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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteUse SteamCMD to download the official Arma Reforger dedicated server. The stable production app uses Steam app ID 1874900; the experimental build uses 1890870. Both are free server tools for Windows and Linux. After SteamCMD installs the files, start the headless process named ArmaReforgerServer with a JSON configuration.
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The shortest stable installation is app_update 1874900 validate, followed by ./ArmaReforgerServer -config ./config.json from the installation directory. The sections below show the complete download path, branch choice, configuration, scenario discovery, networking, and update workflow.
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A dedicated server is a headless process: it handles game information and network synchronisation without launching a playable game instance. You do not download a separate physical product or pay for a server license. Steam distributes the server tool as a free-to-download application, with separate Windows 64-bit and Linux 64-bit depot content.
Steam metadata is live, so depot contents, build numbers and installation details can change when Bohemia Interactive publishes an update. Treat the app ID as the stable identifier and let SteamCMD resolve the current files rather than relying on a copied download size or a hard-coded folder.
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Choose the correct branch and operating system
| Use case | Steam app ID | Update command | Available server platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stable production server | 1874900 |
app_update 1874900 validate |
Windows 64-bit or Linux 64-bit |
| Experimental server | 1890870 |
app_update 1890870 |
Windows 64-bit or Linux 64-bit |
Use the stable ID for a normal public server. Select the experimental ID only when you deliberately want the experimental client and server branch. Keep the two branches in different directories: mixing files can leave you with a server build that does not match the clients you intend to admit.
Requirements before downloading
- A Windows 64-bit or Linux 64-bit machine, virtual server, or home server that can remain online for the sessions you plan to host.
- SteamCMD installed from Valve’s official distribution for your operating system.
- A dedicated installation directory with enough free storage for the current depot and future updates. The exact size is not fixed because Steam depots change.
- Permission to create files, run the server process, and open the selected listening port in the host firewall.
- A JSON configuration file containing a server identity, scenario, player limit, visibility and network values.
SteamCMD does not require the full playable client for this workflow. The server app is downloaded separately and can be updated without installing the game interface.
Install the stable server with SteamCMD
The following sequence follows Bohemia Interactive’s documented hosting workflow. Replace the example directory names with locations appropriate to your machine.
- Install SteamCMD and confirm that its executable starts normally.
- Create a directory dedicated to the Arma Reforger server. Keeping it separate from SteamCMD itself makes backups and branch changes easier.
- Inside the SteamCMD directory, create a text file named
update_armar_ds.txtwith these lines:
@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1
@NoPromptForPassword 1
force_install_dir ../armar_ds
login anonymous
app_update 1874900 validate
quit- Run the script from a shell:
steamcmd +runscript update_armar_ds.txtforce_install_dir ../armar_ds means the files go into a directory named armar_ds beside the SteamCMD directory in this example. If you choose another path, change that line and use the same path when launching the executable.
- Wait for SteamCMD to finish downloading and validating the depot. A failed command stops the script because of
@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1; correct the reported error and run the script again. - Leave SteamCMD with
quit, then change into the server installation directory. - Start the headless server with a configuration file:
./ArmaReforgerServer -config ./config.jsonOn Windows, use the executable name supplied in the installation directory, normally ArmaReforgerServer.exe, from Command Prompt or PowerShell. On Linux, the documented launch form is ./ArmaReforgerServer. The process reads the JSON file after -config; it does not open a playable game window.
Download the experimental build safely
Make a second installation directory with a name that identifies the experimental branch, such as armar_ds_experimental. Copy the update script, change only the app ID, and run it separately:
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@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1
@NoPromptForPassword 1
force_install_dir ../armar_ds_experimental
login anonymous
app_update 1890870
quitStart the executable from that experimental directory and use a separate configuration file. Never point a stable server process at experimental files or update a production directory with the experimental app ID. Clients must be on a compatible branch to join.
Install through Steam’s Tools library instead
Steam also exposes the server application as a tool. If you prefer a graphical installation, open Steam’s Tools library, locate the Arma Reforger server tool and install it there. Bohemia’s server-app announcement describes a Server Hosting Docs launch option in the tool; selecting it opens the hosting documentation.
The Steam-library route is convenient for a one-off Windows installation. SteamCMD is generally easier to automate on a Linux host, in a scheduled update job, or in a deployment script. Whichever route you choose, identify the actual installation directory shown by Steam and launch the executable from that directory with -config.
Find the server files and choose a working directory
There is no universal Windows or Linux path. SteamCMD installs into the directory supplied by force_install_dir; Steam’s graphical client uses the library location you selected. Record that location because it contains the executable, configuration files, logs and downloaded server data.
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Keep user-created files organized separately from disposable update output where practical. At minimum, back up your JSON configuration and note the branch app ID. Do not assume a future update will preserve an untracked file in a relocated directory; copy configuration and any operational notes before changing the installation layout.
Create the JSON server configuration
The server is controlled by JSON passed with -config. The configuration describes the server’s identity, region, bind and registration addresses, ports, administrator password, visibility, player limit, scenario, supported client platforms, gameplay properties and mods.
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This template uses placeholders rather than a real password or public address. Match field names and any additional nested gameplay settings to the current hosting documentation for your build:
{
"serverName": "My Arma Reforger Server",
"region": "YOUR_REGION",
"bindAddress": "0.0.0.0",
"bindPort": 2001,
"publicAddress": "YOUR_PUBLIC_IP_OR_HOSTNAME",
"publicPort": 2001,
"passwordAdmin": "REPLACE_WITH_A_LONG_ADMIN_PASSWORD",
"visible": true,
"playerCountLimit": 64,
"scenarioId": "REPLACE_WITH_SCENARIO_ID",
"supportedGameClientType": "YOUR_SUPPORTED_CLIENT_PLATFORM",
"gameProperties": {},
"mods": []
}Do not publish the administrator password or substitute a guessed public IP. The bind address is the local interface on which the process listens; the public or registration address is what outside clients use to find it. If your host has multiple interfaces, choose values that match the topology and firewall policy instead of copying this example unchanged.
Save the file as config.json beside the executable, or provide an explicit path after -config. JSON syntax is strict: use double quotes, commas between properties and no trailing comma after the last property.
Discover a valid scenario ID
scenarioId selects the mission or scenario that loads when the server starts. Rather than guessing an identifier, ask the server to scan its data folders, including downloaded mod content.
- Stop the running server process if it is active.
- From the installation directory, run
ArmaReforgerServer.exe -listScenarioson Windows or./ArmaReforgerServer -listScenarioson Linux. - Open the resulting
console.log. Bohemia’s developer documentation places this log normally under the Arma Reforger profile directory. - Copy the desired scenario identifier exactly into the
scenarioIdproperty in your JSON configuration. - Restart with
-configand inspect the console output for parsing or loading errors.
Run the scan again after adding or removing mods. A scenario supplied by a mod will not be available until the required mod data has been downloaded into the server’s content set.
Open the server to outside players
External access depends on three values agreeing: the router’s forwarded port, the server’s configured port and the local bind address. A mismatch can leave the process running while the server remains unreachable.
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For a player-hosted example, Bohemia documents public port 2001. That example does not make 2001 mandatory for every dedicated deployment. Choose the port required by your topology, then apply the same value to the server configuration, router forwarding rule and host firewall. Confirm the current hosting documentation before exposing a public server, especially when using a virtual server, carrier-grade NAT or a provider-level firewall.
- Forward the selected external port from the router to the machine running
ArmaReforgerServer. - Allow the same port and protocol in the operating system firewall and any cloud security group.
- Set the bind address to an interface the process can actually use.
- Set the public or registration address to the address clients should resolve.
- Test from a network outside the server’s local LAN; a local connection alone does not prove internet reachability.
Mods, clients and compatibility
When a server requires mods, joining clients automatically download the required content. Players cannot omit individual required mods from that server’s set; everyone in the session uses the same required mod collection.
Changing servers can trigger downloads again when versions differ. A mod update can therefore lengthen a first join or cause a client to redownload content. Keep the server’s mod list and versions intentional, and test a changed collection before advertising the server publicly.
Community servers are independently operated. Their administrators choose rules, queues, visibility, mod lists and performance limits. A server that appears in the browser is not an endorsement by Bohemia Interactive, and a modded server can impose requirements that differ from a vanilla installation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Updating without losing the working setup
Run the same SteamCMD script whenever you want to update. For stable, use app_update 1874900 validate; for experimental, use app_update 1890870 in the separate experimental directory. Stop the server before updating so executable and data files are not changed while the process is reading them.
- Stop
ArmaReforgerServercleanly. - Back up
config.jsonand record the current branch. - Run the matching SteamCMD update script.
- Review the console output for a successful update or validation result.
- Start the same executable with the same configuration and check the log for schema, scenario or mod errors.
App IDs, launch options and configuration syntax are live metadata. Recheck the current hosting documentation after a major game update rather than assuming an older command or field remains unchanged.
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Troubleshooting the download and launch
SteamCMD reports a failed command
The script is designed to stop on failure. Check that SteamCMD can write to the installation directory, that the path in force_install_dir is correct and that anonymous login completed. Run the script again after correcting the reported condition.
The executable is missing
Confirm that SteamCMD finished in the directory named by force_install_dir, not merely in the SteamCMD directory. On a graphical installation, use Steam’s library details to open the tool’s actual local files.
The process starts and immediately exits
Check the configuration path after -config, validate the JSON punctuation and replace placeholder values. A scenario identifier copied incorrectly from another build or a missing required mod can also prevent the intended scenario from loading; run -listScenarios and read console.log.
The server runs but nobody can join
Compare the configured bind and public addresses, server port, router forwarding rule and firewall rule. Test from outside the local network. If you selected the experimental app, verify that joining clients use the compatible experimental branch.
Players are asked to download content repeatedly
Compare the server’s mod versions with the clients’ cached versions. Switching between servers with different versions can cause redownloads, and required mods cannot be selectively skipped.
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Self-hosting or managed hosting?
Self-hosting gives you direct control over SteamCMD updates, JSON files, logs, firewall rules and mod selection. It also leaves you responsible for process supervision, backups, port forwarding and recovery after a host reboot.
A managed Arma Reforger server service can take care of some of those operational tasks, but support, regions, pricing, uptime, cancellation terms and branch availability differ by provider. Verify those details before moving a live community. The download IDs and configuration concepts remain the same even when a provider supplies the machine and control panel.
Bottom line
For a stable Arma Reforger dedicated server, install SteamCMD, run app_update 1874900 validate into a dedicated directory, then launch ArmaReforgerServer with a JSON configuration. Use app ID 1890870 only for the experimental branch, keep branches separate, discover scenarios with -listScenarios, and align ports, bind addresses, firewall rules and required mods before inviting players.
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