How to set up a dedicated server CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive)

To play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with friends, you need to find and set up a dedicated server. Note that a virtual server is not suitable for CS GO, because it requires serious resources. For example, the server part of CS takes 25 GB. Plus it is important to choose a data center located closest to the server, so that there was a normal ping. To play CS GO you need powerful hardware that can handle the loads.

Choose and rent a dedicated server for CS:GO

Before ordering, pay attention to the characteristics:

• disk space - from 40 GB (since the server part of CS GO itself takes more than 25 GB);
• disk type - SSD is better, but HDD is also suitable for saving money;
• CPU - at least 2 cores;
• RAM - from 2 GB.

The operating system can be any. In the example we work with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Step-by-step instructions on how to set up a dedicated server for CS GO

You have created a server for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Connection to it is made via ssh - application layer network protocol.

Next, you need to install a dedicated server with the settings specified in the official instructions of the developers of the game:

1. Log in under the rt-rights and create a new user with limited capabilities. To do this, use the command useradd -m steam.
2. Install the steamcmd package (used to be the default in Ubuntu 20.04 LTS), but then excluded, so you have to do everything by hand. The command to install it is apt install lib32gcc1.
3. Configure user rights, limit the possibilities. To do this, use the command sudo -u steam bash.

Next for SteamCMD you need to create a directory for Steam to write logs there. The command looks like this:

mkdir ~/Steam && cd ~/Steam

Then we need to download and install SteamCMD itself into the directory:

wget https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

tar zxvf steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

After the installation you need to run SteamCMD and log in:

./steamcmd.sh

login anonymous

In SteamCMD you need to find the directory CS GO. To do this, use the command

force_install_dir ./cs_go/

The only thing left is to install CS. This is done with the command

app_update 740 validate

In it 740 is the internal code of CS GO. The procedure may take time, because you need to download more than 25 GB of data.

It remains to create a token and start the server.