SteamCMD

The Steam Console Client or SteamCMD is a new tool to install and update dedicated servers using a command line interface. It only works with games that have switched over to the SteamPipe content system. Eventually all Steam games will switch from HLDSUpdateTool to this.

Downloading and Running SteamCMD

1. Download the SteamCMD Update Tool

• Windows .zip file
• Linux: type wget http://media.steampowered.com/client/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

If you are running a 64-bit Linux distro, you will probably have to install 32-bit libs. See here how to do this.

2. Extract the contents to a directory

 Note: Do not extract the contents of the updater tool to the regular Steam Client folder or to the HLDSUpdateTool folder.

• Linux: type tar -xvzf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

3. Launch SteamCMD for the first time

Open a command prompt in that directory and start SteamCmd

• Windows: type steamcmd
• Linux: type ./steamcmd.sh

The program will automatically update and enter you in to a Steam> prompt. Type help for more information.

To download most game servers, you must login anonymously

login anonymous

If logging in anonymously doesn't work for that particular game, you will have to log in with a Steam Account

 Note: You must log out of the regular Steam client in order to properly log in to SteamCMD Update Tool.

login <username>

Enter your password. Then check your e-mail for your Steam Guard access code and enter it (you'll only need to do this once per computer).

You should see a message stating that you have successfully logged in with your account.

Downloading an app

1. Start SteamCMD and set your app install directory. (note: use forward slashes for Linux and backslashes for Windows)

force_install_dir <path>

Example: cs_go directory in the current directory:

force_install_dir ./cs_go/

2. Install or update the app. <app_id> is the Steam Application ID. To also validate the app add validate to the command. To participate in HLDS beta testing add -beta beta to the command. To participate in SRCDS beta testing add -beta prerelease to the command.

app_update <app_id>

Example: install and validate CS:GO:

app_update 740 validate

Example: install and validate beta version of HLDS (CS 1.6):

app_update 90 -beta beta validate

Example: install and validate beta version of CS:S:

app_update 232330 -beta prerelease validate

Example: install and validate CS:CZ:

app_set_config 90 mod czero
app_update 90 validate

 Bug: HLDS mods currently require multiple installs before the mod's files are installed.

3. Once finished, type quit to properly log off of the Steam servers.

Supported Servers

This is the known list of servers that require steamcmd to install. Any listed extra command line options need to be before the app_update line.

 Bug: HLDS (appid 90) currently require multiple installs before the game's files are installed.

Server	ID	Extra Command Line options
HLDS for Half-Life and Counter-Strike	90
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero dedicated server	90	+app_set_config 90 mod czero
Deathmatch Classic dedicated server	90	+app_set_config 90 mod dmc
Day of Defeat dedicated server	90	+app_set_config 90 mod dod
Half-Life: Opposing Force dedicated server	90	+app_set_config 90 mod gearbox
Ricochet dedicated server	90	+app_set_config 90 mod ricochet
Team Fortress Classic dedicated server	90	+app_set_config 90 mod tfc
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive dedicated server	740
Garry's Mod dedicated server	4020
Nuclear Dawn dedicated server	111710
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 dedicated server	223240
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad and Rising Storm dedicated server	212542
Killing Floor Windows dedicated server	215350
Killing Floor Linux dedicated server	215360
Team Fortress 2 dedicated server	232250
Day of Defeat: Source dedicated server	232290
Counter-Strike: Source dedicated server	232330
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch dedicated server	232370
The Ship dedicated server	2403
Serious Sam 3 dedicated server	41080

 Tip: To install multiple mods, separate their names with commas, e.g. +app_set_config 90 mod czero,dod.

Automating SteamCMD

There are two ways to automate SteamCMD. (replace steamcmd with ./steamcmd.sh on Linux)

 Note: When using beta on the command line, it must be quoted in a special way, such as +app_update "90 -beta beta"

1. Add commands to the command line. Examples:

steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir ../csgo_ds +app_update 740 validate +quit

To install a specific game mod for HL1, such as Counter-Strike: Condition Zero:

steamcmd +login anonymous +force_install_dir ../czero +app_set_config 90 mod czero +app_update 90 validate +quit

For a game that requires logins, like Killing Floor

steamcmd +login <username> <password> +force_install_dir c:\KFServer\ +app_update 215350 validate +quit

2. Create a script.

a. Put your SteamCMD commands in a text file. Example:

// update_csgo_ds.txt
//
@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1 //set to 0 if updating multiple servers at once
@NoPromptForPassword 1
login <username> <password>
//for servers which don't need a login
//login anonymous 
force_install_dir ../csgo_ds
app_update 740 validate
quit

b. Run SteamCMD with the +runscript option. Example:

steamcmd +runscript csgo_ds.txt

Example Batch Code for Windows

::=======================::
:: SteamCMD Guardian 1.2 ::
::       ckynick254      ::
::=======================::
set programname=SteamCMD Guardian 1.1
::=======================::
::  SET YOUR VARIABLES!  ::
::=======================::
set servername=
set username=
set password=
::=======================::
::      Your folder      ::
::    Replace after =    ::
::=======================::
set runcmd=E:\Games\

::=======================::
::   End of variables    ::
::=======================::

:: This will keep the window clean and easy to read
@ECHO off

:: Sets the title of the window
title %programname% - %servername%

:: Clears the window incase there is anything there
cls
COLOR 1f
CD %runcmd%

:: Prints to the window what we are doing
ECHO %programname% has been started!
:start
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO   ##############################################################
ECHO   #                    Dedicated Server                        #
ECHO   # 1 - Half-Life: Deathmatch and Counter-Strike               #
ECHO   # 2 - Counter-Strike: Global Offensive                       #
ECHO   # 3 - Nuclear Dawn Dedicated Server                          #
ECHO   # 4 - Red Orchestra Dedicated Server                         #
ECHO   # 5 - Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad Dedicated Server #
ECHO   # 6 - Killing Floor Dedicated Server                         #
ECHO   # 7 - Team Fortress 2 Dedicated Server Beta                  #
ECHO   # 8 - HELP!                                                  #
ECHO   # 9 - Exit                                                   #
ECHO   ##############################################################
ECHO.
ECHO.

:: Delete variable %A%
SET "A="
SET /P A=Set Your Choice And Press Enter: 
ECHO Loading .........
IF "%A%"=="1" set app=90 
IF "%A%"=="2" set app=740
IF "%A%"=="3" set app=111710
IF "%A%"=="4" set app=223240
IF "%A%"=="5" set app=212542
IF "%A%"=="6" set app=215350
IF "%A%"=="7" set app=229830
IF "%A%"=="8" ECHO.
IF "%A%"=="8" ECHO https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD
IF "%A%"=="8" ECHO.
IF "%A%"=="8" PAUSE
IF "%A%"=="8" goto start
IF "%A%"=="9" EXIT

:: This is a return point in case the server crashes or is closed
:restart
ECHO.
ECHO (%date%)(%time%) %servername% is now ONLINE
ECHO Watching %servername% for crashes...
>> "%servername%.log" ECHO.
>> "%servername%.log" ECHO (%date%)(%time%) %servername% is now ONLINE
>> "%servername%.log" ECHO (%date%)(%time%) Watching %servername% for crashes...

::Start the actual update window
start /wait steamcmd +login %username% %password% +force_install_dir %runcmd%%app%Server\ +app_update %app% validate
ECHO (%time%) WARNING: srcds closed or crashed, restarting.
ECHO.
ECHO (%date%)(%time%) Crash or Close detected!
ECHO %servername% is now restarting...
>> "%servername%.log" ECHO.
>> "%servername%.log" ECHO (%date%)(%time%) Crash or Close detected!
>> "%servername%.log" ECHO (%date%)(%time%) %servername% is now restarting...

::Server crashed or closed, so we point it to the return point to start the server again
GOTO restart

Known issues

32-bit libraries on 64-bit Linux systems

Since steamcmd is a 32-bit program, a few 32-bit libraries are required, even if you already have their 64-bit versions installed.

The related error message looks like this:
steamcmd: error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++.so.6: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

The remedies are distribution-specific:

Debian and derivatives (Ubuntu, Mint)

apt-get install ia32-libs

If you get this error message: The following packages have unmet dependencies: ia32-libs : Depends: ia32-libs-multiarch but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

do the following:

dpkg --add-architecture i386
apt-get update
apt-get install ia32-libs

Red Hat and derivatives (RHEL, Fedora, CentOS)

yum install glibc.i686 libstdc++.i686

Arch Linux

Don't forget to first enable the multilib repository.

pacman -S lib32-gcc-libs

Login Failure: No Connection

On linux servers, you may experience a "Login Failure: No Connection". This is related to missing iptables rules. You will want something along these lines:

iptables -A INPUT -p udp -m udp --sport 27000:27030 --dport 1025:65355 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp -m udp --sport 4380 --dport 1025:65355 -j ACCEPT

The port list is found here: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8571-GLVN-8711&l=english

On Windows servers, you may experience "SteamUpdater: Error: Download failed: http error 0", this is usually fixed by checking "Automatically detect settings" in internet option lan settings.

SteamCmd startup errors

Ulimit linux startup error

Some users may get ulimit error (no permission/can not open file) while script is starting up. This error caused by low setting of -n-parameter of ulimit. SteamCmd uses standard command inside of shell-script to change ulimit automatically, but some servers may be protected from changing values to custom from different (set by administrator/root). It fixes only with changing ulimit parameter up to 2048: ulimit -n 2048. It may cause error (no permission), so you may need ask root-user to change parameter setting. To check your setting: type ulimit -a, system will reply with many rows, you need to find one:

open files                      (-n) 1024

"1024" is the value of setting in system.