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Godlike.Host offers hosted Team Fortress 2 servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
Install MetaMod:Source before SourceMod, extract each package into the server’s tf directory, fully restart the server, and verify with meta version followed by sm version. The most common failures are using an archive for the wrong server operating system, creating an extra directory level during extraction, or missing a TF2-specific metamod.vdf.
What MetaMod:Source and SourceMod do
MetaMod:Source is the loader layer that lets the Source engine load extensions and plugins. SourceMod runs on that layer and provides the scripting, administration commands, configuration files, and plugin framework used by many Team Fortress 2 servers. Because SourceMod depends on MetaMod:Source, the installation order matters: MetaMod first, SourceMod second.
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These packages do not replace the TF2 dedicated server and do not change the server’s map, hostname, ports, or Steam account. They add files to the existing game installation. You need access to that installation through a shell, FTP, a hosting control panel, or an equivalent file manager, plus permission to stop and start the server.
Prerequisites and the correct server directory
- A working TF2 dedicated server that has been run at least once.
- File access to the server installation.
- Permission to stop and restart the process.
- The operating system of the dedicated server, not merely the operating system of your own computer.
- The TF2 game directory, conventionally named
tf.
Do not extract into the top-level server directory unless that directory itself contains the TF2 game folder and the archive is designed for that level. The destination for both packages is the directory that contains TF2’s addons and cfg folders.
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Expected file layout
After both installations, the important paths should look like this:
tf/
├── addons/
│ ├── metamod/
│ ├── metamod.vdf
│ └── sourcemod/
└── cfg/
└── sourcemod/The exact files inside those directories vary by release. What matters is the location relative to tf. A common extraction mistake produces a path such as tf/SourceMod-.../addons/sourcemod; that nested directory will not be discovered by the game.
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Step 1: Install MetaMod:Source
1. Choose the package for the dedicated server
Open the official MetaMod:Source download location and select the archive matching the server’s operating system. A Windows archive is for a Windows server; a Linux archive is for a Linux server. Your desktop operating system is irrelevant unless the desktop is also hosting the dedicated server.
2. Stop the TF2 server
Use the hosting panel’s stop control or stop the dedicated-server process from the shell. Changing DLL, SO, VDF, or plugin files while the server is running can leave files locked, keep old modules in memory, or make it unclear whether a new installation was actually loaded.
3. Extract into the TF2 game directory
Extract the MetaMod package so its addons/metamod directory merges with the server’s existing tf/addons directory. When the archive is opened, identify its top-level folders before extracting. If it contains addons, extract that level into tf; do not create another addons directory inside a newly named release folder.
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On a correct installation, the loader files are under tf/addons/metamod/. Existing game files should remain in place; extraction should merge folders rather than replace the whole tf directory.
4. Check the VDF file
Look for tf/addons/metamod.vdf. MetaMod:Source 1.10.0 and later packages normally include a VDF file for standard games. The file belongs directly in tf/addons/, not inside tf/addons/metamod/.
If the file is absent, or it targets a different Source game, obtain or generate a TF2-specific VDF using the official MetaMod:Source guidance and place that file directly in tf/addons/. A VDF aimed at another game can prevent the loader from starting even when the rest of the files are correct.
5. Start the server once
Start the dedicated server after the files and VDF are in place. A full stop followed by a fresh start is preferable to simply changing the map or issuing a soft reload: the engine must load MetaMod during startup.
Step 2: Install SourceMod
1. Download the stable build for the server OS
Use the official SourceMod downloads page and select the current stable build for the operating system running the server. SourceMod uses rolling releases, so the latest stable package is normally the appropriate choice. Development builds may contain newer changes but should be selected only when you have a specific compatibility reason and can test the server.
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Stop the server again if it is running, then extract the SourceMod archive into the TF2 game directory. Merge both of the package’s main trees:
addons/becomestf/addons/, includingtf/addons/sourcemod/.cfg/becomestf/cfg/, includingtf/cfg/sourcemod/.
Do not copy only the addons folder. SourceMod’s configuration and generated settings depend on the cfg/sourcemod tree as well. If your file manager asks whether to merge directories, choose the merge option and preserve unrelated files already belonging to the server.
3. Confirm the dependency version
SourceMod requires MetaMod:Source 1.9.0 or higher; the official guidance recommends using the latest version. This requirement is checked at load time, so installing SourceMod files without a working MetaMod installation will not make SourceMod commands available.
4. Perform a complete restart
Start the server only after the SourceMod files have been copied. A complete restart is required because SourceMod is loaded by MetaMod during engine initialization. Reconnecting to the server, changing a map, or reloading a configuration is not equivalent to restarting the process.
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Step 3: Verify that both systems loaded
Run the following commands in the dedicated-server console or through RCon:
meta version
sm version
sm plugins listInterpret the results
meta versionshould print MetaMod:Source version information. This confirms that the loader itself is active.sm versionshould print SourceMod version information. This confirms that SourceMod loaded through MetaMod.sm plugins listshould display the SourceMod plugins currently loaded, including the standard plugins supplied with the package.
Run the commands separately so you can identify which layer failed. If meta version is unknown, troubleshoot MetaMod and its VDF before investigating SourceMod. If MetaMod responds but sm version is unknown, inspect the SourceMod directory, package compatibility, and the restart.
Windows, Linux, and hosting-panel differences
The installation logic is the same on every platform, but the archive, file access method, and restart procedure differ.
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|---|---|---|
| Windows dedicated server | Use the Windows server archive and the panel or service controls appropriate to Windows. Verify that the files are extracted with their original names and extensions. | MetaMod still belongs under tf/addons/metamod/, the VDF still belongs under tf/addons/, and SourceMod still adds both addons and cfg. |
| Linux dedicated server | Use the Linux archive and the host’s shell, service manager, or panel. Case-sensitive paths matter, so addons, AddonS, and similarly altered names are not interchangeable. |
The destination remains the TF2 tf directory, followed by a full restart and the same verification commands. |
| Self-hosted server | You control the filesystem, process, backups, permissions, and update timing. Installation is usually performed by extracting archives locally or over secure file transfer. | The package must match the server OS and the final directory structure must be correct. |
| Managed hosting panel | The panel may provide an upload, archive-extract, restart, and console interface instead of shell access. Some panels expose the game directory under a file-manager label rather than literally showing the installation root. | You still need to place files relative to tf, stop before changing them, restart fully, and verify with console or RCon commands. |
| Stable build | Favors the release recommended for general use and predictable updates. | It still must satisfy the MetaMod dependency and server-OS requirements. |
| Development build | May contain changes not yet present in the stable stream and can require additional compatibility checking after TF2 engine updates. | It uses the same directory layout and verification process. |
Troubleshooting commands that are unknown
meta version is unknown
- Confirm that the archive matches the dedicated server’s operating system.
- Check that the files are under the active TF2 directory, specifically
tf/addons/metamod/. - Check for
tf/addons/metamod.vdf. If it is missing, place a TF2-specific VDF there. If it names another game, replace it with the correct TF2-targeted file. - Make sure extraction did not create an extra directory such as
tf/MetaMod-.../addons/metamod/. - Stop and start the dedicated-server process completely, then run the command again.
On Linux, inspect metamod-fatal.log in MetaMod’s bin directory when the loader fails. The log can identify a binary, permission, or required-version problem that is not visible in the console summary.
meta version works but sm version is unknown
- Verify that
tf/addons/sourcemod/exists and contains the extracted SourceMod files rather than only an archive file. - Verify that
tf/cfg/sourcemod/was copied as well; reinstalling from the complete package can correct a partial upload. - Check that MetaMod:Source meets SourceMod’s 1.9.0-or-higher requirement.
- Confirm that the server was fully restarted after SourceMod was added.
- Review the server console for load errors and check that the package was built for the server’s operating system.
The files appear to be present, but nothing loads
Use the game directory associated with the running instance, not a similarly named download, staging, or backup directory. Multi-instance hosts can expose several tf folders. Compare the path shown by the server’s startup configuration or panel with the path where you extracted the packages.
SourceMod starts but a third-party plugin does not
First confirm the core installation with sm version and sm plugins list. Then follow that plugin’s own documentation for its file location, dependencies, configuration, and supported game version. Additional MetaMod plugins may use VDF plugin files; those VDF files belong in the addons/metamod location specified by the plugin’s documentation, not automatically in the SourceMod folders.
Updating without breaking a working server
SourceMod’s releases are rolling and updates are continuous. Before replacing files, record the currently installed MetaMod and SourceMod versions and make a backup of the entire tf directory or, at minimum, the customized configuration and plugin trees.
- Read the release notes and check compatibility with the current TF2 engine build.
- Stop the server completely.
- Download the package for the server’s operating system.
- Preserve customized files, especially files under SourceMod’s
configs/directory and any custom plugin files. - Extract the new package into the same
tfdirectory, merging folders rather than creating a release-name subdirectory. - Start the server and run
meta version,sm version, andsm plugins list. - Test administrative commands and representative plugins before opening the server to players.
Do not assume that a TF2 engine update leaves every binary or plugin compatible. If a previously working plugin fails after an engine or loader update, isolate the plugin, read its compatibility notes, and restore the backup only after stopping the server.
Choosing between manual installation and managed hosting
Manual installation is appropriate when you can access the server filesystem and control restarts. It gives you direct control over versions, backups, custom plugins, and update timing, but you are responsible for permissions, path accuracy, and recovery.
A managed TF2 host can be more practical when you do not have shell or FTP access, provided the plan supplies file upload or plugin management, a real stop/start control, and console or RCon access. Confirm those capabilities before committing: a one-click game installation is not useful if you cannot place files under tf/addons and tf/cfg or perform a full restart. The installation steps and verification commands remain the same once the necessary access exists.
Installation checklist
- The TF2 dedicated server has been run and its active game directory is known.
- The server is stopped before files are changed.
- The MetaMod archive matches the dedicated server’s operating system.
- MetaMod files are under
tf/addons/metamod/. - A TF2-specific
tf/addons/metamod.vdfis present when required. - The SourceMod stable archive matches the dedicated server’s operating system.
- SourceMod files are under
tf/addons/sourcemod/. - SourceMod configuration files are under
tf/cfg/sourcemod/. - The server has been fully stopped and started after both installations.
meta version,sm version, andsm plugins listreturn the expected output.
What a successful installation looks like
Success is not determined by seeing extracted files alone. A functioning installation has the correct OS-specific binaries in the active TF2 directory, a VDF that targets TF2, MetaMod responding to meta version, SourceMod responding to sm version, and a populated plugin list from sm plugins list. If any one of those checks fails, fix that layer before adding more plugins or changing server configuration.
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