Knowledgebase

ARMA 3 is a tactical military simulation game that offers players the opportunity to engage in large-scale, realistic combat scenarios. Hosting your own dedicated ARMA 3 server provides greater control over game settings, mods, and community, whether you're looking to run a private server for friends or a public server for the broader community. In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through setting up your own ARMA 3 dedicated server on AnonVM VPS.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, make sure you have:

• A VPS from AnonVM with at least 4 GB of RAM, 2 CPU cores, and 30 GB of disk space.
• SSH access to your VPS.
• Basic knowledge of Linux commands.
• SteamCMD installed (if not already installed from previous guides).

Step 1: Access Your AnonVM VPS

1. Log in to your AnonVM account and navigate to your VPS.
2. Use an SSH client like PuTTY (Windows) or your terminal (Linux/Mac) to connect to your VPS:
    

   ssh root@your-vps-ip
   Replace your-vps-ip with the actual IP address of your VPS and enter your password when prompted.

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

ARMA 3 requires several dependencies to run correctly on your VPS.

1. Update your system:

    

   apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y

2. Install necessary libraries:

    

   apt-get install wget curl unzip screen lib32gcc1 -y

   These dependencies will ensure that the server runs smoothly.

Step 3: Install SteamCMD

SteamCMD is the tool you'll use to install ARMA 3 server files.

1. Create a directory for SteamCMD:

    

   mkdir -p /home/steam cd /home/steam

2. Download and extract SteamCMD:

    

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

3. Verify the installation:

    

   ./steamcmd.sh

   This will launch SteamCMD. To exit, type quit.

Step 4: Download the ARMA 3 Server Files

Now, you’ll use SteamCMD to download the ARMA 3 server files.

1. Log in to SteamCMD:

    

   ./steamcmd.sh login anonymous

2. Set the installation directory:

    

   force_install_dir ./arma3_server

3. Download the ARMA 3 server files:

    

   app_update 233780 validate

   This command will download the ARMA 3 dedicated server files. This can take some time depending on your internet connection.

Step 5: Configure the ARMA 3 Server

Once the files are downloaded, you need to configure your server.

1. Navigate to the server directory:

    

   cd /home/steam/arma3_server

2. Configure server settings: Open the server.cfg file in a text editor such as nano:

    

   nano server.cfg

   Here are some key settings you may want to configure:

   • hostname: The name of your server.
   • password: (Optional) Set a password for your server.
   • maxPlayers: The maximum number of players that can join your server.
   • mods: If you want to use mods, list them here.
   • battleye: Enable or disable Battleye anti-cheat.

   After editing, press CTRL + X, then Y to save and exit.

Step 6: Open Required Ports

To allow players to connect to your ARMA 3 server, open the required ports on your firewall.

ARMA 3 requires the following ports:

• UDP 2302-2305: Game server ports
• TCP 8766: Server query port

1. Open the required ports using ufw (Uncomplicated Firewall):

    

   ufw allow 2302:2305/udp ufw allow 8766/tcp ufw reload

   This will allow the necessary ports for the ARMA 3 server to communicate with the outside world.

Step 7: Start the ARMA 3 Server

Now that the server is configured, it’s time to launch it.

1. Start the server in a screen session: This will allow the server to run in the background even if you disconnect from your SSH session.

   • Start a new screen session:

      

     screen -S arma3_server

   • Run the server:

      

     ./arma3server -config=server.cfg -port=2302 -battleye

     Adjust the port number and other settings as necessary. You can also add additional launch parameters depending on your needs (e.g., mods or mission files).

2. Detach from the screen session: Press CTRL + A, then D to detach from the screen session, leaving the server running in the background.

3. Reattach to the session: To reconnect to the server console, use the following command:

    

   screen -r arma3_server

Step 8: Connect to Your Server

To join your server from the ARMA 3 client:

1. Launch ARMA 3 and go to the Multiplayer tab.
2. Click on Remote and enter your server’s IP address and port number (default: 2302).
3. If you set a password, you will be prompted to enter it.

Step 9: Update the Server

To keep your server up to date, use the following steps:

1. Log in to SteamCMD:

    

   ./steamcmd.sh login anonymous

2. Check for updates:

    

   force_install_dir ./arma3_server app_update 233780 validate

   This will download any available updates for the ARMA 3 server.

Conclusion

You’ve now set up an ARMA 3 dedicated server on your AnonVM VPS! With this setup, you can host your own ARMA 3 sessions, control game settings, and invite players to join your private or public server. Ensure your server stays up to date, and enjoy your enhanced ARMA 3 experience!