How to Host a SA-MP Server (GTA San Andreas Multiplayer)

To host a SA-MP server, download the SA-MP 0.3.7 server package for Windows or Linux, edit server.cfg to set a hostname, an RCON password and the gamemode you want, open UDP port 7777 on your firewall and router, and start samp-server.exe (Windows) or ./samp03svr (Linux). Friends then add your public IP and port to their SA-MP client favourites and connect. The whole job takes about 15 minutes if your connection allows incoming traffic.

The server itself is tiny and will run on almost anything. The hard parts are the network side and getting the right gamemode, plugins and includes together, so this guide spends its time there.

What you need before you start

• A PC copy of GTA: San Andreas at version 1.0 for each player. The Steam and Rockstar Launcher builds must be downgraded first, and the Definitive Edition cannot run SA-MP at all.
• The SA-MP 0.3.7 server package from the official SA-MP downloads page. Pick the Windows zip or the Linux tarball to match the machine that will run the server, not the machine you play on.
• A machine that stays on. Your gaming PC works for an evening session, but the server goes down when you shut it off.
• A connection that accepts incoming traffic. If your ISP puts you behind CGNAT, port forwarding will not work at all. Check with this CGNAT guide before you spend time on router settings.

Step 1: Extract the server files

Unzip the package into its own folder, for example C:\samp-server or ~/samp-server. You will see:

On Linux, make the binaries executable and install 32 bit libraries, because samp03svr is a 32 bit program:

chmod +x samp03svr announce
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update && sudo apt install libc6:i386 libstdc++6:i386

Step 2: Edit server.cfg

Open server.cfg in a text editor. A clean starting point looks like this:

echo Executing Server Config...
lanmode 0
rcon_password ChangeThisToSomethingLong
maxplayers 50
port 7777
hostname My San Andreas Server
gamemode0 grandlarc 1
filterscripts
announce 1
query 1
weburl www.sa-mp.mp
onfoot_rate 40
incar_rate 40
weapon_rate 40
stream_distance 300.0
stream_rate 1000
maxnpc 0
logtimeformat [%H:%M:%S]
language English

The lines that matter most:

• rcon_password: the server refuses to start while this is still changeme. Pick something long, since anyone with it controls the server.
• gamemode0: the .amx file in gamemodes/ to load, without the extension, followed by how many times to repeat it before moving to gamemode1. grandlarc 1 loads the bundled Grand Larceny freeroam mode.
• maxplayers: up to 1000 in 0.3.7. Set it to what your machine and upload speed can carry.
• announce: 1 asks the public list to show your server. Set 0 for a private server.
• query: must be 1, or the client cannot read your server's name and player count, and it looks offline.

For the full list of in game admin commands that go with rcon_password, see SA-MP RCON commands.

Step 3: Add your gamemode, filterscripts and plugins

Most people want something beyond the bundled modes, usually a roleplay, freeroam or deathmatch script.

1. Put the compiled .amx file in gamemodes/ and change gamemode0 to its name.
2. Put filterscripts in filterscripts/ and list them on one line: filterscripts admin anticheat.
3. Create a plugins/ folder and add plugins your script needs, such as MySQL or streamer. List them on one line: plugins mysql.so streamer.so on Linux, or plugins mysql streamer on Windows.

Plugins must match the server's operating system. Windows needs the .dll build and Linux the .so build, and a plugin built for the wrong one fails to load with no obvious hint in game. If a script uses a MySQL database, create the database and user before the first start and put the credentials where the script expects them.

Step 4: Open UDP port 7777

SA-MP uses a single UDP port for both game traffic and queries, 7777 by default (the port line).

1. Allow UDP 7777 inbound in the firewall. On Windows: netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="SA-MP" dir=in action=allow protocol=UDP localport=7777. On Linux with ufw: sudo ufw allow 7777/udp. More detail in Windows firewall rules for a game server and Linux firewall for game servers.
2. Give the server machine a fixed local IP in your router.
3. Forward UDP 7777 from the router to that local IP. If your router menus are unfamiliar, the port forwarding guide walks through it.

If you run several servers on one IP, give each its own port value and forward each one.

Step 5: Start the server and test it

On Windows, double click samp-server.exe. On Linux, run it in a session that survives logging out:

screen -S samp
./samp03svr

Detach with Ctrl+A then D. A good start prints the plugins and filterscripts it loaded, then Number of vehicle models: and the gamemode lines. Errors here usually mean a missing plugin, a wrong file name in gamemode0, or the default RCON password.

Now test from outside your network. On the PC you play on:

1. Open the SA-MP client, type a nickname at the top and go to Favourites.
2. Click the add server button and enter your.public.ip:7777.
3. Select it and click Connect.

If you are on the same network as the server, connect with the local IP instead, since many routers do not loop the public IP back to your own network. When the server shows in favourites but connecting stops at "The server didn't respond. Retrying..", the port forward or firewall is the usual cause, and the not showing guide covers the rest.

Keeping it running

• Back up scriptfiles/ and your database before every gamemode update. Player accounts live there.
• Restart on a schedule if your gamemode leaks memory over long uptime. A nightly gmx from RCON reloads the mode without a full restart.
• Watch server_log.txt for crashes and RCON logins. Failed logins show up here first.
• Consider open.mp. It runs the same .amx gamemodes, keeps working with the SA-MP client and is still maintained. Moving a SA-MP server to open.mp explains the switch.

The easier route

Self hosting is fine for a test night. For a roleplay city or a freeroam server that people expect to find online at 3 am, a home PC gets awkward fast: it has to stay on, your upload speed caps the player count, and your home IP is the server address. A GamezServers SA-MP server is live in about a minute with its own address, sets the RCON password and port in the panel for you, gives you the file manager and SFTP for gamemodes and .so plugins, and keeps one click backups of scriptfiles. If a few friends run the city together, they can split the bill and each pay their share.

FAQ

What port does a SA-MP server use?

UDP 7777 by default, set by the port line in server.cfg. The same port handles game traffic and server browser queries, so only that one needs forwarding.

Why will my SA-MP server not start?

The most common reason is that rcon_password is still changeme. After that, look for a wrong gamemode0 name or a plugin built for the other operating system.

How much RAM does a SA-MP server need?

Very little. 1 GB covers freeroam for friends, 2 GB suits a roleplay city with a database and several plugins, and only large communities need more. Script quality matters more than memory.

Can friends join from the Steam version of San Andreas?

Only after downgrading it to version 1.0 with a community downgrader. The Definitive Edition cannot join at all.

Should I use SA-MP or open.mp for a new server?

open.mp is the safer choice for a new server since it is maintained and runs SA-MP gamemodes. Players on the plain SA-MP client can join either one.