How to Setup a Steam Dedicated Server

This is a guide on how to setup a Counter Strike Dedicated Server on Linux.

The hldsupdatetool method is invalid now, CS 1.6 has been shifted to SteamCMD.

I'm assuming that you already have a debian flavour of linux installed, and are in the directory where you want to install SteamCMD in.


1. Let's make a new folder for SteamCMD.

mkdir SteamCMD

2.  Let's move into that folder. All your dedicated server files will be stored in this directory.

cd SteamCMD

3. If you're running a 64-bit version of linux, you'll have to install 32-bit libraries. If you own a 32-bit version, skip to step 4.

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

4. Let's download the SteamCMD update tool.

wget http://media.steampowered.com/client/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

5.  Once downloaded, extract the contents into the SteamCMD folder.

tar xvfz steamcmd_linux.tar.gz

6. Let's run the SteamCMD updation tool

./steamcmd.sh

We've set up SteamCMD now. The above steps are the same for any steam based game that SteamCMD supports. In the next posts, I'll guide you through how to setup dedicated game servers for specific games.

How to Improve your Counter Strike Skills #1

1. Learn to not blame configurations or resolutions. 

There are professionals who play on every resolution, low sensitivity, high sensitivity - pretty much anything they can get their hands on. A good Counter Strike player is known for consistency. I'd prefer a player who does well in every match, rather than one who is amazing in a few and awful in the others.

2. Consistency

Consistency isn't just about playing on the same settings. Sit comfortably and make sure that you retain your arrangement every time your play. Avoid leaning forward/backward based upon how the game is going. These small aspects can make a big difference in your Counter Strike gameplay.

3. Muscle Memory

I'm surprised by the lack of content on Muscle Memory with respect to Counter Strike or gaming in general. Reflexes are a big part of gaming, and are improved through training your muscles. Let's look at an example to understand this better. If you haven't played basketball in a year and try to shoot - odds are you're going to miss. The more often you shoot, the better you get at it. Why does this happen? Muscle memory. Your body learns how hard and at what angle you should throw to make a basket through repetition. Any task becomes easier if repeated multiple times. In CS 1.6, if you play in the same spot on a certain map, you'll eventually learn how high above the ground you'll need to aim to get a headshot. This knowledge gets embedded in your muscles. If you change your settings/position, you'll disrupt your muscle memory.