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Install the Arma 3 dedicated server with SteamCMD by placing SteamCMD and the server in separate directories, setting a server destination with force_install_dir, and running app_update 233780 validate. AppID 233780 is the Arma 3 server package for Windows and Linux. After the files download, create a server.cfg, launch arma3server with an instance-specific profile and port layout, and allow UDP ports 2302–2306 through the host firewall and router.
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The dedicated-server files can be downloaded without purchasing the game. That is different from playable branches: an account used to install a playable branch must own Arma 3, and every connecting client must use a compatible branch and content set.
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What the SteamCMD installation provides
SteamCMD is a command-line Steam client intended for downloading and maintaining dedicated-server files. For Arma 3, the dedicated-server AppID is 233780. The package is available for both Windows and Linux, so the same SteamCMD workflow applies on either operating system even though the executable names and filesystem paths differ.
The server package is not the same thing as a complete playable Steam installation. A host can download the dedicated-server files without buying the game. However, Bohemia Interactive’s branch rules distinguish server-file access from playable-branch ownership: branches intended for playing Arma 3 require an account that owns Arma 3. Treat branch selection and account permissions as separate decisions.
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A working installation has four independent parts:
- SteamCMD, kept in its own directory.
- The downloaded Arma 3 server installation, stored in a destination selected with
force_install_dir. - A runtime-data area for profiles, missions and keys.
- A network and firewall configuration that exposes the correct UDP ports.
Keeping those areas separate makes updates safer, permits multiple instances to share one server installation and prevents one instance’s profiles, missions or signature keys from being mixed with another’s.
Prepare the host and directory layout
Choose a Windows or Linux host
Use a supported Windows or Linux machine with permission to run a long-lived process, write to the chosen installation directories and change the host firewall. The installation procedure itself does not depend on owning Arma 3 on the host account, but branch access still follows the ownership rule described above.
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Create separate directories
The following layout is an example, not a requirement to use these exact paths:
| Purpose | Windows example | Linux example |
|---|---|---|
| SteamCMD program | C:steamcmd |
/opt/steamcmd |
| Arma 3 server installation | C:arma3-server |
/srv/arma3-server |
| Instance profiles | C:arma3-dataprofiles |
/srv/arma3-data/profiles |
| Instance missions | C:arma3-datampmissions |
/srv/arma3-data/mpmissions |
| Instance keys | C:arma3-datakeys |
/srv/arma3-data/keys |
For a single server, the three runtime directories can be subdirectories of one data directory. For several servers, create a separate profiles, missions and keys directory for each instance. The server binaries can remain shared; runtime state and network ports must not be shared.
Download SteamCMD and install AppID 233780
- Download and unpack SteamCMD. Obtain the SteamCMD archive for the host operating system and unpack it into the dedicated SteamCMD directory. Do not unpack it over a normal Steam client installation.
- Open SteamCMD. Run the SteamCMD executable for the operating system. It opens a SteamCMD prompt where the installation commands are entered.
- Set the server destination. At the SteamCMD prompt, select the empty or dedicated server directory. For example:
force_install_dir ./arma3/If you start SteamCMD from
C:steamcmd, this relative path points to a server directory beneath that location. You can instead use the absolute destination you prepared for the host. The important requirement is that the destination is the Arma 3 server directory, not the SteamCMD directory itself.PerformanceWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadDriversOutdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownPerformancePC Slower Than It Used to Be?Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. - Authenticate. The official dedicated-server guidance recommends a separate Steam account for a dedicated host. Use an account appropriate to the branch you intend to install. Downloading the dedicated-server package does not by itself require buying Arma 3, but a playable branch requires an account with Arma 3 ownership.
- Install and validate the server. Run the package update command:
app_update 233780 validateThe AppID tells SteamCMD which product to download. The
validateargument checks the downloaded files and replaces missing or corrupted content.Rank #2
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- Wait for completion. Do not launch the server while SteamCMD is still downloading or validating. An interrupted session can leave an incomplete installation; rerunning the same command is the normal recovery procedure.
- Exit SteamCMD. When the update has completed successfully, run:
exit
Run the commands in the same order whenever you create a fresh installation. If you use a relative path with force_install_dir, record the directory from which SteamCMD was started so you can find the resulting files.
Confirm the files before configuring the server
Open the directory passed to force_install_dir and verify that the Arma 3 server executable and its accompanying data are present. If the directory contains only SteamCMD files, the destination was wrong or the update was run before force_install_dir was set.
Use this short checklist:
- The installation directory is the one selected by
force_install_dir. - AppID 233780 was the AppID used in the update command.
- The update completed rather than stopping partway through a download.
- The executable, configuration location and data directories all belong to the same server instance.
- A second validation run completes if the first download was interrupted or files look incomplete.
Validation is a file-integrity check, not a test that the server is reachable from the internet. Network testing comes after the configuration and firewall work.
Select the correct Arma 3 branch
The normal stable choice is the public branch. The official branch list also includes development, legacy, creatordlc, contact and rc. These are not interchangeable labels; they identify different server content and, in some cases, special-purpose or test builds.
| Branch | Use it when | Compatibility warning |
|---|---|---|
public |
You need the ordinary stable server build. | Clients must use the corresponding stable content and compatible mods. |
development |
You are testing the development branch. | Every connecting client must be on the matching development branch. |
creatordlc |
The server needs Creator DLC server data and signature keys. | Clients need the matching content and signatures. |
legacy |
You have a specific reason to run an older special-purpose build. | Availability or access may differ, and ordinary clients may not join. |
contact |
Your installed content and player group specifically require the Contact branch. | Use only with clients that have compatible content. |
rc |
You are participating in a release-candidate test. | It may require active test availability or an access code, and clients must match. |
Branch mismatch is a common reason clients cannot join even when the server process is running and the ports are open. Decide the client population first, then install the branch that matches it. If there is no special requirement, use public.
Create the configuration and launch an instance
Keep server configuration separate from SteamCMD
Create a server.cfg for the instance and keep it with that instance’s configuration or data area rather than inside the SteamCMD program directory. The configuration defines the server’s gameplay and identity settings; the command line defines where the process stores profiles, missions and keys and which base port it uses.
When several instances share one installation, each instance should have its own configuration file or configuration location. Do not point two running instances at the same profile, mission or key directory.
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Use the runtime command-line options
The important options for separating instances are:
| Option | Purpose | Example value |
|---|---|---|
-port |
Sets the base game port for the instance. | -port=2302 |
-profiles |
Sets the profile and runtime-data location. | -profiles=C:arma3-dataprofiles |
-mpmissions |
Sets the mission-file location. | -mpmissions=C:arma3-datampmissions |
-keysFolder |
Sets the directory containing the instance’s key files. | -keysFolder=C:arma3-datakeys |
On Windows, a launch line can therefore look like this, with paths changed to your layout:
arma3server -port=2302 -profiles=C:arma3-dataprofiles -mpmissions=C:arma3-datampmissions -keysFolder=C:arma3-datakeysOn Linux, use the Linux server executable and Linux paths:
./arma3server -port=2302 -profiles=/srv/arma3-data/profiles -mpmissions=/srv/arma3-data/mpmissions -keysFolder=/srv/arma3-data/keysPlace or reference server.cfg according to the launch arrangement you use. Before opening the server to players, start it locally or from the host console and confirm that it creates files in the intended profile directory rather than in the SteamCMD or shared installation directory.
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Open the required UDP ports
The documented default incoming range is UDP 2302–2306. These are five separate ports used by one server instance:
| Port | Function |
|---|---|
| UDP 2302 | Game port. Voice-over-net (VON) is integrated with the main game port. |
| UDP 2303 | Steam query port. |
| UDP 2304 | Steam master and to-server traffic. |
| UDP 2305 | Reserved VON port. |
| UDP 2306 | BattlEye traffic. |
Allow the selected UDP range in two places when the host is behind a router: the operating-system firewall and the router’s port-forwarding rule. Forward the ports to the private address of the machine running arma3server. A correct server configuration cannot compensate for a router rule aimed at a different host.
Change the base game port with -port when 2302 is already in use. The other ports follow the instance’s five-port range. For example, one instance can use UDP 2302–2306 and a second can use UDP 2402–2406. Leave spacing between ranges so that the five ports belonging to one instance are not assigned to another.
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When diagnosing connectivity, check the game port, query port, master/to-server port and BattlEye port as a set. Opening only UDP 2302 may allow the process to start while preventing server discovery, anti-cheat communication or reliable client connections.
Run multiple servers from one installation
A single downloaded server installation can support several instances. Sharing the binaries avoids downloading the same AppID repeatedly, while separate runtime directories prevent one server from changing another server’s state.
| Instance | Base port | Profiles | Missions | Keys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 2302, using UDP 2302–2306 | /srv/arma3-data/alpha/profiles |
/srv/arma3-data/alpha/mpmissions |
/srv/arma3-data/alpha/keys |
| Bravo | 2402, using UDP 2402–2406 | /srv/arma3-data/bravo/profiles |
/srv/arma3-data/bravo/mpmissions |
/srv/arma3-data/bravo/keys |
Give each process its own configuration and launch command. The server executable and downloaded content can be shared, but the -profiles, -mpmissions, -keysFolder and -port values must identify the intended instance. Open every five-port range in the firewall and router.
Update an existing Arma 3 server
Updating uses SteamCMD again; you do not need to create a second server directory. Stop the running arma3server process first so files are not changed while the server is reading them. Then start SteamCMD, point it at the existing installation and repeat the validated update:
force_install_dir ./arma3/app_update 233780 validate
Exit SteamCMD after the command completes:
exitBohemia Interactive’s dedicated-server documentation states: “You will have to update the server whenever a patch is released on Steam.” Treat updates as routine maintenance. Restart the server after the update and confirm that the branch, installed content and client mods still match.
If an update was interrupted, the executable is missing, or the server behaves as though files are damaged, run app_update 233780 validate again against the same destination. Validation checks for missing or corrupt downloaded files; it does not merge two different installation directories.
Troubleshoot the usual installation failures
SteamCMD downloaded files to the wrong directory
Check the exact directory used by force_install_dir and the directory from which SteamCMD was started. The AppID 233780 files must be in the selected server destination. If they are elsewhere, set the intended destination and run the update again rather than copying an uncertain partial installation.
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The download stopped or the files are incomplete
Run the same app_update 233780 validate command again. Validation is specifically useful after an interrupted or suspect download. Wait for completion before launching the server.
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- Confirm that the host firewall allows the complete five-port UDP range.
- Confirm that router forwarding points to the correct host.
- Check that
-portmatches the range opened for that instance. - Verify that the query, master/to-server, reserved VON and BattlEye ports were not assigned to another process.
- Check that the server and clients use the same branch and compatible mods or Creator DLC.
Two instances interfere with each other
Give each process a distinct five-port range and separate profile, mission and keys directories. Review every -profiles, -mpmissions and -keysFolder argument; one copied launch script pointing at the other instance’s directories is enough to mix runtime files.
Clients report a version or content mismatch
Compare the branch first: public, development and special branches are not interchangeable. Then compare installed content, including Creator DLC where applicable, and compatible mods. Changing only the server’s network port will not resolve a branch or content mismatch.
The server uses unexpected profiles or keys
Inspect the launch command and the actual working directory. Explicit paths for -profiles, -mpmissions and -keysFolder make the instance boundary visible and avoid accidental writes into the shared server or SteamCMD directory.
Self-hosting versus a managed server
Installing with SteamCMD is the self-hosted route. It gives you direct operating-system access and control over branches, files and mods, but you are responsible for networking, updates and backups. A managed service can reduce day-to-day administration, but the available operating-system access, mod flexibility, geographic locations, backup options and support quality depend on the provider.
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| Decision area | Self-hosted SteamCMD server | Managed server |
|---|---|---|
| Control and mod flexibility | Direct control of files, branches, configurations and mods. | Depends on the service’s controls and supported content. |
| Operating-system access | You administer the Windows or Linux host. | Access is limited to what the service exposes. |
| Networking | You open UDP ports and configure router forwarding. | The provider normally handles the host network, while you still configure the game instance. |
| Updates | You stop the server and run SteamCMD validation after patches. | The provider may offer scheduled or automatic updates. |
| Price | Depends on the hardware, operating system and network resources you already have. | Recurring cost varies by provider and selected resources; no single price applies. |
| Location and backups | You choose the machine’s location and design the backup plan. | Available regions and backup policies depend on the provider. |
| Support | You troubleshoot SteamCMD, the OS, firewall and router. | Support quality and scope depend on the provider. |
For a small group that needs maximum file and branch control, self-hosting is the more transparent option. If you do not want to maintain an operating system, firewall and update process, a managed service may be simpler, provided it supports the branch and content your players use.
Quick Recap
Final installation checklist
- SteamCMD is in its own directory, separate from any full Steam client.
- The Arma 3 server was installed as AppID 233780 into the directory selected with
force_install_dir. app_update 233780 validatecompleted successfully.- The selected branch matches the clients and installed content.
server.cfgbelongs to the intended instance.-profiles,-mpmissionsand-keysFolderpoint to the intended runtime directories.- The instance has a unique five-port UDP range, with UDP 2302–2306 as the normal default.
- The host firewall and router allow that complete range.
- The server is stopped before every SteamCMD update and restarted after validation.
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