Starbound Server Commands and Admin Setup: Dedicated Server, Ports, RCON, and Troubleshooting

A Starbound dedicated server can run from starbound_server.exe on Windows or from ./starbound_server on Linux after installing Steam app 211820 with SteamCMD. For players outside your home network, forward the server’s game port, normally TCP 21025. Administrator access is tied to a named account in serverUsers: log in with that account, then run /admin. RCON is a separate, disabled-by-default remote console with a smaller command set and no leading slash.

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How Starbound dedicated servers work

A dedicated Starbound server is a separate process that owns the universe, accepts player connections, and applies the server configuration in storage/starbound_server.config. Players connect with the Multiplayer screen rather than starting a local single-player session. You can host on a Windows PC, or install the Linux server files with SteamCMD and run them under a non-root account.

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There are three command surfaces to keep distinct:

• In-game chat commands: entered with a leading slash, such as /admin or /kick. The account must have the required privileges.
• RCON: a network console intended for remote administration. It is disabled by default, exposes fewer commands, and commands are entered without a slash.
• Operating-system controls: service managers such as systemd, or terminal tools such as screen and byobu, start and stop the server process itself.

The Starbounder Linux Server Setup guide, crawled in 2026, documents a default maximum of eight players, a default maximum team size of four, game port 21025, RCON port 21026, and three player-backup files. Treat those as documented defaults for the guide’s build, not promises for every modded or future server build.

What you need before installing

• A computer or virtual server that can remain online while players connect.
• A Starbound installation on Windows, or SteamCMD and the Linux server files on Linux.
• Permission to change the host firewall and, for home hosting, the router’s port-forwarding rules.
• A strong password for every account placed in serverUsers, especially accounts with admin: true.
• A backup plan for the configuration and player data before changing settings or installing mods.

For a first test, run the server locally and connect to 127.0.0.1. Add router forwarding only after the local connection works.

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Install and start the server on Linux

1. Use a dedicated, non-root account

Create a normal account such as steam and keep the server process under that account. Running the game server as root increases the impact of a compromised account or an unsafe mod. Install the SteamCMD dependencies required by your Linux distribution before continuing.

2. Install the files with SteamCMD

Start SteamCMD with its steamcmd.sh launcher. Inside the SteamCMD prompt, set a full installation path, authenticate, install app 211820, and exit:

./steamcmd.sh
force_install_dir /full/path/to/starbound
login anonymous
app_update 211820
quit

Use the real absolute path you selected for your host; the path above is an example layout, not a required directory name. Re-run app_update 211820 when you deliberately update the server files.

3. Start the Linux executable

Change to the installation’s linux directory and launch the server:

cd /full/path/to/starbound/linux
./starbound_server

The Linux setup guide records this startup message as a useful diagnostic: “Congratulations! You’re now successfully running your server.” Keep the terminal attached during initial testing so startup errors remain visible.

4. Keep the process running after disconnecting

For a temporary session, use a detached screen or byobu session. For a host that should restart predictably, create a systemd unit that runs as the non-root steam user and points ExecStart to the actual linux/starbound_server path. After creating or changing the unit, use:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start starbound
sudo systemctl status starbound
sudo systemctl enable starbound

Stop it for maintenance with sudo systemctl stop starbound. Check status and the service journal whenever the process exits unexpectedly. Do not enable automatic restarts until you have checked that a crash is not being caused by malformed configuration or a broken mod.

Install and start the server on Windows

Open the Starbound installation directory and launch starbound_server.exe. Leave the server window open while testing. When Windows Firewall asks whether to allow the program, allow the profile and network scope that match your intended use; a private home network is different from exposing the host on a public network.

Local testing still uses 127.0.0.1. Friends on another network need the host’s reachable public address or DNS name, a firewall rule, and router forwarding to the computer running starbound_server.exe.

Open the game port and connect players

Forward the correct port

The normal game port is 21025. The Linux setup material describes forwarding and allowing TCP and UDP on that port by default, while the core Internet connection requirement is TCP 21025. Forward the port from the router to the host’s fixed LAN address, then allow the same traffic through the host firewall. If you change gameServerPort, forward the new value instead.

Also check gameServerBind. A bind address that listens only on loopback or an inactive interface will make the server appear to be running while remaining unreachable from other machines. Bind deliberately to the interface that should accept players.

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Connect from the Starbound client

1. Open Multiplayer.
2. Select the character that will join the server.
3. Enter the server’s IP address or DNS name.
4. Enter the configured account name and password when the server uses accounts.
5. Join and watch the server console for authentication or connection errors.

Use 127.0.0.1 when the client and server are on the same computer. For a same-LAN test, use the host’s private LAN address rather than the public address; some routers do not support loopback (hairpin) connections.

Configure storage/starbound_server.config safely

The server configuration is JSON. Stop the server before editing it, copy the file somewhere safe, make one logical change at a time, and start the server again to test. JSON is strict: unmatched braces, missing commas, and unquoted property names can prevent the intended settings from loading.

The guide states that if the server detects syntax errors at startup, it renames the file to starbound_server.config.old and replaces it with a default configuration. That recovery behavior can make an edit look as though it was ignored, so inspect for the .old file after a failed start.

Other important keys include gameServerBind, bannedIPs, bannedUuids, runRconServer, rconServerBind, rconServerPassword, and the RCON timeout settings. Their exact values should reflect your network and operational policy. Keep the JSON syntax intact and do not copy a setting from a different Starbound build without checking that the key exists in your generated file.

Example administrator account entry

Add an account under serverUsers. The account name is the login identity, and admin must be a JSON boolean, not a quoted word:

{ "serverUsers": { "operator": { "password": "use-a-long-unique-passphrase", "admin": true } } }

Merge the entry into the existing configuration rather than replacing unrelated settings. Use a unique password that is not used for Steam, email, or the host itself.

Make yourself an administrator

1. Stop the server and back up storage/starbound_server.config.
2. Add your account under serverUsers with admin: true and a strong password.
3. Confirm that allowAdminCommands remains true.
4. Save valid JSON and restart the server. Editing a stopped file without restarting does not apply the change.
5. Connect through Multiplayer using that exact account and password.
6. Open chat and enter /admin. The command toggles admin mode for your current session.

Administration is account-based. Merely knowing the server address, being the first player to join, or editing a character does not grant administrator privileges. If allowAdminCommands is false, no account can use admin commands, including an account marked as an administrator. Leave allowAdminCommandsFromAnyone at false unless you intentionally want non-admin accounts to use administrative commands.

In-game Starbound command reference

Enter these commands in the in-game chat after enabling admin mode where required. Use /help to list commands available on your build or to request help for a specific command.

Kick and ban players

/kick <player> [reason] removes a connected player and can include a message explaining why. The documented ban form is /ban <player> [reason] [ip/uuid] [seconds]. The target can be banned by UUID, by IP, or by both, and an optional duration makes the ban temporary.

• A UUID ban blocks the particular character associated with that UUID.
• An IP ban blocks users connecting from that IP address, which can affect more than one person behind the same address.
• A timed ban is temporary. The command reference warns that temporary bans disappear when the server shuts down or the configuration is reloaded.

Use /unban <uuid or ip> to remove a matching ban. Permanent entries are represented in the configuration’s bannedUuids and bannedIPs arrays, so back up the file before manually changing those arrays.

RCON: remote administration without an in-world character

RCON is not the same as in-game chat. It is disabled by default, has no in-world character, and exposes a smaller command surface. Enable runRconServer, set a strong rconServerPassword, choose rconServerBind deliberately, and protect the RCON port with the host firewall. The documented default RCON port is 21026; use the value actually present in your configuration if it differs.

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RCON commands do not begin with /. The documented command set includes:

Do not expose RCON broadly just because the game port is public. Bind it to a management interface or trusted address where possible, restrict the port at the firewall, and rotate the password if it has been shared outside the operator group. A successful game connection does not prove that RCON is enabled; they are separate listeners and settings.

Routine operation and backups

Graceful starts and stops

Use systemd’s start, status, stop, and enable actions for a Linux service. Run the unit as steam, not root. A detached screen or byobu session is useful while learning the server because you can reattach and see the live console.

Back up before risky changes

• Copy storage/starbound_server.config before editing JSON, changing bans, or enabling RCON.
• Keep the previous known-good configuration separately from the live directory.
• Retain player backups according to the server’s playerBackupFileCount; the documented default is three files.
• Back up before installing or removing mods, because a mod can change asset loading and world behavior.

Record the port, bind addresses, administrator account names, and the person responsible for the host. Never record passwords in a public readme or paste them into chat.

Troubleshoot the problems that occur most often

/admin does nothing or reports a permission problem

1. Confirm that you logged in with the account named in serverUsers, including capitalization.
2. Check that the account’s admin value is the boolean true.
3. Check that allowAdminCommands is true.
4. Restart the server after saving the file.
5. Run /admin in chat after reconnecting with the configured account.

If the file was malformed, the server may have moved it to starbound_server.config.old and generated defaults. In that case, restore the backup, correct the JSON, and restart again. Do not enable allowAdminCommandsFromAnyone as a quick fix unless you accept that every connected user may gain administrative capability.

Friends cannot connect, but the server console is running

• Verify that the router forwards the selected game port to the host’s current private IP address.
• Allow TCP 21025 through the host firewall; the Linux setup documentation also describes TCP and UDP forwarding on the default port.
• Check gameServerPort and gameServerBind in the active configuration.
• Test locally with 127.0.0.1, then test from another machine on the same LAN.
• Check whether the public address or DNS name resolves to the correct connection.

If local access fails, port forwarding is not the first problem to solve: inspect the process, the bind address, and the configuration first. If local and LAN access work but Internet access fails, focus on the router and upstream firewall.

A configuration edit is ignored

Stop the server before editing, validate the JSON structure, and restart. Look for starbound_server.config.old; its presence indicates that the server rejected the previous file and replaced it with defaults. Also confirm that you edited the configuration inside the server’s active installation, not a second Starbound directory.

RCON will not connect

• Set runRconServer to enabled and restart the server.
• Use the configured RCON port, normally 21026, rather than the game port.
• Confirm that rconServerBind listens on an address reachable by the management client.
• Check the host firewall and any router rule protecting the RCON port.
• Use the password from rconServerPassword and omit the leading slash from every command.

A command is unknown or has no effect

Run /help in-game or help over RCON to see what the active build exposes. Do not assume that an in-game command is available through RCON: RCON intentionally has fewer commands and no in-world character. For commands that alter worlds or progression, such as /placedungeon and /setuniverseflag, verify the target and keep a backup before executing them.

Self-hosting or managed hosting?

Self-hosting gives you direct operating-system access, control of the firewall and listening addresses, and freedom to choose your update and backup schedule. It also makes you responsible for SteamCMD updates, router forwarding, systemd or terminal supervision, storage, security, and recovery when the host or Internet connection fails.

A managed Starbound service can remove much of that maintenance, but evaluate it against the controls you actually need:

• Setup effort: whether the service supplies an already-installed server or expects you to configure files yourself.
• Operating-system access: whether you can run scripts, inspect logs, or install the mods you need.
• Networking: whether you receive a reachable game port and protected RCON access without managing a home router.
• Updates and backups: whether updates are automatic, scheduled, reversible, and accompanied by downloadable backups.
• Administration: whether you can create account-based admins and use the RCON controls you require.
• Capacity and location: player limits, available regions, latency to your group, and the provider’s uptime policy.
• Total cost and support: recurring fees, storage or backup charges, cancellation terms, and the quality of technical support.

Choose self-hosting when you are comfortable maintaining Linux or Windows and want complete control. Choose managed hosting when eliminating SteamCMD, forwarding, service supervision, and host maintenance is worth the recurring cost. Verify current prices, limits, backup policies, and RCON availability before paying; those commercial terms change independently of Starbound’s server defaults.

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Administrator’s pre-launch checklist

• Server files installed from the intended Windows installation or SteamCMD app 211820.
• Linux process runs as non-root user steam.
• Local connection succeeds through 127.0.0.1.
• gameServerPort and gameServerBind match the firewall and router rules.
• TCP 21025 is forwarded for Internet players; include UDP when following the Linux guide’s default forwarding rule.
• Configuration backup exists before any edit.
• Administrator account is present in serverUsers with admin: true.
• allowAdminCommands is enabled and the server has been restarted.
• RCON remains disabled unless needed; when enabled, its password, bind address, port, and firewall rule are deliberate.
• Players know whether they should enter an account and password on the Multiplayer screen.

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