Introduction:
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is a popular multiplayer first-person shooter game that allows players to create and manage their dedicated game servers. Hosting your CS:GO server on Debian 12 provides you with full control over the gaming experience, including custom maps, game modes, and server settings. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up and host a CS:GO game server on Debian 12.
Prerequisites:
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
- A Debian 12 server with root or sudo access.
- A Steam account with a copy of CS:GO.
- Basic knowledge of Linux command-line operations.
Step 1: Update Your System:
Start by updating your Debian 12 system to ensure you have the latest software and security updates:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
Step 2: Install SteamCMD:
SteamCMD is a command-line tool from Valve that allows you to download and manage game server files. Install SteamCMD on your Debian server with:
sudo apt install steamcmd
Step 3: Create a New User for the CS:GO Server:
It’s a good practice to run game servers under a dedicated user account. Create a new user for your CS:GO server:
sudo adduser csgoserver
Step 4: Log in as the New User:
Switch to the newly created user:
su - csgoserver
Step 5: Download and Install CS:GO Server:
Use SteamCMD to download and install the CS:GO server files:
steamcmd
Inside the SteamCMD prompt, enter the following commands:
login anonymous
force_install_dir ~/csgo_server/
app_update 740 validate
quit
This will download and install the CS:GO server files to the ~/csgo_server/
directory.
Step 6: Configure Your CS:GO Server:
Navigate to the CS:GO server directory and create a csgo/cfg/server.cfg
configuration file. Customize the server settings as needed:
cd ~/csgo_server/csgo/cfg/
nano server.cfg
Here’s an example of basic server.cfg settings:
hostname "My CS:GO Server"
rcon_password "your_rcon_password"
sv_password "your_server_password"
mp_maxplayers 16
Save the file and exit the text editor.
Step 7: Start Your CS:GO Server:
You can now start your CS:GO server with the following command:
cd ~/csgo_server/
./srcds_run -game csgo -console -usercon +game_type 0 +game_mode 0 +mapgroup mg_active +map de_dust2
Replace -map de_dust2
with your preferred map.
Step 8: Connect to Your CS:GO Server:
Your CS:GO server is now running. Players can connect using your server’s public IP address or domain name via the CS:GO console or in-game server browser.
Step 9: Monitor and Manage Your Server:
To manage your CS:GO server, you can use the Remote Console (RCON) feature. Connect to your server using RCON:
rcon_password "your_rcon_password"
rcon_address "your_server_ip:27015"
rcon
You can use RCON commands to change server settings, kick or ban players, and perform other administrative tasks.
Conclusion:
You’ve successfully set up and hosted a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game server on Debian 12. You can further customize your server by exploring CS:GO server configuration options and mods. Enjoy gaming with your friends and the CS:GO community!