Garry's Mod Server Setup Guide
Complete walkthrough to install and configure your Garry's Mod dedicated server using SteamCMD.
Prerequisites
- Windows: Windows Server 2019 or later
- Linux: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Debian 11, or CentOS 8+
- RAM: Minimum 2GB, Recommended 4GB+
- Disk Space: 15GB minimum
Installing SteamCMD
SteamCMD is the command-line tool for downloading and updating Source game servers.
Windows Installation
1. Download SteamCMD from: https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd.zip
2. Extract to C:\steamcmd\
3. Run steamcmd.exe
Linux Installation
# Install dependencies
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install lib32gcc1
# Download and extract
mkdir ~/steamcmd
cd ~/steamcmd
wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
tar -xvzf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz
Downloading Garry's Mod Server
Use SteamCMD to download the server files:
login anonymous
force_install_dir /path/to/gmod_server
app_update 4020 validate
This downloads Garry's Mod (AppID 4020) and requires about 5-8GB of disk space.
Server Configuration
Create a srcds_run (Linux) or srcds.exe (Windows) startup script:
#!/bin/bash
./srcds_run -game garrysmod -console +maxplayers 32 +map gm_flatgrass -port 27015 -autoupdate
Starting the Server
Run the startup script to start your Garry's Mod server:
./srcds_run
Pro Tip: Use screen or tmux on Linux to keep the server running after closing the terminal.
Connecting to Your Server
- Open Garry's Mod
- Press F1 to open the console
- Type:
connect your_server_ip:27015
Next Steps
After setup, consider installing Workshop addons and configuring server settings.