. |
| Rented host or VPS | Usually easier to keep online and reachable, with a datacenter network and an external public address. | Monthly cost, provider firewall controls, operating-system maintenance, and storage limits. |
Whichever host you choose, reserve enough disk space for the server files and your worlds, keep the operating system patched, and ensure you can administer it remotely or locally. A server that is powered off, suspended, or blocked by an upstream firewall cannot be reached even when the Valheim process itself is healthy.
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Install SteamCMD and create an install directory
1. Install SteamCMD using your operating system
Install SteamCMD from the package source recommended for your Linux distribution. Some distributions require enabling an additional architecture or repository; the exact dependency list was not established here and can change between releases. Confirm installation by running:
steamcmd +quitIf your distribution installs the executable outside your shell’s PATH, use its full path in every command, for example /path/to/steamcmd. Do not substitute a graphical Steam installation for SteamCMD; the commands below expect the command-line client.
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2. Create a dedicated folder
Choose a location that the account running the service can read and write. Keeping the server in its own directory makes updates, backups, and permissions easier to reason about:
mkdir -p "$HOME/valheim/server"
mkdir -p "$HOME/valheim/data"The first directory will hold the downloaded server program. The second is an example location for world and list files when you use the -savedir launch argument later. You may combine them, but a separate data directory makes it harder to overwrite saves while replacing program files.
Download the dedicated server with SteamCMD
Run the following command, replacing the path only if you selected a different install directory:
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steamcmd +force_install_dir "$HOME/valheim/server" +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quitEach part has a specific job:
+force_install_dirselects the folder in which SteamCMD places the server.+login anonymouslogs in without your personal Steam credentials. The dedicated server is available through anonymous login.+app_update 896660installs the Valheim dedicated-server app or downloads a newer build.validatechecks downloaded files and replaces files that are missing or incorrect.+quitcloses SteamCMD after the operation finishes.
Wait for SteamCMD to report completion before starting the server. If the command stops with a network, permission, or repository error, fix that host problem and run the same command again; it is safe to rerun because SteamCMD will download only what is needed and validate the existing files.
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List the install directory and look for the Linux server binary commonly supplied by the Valheim package:
cd "$HOME/valheim/server"
ls -l valheim_server.x86_64If the file is present, run the server from this directory. Starting it from elsewhere can make relative paths and generated files harder to locate. If the binary is absent, rerun the SteamCMD command with validate and inspect the SteamCMD output for a failed download or a permissions error.
Configure and start the server
Valheim server settings are passed as launch arguments. This is a complete example using a custom data directory, the default game port, a named world, and a private-by-default listing:
cd "$HOME/valheim/server"
./valheim_server.x86_64
-name "Frostholm"
-port 2456
-world "FrostholmWorld"
-password "ChangeThisPassword"
-savedir "$HOME/valheim/data"
-public 0Keep the terminal open while testing. The process output is your first source of evidence about loading, saves, and network binding. Stop a test server with Ctrl+C so it can shut down cleanly.
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Launch arguments
| Argument | Purpose and use |
|---|---|
-name |
The name displayed to players. Quote names containing spaces. |
-port |
The base game port. Valheim also uses the next port, so 2456 means the usual pair 2456–2457. |
-world |
Creates a world with this name on first launch or loads the existing world with that name on subsequent launches. |
-password |
The password players must enter. Use a long, unique value and do not place it in a public script or share it in a public channel. A commonly cited rule requires at least five characters; because argument requirements can change, verify the current game build if a short password is rejected. |
-savedir |
Sets the directory for worlds and the admin, ban, and permitted lists. Use an absolute path so the files remain in the same place regardless of how the process is started. |
-public |
Use 1 to list the server in the community browser. Use 0 when players should join by address or code instead. |
-crossplay |
Enables Valheim’s crossplay mode. Add it as a flag, without 1 or 0, when you need that connection mode. |
The argument names above are the ones consistently documented by current community setup guides, but Iron Gate can alter behavior in a future server build. If a newly introduced option is ignored, check the server’s own startup output and the current official Valheim documentation before changing a working configuration.
Keep the process running after you disconnect
For a first deployment, a terminal multiplexer is simpler than creating a service file. Install and start tmux using your distribution’s package manager, then:
tmux new -s valheim
cd "$HOME/valheim/server"
./valheim_server.x86_64 -name "Frostholm" -port 2456 -world "FrostholmWorld" -password "ChangeThisPassword" -savedir "$HOME/valheim/data" -public 0Detach without stopping the server with Ctrl+B, then D. Reconnect later with tmux attach -t valheim. Use Ctrl+C inside the session for a graceful stop before maintenance. For unattended restarts, create a system service only after the foreground command works; a service that points to the wrong working directory or data path can appear to start while loading a different world.
Open the network ports
With -port 2456, allow inbound UDP traffic on ports 2456 and 2457. The second port is the selected game port plus one. If you choose another base port, open that port and the immediately following port instead.
Host firewall
On a system using UFW, the rule is:
sudo ufw allow 2456:2457/udpUse the equivalent rule for firewalld, nftables, or your provider’s firewall panel. Confirm that the rule is applied to the interface on which the server listens; allowing TCP instead of UDP will not solve a Valheim connection failure.
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Home-router forwarding
For a server behind a home router, forward UDP 2456–2457 from the router’s public interface to the server’s private LAN address. Give the server a DHCP reservation or static address so the forwarding target does not change. Test from a different network, such as a phone hotspot; testing the public address from inside the same LAN can fail because some routers do not support hairpin NAT.
On a rented host, also check the provider’s security-group or network-firewall panel. A local firewall rule is not enough if the datacenter firewall drops the packets first.
Choose public listing, direct IP, or crossplay
Community browser
Start with -public 1 when you want the server name to appear in Valheim’s community list. Browser visibility depends on successful registration and reachable networking; a process that is running but blocked at the firewall will not become joinable merely because it is public. Use a distinctive server name so friends can identify the correct entry.
Direct connection
Use -public 0 for an unlisted server. Players can add the following to Valheim’s Steam launch options on their own computers:
+connect your_server_ip:2456Replace your_server_ip with the address reachable by that player and replace 2456 if you selected another base port. This +connect setting belongs to the client’s Steam launch options; it is not a valheim_server.x86_64 argument.
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Use the server’s private address only for players on the same LAN. Remote players need the home network’s public address or the public address assigned by the rented host. If your public address changes, use a DNS name that you control and update it when the address changes.
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Add -crossplay when your group includes players using platforms supported by Valheim’s crossplay implementation. Crossplay uses a different connection path from a simple Steam-only direct connection. Some third-party guides claim that crossplay can remove the need for router port forwarding; that behavior is not established here, so do not remove firewall or forwarding rules solely on that assumption. Test with an off-LAN player and keep the rules that produce a reliable connection.
Update the server after every Valheim release
A client and dedicated server running different builds generally cannot connect. Before each scheduled restart, stop the server cleanly, update the files, and launch it again:
- Tell players the server will be offline and stop the running process with
Ctrl+C. - Run SteamCMD against the same install directory:
steamcmd +force_install_dir "$HOME/valheim/server" +login anonymous +app_update 896660 validate +quit. - Wait for the update and validation to finish without errors.
- Start the server with the identical
-world,-savedir, port, password, and visibility arguments. - Have a player connect and confirm that the expected world and character progression are present.
Running app_update 896660 validate on an existing installation repairs missing or incorrect files as well as downloading a newer build. Do not delete the data directory as a substitute for updating; that can make your worlds and access lists appear to be lost.
Protect worlds and administrative files
Back up the directory supplied to -savedir, not only the program directory. It contains the worlds and the admin, ban, and permitted lists associated with the server. Stop the server before copying those files so a backup cannot capture a partially written save. Keep at least one backup on a different disk or host, label it with the date, and periodically restore a copy to a temporary directory to verify that the backup is usable.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsStore the startup command in a file readable only by the account that runs the server because it contains the join password. If you share logs, remove command lines and other credentials first. Run the server under a non-root account; reserve root access for installing packages, changing firewall rules, and maintaining the host.
Troubleshoot the common failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
steamcmd: command not found |
SteamCMD is not installed or is not in PATH. |
Run the distribution’s SteamCMD installation step again or call the executable by its full path. |
| SteamCMD downloads nothing or exits with an error | Repository, network, permissions, or an incorrect install path. | Confirm the target directory is writable, run steamcmd +quit, then repeat the app-update command and read the final status. |
| The binary is missing after an update | Incomplete download or files placed in a different directory. | Use the same absolute path with +force_install_dir, run validate, and check that valheim_server.x86_64 exists there. |
| Server starts but friends cannot join | UDP ports are blocked, the router forwards to the wrong LAN address, or the provider firewall is closed. | Allow the selected port and port+1 as UDP at every firewall layer and test from outside the host’s network. |
| Server is not in the browser | -public 0, registration has not completed, or networking is blocked. |
Use -public 1 for listing, wait for startup to finish, and verify inbound UDP access. Use direct +connect to separate listing problems from connectivity problems. |
| The wrong world loads or a new world appears | The -world spelling or -savedir path changed between launches. |
Compare the current command with the previous one and point -savedir to the directory containing the original world data. |
| Players receive a version or build mismatch | The server was not updated after the game client updated. | Stop it, run app_update 896660 validate, and restart. Players may also need to finish their client update. |
| Password is rejected | A typo, an unsupported short value, or a mismatch between the running command and the password being used. | Stop the server, set a new unambiguous password, restart with the updated argument, and share it privately. |
A practical first-day checklist
- SteamCMD runs under the account that will operate the server.
- App
896660is installed in the intended directory. valheim_server.x86_64starts from that directory without an immediate error.- The command uses a stable absolute
-savedirand a deliberate-worldname. - The chosen UDP port and port+1 are allowed by the host firewall, provider firewall, and home router where applicable.
- The server is either listed with
-public 1or intentionally unlisted with a tested+connectpath. - An off-LAN player has completed a real connection test.
- A dated backup of the savedir exists before regular play begins.
- The update-and-restart procedure is written down for the next Valheim release.
Which setup is right for your group?
Choose a home server when you value control, already have an always-on machine, and are comfortable managing NAT, firewalls, power, and backups. Choose a rented host when uptime and a reachable public network are more important than avoiding a recurring fee. In either case, the software workflow is the same: SteamCMD installs app 896660, the launch arguments define the world and access policy, and UDP networking determines whether players can reach it.
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