Install the Garry’s Mod dedicated server with SteamCMD, place the Murder gamemode and its maps in a public or unlisted Steam Workshop collection, then start the server with +host_workshop_collection, +gamemode murder, and a map name without .bsp. The essential launch pattern is:
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srcds.exe -console +maxplayers 16 +host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID> +gamemode murder +map clue +sv_setsteamaccount <GSLT>Counter-Strike: Source (CS:S) must be owned, installed, and available to both the server and players. Missing maps, textures, or models usually mean that dependency is unavailable or not mounted.
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What the Murder gamemode is
Murder is a deception gamemode for Garry’s Mod. One player is secretly the murderer and hunts the bystanders, while the bystanders search for clues, use limited weapons, and try to identify and stop the murderer. A successful installation therefore needs more than the gamemode folder: the server must deliver the gamemode, a compatible map, its addons, and the Counter-Strike: Source assets used by many of those maps.
The normal production setup is Workshop-based. A collection lets the dedicated server download a known set of content and advertise that content to connecting clients. Manual installation from the gamemode source is useful for development or tightly controlled deployments, but it creates more update and distribution work.
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Requirements before you install
- A Garry’s Mod dedicated server installation. Facepunch identifies app ID
4020for the dedicated server. - SteamCMD, with permission to create and update files in the server directory.
- A Steam Workshop collection containing Murder plus every map and addon you intend to use.
- A public or unlisted collection. A private collection cannot be fetched by a normal dedicated server.
- A valid Steam Game Server Login Token (GSLT). Facepunch’s dedicated-server guidance treats the token as mandatory for normal server operation and ranking.
- Counter-Strike: Source owned and installed, with its content available to the server and to players.
- A map that is present in the collection or otherwise installed on the server.
Use a separate directory for the dedicated server rather than mixing it with a desktop Garry’s Mod installation. That keeps updates, logs, Workshop downloads, and configuration files easier to back up.
1. Install or update the dedicated server with SteamCMD
Windows
Download and extract SteamCMD, open a Command Prompt in its directory, and run a command like this, changing the installation path to the location you want:
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steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir ..gmodds +app_update 4020 validate +quit+login anonymous uses SteamCMD’s anonymous login, +force_install_dir selects the destination, and +app_update 4020 installs or updates Garry’s Mod Dedicated Server. The validate argument checks the downloaded files and replaces damaged or incomplete files. Run the same command again whenever you want to update or verify the installation.
Linux
From the SteamCMD directory, use the Linux equivalent:
./steamcmd.sh +login anonymous +force_install_dir ../gmodds +app_update 4020 validate +quitUse an absolute path if the relative path is confusing. The important part is that SteamCMD’s selected directory is the one from which you will later run srcds_run. If SteamCMD reports that a file is locked or cannot be written, stop the server and correct the directory permissions before retrying.
Verify the result
After SteamCMD exits successfully, the destination should contain the Garry’s Mod server files, including the dedicated-server executable or launch script and the garrysmod game directory. If files are missing after an interrupted download, run the same command with validate again rather than copying files from a client installation.
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2. Build the Workshop collection
Create the collection
- Open Steam Workshop for Garry’s Mod and create a new collection.
- Set the visibility to Public or Unlisted. The server must be able to retrieve the collection; private visibility prevents normal dedicated-server delivery.
- Add the Murder gamemode and every map or addon required for your server rotation.
- Save the collection and copy its numeric collection ID from the Workshop page URL or collection details.
Facepunch documents that dedicated servers can install addons directly from Workshop collections when the collection is supplied as a startup parameter. The parameter is +host_workshop_collection, followed by the numeric ID.
Add Murder and maps
The Workshop listing identifies Murder as a gamemode by Mechanical Mind with item ID 187073946. The listing has included maps such as:
| Map filename | What to check |
|---|---|
cs_office |
Confirm that the map is in your collection and that CS:S content is available. |
de_chateau |
Use the filename exactly as listed; do not append .bsp in the launch command. |
cs_italy |
Verify that clients have the required Counter-Strike: Source assets. |
clue |
A convenient test map for the example startup command. |
mu_nightmare_church |
Check the current Workshop listing because availability can change. |
de_prodigy |
Make sure the map item itself, not only the gamemode, is in the collection. |
dm_lockdown |
Check for required textures and models before opening the server publicly. |
housewithgardenv2 |
Use the exact lowercase filename shown by the map item. |
de_forest |
Test server and client downloads on a clean client. |
This is not a permanent compatibility list. Workshop authors can change, remove, or replace items, so inspect the current listing before choosing a map rotation.
3. Start Murder on the server
Windows launch command
From the dedicated-server directory, run:
srcds.exe -console +maxplayers 16 +host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID> +gamemode murder +map clue +sv_setsteamaccount <GSLT>Replace <COLLECTION_ID> with the collection’s numeric ID and <GSLT> with the token created for this server. Replace clue with a map that exists in the collection. Keep the map value as clue, not clue.bsp.
Linux launch command
On Linux, use the Garry’s Mod server runner and retain the same Workshop, gamemode, and map parameters:
./srcds_run -game garrysmod -console +maxplayers 16 +host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID> +gamemode murder +map clue +sv_setsteamaccount <GSLT>The -game garrysmod argument tells the runner which game directory to load. Keep the process attached during the first launch so you can read Workshop and mounting messages.
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Understand the three important parameters
+host_workshop_collection <COLLECTION_ID>tells the dedicated server which Workshop collection to download and mount.+gamemode murderuses the gamemode’s folder name. The value ismurder, not the display title “Murder.”+map clueselects a map by filename without the.bspextension.
+maxplayers 16 is an example capacity, not a requirement of the gamemode. Choose a value that matches your server resources and the map’s intended use.
4. Create and use a Steam Game Server Login Token
A GSLT identifies the dedicated server to Steam. Create one for the Garry’s Mod app and place the resulting token in the launch command as the value of +sv_setsteamaccount. Do not publish the token in screenshots, configuration repositories, or public paste sites. If it is exposed, revoke it and create a replacement.
If the server starts locally but does not appear correctly to Steam or cannot operate normally, check the token first: it must be valid, assigned to the appropriate app, and present in the command actually used to launch the process. A typo in the token can look like a networking or Workshop problem.
5. Confirm Workshop downloads and client delivery
On the first startup, watch the console while the server contacts Workshop. Facepunch notes that a gamemode with a Workshop ID can be marked for client download; the console may print:
Making workshop gamemode available for client downloadMaps in the collection are similarly advertised to clients. Wait for the collection to finish downloading and mounting before testing a player connection. If you connect too early, the server may be running with an incomplete content set and produce misleading “missing map” errors.
After the server reaches its normal listening state, connect with a client that does not already have the content cached. This clean-client test confirms that the collection is public or unlisted, the map is advertised, and the required files are actually sent to players rather than merely present on the host.
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6. Make Counter-Strike: Source content available
The upstream Murder repository and its Workshop description state that Counter-Strike: Source is required and that users must own and install it. CS:S supplies maps, textures, models, and materials used by many Murder maps. Garry’s Mod alone does not replace that dependency.
What the server administrator must do
- Own CS:S on the Steam account used for the installation.
- Install the CS:S game content on the machine that runs the dedicated server.
- Ensure the server can access and mount that content through its normal Garry’s Mod game-content paths.
- Install CS:S for every player who will join. A Workshop collection cannot legally or technically substitute for the game’s required assets.
Recognize a dependency failure
Typical symptoms include checkerboard or purple textures, black-and-purple models, missing props, a map failing to load, or clients being kicked because a required map is absent. If the server console names a missing CS:S file, repair the CS:S installation and confirm that the server is using the intended Steam library. If only some players see the problem, have those players install or update CS:S and reconnect after restarting Garry’s Mod.
Workshop deployment versus manual source deployment
The Murder repository contains a gamemodes/murder path. You can use that source for development or a controlled deployment, but a normal public server is simpler to operate through Workshop.
| Deployment choice | Operational simplicity | Update behavior | Content control | Client compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop collection | One startup parameter delivers the gamemode, maps, and addons. | Workshop content updates on restart by default. | Managed distribution; collection membership controls the content set. | Still requires the correct gamemode, map, and CS:S content. |
| Manual repository files | More copying, permission, and version-management work. | You decide when to replace source files and must distribute matching client content. | Source-level control for development, patches, or private builds. | Still requires the correct map and CS:S content; manual files do not remove that dependency. |
Choose Workshop unless you have a specific reason to modify or pin the source. Manual files are appropriate when you are developing changes, auditing every file, or operating in an environment where Workshop access is not part of the deployment plan.
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Workshop content updates when the server restarts by default. That keeps the server close to the collection’s current versions, but it can also introduce an update immediately before an event or a scheduled play session.
You can disable automatic Workshop updates with:
host_workshop_autoupdate 0Disabling updates leaves the server on older maps or addons until you deliberately refresh them. That can be useful for a pinned event build, but it also means stale content may remain after a Workshop author fixes a crash, dependency, or map error. Record the collection state and restart deliberately when changing its contents.
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First-start verification checklist
- Confirm SteamCMD completed
app_update 4020 validatewithout errors. - Check that the collection visibility is Public or Unlisted and that its numeric ID is correct.
- Verify that the Murder gamemode, the selected map, and any required addons are collection members.
- Start with
+gamemode murderand a map name without.bsp. - Check the console for Workshop download, mount, and client-download messages.
- Confirm the server reaches the selected map instead of falling back to another gamemode or map.
- Join with a clean client and verify that the client receives the gamemode and map.
- Check that both the server machine and the test client have CS:S installed and available.
- Run one complete round to confirm role assignment, bystander weapons, clues, and the murderer’s objective.
Troubleshooting common failures
The server starts in another gamemode
Check the startup argument first. The value must be the folder name murder. A display name, Workshop item title, or misspelled folder will not select the mode. Also make sure the Workshop download completed before the map command ran.
“Map not found” or the server changes maps unexpectedly
- Use the map filename without
.bsp. - Confirm the map item is in the collection, not just the Murder gamemode item.
- Check the current Workshop listing for a renamed, removed, or unavailable item.
- Restart after changing collection membership so the server downloads the new content.
- Run SteamCMD validation if the dedicated-server installation itself is incomplete.
Players see purple textures or missing models
Treat this as a CS:S dependency problem first. Verify ownership and installation on the affected client, then verify that the server machine has the same content available and mounted. If the issue affects everyone, inspect the server’s game-content setup; if it affects one player, repair that player’s CS:S installation.
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Check that the collection is not private, that the collection ID is correct, and that the console reports Workshop content becoming available for client download. Remove an incorrect collection parameter, correct it, and restart. A client may also retain a broken cached download; fully exit Garry’s Mod, reconnect, and test again after the server has completed its own download.
The server does not authenticate or appear normally
Verify +sv_setsteamaccount, the token’s app assignment, and whether the token has been revoked. Keep the token private. If the command is launched through a script or service, inspect that script rather than assuming the interactive command is the one being used.
An update breaks a previously working map
Check whether the Workshop item changed. Automatic updates occur on restart unless host_workshop_autoupdate 0 is set. If you need a stable event build, document the working collection state, stop automatic updates, and test any later update on a separate server before changing the public instance.
Choosing maps and maintaining the server
Start with one map, such as clue, while validating the installation. Add the rest of the rotation only after a clean client can join and complete a round. This isolates failures: if every map is added at once, a missing texture, unavailable Workshop item, or incorrect filename is harder to identify.
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Keep a written record of the collection ID, the selected map names, the GSLT owner, the server launch command, and the date of each intentional Workshop change. Back up configuration and custom manual files before updates. Do not back up or publish the GSLT itself.
About the Workshop listing’s age
The Workshop listing records the Murder item as posted October 18, 2013 and updated December 19, 2023. Those dates describe listing metadata and may change if Steam revises the page; they are not a guarantee that every map or addon remains available. Use the current listing and your own clean-client test as the authority for what works on the server you are deploying.
Complete launch examples
Minimal Windows example
srcds.exe -console +maxplayers 16 +host_workshop_collection 1234567890 +gamemode murder +map clue +sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_GSLTMinimal Linux example
./srcds_run -game garrysmod -console +maxplayers 16 +host_workshop_collection 1234567890 +gamemode murder +map clue +sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_GSLTIn both examples, replace the collection ID and token, and use a map that is actually present in the collection. The server needs the Murder item, the map item, and the CS:S dependency; the command alone cannot supply missing game content.
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