The most practical Linux method is an unofficial Docker image. As of October 14, 2026, the image maintained at Docker Hub reports support for Nitrox 1.8.1.0 on x86-64 and ARM64, including tested Ubuntu 24.04 systems. You must provide the Subnautica installation to the container and make UDP port 11000 reachable from your players. A separate community script uses Steam and Wine, but it is older and pins Nitrox 1.7.1.0. Nitrox’s published setup guides are Windows-oriented; no official, project-maintained Linux procedure was located.
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What you are actually running
Nitrox is a multiplayer modification for Subnautica. The dedicated server does not replace the game: every player still needs a compatible Subnautica installation and Nitrox client. The server process coordinates the shared world, while each player launches the game through Nitrox.
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The project website says Nitrox is available for Windows and Linux, but the official guides located for hosting and installation describe Windows workflows. The Linux instructions below therefore use community-maintained packaging rather than an official Linux runbook. Keep that distinction in mind when diagnosing updates or compatibility problems.
On the project’s releases page, Nitrox 1.8.1.0 is currently labelled “Latest”. The release date was not verified, so record the version you deploy and check the release page again before upgrading. The Docker maintainer specifically reports compatibility with 1.8.1.0; the Wine helper script discussed later is pinned to 1.7.1.0.
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Choose a Linux deployment route
| Route | Version target | Architecture or platform notes | Effort | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cuteminded/nitrox-server Docker image | 1.8.x; maintainer reports 1.8.1.0 | x86-64 and ARM64; Ubuntu 24.04 is among the tested environments | Lowest: install Docker, mount the game directory, publish one UDP port | Unofficial community image; most recently maintained Linux path found |
| xdrm-io/nitrux Steam/Wine helper | 1.7.1.0 | Runs through a Steam/Wine prefix; older setup | Higher: Steam, Wine and a Windows-style prefix must be prepared | Unofficial and older; follow its README for the script’s exact prerequisites |
| qub1/nitrox-server Docker image | Not stated in the available documentation | Not stated | Not stated | Image exists, but its version and operating details were not verified |
No reliable source confirmed that a conventional Wine or Proton installation, without the xdrm-io helper, works with the current Nitrox server. Treat such experiments as unsupported rather than as a third Linux method.
Requirements before you begin
- A 64-bit Linux host. The Docker maintainer reports x86-64 and ARM64 support; other CPU architectures are not established.
- Docker Engine and, if you want a Compose file, the Docker Compose plugin.
- A legal, complete Subnautica installation whose directory can be read by the container. The image expects that directory at
/mnt/subnauticainside the container. - A stable host address. Players outside your home network need a public address with UDP forwarding, or a private VPN such as Hamachi instead of router forwarding.
- Permission to bind and firewall UDP port
11000. Nitrox’s hosting guide identifies this as the server port: Run and host a Nitrox server. - Clients using the same Nitrox release as the server. When you upgrade, plan the server and every player’s Nitrox installation together.
Hardware requirements for Linux hosting are not published consistently. The official feature page advertises a maximum of 100 connected players but recommends a player count of five: Nitrox server features. Those figures are project statements, not a promise that any Linux machine will handle 100 active players smoothly.
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1. Install Docker and verify the daemon
Install Docker Engine using your distribution’s current instructions, then verify that the daemon is usable by your account:
docker version
docker infoIf docker info reports a permission error, either add your account to Docker’s group according to your distribution’s security guidance or run the commands with the appropriate administrative privileges. Do not expose the Docker API to the internet while fixing permissions.
2. Locate and prepare the Subnautica directory
Identify the directory containing the installed Subnautica game files, not merely a shortcut or the parent Steam library. Copying or moving the files is unnecessary if Docker can read them. A dedicated server directory such as /srv/subnautica makes the mount easy to audit:
sudo mkdir -p /srv/subnautica
sudo rsync -a "/path/to/your/Subnautica/" /srv/subnautica/Replace the source path with your actual installation path. If you prefer to avoid a second copy, mount the existing directory directly in the next step. Ensure the directory and files are readable by the Docker service; a container that starts and immediately exits often cannot read the mounted game files.
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The image documentation describes mounting the Subnautica installation at /mnt/subnautica and publishing UDP port 11000. A typical invocation is:
docker run -d
--name nitrox-server
--restart unless-stopped
-v "/srv/subnautica:/mnt/subnautica:ro"
-p 11000:11000/udp
cuteminded/nitrox-serverThe read-only suffix protects the game files. If the image needs to write into that directory and logs show a read-only filesystem error, remove :ro and use a controlled copy of the installation instead of your only game directory. The untagged image follows the maintainer’s current default; because image tags and Nitrox compatibility can change, inspect the image’s current documentation at Docker Hub before a production upgrade.
Confirm that Docker created the container and inspect its startup output:
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docker ps --filter name=nitrox-server
docker logs --tail=100 nitrox-serverA running container is not proof that the server is reachable. The log should show the Nitrox process staying alive rather than exiting with a missing-file, runtime, or permission error.
4. Use Docker Compose for repeatable deployments
Compose is useful when you want the mount, port and restart policy recorded in a file. Save the following as compose.yaml and change the host path:
services:
nitrox:
image: cuteminded/nitrox-server
container_name: nitrox-server
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
- /srv/subnautica:/mnt/subnautica:ro
ports:
- "11000:11000/udp"Start it from the directory containing the file:
docker compose up -d
docker compose logs --tail=100 nitroxPin a maintainer-published image tag when one is documented and tested with your chosen Nitrox release. Do not invent a tag: the available information establishes the image and its reported 1.8.1.0 compatibility, but not a canonical tag name.
5. Stop, update and back up
Use Docker’s normal lifecycle commands:
docker stop nitrox-server
docker start nitrox-server
docker pull cuteminded/nitrox-serverPulling a new image can change the bundled Nitrox version. Stop the server during an update, note the old image ID, read the new image’s compatibility notes, and have players update their clients before reconnecting. Keep a copy of any world or configuration data the image stores outside the container; the documented mount is the Subnautica directory, while the image’s data layout can change between releases.
Method 2: the Steam/Wine helper script
The project at github.com/xdrm-io/nitrux is an older third-party route. It targets Nitrox 1.7.1.0, not the current 1.8.1.0 release, so choose it only when you have a reason to stay on that version or the Docker route is unavailable.
What the script does
The helper uses a Steam/Wine prefix and places the Nitrox files inside the Subnautica prefix at the Windows-style path C:Nitrox. Its documented Steam launch option is -nitrox C:Nitrox. The exact shell commands and prerequisite versions belong to the repository README; use those commands rather than guessing a script entry point, because helper scripts can change independently of Nitrox.
Safe setup sequence
- Install Steam, a working Wine setup supported by the helper’s README, and the 64-bit Linux graphics and audio dependencies required by your distribution.
- Clone or download the repository from the xdrm-io/nitrux project, then read its version-pinning and prefix instructions before running anything.
- Install or expose Subnautica through Steam so the helper can find the game’s prefix.
- Unzip the Nitrox 1.7.1.0 files into the prefix’s
C:Nitroxlocation exactly as the README describes. - Add
-nitrox C:Nitroxto the Steam launch options for the configured entry, preserving the backslashes shown by the project. - Launch the helper’s server target and inspect its log for the listening port and any Wine/.NET error before opening the server to friends.
Do not mix a 1.7.1.0 server with 1.8.x clients unless the Nitrox project explicitly documents interoperability. A version mismatch is the first thing to eliminate when a Wine-based server starts but clients cannot join.
Open UDP port 11000 to your players
Local firewall
Allow inbound UDP 11000 on the Linux host. On a system using UFW, the rule is:
sudo ufw allow 11000/udp
sudo ufw statusUse the equivalent rule for firewalld, nftables or your cloud provider’s security group. The Docker -p 11000:11000/udp option only publishes the container port; it does not override the host firewall.
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Router forwarding
For players on the public internet, forward UDP port 11000 from your router to the Linux host’s fixed LAN address. Forwarding TCP instead, or forwarding to a changing DHCP address, will produce a server that works locally but not remotely. The official hosting guide explains the port-forwarding requirement: Nitrox server hosting guide.
VPN alternative
If your ISP uses carrier-grade NAT or you cannot edit the router, the same guide identifies a VPN such as Hamachi as an alternative to direct forwarding. Every player must join the same virtual network and use the Linux host’s VPN address. A VPN does not remove the need to allow UDP 11000 through the Linux firewall.
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- Start the Linux server and verify its container or Wine process remains running.
- Give players the reachable address: your public IP (or DNS name) when forwarding, or the VPN address when using a virtual network. Include port
11000if the Nitrox client asks for a host and port separately. - Have each player install the same Nitrox release as the server. The Nitrox installation guide is at Installing Nitrox.
- In the Nitrox multiplayer connection screen, enter the supplied address and connect. A player on the same LAN should first test with the server’s private address; this separates game configuration problems from router forwarding problems.
Do not publish your router’s administration interface or Docker daemon port. Only the Nitrox UDP port should be exposed for normal play.
.NET and runtime requirements: what is known
Published third-party information conflicts. DeepWiki’s installation page lists a .NET 9.0 runtime and says the launcher installs it when missing. A generic Linux article, CLRN’s Nitrox server guide, only says that a compatible .NET runtime is needed on Linux and cites .NET Framework 4.7.2 for Windows. Those statements do not establish one authoritative Linux server runtime version.
For Docker, start with the image’s bundled dependencies and do not add a host runtime unless its documentation or logs requests one. For the Wine helper, follow the repository’s prerequisite list and use the runtime version it specifies. If startup fails with a framework error, record the exact missing framework and consult the image or script maintainer rather than installing a random package with a similar name.
Troubleshooting checklist
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Container exits immediately | Wrong mount path, unreadable files, missing dependency or incompatible image | Run docker logs nitrox-server; verify that /mnt/subnautica contains the game files and that the host path permissions allow Docker to read them. |
| Local player can connect; remote player cannot | Router forwarding, host firewall or carrier-grade NAT | Confirm UDP 11000 is forwarded to the correct LAN address, allow it in the firewall, then use the VPN alternative if the ISP blocks inbound traffic. |
| Players see a timeout | Wrong address, wrong protocol or server not listening | Check the server log, use the host’s private address for a LAN test, and ensure the router rule is UDP rather than TCP. |
| Client reports an incompatibility after an update | Server and client Nitrox versions differ | Display the deployed version to all players and update both sides to a release combination documented by Nitrox. |
| Wine helper launches but the server is missing | Nitrox files are outside the expected prefix path or the launch option is malformed | Verify the files are under C:Nitrox in the configured prefix and that Steam uses -nitrox C:Nitrox exactly as documented. |
| ARM64 host fails with an image error | Architecture support or a dependency changed | Confirm the current Docker image documentation still lists ARM64 and that Docker is pulling the intended architecture; do not assume every tag supports both architectures. |
| Runtime/framework error | Missing or unsupported .NET component | Use the runtime version named in the current image or helper documentation. The public third-party references disagree, so treat the exact error and version as authoritative for your route. |
Capacity, maintenance and security
Nitrox’s feature page states a maximum of 100 connected players and recommends five. The recommendation is the useful planning figure: start with a small group, watch CPU, memory, disk I/O and network latency, and increase the player count gradually. No reliable Linux-specific benchmark was published, so do not convert the headline maximum into a hardware guarantee.
- Keep the host’s operating system, Docker Engine or Wine components patched, but schedule Nitrox upgrades separately so you can roll back.
- Back up the world and any server data before changing the image, game files or Nitrox version.
- Use a fixed LAN address for router forwarding and restrict the firewall to UDP 11000.
- Share only the public or VPN address players need; never share SSH credentials, router credentials or Docker socket access.
- Record the Nitrox version, image ID or helper commit, mount path and firewall rule. This makes a failed update reversible.
Which method should you use?
Choose Docker when you want the current community-supported Linux path, a reproducible launch command and x86-64 or ARM64 support. The cuteminded image is the only route in the available material that explicitly targets the 1.8.x line and reports 1.8.1.0 operation.
Choose the xdrm-io helper only when you specifically need its Steam/Wine workflow or must remain on Nitrox 1.7.1.0. It has more moving parts and an older version pin. If neither route works, verify the issue with the maintainers before assuming that generic Wine or Proton can run a Nitrox server; compatibility for that unassisted setup was not confirmed.
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