#DIYDGS - The Basics - Learning Steam_CMD

From what I can figure, most of the game server managing programs use the same background commands that get dedicated software running.

I'll go over the commands that I know, but I'm not saying that I know all about this topic... only what's necessary to get shit working right. 

To download the software, go to this website link for direct download:

https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd.zip

For more information also check out:

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD

Steam_CMD

SteamCMD is a command line application that is used in combination with switches to allow for downloading any of the applications that are available from the Steam library.

This includes the dedicated server software.

Go to the link above and download it, if you want to test some of these commands.

Basic Switches Used

There are lots of switches to this commands that can be used but I'm gonna focus on the main ones. And all of these commands are used within a batch file:

Example:
steamcmd.exe +login steamname steampass +force_install_dir "gamepath" +app_update 233780 validate +quit

Steam Login

(Syntax: +login "steamuser" "steampass")

Used in combination with your steam username and password allows for connection to the steam network and download pool. If used with 2 Factor Authenication (2FA), have your code ready via phone or email.

You can also use:

"+login anonymous"

This will allow you to download most dedicated server software from the steam library, without having to use your login with steam.

Steam Force Install

(Syntax: +force_install_dir "gamepath")

This switch allows you to direct the installation to any specific drive and/or folder. Use the " symbol on either end, to specify a folder that might have spaces or a title that is longer then 8 characters long.

Steam App Update

(Syntax: +app_update 233780 validate)

This specifies which application to download. You will need to search for the id for the specific app you would like to download. This website keeps a list of all the apps: https://steamdb.info/apps/

When looking for a specific dedicated software package, Specify the Server with the game name in the search area at the top.

In the case of this example application "233780" specifies the Arma 3 dedicated software package for downloading/updating. The switch "+app_update" does both.

You must also use the "validate" option in this switch to make sure that the downloaded software is the full package and all the files test without errors. This will mean a longer waiting time when you first download and when you update, as it will check all the files after each.

Steam Quit

As it says "+quit" closes out the connection it has to the steam library and disconnects your account. If there are any issues, it might not closes out sometimes. Forcing a quit is necessary.

Conclusion

So these are most of the important commands that are used. Not many, but if you have an understanding of these basic features, then you can use this application to manually create and maintain your dedicated server.

Next up>> Gaming Software Managers