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How to Host a Garry's Mod Server on a VPS (2026)

Published May 4, 2026 · 6 min read · Galaxy Cloud Solutions

Garry's Mod has been going strong for over 15 years and the community server scene is still one of the most creative in gaming. DarkRP, Trouble in Terrorist Town, Prop Hunt, Sandbox — the gamemodes are endless and the best experiences are always on community servers with custom addons and admins who actually care. Running your own gives you full control over all of it. A $5 VPS handles a small GMod server without any trouble.

⚡ Host a GMod server from $5/mo — Use code LAUNCH2026 for 50% off

What You Need

• VPS with at least 1GB RAM and 20GB disk (more for addon-heavy servers)
• Ubuntu 24.04
• A free Steam Game Server Login Token (App ID: 4000)

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y lib32gcc-s1 curl screen
mkdir -p ~/steamcmd && cd ~/steamcmd
curl -sqL "https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/client/installer/steamcmd_linux.tar.gz" | tar zxf -

Step 2: Download the GMod Server

mkdir -p ~/gmod
~/steamcmd/steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir ~/gmod +login anonymous +app_update 4020 validate +quit

Step 3: Get Your GSLT Token

Go to steamcommunity.com/dev/managegameservers, set App ID to 4000, and generate a token. Without this your server will not appear in the community browser.

Step 4: Create a Start Script

cat > ~/gmod/start.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
cd ~/gmod
screen -dmS gmod ./srcds_run   -game garrysmod   -port 27015   +maxplayers 16   +gamemode sandbox   +map gm_construct   +sv_lan 0   +sv_setsteamaccount YOUR_GSLT_TOKEN   -nohltv
EOF
chmod +x ~/gmod/start.sh

Replace YOUR_GSLT_TOKEN with your token. Change sandbox to any gamemode folder name and gm_construct to any map.

Step 5: Open Ports and Start

sudo ufw allow 27015/tcp
sudo ufw allow 27015/udp
~/gmod/start.sh
screen -r gmod

Installing ULX Admin Mod

ULX is the standard admin tool for GMod servers. Download ULib and ULX from their Steam Workshop pages or GitHub, then extract them to ~/gmod/garrysmod/addons/. Restart the server and use ulx adduser YourSteamName superadmin in the console to give yourself admin access.

Installing Workshop Addons

Add addon IDs to your server's collection and set +host_workshop_collection YOUR_COLLECTION_ID in your start script. Players will automatically download the addons when they join.

Common Gamemodes

• DarkRP — roleplay with economy, jobs, and property. Most popular GMod gamemode.
• TTT (Trouble in Terrorist Town) — social deduction, find the traitors
• Prop Hunt — props hide, hunters seek
• Murder — one murderer, one detective, lots of bystanders
• Sandbox — the classic freeform mode