Prerequisites
You need SteamCMD installed to download the server files. Download it from https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD and extract it to a folder like C:\steamcmd\ (Windows) or /home/steam/steamcmd/ (Linux).
Operation: Harsh Doorstop runs on Unreal Engine — not Source/SRCDS. The launch method uses an executable with URL-style options, not a traditional Source config pipeline.
Step 1 — Download the Server Files
Launch SteamCMD and run:
login anonymous
force_install_dir C:\OHDServer
app_update 950900 validate
quit
Replace C:\OHDServer with your preferred install directory. SteamCMD will download the dedicated server using AppID 950900.
On Linux, use an absolute path such as /home/steam/OHDServer.
Step 2 — Create the Launch Bat File
On Windows, open the server's root directory and locate or create HarshDoorstopServer.bat. The default contents look like this:
HarshDoorstop\Binaries\Win64\HarshDoorstopServer-Win64-Shipping.exe AAS-TestMap?MaxPlayers=16 -log -SteamServerName="Harsh Doorstop Dedicated Server"
Break this down:
- Executable —
HarshDoorstop\Binaries\Win64\HarshDoorstopServer-Win64-Shipping.exe - Map — first positional argument (
AAS-TestMap) - URL options — chained with
?, e.g.?MaxPlayers=16 - Dash flags —
-log,-SteamServerName="..."(these are Unreal/Steam flags, not URL options)
A minimal working example:
HarshDoorstop\Binaries\Win64\HarshDoorstopServer-Win64-Shipping.exe AAS-TestMap?MaxPlayers=16 -log
Save this as HarshDoorstopServer.bat in the server root.
Step 3 — First Launch
Run HarshDoorstopServer.bat. On first launch the server generates its config directories:
- Windows:
HarshDoorstop\Saved\Config\WindowsServer\ - Linux:
HarshDoorstop/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/
You can close the server once the directories are created. Edit Game.ini inside that folder to configure RCON, player limits, and other settings.
Linux Support
Linux is fully supported. The executable path is different:
./HarshDoorstop/Binaries/Linux/HarshDoorstopServer AAS-TestMap?MaxPlayers=16 -log -SteamServerName="Harsh Doorstop Dedicated Server"
Create a shell script instead of a bat file. See Running an Operation: Harsh Doorstop Server on Linux for a full walkthrough including a systemd service.
Step 4 — Open Ports
The server needs these ports forwarded to be joinable:
| Port | Protocol | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 7777 | UDP | Gameplay (inbound) |
| 7778 | UDP | Steam (outbound) |
| 27005 | UDP | Steam queries (inbound) |
| 7779 | TCP | RCON — optional |
See Operation: Harsh Doorstop Server Port Forwarding for firewall examples.