Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsGarry’s Mod dedicated-server startup parameters are added directly to the command that launches SRCDS. On Windows, append them to srcds.exe; on Linux, append the same arguments to ./srcds_run. The launcher changes, but the parameter syntax does not.
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For example, +map gm_construct selects the map, +gamemode sandbox selects the gamemode folder, and +maxplayers 20 sets the player-count value shown in the launch command. This guide explains how to construct, edit, test and troubleshoot those commands without relying on unverified flags.
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What Garry’s Mod startup parameters do
A dedicated Garry’s Mod server is started by running the Source Dedicated Server (SRCDS) launcher with a series of arguments. Those arguments tell the server which game installation to load and which initial values to apply when the process starts.
The Facepunch wiki’s Windows example is:
srcds.exe +maxplayers 20 -console +gamemode sandbox +map gm_construct +sv_setsteamaccount <your token>Its Linux example is:
./srcds_run -game garrysmod +maxplayers 32 +map gm_constructThese are launch commands, not lines to paste into the in-game developer console or into a configuration file. Edit the command used by your server service, shortcut, shell script or hosting panel, then restart the dedicated server so the new values are read during startup.
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Understand the two kinds of argument
The + prefix
A leading plus sign identifies a server console variable or startup argument. In the verified examples, +maxplayers, +gamemode, +map and +sv_setsteamaccount all use this form. Each one is followed by the value that should be applied.
Use the complete pair, such as +map gm_construct, rather than writing only the name. A value containing spaces or special shell characters may need platform-specific quoting, but the examples in the Facepunch documentation use simple, unquoted values.
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A leading minus sign identifies an engine-level flag. The documented examples include -console and -game garrysmod. The latter selects the Garry’s Mod game or mod inside the SRCDS installation; it is not the name of a map or gamemode.
Do not change a documented -game argument into a plus-prefixed form. Likewise, do not remove the prefix from a +map or +gamemode argument.
Windows: add parameters to srcds.exe
- Open the command, shortcut or script that starts the Windows dedicated server.
- Find the executable name,
srcds.exe. - Place a space after the executable and add each parameter/value pair. Keep
-consoleand-gamewith their minus signs and keep server variables with their plus signs. - Replace the example values with the values that exist in your installation. For instance, change
gm_constructto the map file name you intend to load and changesandboxto the gamemode folder name. - Save the command and launch the server once. Read the startup output for the selected map, gamemode and any argument errors before allowing players to connect.
A minimal Windows command based on the documented syntax is:
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srcds.exe +maxplayers 20 -console +gamemode sandbox +map gm_constructThe longer documented form also includes +sv_setsteamaccount <your token>. The placeholder is not a literal token: it marks the position where the server-login value would go if you have one. The material verified for this guide does not establish how that value is created or which external account procedure applies, so do not treat the placeholder as a setup instruction.
Linux: add parameters to ./srcds_run
- Open the shell script, service definition or control-panel startup field that launches the Linux server.
- Use
./srcds_runas the launcher name, assuming the command is being run from the directory that contains that script. - Append the same parameter/value pairs used on Windows. The platform-specific change is the launcher name;
+map,+gamemodeand+maxplayersretain the same spelling. - Include
-game garrysmodwhen following the Facepunch Linux example so SRCDS loads the Garry’s Mod installation. - Start the process and inspect its console output for argument parsing, map loading and gamemode loading messages.
The documented Linux example is:
./srcds_run -game garrysmod +maxplayers 32 +map gm_constructYou can add a gamemode value to that pattern when you want to select one explicitly:
./srcds_run -game garrysmod +maxplayers 32 +gamemode sandbox +map gm_constructParameter reference
| Parameter | Prefix | Value format | What the documented syntax indicates |
|---|---|---|---|
-game |
Minus | garrysmod |
Selects the Garry’s Mod mod inside SRCDS. |
+maxplayers |
Plus | An integer such as 20 or 32 |
Specifies the player-count value in the Windows and Linux examples. |
+gamemode |
Plus | A folder name such as sandbox |
Selects the gamemode folder. |
+map |
Plus | A map name such as gm_construct |
Selects the map to load at startup. |
-console |
Minus | No separate value in the example | Requests the console-style engine launch used in the Windows example. |
+sv_setsteamaccount |
Plus | A server-login value placeholder | Appears in the Facepunch Windows example; the token-creation procedure is not established here. |
How to choose the +gamemode value
The value after +gamemode is a folder name, not a display title. The documented example uses sandbox. Facepunch’s description indicates that the folder can come from garrysmod/gamemodes/ or from an add-on’s gamemodes/ folder.
- Identify the gamemode folder available in the server installation.
- Use the folder’s name exactly after
+gamemode. For example:+gamemode sandbox. - Restart the server and confirm that the startup output identifies the intended gamemode.
- If the server falls back to another mode or reports that the mode cannot be found, check spelling and folder placement before changing other arguments.
Do not use a workshop listing title, a human-readable name or a path beginning with garrysmod/ unless the documentation for that particular mode explicitly requires it. The verified syntax calls for the folder name.
How to choose the +map value
The value after +map is the map file name without the .bsp extension. Facepunch identifies the relevant locations as garrysmod/maps/ and an add-on’s maps/ folder.
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- Locate the map file that the server can access.
- Remove only the
.bspsuffix when forming the startup value. A file namedgm_construct.bspbecomes+map gm_construct. - Keep the map name’s spelling and punctuation unchanged.
- Restart the server and watch for the map-load result.
To change only the starting map, edit the value and leave the other arguments untouched. For example:
+map gm_constructcan become:
+map gm_flatgrassThe second name must correspond to a map actually present in the server’s accessible map folders. A filename copied with its .bsp suffix, a typo or a map available only on a client can prevent the intended map from loading.
How to change the player-count value
The two official examples show +maxplayers with different values: Windows uses 20, while Linux uses 32. The parameter is written the same way on both platforms.
+maxplayers 20Replace the number with the value you want the launch command to pass. Treat that number as a startup setting represented by the command; the supplied material does not establish precedence between this argument and values in server.cfg. If your installation also sets a player limit elsewhere, document which file or panel field is authoritative for your setup and verify the effective value after restart.
Build a complete command without losing existing options
When editing an existing command, preserve the launcher and every option you still need. Add new pairs separated by spaces; do not join two options into one token.
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Windows example with map, mode and player count
srcds.exe +maxplayers 20 -console +gamemode sandbox +map gm_constructLinux example with game, map, mode and player count
./srcds_run -game garrysmod +maxplayers 32 +gamemode sandbox +map gm_constructThe order shown above follows the Facepunch examples. The supplied material does not verify a universal precedence rule when the same setting is supplied by multiple startup arguments, configuration files or an added +exec command. Avoid duplicate definitions while troubleshooting so that one setting is easy to identify.
Adding parameters in a hosting panel
Managed hosting panels often provide a startup-command field or separate boxes for an executable and its arguments. The exact labels and behavior vary by provider and were not verified here.
- Look for a field named Startup, Launch command, Command line, Additional arguments or a similar label.
- Enter only the arguments if the panel already supplies
srcds.exeor./srcds_run. If it expects a complete command, use the platform-appropriate launcher as well. - Paste one space-separated sequence, for example
+maxplayers 20 +gamemode sandbox +map gm_construct. - Save the setting, restart the server and inspect the live console rather than assuming the panel accepted every token.
If the panel exposes separate fields for map, gamemode or player count, use its documented field instead of duplicating the same value in a free-form argument box. If the panel rewrites the command, capture the resulting startup line and compare it with the documented syntax.
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Verify that the parameters took effect
A successful process launch does not necessarily mean every requested value was accepted. Use a short verification cycle after each change:
- Stop the server cleanly.
- Change one parameter or one related group of parameters.
- Start the server and read the earliest console output available.
- Confirm the selected game, map and gamemode from the server’s own messages or status view.
- Check the player-count setting through the server’s normal status information.
- Connect with a test client only after the startup output is free of relevant errors.
Changing one group at a time makes it possible to tell whether a missing map, an incorrect gamemode folder or a malformed argument caused the problem.
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Troubleshooting common failures
The server starts, but the old map remains
- Check that the edited command is the one actually used by the launcher, service or panel.
- Confirm that
+mapis present and that its value omits.bsp. - Verify that the named map exists in
garrysmod/maps/or an accessible add-onmaps/folder. - Restart after saving; changing a launch command does not alter an already-running process.
The requested gamemode is not loaded
- Confirm that the value is the folder name, not a display name.
- Check the folder’s spelling and whether it is under
garrysmod/gamemodes/or an add-on’sgamemodes/directory. - Make sure the command contains the plus sign:
+gamemode sandbox. - Read the startup output for a missing or invalid gamemode message.
The Linux command fails immediately
- Check that the launcher is written as
./srcds_run, including the leading./used in the documented example. - Confirm that
-game garrysmodis present when using the Facepunch Linux pattern. - Compare every space, prefix and value with a known-good minimal command before adding optional arguments.
The Windows command opens incorrectly
- Confirm that the executable is
srcds.exeand that the command was not pasted into an unrelated console or configuration field. - Keep
-consoleand-gameminus-prefixed and keep server variables plus-prefixed. - Remove newly added arguments one at a time to identify the token that triggers the error.
The player count does not match the command
The examples establish that +maxplayers is a startup parameter, but the supplied material does not establish how it interacts with every configuration source. Check for another setting in the panel or server configuration and verify the effective value after a full restart rather than assuming which source wins.
Parameters that should not be copied without confirmation
Search results commonly mention additional flags and collection-loading arguments, but the verified Facepunch excerpts used here do not establish their syntax or behavior. In particular, the following were not confirmed for this guide:
-usercon-authkey+host_workshop_collection- Any universal precedence rule involving startup arguments,
server.cfgor+exec
That does not prove that such options are invalid in every release; it means they should be checked against the current official Facepunch documentation for the server version you run before being added to production.
A repeatable editing checklist
- Use the correct launcher:
srcds.exeon Windows or./srcds_runon Linux. - Use
-game garrysmodwhere the platform’s documented command requires the game selector. - Use plus-prefixed values for
+map,+gamemodeand+maxplayers. - Enter a gamemode folder name, not a title or path.
- Enter a map filename without
.bsp. - Separate every argument and value with spaces.
- Change one setting at a time when diagnosing a failure.
- Restart the dedicated server after saving the command.
- Read the startup output and verify the effective map, gamemode and player count.
- Check the current Facepunch wiki syntax before depending on less common or undocumented flags.
Final guidance
Adding custom startup parameters is primarily a matter of editing the SRCDS launch command correctly. Windows and Linux use different launcher names, but the Garry’s Mod arguments are shared. Start with a minimal documented command, add the required +map, +gamemode and +maxplayers values, restart, and confirm the result in the server output. Keeping the command explicit and avoiding unverified flags makes future map or gamemode changes easier to diagnose.
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