How to create an ARK Survival Evolved server on a Linux VPS step by step

Update the package index and install dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y lib32gld1 lib32stdc++6 libcurl4 libcurl4:i386 wget tar curl

The ARK server still ships 32-bit binaries — without the :i386 libraries the process crashes at boot with error while loading shared libraries. The libcurl4:i386 package in particular is the most frequent error on Ubuntu 24.04.

Add the multiarch repository for 32-bit support and install SteamCMD:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y software-properties-common
sudo add-apt-repository multiverse
sudo apt install -y steamcmd

SteamCMD is Valve’s official command-line tool for downloading Steam content — you will use it to fetch the ARK server and the mods.

Create a dedicated user for the server and the install directories:

sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash steam
sudo mkdir -p /home/steam/arkserver
sudo chown -R steam:steam /home/steam/arkserver

From here on, every server-related command should run as the steam user (use sudo -u steam -i to switch into that account). The systemd service we are going to create also runs under this account.

As the steam user, download the ARK server via SteamCMD (App ID 376030):

sudo -u steam -i
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/steam/arkserver +login anonymous +app_update 376030 validate +quit

The validate flag forces an integrity check — recommended on the first install and on any update. +login anonymous works because the ARK Server is free; a Steam account would only be needed for paid games.

Create the server startup script:

mkdir -p /home/steam/arkserver/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer
nano /home/steam/arkserver/start-ark.sh

Paste the content below (adjust SessionName, ServerPassword, and ServerAdminPassword):

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/steam/arkserver/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux
./ShooterGameServer "TheIsland?listen?SessionName=MyServer?ServerPassword=pass123?ServerAdminPassword=admin456?Port=7777?QueryPort=27015?MaxPlayers=20" -server -log

Make the script executable:

chmod +x /home/steam/arkserver/start-ark.sh

TheIsland is the default map — swap it for Ragnarok, TheCenter, ScorchedEarth, Aberration, Extinction, Valguero, CrystalIsles, Genesis, or GenesisPart2 as desired. Larger maps use more RAM.

Create the systemd unit as root:

exit  # leave the steam user shell
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/arkserver.service

Paste the content:

[Unit]
Description=ARK Survival Evolved Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=steam
Group=steam
WorkingDirectory=/home/steam/arkserver
ExecStart=/home/steam/arkserver/start-ark.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=30
LimitNOFILE=100000

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Restart=on-failure restarts the server if it crashes; RestartSec=30 waits 30 seconds before bringing it back up, avoiding an infinite loop when something is genuinely broken.

Enable and start the service:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable arkserver
sudo systemctl start arkserver
sudo systemctl status arkserver

The first start takes 3-5 minutes to load the map — you will see [ARK] Server started in the log when it is ready. Follow along with sudo journalctl -u arkserver -f.

Configure the firewall and open the required UDP ports:

sudo ufw allow 7777/udp
sudo ufw allow 7778/udp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Port 22 (SSH) must be allowed before enabling ufw — forgetting this is the most common way to lock yourself out of the VPS. Confirm with sudo ufw status numbered.

Stop the server before changing the configuration:

sudo systemctl stop arkserver

Edit the GameUserSettings.ini file:

sudo -u steam nano /home/steam/arkserver/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini

Add inside the [ServerSettings] section (create it if it does not exist):

[ServerSettings]
ActiveMods=731604991,1404697612,1814953878

The IDs are the numbers in the Workshop mod URL (steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=NUMBER). The three above are examples: Structures Plus, Awesome SpyGlass, and Super Structures.

Restart the server to download and activate the mods:

sudo systemctl start arkserver
sudo journalctl -u arkserver -f

On the first boot with mods, the server takes 10-20 minutes to download, extract, and mount them — do not give up or restart in the middle. Watch the log until you see ActiveMods: ID1, ID2, ID3 mounted successfully.