How to Host an OpenRA Dune 2000 Server (Dedicated Server Guide)

To host an OpenRA Dune 2000 server, run the OpenRA engine in dedicated mode with the Dune 2000 mod (Game.Mod=d2k), give it a name, and open TCP port 1234 to the internet. On Linux the Dune 2000 AppImage does this with --server, and the source install ships a launch-dedicated.sh script you can copy. Players join from Multiplayer in the game, either from the server browser or with Direct Connect. The server itself is tiny: it relays orders between players and needs well under 1 GB of memory.

What a dedicated OpenRA server actually does

OpenRA lets any player host a lobby from the game client, so it is fair to ask why you would bother with a dedicated one. The client host has three problems. The lobby dies when that player quits, the host needs port 1234 forwarded on their router, and the host's upload speed and ping decide the game for everyone else.

A dedicated server is a console program with no graphics. It opens a lobby, waits for players, runs the match, and when the match ends it spawns a fresh lobby for the next one. Nobody owns it, so the first person to join an empty lobby becomes its admin, picks the map and starts the game. If that admin leaves, admin passes to the player who has been in the lobby longest.

Every player and the server must run the same OpenRA release. That one rule causes most connection problems, so keep it in mind through every step below.

What you need

Players install OpenRA for free from openra.net. On first launch, the Dune 2000 mod walks each player through installing the original game content it needs. The server does not need a player to be logged in, and it never renders anything.

Step 1: Get the server files

Linux (easiest). Download the Dune 2000 AppImage from the OpenRA download page, make it executable and run it with --server:

chmod +x OpenRA-Dune-2000-x86_64.AppImage
./OpenRA-Dune-2000-x86_64.AppImage --server Server.Name="Arrakis Nights" Server.ListenPort=1234

The AppImage already knows it is the Dune 2000 mod, so you do not pass Game.Mod. If your system cannot mount AppImages (common in containers), extract it once with --appimage-extract and run ./squashfs-root/AppRun --server ... instead.

From source or the portable install. OpenRA's repository includes launch-dedicated.sh for Linux and macOS and launch-dedicated.cmd for Windows. Copy the script, set the variables at the top, and run it from the installation directory. Each setting can also be passed as an environment variable:

Mod="d2k" Name="Arrakis Nights" Password="spice" ./launch-dedicated.sh

The script wraps the server in a loop, so if the process exits it starts again.

Step 2: Choose your settings

Settings are passed as Server.Key=Value pairs on the launch line. The ones a Dune 2000 group usually cares about:

There are more, such as profile whitelists, GeoIP flags and join flood limits. Our OpenRA dedicated server settings explained guide goes through every one.

A typical private lobby for a weekly group looks like this:

./OpenRA-Dune-2000-x86_64.AppImage --server \
  Server.Name="Atreides Tuesday" \
  Server.ListenPort=1234 \
  Server.AdvertiseOnline=False \
  Server.Password="sardaukar" \
  Server.EnableSingleplayer=True

Step 3: Open the port

The server listens on TCP 1234 unless you change Server.ListenPort. On a home connection you need to forward that port on your router to the machine running the server and allow it through the firewall. Our port forwarding guide covers the router side.

If you leave AdvertiseOnline on, the master server checks whether it can reach your port. When it cannot, the server log and the lobby show "Server port is not accessible from the internet." That message means the listing works but outside players will fail to connect, so fix the forward before you invite anyone.

Step 4: Join and take admin

1. Launch OpenRA and pick the Dune 2000 mod.
2. Click Multiplayer.
3. Find your server by name in the list, or click Direct Connect and enter the address and port, for example 203.0.113.10:1234.
4. Type the password if the server has one.
5. As the first player in, you are the admin. Pick the map, set starting cash, tech level and the other lobby options, and add bots to open slots if you want them.

Spectators can join on top of the player slots. The number of player slots comes from the map, not from a server setting.

Step 5: Keep it running

The engine restarts its lobby by itself after every match, and the launch script restarts the process if it crashes. Two jobs remain for you.

Updates. When OpenRA ships a new release, players update their clients and can no longer join an old server. Replace the AppImage (or pull the new source) and restart the server the same day. If your group plays a playtest build instead of the stable release, run the playtest on the server too, since playtest and release cannot play together.

Message of the day. Put a motd.txt file in the OpenRA support directory (~/.config/openra/motd.txt on Linux, %APPDATA%\OpenRA\motd.txt on Windows) and players see it when they join. Good place for your Discord link or house rules.

Common setup problems

• Nobody outside your network can connect. Port 1234 is not forwarded, or a firewall blocks it. Test from a phone hotspot.
• "Server is running an incompatible version." The server and the player run different OpenRA builds. See our fix for OpenRA version mismatch and missing servers.
• The server is not in the list. AdvertiseOnline is off, or the master server has not picked it up yet. Direct Connect still works.
• The match will not start alone. Set Server.EnableSingleplayer=True if one player wants to practice against bots.

The easy option

If you would rather skip the AppImage, the port forward and the update chores, an OpenRA Dune 2000 server from GamezServers is live within about a minute of paying. The panel has the server name, Public Server, password, single player, GeoIP and anonymized IP switches, it gets its own address so nobody touches a router, and the 1 GB plan covers a normal lobby. Sleep when empty can stop it after 4 days without players, and one click wakes it again.

FAQ

What port does an OpenRA server use?

TCP 1234 by default. You can change it with Server.ListenPort, and players then add that port to the address in Direct Connect.

Can one server host Red Alert and Dune 2000 at the same time?

No. A dedicated server runs one mod. Run a second server process on a different port if you want both.

Do I need to own Dune 2000 to run the server?

The server does not need the original game files to relay matches. Each player installs the Dune 2000 content through the mod's first launch prompts.

How much RAM does an OpenRA server need?

Very little. A lobby with players and spectators stays well under 1 GB, so the smallest plan or an old spare machine is enough.

Who is admin on a dedicated OpenRA server?

The first player to join an empty lobby. They choose the map and options and can kick players, and admin passes on if they leave.