OpenRA: Red Alert server

Run with Docker

First install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin on your Linux host. Run the commands below from your project directory with a user allowed to access Docker; otherwise prefix Docker commands with sudo. The container manages its own linuxgsm user.

The orar image has LinuxGSM and every dependency for OpenRA: Red Alert already installed on Ubuntu 24.04. On first start it downloads the game server, then keeps it updated.

1. Create compose.yaml

services:
  orarserver:
    image: ghcr.io/gameservermanagers/gameserver:orar
    container_name: orarserver
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - ./orarserver:/data
    environment:
      - UPDATE_CHECK=60

Also published on Docker Hub as gameservermanagers/gameserver:orar. Prefer docker run? See Docker help.

2. Start it

docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f

The first start installs the server, which can take a while for large games. When it is ready the log shows the server details, including ports and passwords.

Ports

With network_mode: host the server uses the host's ports directly, so there is nothing to map. Open them in your firewall.

Run details to see every port the server uses and its protocol.

Manage the server

Show details, ports and passwords

docker exec -it --user linuxgsm orarserver ./orarserver details

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Open the live console (leave with CTRL+b then d)

docker exec -it --user linuxgsm orarserver ./orarserver console

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Restart the game server

docker restart orarserver

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Update the image

docker compose pull && docker compose up -d

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Server files, configs and logs live in ./orarserver on the host: back up that directory. Docker help below covers permissions, environment variables and bridge networking.

docker run -d \
  --name orarserver \
  --network host \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v "$PWD/orarserver:/data" \
  -e UPDATE_CHECK=60 \
  ghcr.io/gameservermanagers/gameserver:orar

environment:
      - UID=1001
      - GID=1001

ports:
      - "PORT:PORT/udp"
      - "PORT:PORT/tcp"

Install on Linux

Install directly on a server running Ubuntu 24.04.

1. Create a user and log in

Creating users and installing system packages require administrator privileges. From your administrator account, use sudo below (omit it if already root). Install curl, tar and an editor such as nano with your distribution's package manager first.

sudo adduser orarserver

Give the user a strong password, then switch to its login shell:

sudo su - orarserver

Run all remaining commands as orarserver from its home directory, without sudo. On Enterprise Linux, create the account with sudo useradd -m orarserver and set its password with sudo passwd orarserver instead of adduser.

2. Download LinuxGSM

curl -Lo linuxgsm.sh https://linuxgsm.sh && chmod +x linuxgsm.sh && bash linuxgsm.sh orarserver

3. Install

./orarserver install

LinuxGSM checks dependencies and installs the game files. If this user has sudo access, it can install missing packages when prompted. Otherwise, ask an administrator to install the packages listed by LinuxGSM, then rerun this command as orarserver. Running ./orarserver install as root only installs dependencies, not the game server.

4. Configure and start the server

Review your LinuxGSM settings in lgsm/config-lgsm/orarserver/orarserver.cfg (instance settings) or lgsm/config-lgsm/orarserver/common.cfg (shared settings). Do not edit _default.cfg, which LinuxGSM updates automatically. Game settings use a separate config file; run ./orarserver details to find its path. Once configured, start the server explicitly:

./orarserver start

Common commands

Start the server

start

./orarserver start

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Stop the server

stop

./orarserver stop

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Restart the server

restart

./orarserver restart

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Show details, ports and passwords

./orarserver details

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Open the live console (leave with CTRL+b then d; CTRL+c stops the server)

./orarserver console

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Run in the foreground to debug

./orarserver debug

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Back up the whole server

./orarserver backup

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List every command

./orarserver

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Automate with cron

Restart the server if it crashes, apply game updates and keep LinuxGSM current. Add these with crontab -e.

*/5 * * * * /home/orarserver/orarserver monitor > /dev/null 2>&1
0 0 * * 0 /home/orarserver/orarserver update-lgsm > /dev/null 2>&1

Deploy from a cloud marketplace

LinuxGSM is available as a one-click app on two cloud providers. You get a fresh Ubuntu server with LinuxGSM ready to use, then install OpenRA: Red Alert on it.

Akamai (Linode) Marketplace

1. Open LinuxGSM on the Akamai Marketplace and start a deploy.
2. Choose a limited sudo username and, under the advanced options, set the game server name to orarserver.
3. Pick any plan with enough CPU, memory and disk for OpenRA: Red Alert, then create the instance.
4. When it has finished setting up, log in over SSH or the Lish console and read the generated passwords, then switch to the linuxgsm user and install:

cat /home/YOUR_USERNAME/.credentials
su linuxgsm
cd /home/linuxgsm
./orarserver install

Akamai does not keep this app updated for you, so run ./orarserver update-lgsm now and then. Details are in the Akamai guide.

DigitalOcean Marketplace

Create a Droplet from the LinuxGSM 1-Click App, choosing a size with enough resources for OpenRA: Red Alert. Log in over SSH and follow the Linux install steps for orarserver.

Remember to open the game's ports in the provider's cloud firewall as well as on the server.