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To move a Factorio server to the beta branch, stop it, back up the save and current installation, then update the executable through the route that installed it: select the experimental branch in Steam, enable experimental updates in a standalone copy, or replace a Linux headless installation with the official experimental headless package. Verify the binary with factorio --version, check client and mod compatibility, and start the copied world before migrating production.
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What “beta” means in Factorio
Factorio generally calls its beta channel experimental. It is the cutting-edge build rather than a separate game mode. The official download guidance warns that experimental releases can contain serious bugs, so changing a server is a version upgrade with a rollback plan—not a harmless toggle that can always be undone without preparation.
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The branch change affects the Factorio executable and the files it can safely load. Your map, server settings, mods, operating-system service, firewall rules and port forwarding are separate assets. Keep those assets intact while replacing or updating only the game build. A client on the experimental branch also does not automatically update a dedicated executable installed elsewhere.
Choose the update route that matches your installation
Use the route below for the copy that actually runs the server. A Steam client and a separately downloaded Linux headless server are different installations, even when they host the same save.
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| Installation | How to select experimental | Graphics requirement | Update and version control | Rollback effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam-managed Factorio | Library → Factorio → Properties → Betas (the current Steam interface may show Game Versions & Betas) → experimental entry | Full game installation; Steam client components are present | Steam manages downloads; the .x experimental option is intended to follow the latest experimental release automatically |
Switch back to the stable branch and retain a copy of the previous server files |
| Standalone Factorio installation | Factorio → Settings → Other → Enable experimental updates | Full game installation | The game’s experimental-update setting controls the standalone copy; pinning a particular build requires retaining the package you installed | Restore the previous standalone package and the backed-up save if the world does not load correctly |
| Linux dedicated/headless server | Download the official experimental headless package and update or replace the server installation | No graphics or audio; intended for dedicated operation | Package replacement is an administrator task; keep the old executable or package so you can return to it | Stop the service, restore the old package, and restart with the same settings and save |
The Multiplayer documentation distinguishes the graphics-free headless package from the full game. Selecting a Steam beta on a player’s computer therefore cannot replace a headless executable on another machine.
Prepare a safe migration
Do this work during a maintenance window. A save written by an experimental build may not be suitable for an older stable build, and a mod update can change the situation again. Treat the first launch as a test migration.
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Stop the Factorio process through the method you normally use: the server console, your service manager, or the hosting control script. Wait until the process has exited before copying files. Do not copy a save while it is being written.
2. Back up the save and server directory
Copy the complete save archive to a separate location. Also preserve the current server directory or package, including the executable, server-settings.json, map-generation settings, scripts and any service definition that points to the installation. Give the backup a clear date and identify the stable branch it came from.
Keep at least one untouched copy outside the directory that will be replaced. A backup in the same directory is not a rollback if a package update deletes or overwrites it.
3. Make a test copy of the world
Duplicate the save and use that copy for the first experimental launch. Ask a player to connect, travel through the areas that matter, place and remove entities, and perform the server actions your group relies on. Only after the test behaves correctly should you schedule the production save for migration.
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4. Record the current state
- Write down the current Factorio branch and version.
- Record the enabled mods and their versions, including dependencies.
- Note the launch command, service name, save name, settings-file option, port, firewall rules and file ownership.
- Confirm where the stable executable or package is stored for rollback.
Switch a Steam installation to experimental
Steam users change the branch in the Factorio application properties. The official Factorio instructions describe the process as selecting Factorio in the Steam library, opening Properties, entering Betas and choosing the experimental version without a code.
- Stop the dedicated server and complete the backups described above.
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click Factorio and choose Properties.
- Open Betas. Depending on the current Steam layout, this page may be labelled Game Versions & Betas.
- Open the branch selector and choose the entry labelled experimental (or the equivalent beta entry). No access code is required for the official experimental branch.
- Close the properties window and let Steam download the branch before starting the server.
- Confirm that Steam shows the intended branch, then run the version check from the installation directory.
The .x experimental option is intended to auto-update to the latest experimental release. That convenience means the executable can change when Steam applies a later experimental build. If you need a fixed version for a tournament, mod pack or long-running world, keep a complete copy of the working installation and do not assume that “experimental” remains one immutable build.
When Steam is not the server installation
If the server runs as a Linux headless service or from a manually unpacked directory, changing the Steam branch changes only the Steam-managed files. Perform the headless or standalone procedure on the machine and directory that actually launch the server.
Enable experimental updates in a standalone installation
A standalone full Factorio installation exposes the branch switch inside the game rather than in Steam.
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- Stop the server and copy the save archive and current installation.
- Launch the standalone Factorio client from the installation you intend to update.
- Open Settings.
- Select Other.
- Enable Enable experimental updates.
- Allow the installation to download and apply the experimental build.
- Close the client, run
factorio --versionfrom that installation, and record the result.
The setting applies to that standalone copy. It does not change a second installation, a Steam library, or a headless package stored on another machine. Keep the previous standalone directory until the copied save has passed testing.
Update a Linux dedicated or headless server
For a graphics-free Linux server, download the official experimental headless build and update the server installation that your service starts. The headless package is separate from the full game and is intended to run without graphics and audio.
- Stop the Factorio service or process and verify that it is no longer running.
- Back up the save, the complete current server directory and the launch or service configuration.
- Download the official experimental headless package for the server’s platform.
- Unpack it into a new directory rather than immediately deleting the stable directory. This makes comparison and rollback simpler.
- Copy or retain the existing
server-settings.json, save archive and any other files your launch command requires. Do not overwrite a backup with an empty default settings file. - Point the service, script or administrator command at the new executable. Preserve the existing user, working directory, port arguments and permissions.
- Run the binary’s version check before exposing it to players.
- Start the test copy of the save and inspect the log for missing files, mod errors or migration failures.
Replacing a package can change ownership or executable permissions if the archive is unpacked as a different account. Check that the account used by the service can read the save and settings files and can write the log, script-output and save locations it normally uses.
Verify the executable before loading the production world
The command-line reference documents --version. Run it from the updated installation, or use the full path to the binary when multiple Factorio copies exist:
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For a service-managed server, run the same check against the executable referenced by the service rather than only the copy in an administrator’s shell. Different PATH values are a common reason for verifying one installation and starting another.
Start the server with the existing save and settings
A dedicated server is started with the documented --start-server SAVE form. Keep the save argument and operational options that already work for your installation:
factorio --start-server SAVESAVE is the save archive or path used by your existing command. Continue to use your established settings-file argument, visibility options, port configuration and service wrapper where applicable. The beta switch does not require you to redesign the launch command.
Test launch sequence
- Start the copied save, not the production archive.
- Watch the console or log from process start through map load.
- Check that the intended settings file is loaded and that the expected port is listening.
- Connect with one client on the same experimental branch.
- Join with the required mod set and exercise a small, representative part of the world.
- Stop the test server cleanly and confirm that it can save and restart.
Do not delete the stable installation after one successful connection. Let the group use the experimental copy long enough to expose mod, blueprint, train-network and script problems that may not appear during a short login.
Align clients, mods and saves
Every player connecting to the server should run the intended branch and a compatible version. A server on experimental with a stable client, or a server with a different experimental build, can produce a version mismatch before the map opens.
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- Have each client select the same branch and confirm its displayed version.
- Use the same mod names and compatible mod versions on the server and clients.
- Check dependencies after every mod update; an experimental game update can expose an outdated dependency even when the mod itself has not changed.
- Do not mix a production save and a test save while diagnosing a problem. Label copied archives clearly.
- Ask players to remove stale local mod copies or let the game synchronize the versions required by the server.
Mods can be the actual source of a failed migration. If the unmodded copied world starts but the modded copy does not, restore the previous mod set, identify the incompatible mod, and keep the production server on the stable executable until a compatible release is available.
Rollback if the experimental build fails
Rollback is easiest when the old executable and untouched save still exist. Stop the experimental process first; never replace files under a running server.
- Disconnect players and stop the service or server process.
- Preserve the experimental log and the failed test save if you need to diagnose the issue.
- Restore the previous stable executable or package.
- Restore the pre-migration production save if the experimental build wrote to it or if you are unsure which format it used.
- Restore the recorded settings file, launch command and service path.
- Run
factorio --versionto confirm the stable binary. - Start the server with the original
--start-server SAVEcommand and test a client connection.
Switching a branch selector back does not reconstruct files that an update replaced, and it cannot undo a save that was intentionally opened and saved by a newer build. That is why the untouched save and previous executable must be separate backups.
Troubleshoot common migration failures
The beta option is missing in Steam
Confirm that you opened Factorio’s own Properties page and the Betas or Game Versions & Betas section. Let Steam finish any pending client update, restart Steam if the selector is not populated, and verify that you are changing the library installation used by the server.
The server still reports the stable version
Run factorio --version using the exact path from the service or launch script. Multiple installations, a stale symbolic link, or a service that was not restarted can leave the old executable active.
The save will not load
Return to the copied save and read the startup log. Check the branch, exact version and mod list before changing anything else. If the experimental build cannot load the copy, restore the stable package and use the untouched production archive.
Clients receive a version or mod mismatch
Compare the server’s recorded version with each client’s displayed branch and version. Then compare enabled mods and dependencies. A Steam beta selection on one computer does not update clients who use another distribution, and it does not update a separately installed headless server.
The service starts but cannot read the world
Check the service user, working directory, executable path and file permissions. Package replacement often creates files owned by the administrator account while the service runs as a restricted account. Restore the expected ownership and ensure the service account can read the save and settings files and write required runtime files.
The server is unreachable after replacement
Verify that the new process is listening on the same port and interface as the old one. Confirm that firewall rules, router forwarding and the service’s port arguments were preserved. Replacing the Factorio package should not require changing network policy, so an altered launch argument or failed service restart is more likely than a need for new ports.
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- Stable save archive copied to an independent location.
- Previous executable or package retained for rollback.
- Experimental branch selected through the correct distribution route.
factorio --versionconfirms the intended binary.- Copied world loads and can save, stop and restart.
- Server and all clients use the same branch and compatible version.
- Mods and dependencies match on every required client.
server-settings.jsonand other launch arguments are preserved.- Service user, file permissions, firewall, ports and working directory are unchanged and verified.
- Players know that experimental builds may contain serious bugs and where to report a failure internally.
When every check passes, schedule the production cutover: stop the stable server, make one final copy of the save, start the experimental executable with the established settings and monitor the first session. Keep the stable package and pre-migration save until the experimental world has been accepted by the people who depend on it.
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