Complete Luanti Server Setup Guide

1. Prerequisites and OS Distribution Packages

Luanti runs well on Linux, and a small VPS with SSD or NVMe storage is usually enough for private worlds or light modding. Bigger public worlds benefit more from clean disk IO and predictable CPU performance than from oversized RAM allocations.

Before you install packages, update the host:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Package names vary by distribution. On Debian or Ubuntu, a Luanti server package may be available directly:

sudo apt install luanti-server

If your distro ships an outdated package, use the official Luanti packages or build from source instead of running an old engine under a new name.

2. Creating a Dedicated World User

Run the server as its own user instead of as root:

sudo adduser --disabled-login --gecos "" luanti
sudo su - luanti
mkdir ~/.luanti/worlds/MyFirstWorld -p

This gives you a predictable home for worlds, mods, and config under ~/.luanti/.

3. Launching in Headless Server Mode

Package naming differs. Some systems expose luantiserver; others use luanti --server. Use whichever your package provides.

luantiserver --world ~/.luanti/worlds/MyFirstWorld
# or
luanti --server --world ~/.luanti/worlds/MyFirstWorld

On first boot, Luanti creates the world data, validates the gamepack, and starts listening on the configured port. Stop it cleanly with Ctrl+C after the first successful boot. Avoid hard kills unless the process is truly stuck.

4. Essential Configuration Files

You normally need to validate both the per-world file and the global server config.

Start with the world metadata:

nano ~/.luanti/worlds/MyFirstWorld/world.mt

Make sure it points at a real installed gamepack and backend:

gameid = your_gamepack_id
backend = sqlite3
creative_mode = false
enable_damage = true

Then edit the main server config at ~/.luanti/luanti.conf:

server_name = Awesome Luanti Vanilla PvP
server_description = A completely fresh 24/7 dedicated server running custom mods.
server_address = myvps.domain.com
server_url = https://discord.gg/yourlink
port = 30000
max_users = 30
server_announce = true
strict_protocol_version_checking = false

Setting server_announce = true publishes the server to the public list. Leave it off if you only want direct IP or invite-only access.

5. Firewalls, Networking, and Port 30000

Luanti normally uses UDP port 30000. Open that port on the host and in any cloud firewall:

sudo ufw status
sudo ufw allow 30000/udp
sudo ufw reload

If you host from home, forward UDP 30000 on the router to the server's LAN IP. If you are behind CGNAT, router forwarding alone may still not expose the server publicly.

6. Keeping Luanti Running via Systemd Integration

A background service is the cleanest way to keep the server online after reboots and disconnects.

Create a systemd unit as root or with sudo:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/luanti-server.service

Use a minimal service definition:

[Unit]
Description=Luanti Dedicated Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=luanti
Group=luanti
ExecStart=/usr/bin/luanti --server --world /home/luanti/.luanti/worlds/MyFirstWorld/
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Then reload and start it:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable luanti-server.service
sudo systemctl start luanti-server.service

Use systemctl status and journalctl to confirm it starts cleanly and does not boot-loop.

7. Advanced: PostgreSQL Migration

SQLite is fine for many private and small public servers, but larger worlds with heavier concurrent writes can benefit from PostgreSQL.

If you make that move, update the backend settings deliberately and test on a backup first. The exact migration command depends on the binary your package provides, but the main rule is the same: do the migration offline, back up first, and validate the world after conversion.