Starbound

Platform Support

Platform	Support	Notes
Linux	✅ Native	Recommended
Windows	✅ Native

System Requirements

Hardware Requirements

RAM: 2 GB minimum
CPU: 2 vCPU minimum
Storage: 15 GB available space
Network: Stable 10+ Mbps connection
Note: Lightweight server ideal for small to medium communities

Installation (Linux)

1. Install via SteamCMD

# Install SteamCMD
mkdir -p ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxvf -

# Create server directory
mkdir -p /opt/starbound

# Download dedicated server
./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous \
  +app_update 533070 validate \
  +force_install_dir /opt/starbound \
  +quit

AppIDs:

Game: 367540
Dedicated Server: 533070

2. Server Configuration

Edit /opt/starbound/starbound_server.config:

{
  "serverName": "DeluxHost Starbound",
  "maxPlayers": 16,
  "maxConnections": 16,
  "gameServerBind": "0.0.0.0",
  "gameServerPort": 21025,
  "queryServerBind": "0.0.0.0",
  "queryServerPort": 21026,
  "allowAssets": true,
  "allowItemSharing": true,
  "cosmicBackground": true,
  "persistenceDir": "universe",
  "modsDir": "mods",
  "logFile": "starbound.log"
}

3. Run Server

Create /opt/starbound/start.sh:

#!/bin/bash
cd /opt/starbound
./starbound_server -c starbound_server.config

chmod +x /opt/starbound/start.sh

Systemd Service

Create /etc/systemd/system/starbound.service:

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

[Service]
Type=simple
User=starbound
WorkingDirectory=/opt/starbound
ExecStart=/opt/starbound/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable starbound
sudo systemctl start starbound

Firewall Configuration

# UFW
sudo ufw allow 21025/tcp
sudo ufw allow 21026/tcp

# iptables
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 21025 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 21026 -j ACCEPT

# Verify
sudo ss -tlnp | grep starbound

Mods Installation

Starbound supports mods through the mods/ folder. Both client and server require the same mods.

Install Workshop Mods

cd /opt/starbound/mods

# Download mod (example - replace with actual mod file)
# Extract .zip files
unzip mod-name.zip

# List installed mods
ls -la

# Server will auto-discover .pak files in mods/ directory

Create Mod Directory Structure

/opt/starbound/
├── mods/
│   ├── useful-mod.pak
│   ├── visual-enhancement.pak
│   └── weapons-expansion.pak
├── storage/
│   └── universe/
└── starbound_server

Important: Restart server after adding mods:

sudo systemctl restart starbound

Windows Installation

1. Download & Extract

Open Steam
Search: "Starbound Dedicated Server" (AppID 533070)
Install to C:\Starbound

2. Configuration

Edit C:\Starbound\starbound_server.config:

{
  "serverName": "DeluxHost Starbound",
  "maxPlayers": 16,
  "gameServerBind": "0.0.0.0",
  "gameServerPort": 21025,
  "queryServerPort": 21026,
  "allowAssets": true,
  "allowItemSharing": true
}

3. Batch File

Create start.bat:

@echo off
cd /d C:\Starbound
starbound_server.exe -c starbound_server.config
pause

4. Firewall Rules

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Starbound-21025" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 21025
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Starbound-21026" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 21026

5. Windows Service (NSSM)

nssm install Starbound "C:\Starbound\starbound_server.exe" "-c starbound_server.config"
nssm start Starbound

Tips & Tweaks

Universe Save Location

Server worlds are stored in:

Linux:   /opt/starbound/storage/universe/
Windows: C:\Starbound\storage\universe\

Backup regularly:

# Create backup
tar -czf starbound-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/universe/

# Automated daily backup
# Add to crontab: 0 2 * * * /opt/starbound/backup.sh

Admin Commands

Command	Purpose
`/admin [player_name]`	Grant/revoke admin
`/ban [player_name]`	Ban player
`/kick [player_name]`	Kick player
`/warp [x] [y] [z]`	Teleport to coordinates
`/godmode`	Toggle invulnerability
`/teleport [player]`	Teleport to player
`/shutdown`	Graceful server shutdown
`/gravity [value]`	Adjust world gravity
`/weather [type]`	Set weather

Character Save Backup

Critical player data location:

# Backup player characters
tar -czf starbound-chars-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/player/

# Restore from backup
tar -xzf starbound-chars-DATE.tar.gz -C /opt/starbound/storage/

Mod Compatibility Notes

Before installing mods:

Check mod compatibility with server version
Test with small player base first
Document installed mod list for troubleshooting

# Create mod manifest
ls -1 /opt/starbound/mods/*.pak > /opt/starbound/MODS_INSTALLED.txt

Common mod issues:

Version mismatch: Clients need exact same mods as server
Corrupt .pak files: Re-download or verify integrity
Incompatible mods: Some mods conflict; test individually

Performance Tuning

{
  "maxPlayers": 16,           // More players = higher CPU
  "maxConnections": 16,
  "cosmicBackground": true,   // Disable if CPU-bound
  "lightMap": true,           // Disable for performance
  "pathfindingThreads": 2     // Adjust to CPU count
}

Monitor server:

# Check CPU/memory
top -p $(pgrep -f starbound_server)

# View logs for errors
tail -f /opt/starbound/starbound.log

# Active connections
netstat -tlnp | grep 21025

Server-Side Asset Control

Control player customization:

{
  "allowAssets": true,           // Allow custom cosmetics
  "allowItemSharing": true,      // Allow inventory sharing
  "allowCheats": false,          // Disable commands for players
  "requireAssetMismatchVersion": false
}

Preventing Data Loss

#!/bin/bash
# Daily backup script: /opt/starbound/backup.sh

BACKUP_DIR="/backups/starbound"
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

# Backup universe and player data
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/universe-$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/universe/

tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/players-$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S).tar.gz \
  /opt/starbound/storage/player/

# Keep last 14 days
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "*.tar.gz" -mtime +14 -delete

echo "Starbound backup completed at $(date)" >> $BACKUP_DIR/backup.log

chmod +x /opt/starbound/backup.sh

Add to crontab:

# Backup daily at 2 AM
0 2 * * * /opt/starbound/backup.sh

World Management

Multiple world support:

# Create separate universe directories
mkdir -p /opt/starbound/storage/universe-pvp
mkdir -p /opt/starbound/storage/universe-pve

# Run multiple servers on different ports
./starbound_server -c starbound_pvp.config &
./starbound_server -c starbound_pve.config &

Server stability tips:

Keep player count under 16 for optimal performance
Monitor system RAM (usually stable ~500MB per 4 players)
Restart server weekly to prevent memory leaks
Review logs for errors: tail -100 /opt/starbound/starbound.log

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