<!-- fivemad.com, Markdown source of https://fivemad.com/docs/server-setup/linux -->
> Source: https://fivemad.com/docs/server-setup/linux
> Section: Server setup
> Tags: linux, ubuntu, debian, vps, systemd, tmux, screen, ufw, firewall
> Last updated: 2026-09-22
> Site map for assistants: https://fivemad.com/llms.txt

# Set up a FiveM server on Linux

Run FXServer and txAdmin on Ubuntu or Debian: dependencies, a dedicated user, the Linux artifact, a systemd service or tmux, the ufw firewall and MariaDB.

This guide sets up FXServer with txAdmin on a fresh **Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04** or **Debian 12** VPS. Other distributions work too, since the Linux artifact ships its own libraries in an `alpine` folder, but the package commands below are for Debian based systems. You need SSH access with a user that can run `sudo`.

[Linux-Ubuntu FiveM Server Install Guide (Enix Hosting)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz1TozHDa5Q) (YouTube video)

## 1. Update the system and install tools

```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y xz-utils git curl wget tmux ufw
```

`xz-utils` is required to extract the artifact. `git` is for cloning resources, `tmux` for running the server in a detachable session, `ufw` for the firewall.

## 2. Create a user for the server

Never run a game server as `root`. Create a dedicated user and switch to it:

```bash
sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" fivem
sudo -iu fivem
mkdir -p ~/server
cd ~/server
```

Everything below runs as `fivem` unless it starts with `sudo`.

## 3. Download the Linux artifact

1. Open `https://runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_proot_linux/master/` in your browser.
2. Pick the **recommended** build (check it on our [Artifacts page](/artifacts)) and copy the link to its `fx.tar.xz`.
3. Download and extract it on the server:

```bash
cd ~/server
wget https://runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/build_proot_linux/master/XXXXX-<hash>/fx.tar.xz
tar xf fx.tar.xz
rm fx.tar.xz
ls
# alpine  run.sh
```

Replace the URL with the one you copied. The build folder name changes with every release, so don't reuse an old link from a tutorial.

## 4. Open the firewall

Allow SSH first so you don't lock yourself out, then the game ports:

```bash
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 30120/tcp
sudo ufw allow 30120/udp
# txAdmin web panel: better to allow only your own IP
sudo ufw allow from YOUR_HOME_IP to any port 40120 proto tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status
```

If your home IP changes often, you can open 40120 to everyone (`sudo ufw allow 40120/tcp`), but then use a strong password and 2FA on every txAdmin account. See [Security basics](/docs/server-setup/security). Many VPS providers also have a firewall in their web panel: open the same ports there.

## 5. First start with txAdmin

```bash
cd ~/server
bash run.sh
```

FXServer starts txAdmin and prints something like:

```text
[txAdmin] Use the PIN below to register:
[txAdmin]  1234
[txAdmin] http://YOUR_VPS_IP:40120/
```

Open that address in your browser on your own PC and follow the same steps as on Windows: **Link Account** with your Cfx.re login, create a backup password, pick a recipe, paste your license key, run the recipe, then **Save & Run Server**. The full walkthrough is in [First setup and the deployer](/docs/txadmin/first-setup).

On Linux, txAdmin creates `txData` next to `run.sh` by default (`~/server/txData`). You can change it with the `TXHOST_DATA_PATH` environment variable.

Press <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>C</kbd> to stop it once setup is done. Next we make it run in the background.

## 6. Keep it running

### Option A: tmux (simple)

```bash
tmux new -s fivem
cd ~/server && bash run.sh
```

Detach with <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>B</kbd> then <kbd>D</kbd>. Reattach later with `tmux attach -t fivem`. The server keeps running after you log out, but not after a reboot. `screen` works the same way (`screen -S fivem`, detach with <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+<kbd>A</kbd> then <kbd>D</kbd>, reattach with `screen -r fivem`).

### Option B: systemd service (starts on boot)

Create the unit file as root:

```ini title="/etc/systemd/system/fivem.service"
[Unit]
Description=FiveM server (txAdmin)
After=network-online.target mariadb.service
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=fivem
Group=fivem
WorkingDirectory=/home/fivem/server
ExecStart=/bin/bash /home/fivem/server/run.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=10
# Optional txAdmin settings, see the txAdmin env-config docs
# Environment=TXHOST_TXA_PORT=40120

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
```

Enable and start it:

```bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now fivem
sudo systemctl status fivem
journalctl -u fivem -f      # follow the console output
```

txAdmin still restarts FXServer itself when it crashes. systemd restarts txAdmin if the whole process dies, and starts everything on boot. In txAdmin **Settings > FXServer**, enable starting the server when txAdmin starts, so a reboot brings the game server back without you logging in.

> [!NOTE]
> With systemd you do not have an interactive console. Use txAdmin's **Live Console** page to type server commands.

## 7. MariaDB (for frameworks)

```bash
sudo apt install -y mariadb-server
sudo mariadb-secure-installation
```

Then open the MariaDB shell with `sudo mariadb` and create a database user for FiveM instead of using `root`:

```sql
CREATE USER 'fivem'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'a-long-random-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'fivem'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;
```

`GRANT ALL ON *.*` lets the txAdmin deployer create the database for you. After deploying you can tighten it to the one database (`GRANT ALL ON yourdb.* ...`). Keep MariaDB bound to `127.0.0.1` (the default on Debian and Ubuntu) and never open port 3306 in the firewall. More in [Database setup](/docs/server-setup/database).

## Linux gotchas

- **File names are case sensitive.** `ensure qb-Core` will not find `qb-core`. Stream files referenced in metas must match their exact case too.
- **Line endings.** Scripts edited on Windows work fine, but shell scripts (`.sh`) with Windows line endings fail with `bad interpreter`. Convert with `sed -i 's/\r$//' script.sh`.
- **Permissions.** If you upload files as `root` (for example with SFTP as root), the `fivem` user cannot read them. Fix with `sudo chown -R fivem:fivem /home/fivem/server`.
- **Paths with spaces or brackets.** Quote them in the shell: `cd "resources/[local]"`.

## The vanilla way (no txAdmin)

From the official guide:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/citizenfx/cfx-server-data.git ~/server-data
cd ~/server-data
nano server.cfg   # same content as the Windows vanilla example
bash ~/server/run.sh +exec server.cfg
```

You must start it from inside the data folder, with `+exec server.cfg`. See the [Windows guide](/docs/server-setup/windows#the-vanilla-way-no-txadmin) for a minimal `server.cfg`.

## Updating later

Stop the server, move the old `alpine` folder and `run.sh` aside, extract the new `fx.tar.xz` in the same place, start again. Your `txData` is untouched. The full routine, including rollback, is in [Updating artifacts safely](/docs/server-setup/updating-artifacts).