To set up an ARK: Survival Evolved server on Ubuntu, install the dedicated server with SteamCMD app ID 376030, launch it as a non-root user, allow its required UDP ports, and run it as a systemd service. For players outside your network to connect, those ports must also be reachable through your router or VPS firewall.
Choose a home Ubuntu host or a VPS
A home server needs a public, reachable internet connection, a fixed address for the Ubuntu machine on your LAN, and manual router port forwarding. Check that your ISP permits inbound connections; carrier-grade NAT can prevent direct inbound hosting even when you configure the router correctly. A VPS avoids household NAT, but brings recurring cost and provider-specific firewall controls.
| Consideration | Home Ubuntu host | VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Public reachability | Requires router forwarding and an ISP connection that accepts inbound traffic. | Depends on the VPS having a reachable public address and allowing the required UDP ports. |
| Network planning | Assess upload bandwidth and latency. The ARK Official Community Wiki recommends a 100 Mb/s-or-better home connection for a good number of players; this is guidance, not a capacity guarantee. | Check the plan’s network limits, location, latency to players, and security-group controls. |
| Cost and administration | Uses your existing connection and hardware, but you manage power, updates, backups, and router settings. | Adds provider charges, while the provider manages the physical host; you remain responsible for the Ubuntu server and its configuration. |
| Other checks | Confirm the router can forward UDP traffic to the host’s fixed LAN address. | Confirm the provider supports the required UDP ports and offers adequate CPU, memory, storage, and backup controls. |
For either option, use a currently supported Ubuntu release, a non-root service account, adequate disk space for the game files and saves, and a stable address. Install Ubuntu security updates before exposing the server to the internet.
Install SteamCMD and the ARK dedicated server
ARK: Survival Evolved’s dedicated server is installed through SteamCMD with app ID 376030. On 64-bit Ubuntu, SteamCMD may need 32-bit libraries. Install SteamCMD and the dependencies offered by your Ubuntu release’s repositories, then confirm the steamcmd executable runs before proceeding. Package availability and dependency requirements can vary by Ubuntu release.
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Create a dedicated account such as
steamand a server directory such as/home/steam/servers/ark. Make the service account the owner of the installation directory and keep server files, saves, and logs under its control. Do not run the game server as root. -
Install the server into that directory with SteamCMD:
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/servers/ark +login anonymous +app_update 376030 +quit -
Confirm SteamCMD completed and that the server executable exists at
/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer. If an anonymous download fails, check free disk space, DNS, and directory permissions. The ARK Official Community Wiki notes that Steam CDN load can deprioritize or reject anonymous downloads; if that happens, retry with a proper Steam login.
For an interactive SteamCMD session, the equivalent sequence is force_install_dir, login anonymous, app_update 376030, and exit. Use app_update 376030 validate when repairing an incomplete or corrupt installation; routine updates can use app_update 376030.
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Run ShooterGameServer from the Linux binaries directory. This minimal launch example uses The Island and assigns a session name:
/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=MyUbuntuARK -server -logTo require a connection password and set an administrator password in a manual launch, the corresponding arguments can be added as ?ServerPassword=CHANGE_ME?ServerAdminPassword=CHANGE_ME. Replace the example values with secrets before use; do not publish them or leave them in unprotected backups. Avoid placing real passwords in public documentation.
Gameplay and administration settings belong in /home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini. First verify that the server starts without optional changes. Then add a different map, difficulty, rates, whitelist, or mod parameters as needed, changing one area at a time so startup or connection problems are easier to diagnose.
Which ports do you forward for an ARK server?
ARK’s documented dedicated-server ports are UDP 7777 for game traffic, UDP 7778 for peer traffic, and UDP 27015 for the Steam query port. TCP 27020 is optional and is used for RCON when you configure it. ARK does not provide UPnP port forwarding, so forwarding must be configured manually.
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|---|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | Game traffic | Yes |
| 7778 | UDP | Peer traffic; game port plus one | Yes |
| 27015 | UDP | Steam query | Yes |
| 27020 | TCP | RCON | Only if RCON is configured |
Allow only the ports you use in Ubuntu’s UFW firewall. If you administer the host over SSH, allow SSH before enabling UFW so you do not lock yourself out:
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 7778/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp
# Only if RCON is configured:
sudo ufw allow 27020/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status verboseIf SSH uses a port other than 22, allow that port instead. UFW rules persist across reboots. For a home host, forward UDP 7777, 7778, and 27015 from the router to the Ubuntu machine’s fixed LAN address; add TCP 27020 only when RCON is in use. For a VPS, allow the same required ports in the provider’s security group or firewall as well as in UFW.
Run the ARK server as a systemd service
Systemd can start the dedicated server at boot and provides standard start, stop, restart, and status controls. Create /etc/systemd/system/ark-dedicated.service with a service account that owns the server files:
[Unit]
Description=ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated server
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target
[Service]
User=steam
WorkingDirectory=/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux
ExecStartPre=/usr/games/steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/servers/ark +login anonymous +app_update 376030 +quit
ExecStart=/home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer TheIsland?SessionName=MyUbuntuARK -server -log
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetCheck SteamCMD’s actual path with command -v steamcmd and replace /usr/games/steamcmd if the output differs. The pre-start command updates the server when systemd starts it. Keep private passwords out of the unit file; configure them securely as appropriate for your server.
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Load the unit, enable it at boot, start it, and inspect its status and logs:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now ark-dedicated
systemctl status ark-dedicated
journalctl -u ark-dedicated -fUse sudo systemctl stop ark-dedicated to stop it, sudo systemctl start ark-dedicated to start it, and sudo systemctl restart ark-dedicated to restart it. Follow the journal with journalctl -u ark-dedicated -f when checking startup or runtime behavior.
Verify remote access and troubleshoot connection problems
Test from a different network, not only from the host’s own LAN. Check whether the server appears in the Steam server browser or connect to its reachable address. If it is not visible or players cannot join, work outward from the server process:
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Check service state and recent logs with
systemctl status ark-dedicatedandjournalctl -u ark-dedicated. Resolve startup errors before changing network rules.Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
Check whether the expected UDP ports are listening locally with
sudo ss -lunp. Confirm the service is running and configured for the expected ports. -
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sudo ufw status verboseand confirm UFW allows UDP 7777, 7778, and 27015, plus TCP 27020 only if RCON is configured. -
For a VPS, verify the provider security group or firewall allows the same traffic. For a home host, verify the router forwards the UDP ports to the correct fixed LAN address.
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If the rules and destination address are correct but the host is still unreachable from outside, ask the ISP whether the connection is behind carrier-grade NAT or blocks inbound traffic.
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Opening only UDP 27015 may make the server queryable, but it does not open the game and peer traffic; UDP 7777 and 7778 must also pass through each applicable firewall and router.
Update, back up, and plan capacity
Before updates or configuration changes, back up /home/steam/servers/ark/ShooterGame/Saved and keep dated rollback copies of GameUserSettings.ini and Game.ini. To validate an installation during maintenance, stop the service, run SteamCMD with app_update 376030 validate for the install directory, then start the service and monitor its logs. The systemd pre-start command shown above performs a routine update at each start.
Plan for bandwidth to rise with player count. The ARK Official Community Wiki gives an upper planning figure of up to 60 KiB/s per connected player and says actual use depends on tick rate and world-save complexity. Treat both that figure and its home-connection recommendation as planning guidance, not a promised player capacity; monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network use as your world grows.
Limit SSH access, use key authentication where possible, keep Ubuntu updated, run the game under the dedicated non-root account, and expose only the needed game and administration ports. If you enable RCON, protect it with a strong secret; otherwise leave it disabled.
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