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You can host an Enshrouded dedicated server on Linux, but not with a native Linux server binary. Keen Games documents the dedicated server as Windows software, so a Linux host must download the Windows depot with SteamCMD and run enshrouded_server.exe through Wine or Proton. The practical sequence is: prepare a 64-bit Linux machine, install SteamCMD and a Windows-compatibility runtime, download app 2278520 with the Windows platform override, generate and edit enshrouded_server.json, forward the IPv4 query port (15637 by default), then verify HostOnline in the log.
What Linux hosting actually supports
The Linux method is a compatibility setup, not an official native-Linux port. Keen Games’ installation documentation states that Windows is supported and Linux support was planned, while the server executable itself remains Windows-only in that documentation. On Linux, SteamCMD retrieves the Windows server files and Wine or Proton supplies the Windows runtime layer.
This distinction affects support and troubleshooting. A game update can change how the executable behaves under Wine or Proton, and there is no official Wine-versus-Proton benchmark or guaranteed distribution/version matrix. Keep a copy of the working runtime, configuration and saves so you can roll back after an update.
Check the host before installing
Hardware for four to six active players
Keen Games’ published 2024 specification calls for a six-core/12-thread processor around 3.2 GHz, 16 GB of RAM, an SSD with at least 30 GB free, and 2 Mbit/s of upload capacity per active player. The upload figure is per player: six active players implies about 12 Mbit/s of upstream capacity before allowing headroom for other traffic.
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Hardware for a full 16-slot server
For up to 16 players, the same specification recommends a stronger eight-core/16-thread processor around 3.7 GHz, 16 GB of RAM, an SSD with at least 30 GB free, and 2 Mbit/s of upload capacity per active player. Sixteen players therefore represent roughly 32 Mbit/s of required upload capacity under that rule of thumb.
Memory and disk headroom
The server is reported to use about 4.4 GB of RAM while idle and up to another 100 MB per player. That puts a 16-player session near 6 GB in the stated guidance, before Linux, Wine/Proton, SteamCMD and monitoring tools are counted. Do not size a machine with only 6 GB total RAM.
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Network prerequisites
- A stable public IPv4 path is required for ordinary direct connections.
- You need permission to send inbound UDP traffic through the Linux firewall and, if the host is behind a router, to forward the query port to the server’s private address.
- Carrier-grade NAT, a blocked inbound address, or an ISP policy that prevents port forwarding can make a home-hosted server unreachable even when the Linux configuration is correct.
Install SteamCMD and a Windows runtime
Create a dedicated service account
Run the server as an unprivileged account instead of root. On a Debian- or Ubuntu-style system, an administrator can create a user and directory like this:
sudo useradd --create-home --home-dir /srv/enshrouded --shell /usr/sbin/nologin enshrouded
sudo mkdir -p /srv/enshrouded
sudo chown -R enshrouded:enshrouded /srv/enshroudedDistribution package names vary. Install SteamCMD, Wine 64-bit and any libraries your distribution requires. A typical Debian/Ubuntu command is:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install steamcmd wine64If your distribution does not ship SteamCMD under that name, use its documented SteamCMD package or Valve’s installer, then confirm that the steamcmd command is available to the service account. Proton can be used instead of Wine, but it normally requires a Steam installation and a more explicit compatibility-tool path, which makes service-manager integration less portable.
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Choose Wine or Proton deliberately
- Wine: usually the simplest headless arrangement because
wine64can be called directly from a shell script or systemd unit. - Proton: useful when you already maintain a Steam/Proton environment, but the executable path, prefix and tool version must be pinned so unattended restarts reproduce the same environment.
- Evidence limits: there is no official performance comparison between Wine and Proton for the current server build. Choose the runtime you can update, inspect and recover consistently.
Download the dedicated server with SteamCMD
The dedicated-server app ID is 2278520. The important detail is forcing SteamCMD to use the Windows platform depot; otherwise an attempted Linux download can leave you with shared libraries but no usable Windows server executable.
- Switch to the service account:
sudo -u enshrouded -H bash. - Change to the installation directory:
cd /srv/enshrouded. - Run SteamCMD anonymously with the Windows override and app ID:
steamcmd +login anonymous +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows +app_update 2278520 validate +quitAfter completion, locate enshrouded_server.exe under the directory SteamCMD used for the app. Keep the command in an update script so the same platform override is applied every time you update.
If the executable is missing
Do not try to repair a missing executable by copying random DLLs. Remove or move the incomplete app directory, rerun SteamCMD with +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows before +app_update 2278520, and check the SteamCMD output for download errors. A Linux-only depot attempt is the most common cause of receiving libraries without the Windows server files.
Generate and edit enshrouded_server.json
Make the first launch
From the directory containing the executable, start it once:
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Core fields
The important settings are:
| Field | Purpose | Documented value or range |
|---|---|---|
name |
Name shown to players | Choose a descriptive server name |
saveDirectory |
World-save location | ./savegame by default |
logDirectory |
Current log location | ./logs by default |
ip |
Local bind address | 0.0.0.0 accepts connections on all interfaces |
queryPort |
IPv4 query/listing port | 15637 by default |
slotCount |
Maximum simultaneous players | 1 through 16 |
A minimal portion of a generated file may look like this; retain every other key that the game created:
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{
"name": "My Enshrouded World",
"saveDirectory": "./savegame",
"logDirectory": "./logs",
"ip": "0.0.0.0",
"queryPort": 15637,
"slotCount": 6
}The example is illustrative, not a replacement for the complete generated JSON. JSON is strict: use double quotes, commas between properties and no trailing comma after the final property.
Gameplay presets and chat
The current gameplay-settings reference lists Default, Relaxed, Hard, Survival and Custom presets. Custom exposes individual factors for health, stamina, durability, hunger, weather, resources, enemies, bosses, time and tombstone behavior. Voice chat and text chat can be enabled separately. Change these values in the keys present in your generated configuration and use the reference’s allowed names and ranges; do not invent property names from an older guide.
Validate before starting publicly
- Copy the working JSON:
cp enshrouded_server.json enshrouded_server.json.known-good. - Make one logical change at a time.
- Check syntax with a local JSON parser if available, for example
python3 -m json.tool enshrouded_server.json. - Start the server in the foreground and read the log before opening the firewall.
Invalid gameplay values can prevent boot. Keen Games reports the offending value in that situation. Restore the known-good file if the process exits immediately, then reapply changes individually.
Open the port and make the server reachable
Linux firewall
Allow UDP traffic for the configured query port. With UFW and the default port:
sudo ufw allow 15637/udp
sudo ufw statusFor firewalld, the equivalent is:
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=15637/udp
sudo firewall-cmd --reloadIf you change queryPort, replace 15637 in both the firewall rule and router rule. Steam may use additional ports for discovery or session traffic; the documented default exposure point is the IPv4 query port, so inspect the current server guidance and logs if listing works but joining fails.
Router forwarding
- Give the Linux host a fixed private address through a DHCP reservation or static configuration.
- Forward UDP 15637 on the router to that private address and port.
- Ensure the host firewall permits the same port.
- Test from a network outside your home LAN; testing only from inside can be misleading when the router lacks NAT loopback.
Port forwarding cannot overcome carrier-grade NAT or an ISP that blocks inbound IPv4. In that case, obtain a real public address, move the server to a host with inbound IPv4, or use a managed game-server provider.
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Start the process and verify that it is online
Foreground test
Run the executable from its directory so relative save and log paths resolve correctly:
cd /srv/enshrouded/server
wine64 ./enshrouded_server.exeWatch the output and log files under ./logs. A successful startup includes the HostOnline indicator (shown in the FAQ as [Session] 'HostOnline' (up)!) and then the Host_Online transition. Treat those messages as the application-level check; an open UDP port alone does not prove that the server finished booting.
Join from the game
- Open the dedicated-server browser and enable its dedicated-server filter.
- Search for the configured
name. - If it is not listed, confirm that the server has a public IPv4 address, the query port matches the firewall and router, and the process reached
HostOnline. - As a fallback, add the public IP and query port to Steam’s server favorites/IP-favorites interface, then refresh the in-game list. Steam’s labels can vary by client version.
Run it continuously with systemd
After the foreground test works, use a service manager so the server starts on boot and restarts after an unexpected exit. Create /etc/systemd/system/enshrouded.service as root:
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Description=Enshrouded dedicated server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=enshrouded
WorkingDirectory=/srv/enshrouded/server
ExecStart=/usr/bin/wine64 ./enshrouded_server.exe
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetAdjust WorkingDirectory and the Wine path to match your installation. Then enable and start it:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now enshrouded.service
sudo systemctl status enshrouded.service
journalctl -u enshrouded.service -fDo not use an automatic restart loop to hide configuration errors. If the service repeatedly exits after a JSON edit, stop it, restore the known-good configuration and inspect the journal.
Saves, logs and recovery
Where files live
By default, worlds are in ./savegame and active logs are in ./logs. Archived logs are stored under ./logs/backup. Because these are relative paths, the service’s working directory determines where they are created.
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Built-in rolling copies
Keen Games’ save-management guidance documents ten rolling copies per world, created every ten minutes or when the server shuts down. A separate FAQ states that save-game files are created every five minutes. These statements describe different published save behaviors; do not treat either as a substitute for an external backup schedule.
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External backup procedure
- Stop the service cleanly:
sudo systemctl stop enshrouded.service. - Copy the entire
savegamedirectory, not just one world file, to storage outside the server disk. - Copy the known-good
enshrouded_server.jsonwith the backup. - Record the server build and date in the backup filename.
- Restart and verify
HostOnline.
Schedule backups of the whole save directory while retaining several dated generations. Before changing gameplay settings or applying a major server update, make an additional manual copy. If a world becomes corrupted, stop the process, preserve the current files for diagnosis, restore one known-good generation and start again.
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Player slots are a resource decision
slotCount accepts 1 through 16, and every additional slot increases potential server impact. Set it to the number of players you actually intend to support rather than leaving 16 enabled on a small machine. If CPU saturation, long ticks or memory pressure appear, lower the slot count before changing unrelated settings.
Choose a preset before individual factors
Start with Default, Relaxed, Hard or Survival. Use Custom only when you have a specific reason to alter health, stamina, durability, hunger, weather, resource rates, enemy or boss behavior, time or tombstone rules. Keep a copy of the JSON before each group of changes so you can identify which value caused a failed boot or undesirable world behavior.
Troubleshoot by symptom
SteamCMD finishes but no enshrouded_server.exe exists
- Confirm app ID
2278520. - Confirm
+@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windowsappears before+app_update. - Run the update as the same service account that owns the files.
- Remove the incomplete depot and download again rather than mixing files from different platform depots.
The process exits during boot
- Restore the last valid JSON.
- Check commas, quotation marks, field names and numeric ranges.
- Remove the most recent gameplay change and test again.
- Read the log for the offending value before changing Wine settings.
The server does not appear in the browser
- Confirm the dedicated-server filter is enabled.
- Verify the process reached
HostOnlineandHost_Online. - Check that the configured query port, Linux firewall rule and router forward all match.
- Test using the public IPv4 address, not a private LAN address.
- Try Steam’s IP-favorites route if browser discovery is unreliable.
Players see the server but cannot join
Recheck inbound IPv4 reachability and any additional Steam traffic required by the current build. Confirm that the router forwards to the correct host after a DHCP address change. Review logs while a client attempts to connect; a listing proves that discovery answered, not that every session path is open.
The server becomes slow or runs out of memory
- Compare active players with the published estimate of about 4.4 GB idle plus up to 100 MB per player.
- Lower
slotCount. - Check that the machine still has free RAM after Linux and Wine/Proton overhead.
- Move the installation and saves to an SSD with at least 30 GB free.
- Upgrade CPU or RAM if the workload remains above the host’s capacity.
Port forwarding appears impossible
Check the router’s WAN address against an external “what is my IP” result. If they differ because the ISP places you behind carrier-grade NAT, inbound forwarding on your own router will not work. Use a public IPv4 host, request a routable address, or choose managed hosting.
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
Linux self-hosting gives you direct control of enshrouded_server.json, save locations, backups, runtime versions and update timing. It also makes you responsible for hardware, bandwidth, firewalling, public IPv4 reachability, Wine/Proton compatibility and recovery. A managed service removes much of that infrastructure work and can be the practical choice when your ISP blocks inbound connections or you do not want to maintain a Linux host. Keen Games has stated that it partnered with GPortal to offer rentable dedicated servers from within the game, but provider features, locations and pricing are separate from the Linux procedure described here.
| Decision factor | Linux self-hosting | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Linux compatibility effort | You maintain SteamCMD, Wine or Proton and their updates. | The provider maintains the server runtime. |
| Configuration and backups | Full filesystem and JSON control; you design the backup policy. | Control depends on the provider’s file manager and backup tools. |
| Public IPv4 | You must supply reachable IPv4 and forwarding. | Usually supplied as part of the service. |
| Hardware and bandwidth | You pay for and size the machine and upstream link. | Included in the rental plan, subject to its limits. |
| Updates and rollback | You choose when to update and retain old files. | Provider tooling may simplify updates but can limit rollback control. |
| Support | You troubleshoot Linux, runtime and network layers. | Support scope depends on the provider. |
Update without losing a world
- Announce maintenance and stop the service cleanly.
- Back up
savegame,logsand the known-good JSON. - Record the current app files and runtime version.
- Run SteamCMD again with the Windows platform override and
app_update 2278520 validate. - Start in the foreground first, watch for
HostOnline, and test a client connection. - Only then return to the systemd service.
If the new build fails under your runtime, keep the backup and logs, restore the last known-good installation when possible, and avoid overwriting the only copy of a working executable or configuration. There is no published official Linux performance baseline, so operational records from your own host are the most useful comparison when deciding whether a runtime or hardware change helped.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- 64-bit Linux userspace, SSD and at least 30 GB free.
- CPU and upload capacity sized for the intended active-player count.
- Dedicated unprivileged service account.
- SteamCMD app 2278520 downloaded with the Windows platform override.
- Wine or a pinned Proton environment that can launch
enshrouded_server.exe. - Generated
enshrouded_server.jsonretained and syntax-checked. queryPort(15637 unless changed) allowed through the host firewall and router.- Successful
HostOnline/Host_Onlinestartup observed. - External backups of
savegameand a known-good configuration. - Monitoring for disk space, memory, CPU and log growth.
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