Unreal Tournament 99 server

Run with Docker

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

The ut99 image has LinuxGSM and every dependency for Unreal Tournament 99 already installed on Ubuntu 26.04. On first start it downloads the game server, then keeps it updated.

1. Create docker-compose.yml

Give the server a directory of its own and create the file inside it. Docker Compose looks for docker-compose.yml in the directory you run it from, so run every docker compose command below from this directory. Each server needs its own directory.

mkdir -p ~/docker/ut99server
cd ~/docker/ut99server
nano docker-compose.yml

Paste in one of the files below, then save and exit (in nano: CTRL+o, Enter, CTRL+x). The server's files will be stored in ~/docker/ut99server/ut99server, next to docker-compose.yml.

services:
  ut99server:
    image: ghcr.io/gameservermanagers/gameserver:ut99
    container_name: ut99server
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - ./ut99server:/data
    environment:
      - UPDATE_CHECK=60

services:
  ut99server:
    image: ghcr.io/gameservermanagers/gameserver:ut99
    container_name: ut99server
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "7777:7777/udp"
      - "7778:7778/udp"
      - "8777:8777/udp"
      - "8076:8076/tcp"
    volumes:
      - ./ut99server:/data
    environment:
      - UPDATE_CHECK=60

Also published on Docker Hub as gameservermanagers/gameserver:ut99. Prefer docker run? See Docker help.

2. Start it

cd ~/docker/ut99server
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 host networking the server uses the host's ports directly. With bridge networking the compose file above publishes them. Either way, open them in your firewall.

These are the defaults. 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 ut99server ./ut99server details

Copy

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

docker exec -it --user linuxgsm ut99server ./ut99server console

Copy

Restart the game server

docker restart ut99server

Copy

Update the image

cd ~/docker/ut99server
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d

Copy

Server files, configs and logs live in ~/docker/ut99server/ut99server on the host: back up that directory. Docker help below covers permissions, environment variables and bridge networking.

docker run -d \
  --name ut99server \
  --network host \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v "$PWD/ut99server:/data" \
  -e UPDATE_CHECK=60 \
  ghcr.io/gameservermanagers/gameserver:ut99

docker run -d \
  --name ut99server \
  -p 7777:7777/udp \
  -p 7778:7778/udp \
  -p 8777:8777/udp \
  -p 8076:8076/tcp \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v "$PWD/ut99server:/data" \
  -e UPDATE_CHECK=60 \
  ghcr.io/gameservermanagers/gameserver:ut99

environment:
      - UID=1001
      - GID=1001

Install on Linux

Install directly on a server running Ubuntu 26.04, Debian 11 or Enterprise Linux 8.

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 ut99server

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

sudo su - ut99server

Run all remaining commands as ut99server from its home directory, without sudo. On Enterprise Linux, create the account with sudo useradd -m ut99server and set its password with sudo passwd ut99server instead of adduser.

2. Download LinuxGSM

curl -Lo linuxgsm.sh https://linuxgsm.sh && chmod +x linuxgsm.sh && bash linuxgsm.sh ut99server

3. Install

./ut99server 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 ut99server. Running ./ut99server install as root only installs dependencies, not the game server.

4. Configure and start the server

Review your LinuxGSM settings in lgsm/config-lgsm/ut99server/ut99server.cfg (instance settings) or lgsm/config-lgsm/ut99server/common.cfg (shared settings). Do not edit _default.cfg, which LinuxGSM updates automatically. Game settings use a separate config file; run ./ut99server details to find its path. Once configured, start the server explicitly:

./ut99server start

Ports

Open these ports in your firewall. They are the defaults; run ./ut99server details to see the ports your server uses.

Common commands

Start the server

start

./ut99server start

Copy

Stop the server

stop

./ut99server stop

Copy

Restart the server

restart

./ut99server restart

Copy

Show details, ports and passwords

./ut99server details

Copy

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

./ut99server console

Copy

Run in the foreground to debug

./ut99server debug

Copy

Back up the whole server

./ut99server backup

Copy

List every command

./ut99server

Copy

Automate with cron

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

*/5 * * * * /home/ut99server/ut99server monitor > /dev/null 2>&1
0 0 * * 0 /home/ut99server/ut99server 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 Unreal Tournament 99 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 ut99server.
3. Pick any plan with enough CPU, memory and disk for Unreal Tournament 99, 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
./ut99server install

Akamai does not keep this app updated for you, so run ./ut99server 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 Unreal Tournament 99. Log in over SSH and follow the Linux install steps for ut99server.

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