Linux server

The Linux server port is separate from the Windows Server kit. It runs the metagame, deploy server, content server and TLS gateway natively on Linux, while Ramsgate, the Training Dojo and hunts use the original Dauntless 1.4.4 Windows x86_64 executable through Proton or Wine.

Nothing under deploy/windows-server/ is used or changed by this port.

Contents
  1. Status
  2. Architecture
  3. Requirements
  4. Prepare the host
  5. Private server
  6. Public server
  7. Choose Proton or Wine
  8. Files and services
  9. Create an invite
  10. Separate Linux game worker
  11. Backups and updates
  12. Troubleshooting

Status

As of 1 October 2026, the Linux control plane is working and continuously tested on Linux.

We have verified locally that:

  • all four Node services build natively on Linux;
  • SQLite migrations and game-server key registration work;
  • the pinned 1.4.4 game tree passes all 410 manifest size checks;
  • the exact 1.4.4 EXE hash is accepted and both pinned DLLs are installed;
  • metagame, content and deploy run together;
  • the deploy API reports Ramsgate on UDP 8777;
  • the existing game-server argument contract reaches the Linux compatibility wrapper unchanged.

The final live milestone is still running the real game process under Proton/Wine and joining Ramsgate plus one hunt. The development PC used for the first porting pass did not have a real Proton/Wine runtime installed, so the launch-contract smoke test used a stand-in runtime.

Architecture 

Players
   |
   +-- private: Tailscale ----------+
   |                                |
   +-- public: TLS :443 ---> Gateway|
                                    v
                         Native Linux Node services
                         + Metagame / SQLite
                         + Content
                         + Deploy
                                    |
                                    v
                         launch-gameserver.mjs
                                    |
                              Proton / Wine
                                    |
                         Dauntless 1.4.4 -server
                         UDP 8770-8777

The existing deploy server still starts one executable path. On Linux that path is the wrapper in deploy/linux-server/launch-gameserver.mjs; Windows continues pointing directly at the EXE.

Requirements

Hosted Linux: EU Gamehost is a project partner. Our hosting partner guide lists example plans; confirm that the exact OS/virtualisation setup you need is available before ordering.

  • x86_64 Linux with glibc
  • Node.js 20.19+; Node 22 or 24 recommended
  • npm
  • the exact Dauntless 1.4.4 game tree
  • Proton/GE-Proton or 64-bit Wine
  • xvfb-run for a headless game worker unless you provide a real X display
  • systemd for the normal service install
  • nftables for public mode
  • enough RAM for the Node stack plus however many game processes you allow

The required game EXE SHA-256 is:

d3d41e614908d2befd518b27046d9822d6130ef12ba3504babbdb786bef9cff4

The installer refuses a different build.

Prepare the host

Clone the repository and put your own 1.4.4 game tree somewhere the service account can traverse, for example:

/srv/dauntless/BaseGame144/Dauntless

On a Debian/Ubuntu-style server, a typical prerequisite set is:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm nftables xvfb

Install Proton or Wine separately. For a headless dedicated host, a known Proton/GE-Proton or Wine build should be pinned instead of changing runtimes on every update.

Private server

For a host reachable through Tailscale:

sudo ./deploy/linux-server/install.sh \
  --game-dir /srv/dauntless/BaseGame144/Dauntless \
  --my-ip 100.x.y.z \
  --mode private

Private mode exposes the metagame/content/chat services on the address you provide and does not start the public TLS gateway or nftables allowlist helper.

Public server

For a public IPv4 host:

sudo ./deploy/linux-server/install.sh \
  --game-dir /srv/dauntless/BaseGame144/Dauntless \
  --my-ip 203.0.113.10 \
  --mode public \
  --firewall-interface eth0

Public mode uses the same pinned-TLS launcher flow as the Windows server:

  • TCP 443 is the public gateway;
  • metagame/content/deploy stay behind it;
  • UDP 8770-8777 is fail-closed except for player addresses reported by authenticated gateway traffic.

The helper owns its own nftables table, inet dauntless_revived.

Choose Proton or Wine

Explicit Proton:

sudo ./deploy/linux-server/install.sh \
  --game-dir /srv/dauntless/BaseGame144/Dauntless \
  --my-ip 203.0.113.10 \
  --mode public \
  --firewall-interface eth0 \
  --proton /home/dauntless/.local/share/Steam/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton10-1/proton

Explicit Wine:

sudo ./deploy/linux-server/install.sh \
  --game-dir /srv/dauntless/BaseGame144/Dauntless \
  --my-ip 203.0.113.10 \
  --mode public \
  --firewall-interface eth0 \
  --wine /usr/bin/wine64

The wrapper forces WINEDLLOVERRIDES=dxgi=n,b so the pinned proxy dxgi.dll loads. It keeps a dedicated compatibility prefix/data directory under the server data tree.

Files and services

Default locations:

What Path
Application /opt/dauntless-revived
State / database / TLS /var/lib/dauntless-revived
Secret environment files /etc/dauntless-revived
systemd units /etc/systemd/system/dauntless-*.service

Services:

  • dauntless-metagame
  • dauntless-deploy
  • dauntless-content
  • public mode only: dauntless-allowlist, dauntless-gateway

Manage them with:

sudo ./deploy/linux-server/stack.sh status
sudo ./deploy/linux-server/stack.sh restart
sudo ./deploy/linux-server/stack.sh restart deploy
sudo ./deploy/linux-server/stack.sh logs

Create an invite 

sudo -u dauntless node /opt/dauntless-revived/deploy/unix-common/new-invite.mjs \
  --config /etc/dauntless-revived \
  --name FriendName

It writes a single-use code directly into SQLite and prints the complete v1/v2 invite.

Friends on Linux can use the Linux launcher.

Separate Linux game worker

The game processes can live on another Linux machine. This is also the worker mode the OpenBSD port uses.

On the worker:

sudo ./deploy/linux-server/install-worker.sh \
  --game-dir /srv/dauntless/BaseGame144/Dauntless \
  --proton /home/dauntless/.local/share/Steam/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton10-1/proton

The worker installer creates the fixed dr-game-worker command. Give the control-plane host a dedicated SSH key and restrict its authorized_keys entry to the forced command printed by the installer. That key should have no sudo access and no general shell.

Backups and updates

The Linux port does not yet have the Windows kit’s transactional update/rollback script.

Before updating, back up the data directory. SQLite can also be copied safely through the helper:

sudo -u dauntless node /opt/dauntless-revived/deploy/unix-common/dr-db.cjs \
  backup /opt/dauntless-revived/UndauntedMetagame \
  /var/lib/dauntless-revived/undaunted.db \
  /var/lib/dauntless-revived/undaunted-backup.db

Then pull/copy the newer source and re-run the installer with the same arguments. Keep the same /var/lib/dauntless-revived and /etc/dauntless-revived directories to preserve keys and data.

Troubleshooting

No Proton or Wine found: pass --proton /absolute/path/to/proton or --wine /absolute/path/to/wine64.

No DISPLAY: install Xvfb/xvfb-run, or deliberately pass --xvfb 0 only when a display is already supplied.

Public players reach the gateway but not hunts: check that your provider/cloud firewall permits the UDP game range and that the nftables dauntless_revived table is still in the packet path.

Ramsgate repeatedly restarts: inspect journalctl -u dauntless-deploy and the compatibility runtime output first. Do not replace the pinned EXE/DLLs with another game build.

See Troubleshooting for shared server/client issues.