Linux server (srcds_linux)

[Mr. Jack]

Hello,

I'd like to run some l4d2 coop servers on a dedicated using debian 12.

Look like there was a change recently about SteamCMD, after some search on google i found a solution to get the game files installed but i'm missing one: srcds_linux

To anyone that run linux server : could you please open that file and c/c what is inside ? (I don't think it's the case but make sure that there are no credential information).

Thank you

[Brock]

Can you explain how you downloaded the linux server? I downloaded one on debian 12 about a month ago or so and it worked fine and had all the files.

You're also supposed to run the dedicated server from srcds_run not srcds_linux, just making sure you know that.

[Mr. Jack]

I've spend some hours already, did many thing and readed a lot on google so i'm lost.

I found a guide on github (linode) but problem started when I used

login anonymous
force_install_dir ./L4D2-server
app_update 222860 validate

To the Steam prompt (SteamCMD) as suggested.

I remember that I had the following error:

app_update 222860 validate ERROR! Failed to install app '222860' (Invalid platform)

So I used what someone suggested on github to the steam prompt;

+@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows

I was able to download files that way, but I have srcds.exe and no srcds_linux.

Edit: about srcds_run I think I found what was inside the files somewhere on github, that's why I'm not asking about it.
(On a side note, I know that the server must be started using srcds_run, thanks though)

[Brock]

If I remember correctly a change did happen to SteamCMD for linux servers a while ago, and login anonymous now causes problems when you try to update the server or install it.

Try re-downloading the server files again but this time login with your steam account, and don't use the forceplatformtype command, just login then force the install directory then attempt to download the server files, and see how it goes.

[Brock]

Originally posted by Mr. Jack:

I've spend some hours already, did many thing and readed a lot on google so i'm lost.

I found a guide on github (linode) but problem started when I used

login anonymous
force_install_dir ./L4D2-server
app_update 222860 validate

To the Steam prompt (SteamCMD) as suggested.

I remember that I had the following error:

app_update 222860 validate ERROR! Failed to install app '222860' (Invalid platform)

So I used what someone suggested on github to the steam prompt;

+@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows

I was able to download files that way, but I have srcds.exe and no srcds_linux.

Edit: about srcds_run I think I found what was inside the files somewhere on github, that's why I'm not asking about it.
(On a side note, I know that the server must be started using srcds_run, thanks though)

The reason why you don't have srcds_linux or scrds_run is because you forced SteamCMD to download the windows version of srcds, that's why you shouldn't use that command, and login with your steam account instead, and you should be able to install it on linux.

[Mr. Jack]

Originally posted by Brock:

The reason why you don't have srcds_linux or scrds_run is because you forced SteamCMD to download the windows version of srcds, that's why you shouldn't use that command, and login with your steam account instead, and you should be able to install it on linux.

Well thanks, i figured that out already.

That dedicated is running on a different country, no way to put my steam login/password into it nor anywhere else.

That's why i made this post.

[Brock]

Originally posted by Mr. Jack:

Originally posted by Brock:

The reason why you don't have srcds_linux or scrds_run is because you forced SteamCMD to download the windows version of srcds, that's why you shouldn't use that command, and login with your steam account instead, and you should be able to install it on linux.

Well thanks, i figured that out already.

That dedicated is running on a different country, no way to put my steam login/password into it nor anywhere else.

That's why i made this post.

Not sure I understand the last part, but you can create a new steam account and use that to login to steamcmd on linux and download the server.

[Mr. Jack]

My English is not that good, sorry.

I won't use my Steam login/password except from my home computer to steam or personal mobile phone to steam.

Or if you're talking about "That's why i made this post.", I mean I made it to get someone that would share me a few line of code that I would get if I was using linux on my own computer and that was also available since age using anonymous login.

It's not like I was trying to get the game for free.

I will make a new Steam account if no other choice, but I also knew this before creating this post.

[Brock]

Originally posted by Mr. Jack:

My English is not that good, sorry.

I won't use my Steam login/password except from my home computer to steam or personal mobile phone to steam.

Or if you're talking about "That's why i made this post.", I mean I made it to get someone that would share me a few line of code that I would get if I was using linux on my own computer and that was available since age using anonymous login.

It's not like I was trying to get the game for free.

I will make a new Steam account if no other choice, but I also knew this before creating this post.

No worries, I was talking about not being able to login with your steam account, but I guessed you weren't comfortable doing it, for security reasons.

I'm not even sure your server will work if you get your hands on a working srcds_linux file, because you prompted the steamcmd to install a windows version of srcds on your linux server, windows and linux are completely different and use different file structures, I'm sure you already know that, but what I'm saying is your server's binary files are probably .dll files, not .so since you prompted it for a windows install, how will this server even launch on your linux machine?

I definitely recommend making a new steam account and installing it the proper way, I think it's a lot easier than trying to find an alternative and later facing other issues down the road.

[Mr. Jack]

Thanks for the answer, you're prolly right i'm going to do that.

[Schattenjäger]

I started out like you, and it was a great learning experience.
But since 2017, I've been running my servers with LinuxGSM and have never looked back. Try it and you'll see!
https://linuxgsm.com/

[[HEROES] Hazmeister]

Originally posted by Mr. Jack:

So I used what someone suggested on github to the steam prompt;

+@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows

I was able to download files that way, but I have srcds.exe and no srcds_linux.

You're most of the way there. The probelm is that Valve accidentally flagged the linux version as needing to be purchased, whereas the Windows version is still free.

https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/11522

After you download the Windows version, you can switch back to Linux and install again. Most of the game's assets are shared between windows and linux, so the extra part of the install doesn't take long.

force_install_dir "/opt/l4d2"
login anonymous
@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows
app_update 222860
@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType linux
app_update 222860 validate
quit

https://github.com/Left4DevOps/l4d2-docker/blob/master/as-user.sh#L33