Gaming Servers·5 min read

Starbound

Host a Starbound dedicated server on Linux or Windows

Platform	Support	Notes
Linux	✅ Native	Recommended
Windows	✅ Native

System Requirements

RAM: 2 GB minimum
CPU: 2 vCPU minimum
Storage: 15 GB available space
Network: Stable 10+ Mbps connection
Note: Lightweight server ideal for small to medium communities

Installation (Linux)

1. Install via SteamCMD

bash

# Install SteamCMD
mkdir -p ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -

# Create server directory
mkdir -p /opt/starbound

# Download dedicated server
./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous \
  +app_update 533070 validate \
  +force_install_dir /opt/starbound \
  +quit

AppIDs:

2. Server Configuration

Edit /opt/starbound/starbound_server.config:

json

{
  "serverName": "DeluxHost Starbound",
  "maxPlayers": 16,
  "maxConnections": 16,
  "gameServerBind": "0.0.0.0",
  "gameServerPort": 21025,
  "queryServerBind": "0.0.0.0",
  "queryServerPort": 21026,
  "allowAssets": true,
  "allowItemSharing": true,
  "cosmicBackground": true,
  "persistenceDir": "universe",
  "modsDir": "mods",
  "logFile": "starbound.log"
}

3. Run Server

Create /opt/starbound/start.sh:

bash

#!/bin/bash
cd /opt/starbound
./starbound_server -c starbound_server.config

bash

chmod +x /opt/starbound/start.sh

Game: 367540
Dedicated Server: 533070

Systemd Service

Create /etc/systemd/system/starbound.service:

ini

[Unit]
Description=Starbound Dedicated Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=starbound
WorkingDirectory=/opt/starbound
ExecStart=/opt/starbound/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

bash

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable starbound
sudo systemctl start starbound

Firewall Configuration

bash

# UFW
sudo ufw allow 21025/tcp
sudo ufw allow 21026/tcp

# iptables
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 21025 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 21026 -j ACCEPT

# Verify
sudo ss -tlnp | grep starbound

Mods Installation

Starbound supports mods through the mods/ folder. Both client and server require the same mods.

Install Workshop Mods

bash

cd /opt/starbound/mods

# Download mod (example - replace with actual mod file)
# Extract .zip files
unzip mod-name.zip

# List installed mods
ls -la

# Server will auto-discover .pak files in mods/ directory

Create Mod Directory Structure

/opt/starbound/
├── mods/
│   ├── useful-mod.pak
│   ├── visual-enhancement.pak
│   └── weapons-expansion.pak
├── storage/
│   └── universe/
└── starbound_server

Important: Restart server after adding mods:

bash

sudo systemctl restart starbound

Windows Installation

1. Download & Extract

2. Configuration

Edit C:\Starbound\starbound_server.config:

json

{
  "serverName": "DeluxHost Starbound",
  "maxPlayers": 16,
  "gameServerBind": "0.0.0.0",
  "gameServerPort": 21025,
  "queryServerPort": 21026,
  "allowAssets": true,
  "allowItemSharing": true
}

3. Batch File

Create start.bat:

batch

@echo off
cd /d C:\Starbound
starbound_server.exe -c starbound_server.config
pause

4. Firewall Rules

powershell

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Starbound-21025" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 21025
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Starbound-21026" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 21026

5. Windows Service (NSSM)

powershell

nssm install Starbound "C:\Starbound\starbound_server.exe" "-c starbound_server.config"
nssm start Starbound

Open Steam
Search: "Starbound Dedicated Server" (AppID 533070)
Install to C:\Starbound

Tips & Tweaks

Universe Save Location

Server worlds are stored in:

Linux:   /opt/starbound/storage/universe/
Windows: C:\Starbound\storage\universe\

Backup regularly:

bash

# Create backup
tar -czf starbound-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/universe/

# Automated daily backup
# Add to crontab: 0 2 * * * /opt/starbound/backup.sh

Admin Commands

Command	Purpose
`/admin [player_name]`	Grant/revoke admin
`/ban [player_name]`	Ban player
`/kick [player_name]`	Kick player
`/warp [x] [y] [z]`	Teleport to coordinates
`/godmode`	Toggle invulnerability
`/teleport [player]`	Teleport to player
`/shutdown`	Graceful server shutdown
`/gravity [value]`	Adjust world gravity
`/weather [type]`	Set weather

Character Save Backup

Critical player data location:

bash

# Backup player characters
tar -czf starbound-chars-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/player/

# Restore from backup
tar -xzf starbound-chars-DATE.tar.gz -C /opt/starbound/storage/

Mod Compatibility Notes

Before installing mods:

bash

# Create mod manifest
ls -1 /opt/starbound/mods/*.pak > /opt/starbound/MODS_INSTALLED.txt

Common mod issues:

Performance Tuning

json

{
  "maxPlayers": 16,           // More players = higher CPU
  "maxConnections": 16,
  "cosmicBackground": true,   // Disable if CPU-bound
  "lightMap": true,           // Disable for performance
  "pathfindingThreads": 2     // Adjust to CPU count
}

Monitor server:

bash

# Check CPU/memory
top -p $(pgrep -f starbound_server)

# View logs for errors
tail -f /opt/starbound/starbound.log

# Active connections
netstat -tlnp | grep 21025

Server-Side Asset Control

Control player customization:

json

{
  "allowAssets": true,           // Allow custom cosmetics
  "allowItemSharing": true,      // Allow inventory sharing
  "allowCheats": false,          // Disable commands for players
  "requireAssetMismatchVersion": false
}

Preventing Data Loss

bash

#!/bin/bash
# Daily backup script: /opt/starbound/backup.sh

BACKUP_DIR="/backups/starbound"
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

# Backup universe and player data
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/universe-$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/universe/

tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/players-$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/player/

# Keep last 14 days
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "*.tar.gz" -mtime +14 -delete

echo "Starbound backup completed at $(date)" >> $BACKUP_DIR/backup.log

bash

chmod +x /opt/starbound/backup.sh

Add to crontab:

bash

# Backup daily at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /opt/starbound/backup.sh

World Management

Multiple world support:

bash

# Create separate universe directories
mkdir -p /opt/starbound/storage/universe-pvp
mkdir -p /opt/starbound/storage/universe-pve

# Run multiple servers on different ports
./starbound_server -c starbound_pvp.config &
./starbound_server -c starbound_pve.config &

Server stability tips:

Check mod compatibility with server version
Test with small player base first
Document installed mod list for troubleshooting
Version mismatch: Clients need exact same mods as server
Corrupt .pak files: Re-download or verify integrity
Incompatible mods: Some mods conflict; test individually
Keep player count under 16 for optimal performance
Monitor system RAM (usually stable ~500MB per 4 players)
Restart server weekly to prevent memory leaks
Review logs for errors: tail -100 /opt/starbound/starbound.log

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DeluxHost, founded in 2023, offers high-quality hosting solutions for various digital needs. We provide shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers with advanced security and global data centers.

All Systems Operational

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DeluxHost, founded in 2023, offers high-quality hosting solutions for various digital needs. We provide shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers with advanced security and global data centers.

All Systems Operational

Enable animations

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Starbound

System Requirements

Installation (Linux)

1. Install via SteamCMD

2. Server Configuration

3. Run Server

Systemd Service

Firewall Configuration

Mods Installation

Install Workshop Mods

Create Mod Directory Structure

Windows Installation

1. Download & Extract

2. Configuration

3. Batch File

4. Firewall Rules

5. Windows Service (NSSM)

Tips & Tweaks

Universe Save Location

Admin Commands

Character Save Backup

Mod Compatibility Notes

Performance Tuning

Server-Side Asset Control

Preventing Data Loss

World Management

CS2

Palworld

Rust

Products

About us

Legal

Other