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How to Make Your Soulmask Server Private

Set a non-empty Soulmask player password, restart the server, and keep it separate from the administrator credential. Follow the exact steps for a hosted panel, Windows or Linux self-hosting, or a container deployment.
Length9 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To make a Soulmask dedicated server private, set a non-empty player join password, save the configuration, and restart the server. A hosted server uses its control panel; a self-hosted installation uses the -PSW startup option; a container deployment uses SERVER_PASSWORD. The player password is separate from the administrator password.

The quickest way to password-protect a Soulmask server

A Soulmask server is password-gated when its player password is not empty. The exact control depends on how you run the server:

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  • Hosted control panel: stop the server, open Config or Startup, enter a value in Server Password (the panel may map this to -PSW), save it, and restart.
  • Windows self-hosting: add -PSW="your-password" to the command in StartServer.bat, then launch the batch file again.
  • Linux self-hosting: add the same option to StartServer.sh, then restart the server process.
  • Docker or Podman: set SERVER_PASSWORD in the environment or env file, then recreate or restart the container.

Use a different value for -adminpsw, which controls administrator or GM access. Never give the administrator credential to ordinary players.

What “private” means for Soulmask

The documented setting restricts joining to people who know the player password. That is access control, not a guarantee that the server is absent from every browser, directory, or discovery mechanism. The available setup documentation establishes password-gated access; it does not establish complete listing invisibility. Describe the result as a private, password-protected server rather than promising that nobody can discover its listing.

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Players still need the normal server address, port, and any other connection information required by your deployment. The password is an additional gate at join time.

Before changing the password

  • Decide whether you are editing a provider panel, a local launch script, or a container deployment. Do not edit a local script if the host panel generates the launch command for you.
  • Choose a password that is long enough to resist guessing and that is not used for your administrator account, email, hosting panel, or any other service.
  • Keep the password out of screenshots, public configuration repositories, paste sites, and support posts. Share it only with the intended players.
  • Tell connected players that the server will be offline during the restart. A password change does not apply to an already-running process until it is restarted or redeployed.
  • Record the old value in a secure password manager if you may need to roll back. Do not keep a readable copy in a public project folder.

Set a password in a hosted control panel

Panel labels differ by provider, but the operation is the same: stop the process, set a non-empty player password, save, and start it again. Shockbyte’s Soulmask instructions, published November 12, 2024, use the Config tab. XGamingServer’s documentation exposes the same setting as a Startup variable mapped to -PSW; its field is public when left empty.

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Config-tab workflow

  1. Open the hosting control panel for the Soulmask instance.
  2. Choose Stop and wait until the server process is fully stopped. Do not edit a generated command while it is still running.
  3. Open Config.
  4. Locate Server Password.
  5. Enter the password players must type when joining. Confirm that the field is not blank and that you are not entering the administrator password.
  6. Save the configuration.
  7. Start or restart the server and wait for the console to show its normal ready state.
  8. Give the player password only to the people you want to admit, then test a join with one of those accounts.

Startup-variable workflow

  1. Stop the server from the panel or console.
  2. Open Startup and find the variable named Server Password or an equivalent field associated with -PSW.
  3. Replace the empty value with the chosen player password.
  4. Save the startup settings.
  5. Restart the server from the console or the panel. XGamingServer’s instructions specifically require a restart after setting the variable.
  6. Connect with a test player account. A client that does not supply the correct password should be refused, while a client with the password should be allowed to proceed.

If your provider uses different labels, look for the field that maps to the player join option, not a field labelled administrator, GM, query, RCON, or panel password. If the panel regenerates startup arguments, its value is authoritative and a manual edit to a generated command may be overwritten.

Set a password on a self-hosted Soulmask server

The documented player-password flag is -PSW="yourpassword". Add it to the command that launches the dedicated server. The administrator flag is independent and is normally written as -adminpsw="separate-admin-password".

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Windows: edit StartServer.bat

  1. Stop the running Soulmask server.
  2. Make a backup copy of StartServer.bat so you can restore the previous launch command.
  3. Open the batch file in a text editor and find the line that starts the server.
  4. Add -PSW="your-password" as another argument. Keep the quotation marks if the password contains characters that could be interpreted by the command shell.
  5. If you administer the server, set a separate value with -adminpsw="different-admin-password". Do not reuse the player password.
  6. Save the file and launch StartServer.bat.
  7. Watch the console for startup errors, then test both an authorized join and a join attempt with an incorrect password.

A complete command can look like this:

call StartServer.bat -SteamServerName="My Private Server" -MaxPlayers=50 -PSW="choose-a-strong-password" -adminpsw="separate-admin-password" -pve

The server name, player limit, and game-mode arguments in that example are illustrative launch options; the privacy change is provided by -PSW. Replace the sample credentials before running the command. Never publish the real line in a screenshot or repository because it contains both credentials in plain text.

Linux: edit StartServer.sh

  1. Stop the existing server process cleanly.
  2. Back up StartServer.sh.
  3. Open the script and locate the Soulmask launch command.
  4. Add -PSW="your-password" to that command. Add -adminpsw="different-admin-password" only if you need administrator access, and keep that value separate.
  5. Save the script and start it using the same method you normally use for the server.
  6. Check the process output for argument or permission errors, then verify access with an intended player and an incorrect password.

Do not place the password in a shared shell-history snippet, public service definition, or support ticket. If your process manager or deployment script rewrites StartServer.sh, make the change in the source configuration that generates it so a later update does not remove the password.

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Configure a container deployment

The jsknnr container documentation exposes the player password as the SERVER_PASSWORD environment variable. This is the container equivalent of the -PSW argument.

  1. Stop the running container or prepare a controlled redeploy.
  2. Set SERVER_PASSWORD in the container environment or the env file used by your Docker or Podman deployment.
  3. Keep the value out of an image layer and out of any public compose file or repository. Restrict access to the env file itself.
  4. Preserve the deployment’s configured game and query ports. The container documentation treats those as separate settings, and router port-forwarding must continue to point at the correct host ports.
  5. Recreate or restart the container so the new environment variable is read by the server process.
  6. Review container logs for a clean startup, then test an authorized and unauthorized join.

Changing an env file without recreating or restarting the container does not change the environment of the already-running process. If the container is managed by a compose or orchestration tool, use that tool’s normal recreate operation rather than manually editing a running container.

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Keep player and administrator passwords separate

Credential Setting Who should receive it Purpose
Player join password -PSW or SERVER_PASSWORD Players who are allowed to join Gates entry to the Soulmask server
Administrator or GM password -adminpsw Only trusted administrators Enables administrative or GM functions

Anyone who knows the player password can attempt to join, so it is not an administrative secret. The administrator password is more sensitive: distributing it to every player defeats the distinction between ordinary and privileged access. If a former administrator should no longer have access, change the administrator credential independently of the player password, then restart using the same deployment method.

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Confirm that the server is actually private

  1. Confirm that the saved configuration contains a non-empty player password. An empty panel field or missing -PSW argument leaves the documented setup public.
  2. Confirm that the server was restarted after the change. A saved value that has not reached the running process cannot affect joins.
  3. From an account that has the password, connect using the normal server address and port. The client should be able to pass the password prompt.
  4. From a test account that does not have the password, attempt to join. The attempt should fail at the password gate.
  5. If the authorized client still cannot connect, check the server address, game port, query port, and router forwarding independently. A correct password does not repair a networking or port-mapping problem.
  6. If the unauthorized client can join, inspect the active launch arguments, panel variable, or container environment. You may have edited a file that is not used to start the live instance, or the process may not have been restarted.

Troubleshoot common failures

The server remains public

  • Check for an empty value in Server Password or SERVER_PASSWORD.
  • On self-hosted installations, verify that -PSW appears on the command that actually launches the server, not only in an unused text file.
  • Restart or recreate the deployment. Every documented method requires the running process to reload the setting.
  • For a hosted panel, check whether a startup template overwrote your manual command. Set the panel variable that owns the generated argument.

Players with the password cannot join

  • Check that players received the current value, including capitalization and punctuation.
  • Confirm they are connecting to the correct server address and game port.
  • Check separate game and query-port settings in a container deployment and verify router forwarding where applicable.
  • Read the startup console or container logs for malformed arguments, failed redeploys, or a process that exited immediately after launch.

The server fails to start after editing the command

  • Restore the backup launch file and confirm that the server starts without the new argument.
  • Add the password option again with the documented form -PSW="yourpassword", preserving the surrounding spaces and other arguments.
  • Keep credentials free of accidental line breaks and avoid copying shell prompt characters into the command.
  • If a host panel or container manager generates the command, remove the manual override and set its supported password field instead.

The password was exposed

Change the player password in the same place where it was originally configured, restart or redeploy, and distribute the new value through a private channel. If the administrator password was exposed as well, change that credential separately. Remove public screenshots, repository commits, or support posts containing the old values where possible, but assume anyone who could read them may still know the credentials.

Choose the right configuration method

Deployment Control surface Operational burden Credential handling Apply-time action
Managed host Provider’s Config or Startup panel The provider operates the server process and normally handles the host environment; you still manage settings and player access. Use the player-password field mapped to -PSW; keep any administrator password separate. Save, then restart from the panel or console.
Windows self-hosted StartServer.bat You maintain the process, files, updates, and network exposure. Store -PSW and -adminpsw as different values and protect the batch file. Save the script and launch the server again.
Linux self-hosted StartServer.sh You maintain the process, shell script, updates, and network exposure. Protect the script and any process-manager configuration containing the two credentials. Save the script and restart the process.
Docker or Podman SERVER_PASSWORD in the environment or env file You maintain the image, container lifecycle, ports, and host networking. Restrict the env file and do not bake the password into a public image or repository. Recreate or restart the container.

The password mechanism is consistent across these choices; the difference is where the value is maintained and who is responsible for the surrounding process and networking.

Operate a private server safely after setup

  • Distribute the player password through a private group or direct message rather than a public server listing.
  • Rotate the player password when the membership changes substantially. A shared password cannot distinguish one authorized player from another once it has been forwarded.
  • Rotate the administrator password whenever someone with administrative access leaves the team.
  • Keep backups of scripts and env files free of real credentials, or encrypt any backup that must contain them.
  • After game-server updates, recheck the active startup arguments or container environment. An update or provider template can replace a customized launch command.
  • Document the current control surface for other trusted operators: panel field, script, or environment variable. Include the restart or redeploy step so a future edit is not mistaken for an active change.

A password-protected Soulmask server therefore means controlled admission, not guaranteed invisibility. Set the player password in the deployment’s authoritative configuration, keep it distinct from -adminpsw, and restart the running service before inviting players.

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