Knowledgebase

How to Set Up a Garry’s Mod Server on AnonVM – Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Garry’s Mod (GMod) is a classic sandbox game with endless creativity, multiplayer potential, and modding possibilities. Hosting a dedicated server for GMod allows you to create a customized environment with mods, addons, and custom game modes. By using AnonVM’s offshore VPS hosting, you ensure smooth performance, high uptime, and excellent privacy.

Why Choose AnonVM for Hosting a Garry’s Mod Server?

AnonVM’s offshore VPS hosting provides an ideal foundation for a Garry’s Mod server. With reliable privacy, low latency, and excellent performance, AnonVM ensures an enjoyable experience for you and your players.

Step 1: Choose the Right VPS Plan on AnonVM

Garry’s Mod is moderately demanding on resources, so choose a VPS with at least 2GB of RAM and a dual-core CPU.

1. Visit AnonVM’s website and explore available VPS plans.
2. Select a plan that meets the minimum requirements for Garry’s Mod.
3. Complete the setup and keep your login credentials ready.

Step 2: Connect to Your VPS via SSH

To start setting up your server, connect to your AnonVM VPS.

1. Open a terminal (or PuTTY if on Windows).
2. Use SSH to access your VPS:
    

   ssh username@your-server-ip
3. Enter your password to complete the login.

Step 3: Update the VPS and Install Required Packages

Update your VPS and install necessary tools for server setup.

1. Update your system:
    

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
2. Install essential packages like wget and screen:
    

   sudo apt install wget screen -y

Step 4: Install SteamCMD

SteamCMD is required to install and manage Garry’s Mod server files.

1. Create a directory for SteamCMD:
    

   mkdir ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
2. Download and extract SteamCMD:
    

   wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz tar -xvzf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

Step 5: Download and Install Garry’s Mod Server

With SteamCMD installed, you can now download the Garry’s Mod server files.

1. Run SteamCMD:
    

   ./steamcmd.sh
2. Log in anonymously to download the server files:
    

   login anonymous
3. Install the Garry’s Mod server:
    

   force_install_dir ~/gmod_server app_update 4020 validate
4. Once installation is complete, exit SteamCMD:
    

   quit

Step 6: Configure the Garry’s Mod Server

Before launching the server, customize its settings.

1. Navigate to the server directory:
    

   cd ~/gmod_server/garrysmod/cfg
2. Create and edit the server configuration file:
    

   nano server.cfg
3. Add essential server configurations such as hostname, rcon_password, and sv_password:
    

   hostname "Your GMod Server" rcon_password "your_rcon_password" sv_password ""
4. Save and close the file by pressing Ctrl + X, then Y to confirm.

Step 7: Start the Garry’s Mod Server

Now it’s time to start your Garry’s Mod server.

1. Go to the server directory:
    

   cd ~/gmod_server
2. Start a new screen session to keep the server running in the background:
    

   screen -S gmod_server
3. Launch the server:
    

   ./srcds_run -game garrysmod +maxplayers 16 +map gm_flatgrass
4. Detach from the screen session by pressing Ctrl + A, then D.

Step 8: Connect to Your Garry’s Mod Server

Once the server is running, you can join it from the Garry’s Mod game client.

1. Launch Garry’s Mod on your PC.
2. Open the Console (~ key) and type:
    

   connect your-server-ip

Optional: Set Up Garry’s Mod Server as a System Service

To ensure your server automatically starts after a reboot, set it up as a system service.

1. Create a service file:
    

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/gmod.service
2. Add the following configuration:
    

   [Unit] Description=Garry's Mod Server After=network.target [Service] Type=simple User=youruser ExecStart=/home/youruser/gmod_server/srcds_run -game garrysmod +maxplayers 16 +map gm_flatgrass WorkingDirectory=/home/youruser/gmod_server Restart=on-failure [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target
3. Enable and start the service:
    

   sudo systemctl enable gmod sudo systemctl start gmod

Conclusion

Hosting a Garry’s Mod server on AnonVM gives you privacy, control, and high performance, making for a reliable and enjoyable multiplayer experience. With AnonVM’s secure offshore VPS, you’re ready to manage and customize your Garry’s Mod world without interruption.