Dedicated Server setup script

[TripodGG [TTV]]

I host game servers for my community and my friends all the time. For obvious reasons, I prefer to use a Linux backend because headless servers just run smoother. Well, as we all know, Enshrouded doesn't offer a native Linux server. Windows only. Now while I have nothing against Windows servers (I use them daily), having a GUI on a server wastes valuable resources.

Fortunately, Windows *does* offer a headless option: Windows Server Core

Windows Server Core is the best way to run your own Enshrouded server, but so many people don't know how to set it up or set up a dedicated server on it. So I wrote a script to do everything. All you need to do is run the script, it will prompt you for the necessary information, and then install everything needed to run the server.

You can find the script, along with a script to update the server automatically, on my Github: https://github.com/TripodGG/Enshrouded-Server-on-Windows-Server-Core

I hope this helps everyone be able to get their own servers up and running.

[ŦҤƦλ६✗ シ]

This is amazing, thank you very much! Had problems starting the Dedicated on my 2022 Core, took a look at your ps script and noticed i missed the 2022 vcredist.
Awesome.

[TripodGG [TTV]]

Originally posted by ŦҤƦλ६✗ シ:

This is amazing, thank you very much! Had problems starting the Dedicated on my 2022 Core, took a look at your ps script and noticed i missed the 2022 vcredist.
Awesome.

I'm glad this helped. I spent a ton of time figuring all this out, so I'm glad it has helped you. Even if you're the only person who ever uses it, it makes all the time spent worth it.

[Ọmen]

Thanks a lot!

I would like to setup one by myself, but isnt there even a guide somewhere, like a step by step one?

[drmartin2789]

Is there a reason you limit your script to win server? If I remove the check for win server it should work on win 10/win 11 too?

[Mush]

or you just rent one and you can forget about all of this.
unless you have a dedicated rig that just runs your server and nothing else, it is still the better option and not that expensive.
we pay about 15€ a month for 8 slots, roughly 2€ per player.

[TripodGG [TTV]]

Originally posted by drmartin2789:

Is there a reason you limit your script to win server? If I remove the check for win server it should work on win 10/win 11 too?

In theory, that would work.

Alternatively, you could download the Win Server .iso file and run Core under the evaluation license. It shouldn't give you any issues.

The purpose of running Windows Server Core is to eliminate the GUI. Most of the game servers I run are on Linux, and run exclusively from the command line. So, to get the same experience from Windows, it's gotta be Windows Server Core.

[TripodGG [TTV]]

Originally posted by Ọmen:

Thanks a lot!

I would like to setup one by myself, but isnt there even a guide somewhere, like a step by step one?

That's the point of this script. There isn't a need for a guide. Just run this script and it will do everything for you (minus the few prompts you need to answer)

[TripodGG [TTV]]

Originally posted by Mush:

or you just rent one and you can forget about all of this.
unless you have a dedicated rig that just runs your server and nothing else, it is still the better option and not that expensive.
we pay about 15€ a month for 8 slots, roughly 2€ per player.

Yes, this is obviously an option. However, not everyone can afford to rent a server, and old tech can be reused to host a game server.

If you don't want to host your own, that's fine. Rent a server all day long. No need to put down others that want to host their own.

[Mush]

Originally posted by TripodGG TTV:

Originally posted by Mush:

or you just rent one and you can forget about all of this.
unless you have a dedicated rig that just runs your server and nothing else, it is still the better option and not that expensive.
we pay about 15€ a month for 8 slots, roughly 2€ per player.

Yes, this is obviously an option. However, not everyone can afford to rent a server, and old tech can be reused to host a game server.

If you don't want to host your own, that's fine. Rent a server all day long. No need to put down others that want to host their own.

it was not written to put anyone down, sorry if it reads that way.

[TripodGG [TTV]]

Originally posted by Mush:

Originally posted by TripodGG TTV:

Yes, this is obviously an option. However, not everyone can afford to rent a server, and old tech can be reused to host a game server.

If you don't want to host your own, that's fine. Rent a server all day long. No need to put down others that want to host their own.

it was not written to put anyone down, sorry if it reads that way.

All good, friend.

[Wo Fat]

Thanks @TripodGG! I set-up a Server 2022 Eval vm with Hyper-V on my local gaming rig (which has enough resources), and your script worked well. The .json config file after running your script compared to some of the new patches was a bit of a challenge to get through. For example, there was no "gamePort" entry so I had to manually add that. Despite entering a password at script execution time, the password in the "userGroups" default section was a randomized pw. I kept getting a "password invalid" when trying to join to the server, took a bit to figure out that was the issue. Not complaining, just mentioning in case anyone else has some problems when setting up. Sincerely, you have some great scripting chops, thanks for giving back to the community!

[G_Cornholio]

I have been playing Valheim and have a Headless server I fumbled through and got to work on an old Thinkserver TS140 I bought for my Son's and Brother. I am looking at ways to get something more efficient to be able to leave on without blasting all kinds of money out the window for the many hours a day no one may be using[even though that unit isn't that bad on power usage compared to a newer rack mounted server]. I was thinking of a Mini PC with Mobile CPU and Win11 Pro to solve that. Now I just started Enshrouded and was looking into server options and came across this post. So I could get a more efficient mini pc for efficiency and perhaps install Windows Server Core on it instead of 11 Pro and that may also have it sip much less power than running Windows 11 just to sit there for headless servers? Thanks in advance for your time!

[FIREBAAT]

I've got it running on a headless Debian box. Looks like the only things you really need beyond steamCMD to download it are wine64 and winbind.

[W7]

Hi, have you seen this method with Docker? I'm using it since january and it works perfectly
:)

https://github.com/jsknnr/enshrouded-server

...also there's this guide to use within GCP (that I'm currently using), you can have a few insights from the automatized scripts from it.

https://github.com/Chris-D-Turk/enshrouded-docker-image/blob/main/google-cloud-guide.md

[W7]

after you clone the enshrouded-server docker image, configure the env file, create a volume to store the save (because docker always create the entire envirorment when it starts) except for volumes, build your current docker image... run your docker like this:

docker run \
--detach \
--env-file ~/enshrouded-docker-image/container/proton/enshrouded-server-env.sh \
--name enshrouded-server-proton \
--mount type=volume,source=enshrouded-persistent-data,target=/home/steam/enshrouded/savegame \
--publish 15636:15636/udp \
--publish 15637:15637/udp \
sknnr/enshrouded-dedicated-server:latest