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How to Run a Soulmask Dedicated Server on Linux (SteamCMD, Ports, and systemd)

A practical Linux guide to installing Soulmask’s dedicated server with SteamCMD, opening the correct UDP ports, protecting saves, and configuring automatic restarts.
Length11 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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The dependable way to run a persistent Soulmask server on Linux is to install the Linux dedicated-server depot with SteamCMD, launch it under a non-root account, allow the game and query UDP ports, keep WS/Saved on durable storage, and supervise the process with systemd. Start with an unmodified server on a private or LAN connection, confirm that it saves and accepts a player, then expose it to the internet and add gameplay changes or Workshop content.

What you need before installing

A dedicated server is a separate, always-running Soulmask process. It does not need the game client open, but it does need enough memory, storage, CPU time, and network access for the world and its players. The Steam listing publishes a 64-bit operating system, 16 GB of RAM minimum, 24 GB recommended, and 25 GB of available storage; it also prefers an SSD. Those figures describe the game’s published requirements, not a guaranteed player capacity for a dedicated server. A busy world, many simultaneous players, logs, backups, and mods can require more headroom.

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Item Practical baseline Why it matters
Operating system 64-bit Linux distribution The delivered server binaries and dependencies target 64-bit systems.
Memory 16 GB minimum; 24 GB recommended by the Steam listing Leave additional room for the operating system, SteamCMD, file cache, and other services.
Storage At least 25 GB available; SSD preferred The install, world database, logs, updates, and backups all consume space.
Account A dedicated, non-root user such as steam Limits the damage from a compromised game process and makes file ownership predictable.
Network Two reachable UDP ports and, for public play, a public address or forwarding path The game traffic and server-browser query traffic use separate ports.

A home machine must remain powered on and connected. A VPS or managed game host can be easier when you cannot configure a router or keep hardware online, but compare only verified offerings: monthly cost, CPU and RAM headroom, SSD storage, public IPv4 or IPv6, UDP support, backups, restart controls, mod support, and firewall access.

Create a safe Linux layout

Use a service account and keep the installation in a path that will not be removed during a routine cleanup. The following example uses Ubuntu-style commands and /opt/soulmask; adjust package names and paths for your distribution.

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  1. Create the account without granting it interactive administrative privileges:

    sudo useradd --system --create-home --home-dir /home/steam --shell /usr/sbin/nologin steam
    sudo mkdir -p /opt/soulmask/steamcmd /opt/soulmask/server
    sudo chown -R steam:steam /opt/soulmask
  2. Install SteamCMD from your distribution’s supported package or Valve’s Linux package. Some distributions require enabling a multiverse or equivalent repository and installing 32-bit compatibility libraries. Confirm that the command is available:

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    steamcmd +quit
  3. Do not run the dedicated server as root. Every directory that must contain the installation, configuration, logs, or saves should be writable by steam.

If your distribution installs SteamCMD in a different location, use its full path in scripts and systemd rather than creating a second copy. Keeping one installation avoids updates being written to a directory the service cannot read.

Download the Linux dedicated-server files with SteamCMD

Community Linux instructions use app ID 3017300. The corresponding Windows listing is commonly identified as 3017310, so do not substitute the Windows ID on a Linux host. Depot assignments can change, and old host images may contain stale IDs; watch SteamCMD’s output for the app and depot it actually downloads. If SteamCMD rejects 3017300, verify the current Soulmask dedicated-server listing before changing launch arguments or deleting files.

Run the installation as the service account:

sudo -u steam -H steamcmd 
  +login anonymous 
  +force_install_dir /opt/soulmask/server 
  +app_update 3017300 validate 
  +quit

+force_install_dir must appear before the update command so files land in the intended directory. validate checks the downloaded files and can take time on a large installation. A successful run should end without an update error and should leave a populated /opt/soulmask/server directory.

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Inspect what was delivered

List the directory and locate the Linux launcher or executable:

sudo -u steam -H find /opt/soulmask/server -maxdepth 3 -type f ( -name 'StartServer.sh' -o -name 'WSServer-Linux-Shipping' ) -print

Use the path that exists on your build. If a shell launcher is present, make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /opt/soulmask/server/StartServer.sh

Do not add mods or large gameplay overrides while diagnosing an empty or incomplete install. A clean first launch makes missing libraries, permissions, and port conflicts visible.

Choose launch arguments and passwords

Keep one documented command line. Common arguments are:

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Argument Example Purpose
-SteamServerName -SteamServerName="My Soulmask Linux" Name shown to players; quote names containing spaces.
-MaxPlayers -MaxPlayers=20 Player limit for the process. Begin conservatively and increase after observing memory and CPU use.
-PSW -PSW="a-long-join-password" Password players enter to join.
-adminpsw -adminpsw="a-separate-admin-password" Administrative password; never reuse the join password.
Mode flag -pve or -pvp Selects the server’s intended ruleset.
-Port -Port=8777 Game traffic port in the common configuration.
-QueryPort -QueryPort=27015 Server-browser query port in the common configuration.

A representative first command, using the commonly documented UDP pair, is:

cd /opt/soulmask/server
sudo -u steam -H ./StartServer.sh 
  -SteamServerName="My Soulmask Linux" 
  -MaxPlayers=20 
  -PSW="replace-with-a-join-password" 
  -adminpsw="replace-with-a-different-admin-password" 
  -pve 
  -Port=8777 
  -QueryPort=27015

If your delivered files require WSServer-Linux-Shipping instead of the shell script, keep the same arguments after that executable. Some deployments also expose -EchoPort or RCON-related settings; add those only when you have a specific administrative need and have documented their port and authentication behavior.

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Passwords placed on a command line can be visible to local users through process inspection. On a shared machine, restrict shell access, protect service files, and consider the launcher’s supported configuration mechanism rather than leaving secrets in world-readable scripts.

Use a consistent UDP port pair

The common Soulmask documentation uses game UDP 8777 and query UDP 27015. A container reference uses 27050 and 27051 instead. Neither pair is magically required; what matters is that the values in the launch command, host firewall, router forwarding, and any provider firewall are identical. This guide uses 8777/27015. Do not open one pair while launching on the other.

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Function Guide value Protocol Where it must match
Game 8777 UDP -Port, Linux firewall, router or provider rule
Server browser query 27015 UDP -QueryPort, Linux firewall, router or provider rule

Both ports should normally be above 1024. Query traffic is not a TCP rule: allowing only TCP 27015 will not make the server appear in the browser.

Start locally before exposing the server

Run the command in the foreground first. Read the complete startup output instead of immediately daemonizing it.

  1. Check that the process reaches a running state without bind errors, missing shared libraries, or an inability to find its WS directory.
  2. From the same machine or a permitted LAN client, connect using the server’s local address. Confirm the name, mode, password, and player limit.
  3. Stop it gracefully with the launcher’s normal termination method. A clean stop gives the world database time to flush.
  4. Start it again and verify that the world, character progress, and configuration survive the restart.

Do not add Workshop content, custom multipliers, or copied configuration templates until this baseline works. Each extra variable makes a failed registration or corrupt save harder to isolate.

Protect saves and configuration

Soulmask’s Linux configuration is under WS/Saved/Config/LinuxServer. The broader WS/Saved tree contains the persistent world data, logs, and settings that must survive restarts and upgrades.

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  • Keep /opt/soulmask/server/WS/Saved on persistent disk, not a temporary container layer or an automatically purged directory.
  • Ensure the service account owns it:
sudo chown -R steam:steam /opt/soulmask/server/WS/Saved
sudo -u steam test -w /opt/soulmask/server/WS/Saved && echo "writable"
  • Back up the world database and the LinuxServer configuration before changing gameplay values or updating the depot.
  • Stop the server cleanly before copying live save files. A copy taken during a write can be incomplete.
  • Keep dated backups outside the live server directory so a reinstall does not remove every recovery copy.

For a containerized installation, the same rule applies to the host volume: incorrect ownership can make the game appear to save while data is actually being written to an ephemeral layer. A native install still needs the ownership check.

Make it start automatically with systemd

Systemd provides boot startup, a controlled working directory, and automatic recovery after a crash. Create a unit as root:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/soulmask.service

Use the launcher or executable that exists in your installation. This example calls StartServer.sh:

[Unit]
Description=Soulmask Dedicated Server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=steam
Group=steam
WorkingDirectory=/opt/soulmask/server
ExecStart=/opt/soulmask/server/StartServer.sh -SteamServerName="My Soulmask Linux" -MaxPlayers=20 -PSW="replace-with-a-join-password" -adminpsw="replace-with-a-different-admin-password" -pve -Port=8777 -QueryPort=27015
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
LimitNOFILE=65535

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

If your files provide only WSServer-Linux-Shipping, replace ExecStart with that executable and retain the arguments. If the launcher forks into the background, consult its behavior before using Type=simple; systemd must track the actual long-running process.

Load, enable, and start the unit:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now soulmask.service
sudo systemctl status soulmask.service
journalctl -u soulmask.service -f

Use systemctl stop soulmask.service for maintenance. Do not kill the process with an ungraceful signal while the world is writing. After changing the unit, run sudo systemctl daemon-reload and restart it. Keep secrets out of files readable by unrelated users; a protected environment file or the game’s supported configuration method is preferable for production credentials.

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Open the host firewall and router

Host firewall

For UFW, allow the exact UDP ports used above:

sudo ufw allow 8777/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp
sudo ufw status numbered

With nftables, an equivalent rule belongs in the host’s established ruleset, for example:

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sudo nft add rule inet filter input udp dport { 8777, 27015 } accept

Persist nftables rules using your distribution’s normal service; a rule entered interactively may disappear at reboot. If another firewall layer exists in a VPS control panel, open both UDP ports there as well.

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Router forwarding for a public home server

  1. Give the Linux host a DHCP reservation or static private address so forwarding does not follow a different machine after a lease change.
  2. Create two port-forward rules from the router’s internet interface to that private address: UDP 8777 to UDP 8777 and UDP 27015 to UDP 27015.
  3. Check whether your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT. If it does, ordinary inbound forwarding may not be possible without a public address or a different hosting arrangement.
  4. Test from a separate network, such as a phone hotspot. Testing only from inside the same LAN can be misleading because some routers do not support NAT loopback.

If the server is intentionally LAN-only, leave router forwarding disabled and allow only the local network in the host firewall. Public exposure increases the importance of strong, separate passwords, prompt updates, and restricted administrative access.

Verify that the server is discoverable

A process can be running while the browser cannot see it. Check each layer in order:

  • Process: systemctl status soulmask shows it active, and the foreground log contains no bind or registration failure.
  • Local listeners: inspect the host’s UDP sockets with your distribution’s socket tool and confirm that the configured ports are bound by the Soulmask process.
  • Firewall: both 8777 and 27015 are allowed as UDP, not TCP.
  • Router: forwarding points to the current private IP, not an old DHCP address.
  • Address and query: players use the public address and the server’s configured query port; a blocked query port commonly causes a missing browser entry even when game traffic is reachable.

Make one change at a time. Changing the port, router rule, and launch script together makes it impossible to tell which layer fixed the problem.

Add gameplay settings and mods only after the baseline works

Once an unmodified server has accepted a player and preserved a restart, tune gameplay through the supplied configuration files. GameXishu.json and the templates shipped with the server are common places for multipliers and world settings. Copy the original file before editing, make a small change, and keep a rollback copy.

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Soulmask supports Steam Workshop content and Modkits. Add one mod at a time, restart, and test a clean client connection before adding another. Record the exact load order and versions. If a new mod causes an immediate exit, a version mismatch, or a world that will not load, stop the server, restore the last known-good configuration, and confirm the unmodified save before attempting another change.

Update without losing the world

  1. Announce maintenance and stop the systemd service cleanly.
  2. Copy WS/Saved and your current unit or launch script to a dated backup location.
  3. Update and validate the depot:
sudo systemctl stop soulmask.service
sudo -u steam -H steamcmd 
  +login anonymous 
  +force_install_dir /opt/soulmask/server 
  +app_update 3017300 validate 
  +quit
  1. Review the SteamCMD output for a successful update and inspect whether the launcher or executable path changed.
  2. Start the service, watch journalctl, and test a client before declaring maintenance complete.

Keep the client and server on compatible versions. If players receive version errors, update the server depot and clients together and validate the files before changing passwords, ports, or gameplay settings.

Troubleshoot the failures that matter most

Symptom Likely checks Recovery
Server is absent from the browser Process state, UDP 8777 and 27015 listeners, host firewall, router destination, public address, and query-port protocol Correct the first failing layer, restart, then test from another network.
Process exits immediately Run the launcher in the foreground; inspect the first error, executable permission, shared-library dependencies, working directory, and presence of WS Fix the reported dependency or path, validate the depot, and start without mods.
World does not save Ownership and write permission on WS/Saved; whether the service points at a temporary volume; whether the process was stopped cleanly Stop gracefully, repair ownership, restore a known-good backup if necessary, and retest a restart.
Players see a version error Client and server build numbers, incomplete update, or invalidated files Update both sides, run validate, and reconnect before altering configuration.
systemd repeatedly restarts the service journalctl -u soulmask, exit status, permissions, and whether the launcher backgrounds itself Run the exact command manually as steam, correct ExecStart or service type, then reload systemd.
LAN works but internet play fails Router forwarding, carrier-grade NAT, public/private address confusion, and provider firewall rules Forward both UDP ports to a stable private IP or move the server to a network with a usable public address.

Self-hosting, a VPS, or a managed host?

The software procedure is the same in principle, but the operational work differs.

Option Advantages Costs and risks to verify
Home Linux machine Full filesystem and firewall control; no recurring hosting fee; easy access to local backups Power and internet outages, changing private IPs, router configuration, ISP restrictions, and your responsibility for patching and recovery
Linux VPS Public address, datacenter uptime, and provider-level firewall controls Monthly price, CPU steal or limits, RAM headroom, UDP policy, backup pricing, IPv4 availability, and disk performance
Managed game host Web-based restart tools, port setup, and often simpler mod or backup workflows Capacity, save portability, mod support, backup retention, version timing, and terms must be checked for the specific plan

Choose the arrangement you can monitor and recover. A cheap machine that cannot keep WS/Saved backed up or expose UDP reliably is not a working server, regardless of its advertised CPU count.

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Operational checklist

  • Use a 64-bit Linux system and budget at least the Steam listing’s 16 GB minimum, with 24 GB recommended and additional headroom for your workload.
  • Install app ID 3017300 with SteamCMD and confirm the actual depot output.
  • Run under steam, never root.
  • Document one game/query pair; this guide uses UDP 8777 and 27015.
  • Test an unmodified server locally before forwarding ports or installing Workshop content.
  • Keep WS/Saved persistent, writable, and backed up.
  • Use systemd with a correct working directory and Restart=on-failure.
  • Forward and permit both UDP ports only when public access is intended.
  • Update server and clients together, validate files, and stop cleanly before backups or maintenance.

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