VEIN Dedicated Server (Docker) 🎮

Run a VEIN dedicated game server in minutes with Docker - whether you're a complete beginner or a Docker veteran!

📑 Table of Contents

TL;DR
Getting Started
- Prerequisites
- Quick Setup
Compose Up
Compose Down
Maintenance
Configuration
Advanced Usage
Troubleshooting
Contributing

🚀 TL;DR

Got 60 seconds? Here's everything you need:

# Clone or download this repository
git clone https://github.com/mbround18/vein-docker.git
cd vein-docker

# Copy and customize your settings
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your preferred text editor

# Start your server
docker compose up -d

# Watch it come alive
docker compose logs -f

Your VEIN server is now running! 🎉

Data location: ./data directory
Default port: 7777 (UDP)
Query port: 27015 (UDP)

Players can connect to your server using your public IP address and port!

🎯 Getting Started

Prerequisites

New to Docker? Don't worry! You just need:

Docker installed on your machine (Get Docker)
Docker Compose (included with Docker Desktop)
A computer that can stay on while hosting (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
A few minutes of your time

Not sure if Docker is installed? Run this command:

docker --version
docker compose version

If you see version numbers, you're good to go! If not, follow the Docker installation guide.

Quick Setup

Get the files - Choose one:

Option A: Clone this repository (recommended)
```
git clone https://github.com/mbround18/vein-docker.git
cd vein-docker
```
Option B: Download as ZIP from GitHub and extract it

Configure your server

cp .env.example .env

Open .env in your favorite text editor and customize:

# Nano (Linux/Mac)
nano .env

# Notepad (Windows)
notepad .env

# Or use any text editor like VSCode, Sublime, etc.

Customize these important settings:

SERVER_NAME=My Awesome VEIN Server
SERVER_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword
MAX_PLAYERS=16

That's it! You're ready to launch. 🚀

⬆️ Compose Up

Starting your server is as simple as one command:

docker compose up -d

What does this do?

-d runs it in "detached" mode (background)
Downloads the VEIN server files automatically (first time only)
Configures everything based on your .env file
Starts your server and keeps it running

First time setup? The initial download might take 5-10 minutes depending on your internet speed. Grab a coffee! ☕

Want to see what's happening?

docker compose logs -f

Press Ctrl+C to stop viewing logs (your server keeps running).

⬇️ Compose Down

Need to stop your server? It's just as easy:

docker compose down

What does this do?

Gracefully shuts down your server
Attempts to save your world (if SAVE_ON_SHUTDOWN=true in .env)
Stops and removes the container
Your data is safe in the ./data directory

Pro tip: Before shutting down, save your world manually for best results:

Connect to your server as an admin
Run the Save command
Wait a few seconds
Then run docker compose down

Need to restart?

docker compose restart

🔧 Maintenance

Viewing Logs

Check what your server is doing:

# Follow logs in real-time (Ctrl+C to exit)
docker compose logs -f

# View last 100 lines
docker compose logs --tail 100

# Search logs for specific text
docker compose logs | grep "error"

Updating the Server

Keep your server up-to-date with the latest VEIN version:

# Stop the server
docker compose down

# Pull the latest container image
docker compose pull

# Start with updates
docker compose up -d

The server will automatically update the game files on startup (if UPDATE_ON_START=true).

Backing Up Your Data

Your world data is precious! Back it up regularly:

# Create a backup folder
mkdir -p backups

# Copy your data (while server is stopped)
docker compose down
cp -r ./data ./backups/backup-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
docker compose up -d

Automated backups? Consider setting up a cron job or scheduled task!

Saving Your World

Manual save (recommended before shutdown):

Log in as superadmin (set SUPERADMIN_STEAM_IDS in .env)
Open the console in-game
Type: Save
Wait 5-10 seconds

Automatic saves are enabled by default (every 60 seconds). Configure in .env:

AUTOSAVE_ENABLED=1
AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL=60
AUTOSAVE_MAX_QUANTITY=10

⚙️ Configuration

All configuration happens in the .env file. Here's everything you can customize:

Basic Settings

These are the most common settings you'll want to adjust:

# What players see in the server list
SERVER_NAME=My VEIN Server

# Password to join (leave empty for no password)
SERVER_PASSWORD=

# Admin console password
ADMIN_PASSWORD=

# Maximum players allowed
MAX_PLAYERS=16

# Server port (must match port forwarding)
SERVER_PORT=7777

# Query port (for server browser)
QUERY_PORT=27015

Advanced Settings

For power users and specific needs:

# Show server in public server list?
SERVER_PUBLIC=true

# Autosave configuration
AUTOSAVE_ENABLED=1
AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL=60
AUTOSAVE_MAX_QUANTITY=10

# Graceful shutdown with save
SAVE_ON_SHUTDOWN=true
SAVE_WAIT_SECONDS=5

# Network binding
BIND_ADDR=0.0.0.0
HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL=5.0

Port Configuration

Default ports (UDP):

7777 - Main game server port
27015 - Query port (server browser)
27016 - Auxiliary port (optional)

Important: Don't forget to:

Forward these ports on your router
Allow them through your firewall
Match them in your .env file

Changed the server port? Update both:

SERVER_PORT=8888

And in compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8888:7777/udp"

Admin & Superadmin

Grant yourself and friends admin powers:

# Regular admins (comma-separated Steam64 IDs)
ADMIN_STEAM_IDS=76561198000000001,76561198000000002

# Superadmins (comma-separated Steam64 IDs)
SUPERADMIN_STEAM_IDS=76561198000000001

How to find your Steam64 ID:

Go to your Steam profile page
Right-click and view page source, or use Steam's community URL
Your Steam64 ID is the long number in your profile URL
Alternatively, use trusted tools like steamid.io (verify URL carefully to avoid phishing)

Multi-line format also works:

ADMIN_STEAM_IDS="76561198000000001
76561198000000002"

Server Ownership (Steam GSLT)

Claim ownership of your server with a Steam Game Server Login Token:

Generate a token: Visit Steam Game Server Account Management
Use App ID: 1857950
Add to .env:
```
STEAM_GSLT=YOURTOKENHERE
```

⚠️ Never share or commit your GSLT token! It's like a password. For production deployments, use environment variables or secrets management systems (like Kubernetes Secrets or Docker Swarm secrets).

Benefits:

Claim server ownership
Better server listing
Track server stats

🚀 Advanced Usage

Kubernetes with Helm Charts

Running a production environment? Deploy on Kubernetes!

Helm repository: https://github.com/mbround18/helm-charts

The charts are published via GitHub Pages. Use the vein chart:

# Add the Helm repository
helm repo add mbround18 https://mbround18.github.io/helm-charts/
helm repo update

# Install the VEIN server
helm install vein-server mbround18/vein

# Or with custom values
helm install vein-server mbround18/vein -f my-values.yaml

Example my-values.yaml:

env:
  SERVER_NAME: "My K8s VEIN Server"
  MAX_PLAYERS: "32"
  SERVER_PUBLIC: "true"

persistence:
  enabled: true
  size: 20Gi

resources:
  requests:
    memory: "4Gi"
    cpu: "2000m"
  limits:
    memory: "8Gi"
    cpu: "4000m"

Check the chart documentation in the Helm repository for all available options!

Custom Docker Compose

Want to start from scratch? Here's a minimal docker-compose.yml:

services:
  vein:
    image: mbround18/vein-docker:latest
    container_name: vein
    restart: unless-stopped
    env_file:
      - .env
    environment:
      SERVER_PORT: "${SERVER_PORT:-7777}"
      QUERY_PORT: "${QUERY_PORT:-27015}"
    ports:
      - "${SERVER_PORT:-7777}:7777/udp"
      - "${QUERY_PORT:-27015}:27015/udp"
      - "27016:27016/udp"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/home/steam/vein

Then create your .env file and run:

docker compose up -d

INI Configuration

The container automatically manages Game.ini settings. Advanced users can add custom overrides:

INI_ENABLE=true
INI_EXTRA_OVERRIDES=|
  Game.ini:/script/engine.gamesession:MaxPlayers=32
  Game.ini:/script/vein.veingamesession:BindAddr=0.0.0.0

Format: filename:section:key=value

Sections managed by default:

[/script/engine.gamesession] - MaxPlayers
[/script/vein.veingamesession] - bPublic, ServerName, BindAddr, Password, AdminSteamIDs, SuperAdminSteamIDs

🔍 Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Check logs first:

docker compose logs

Common issues:

"Could not determine server start command"
- The game files didn't download properly
- Solution: Stop the server and verify installation with docker compose logs
- If needed, reset (⚠️ backs up data first!): docker compose down && mv ./data ./data.backup && docker compose up -d
Port already in use
- Another application is using port 7777
- Solution: Change SERVER_PORT in .env or stop the conflicting application
Permission errors
- The container can't write to ./data
- Solution (Linux/Mac): chmod -R 755 ./data

Players can't connect

Check your firewall - Allow UDP ports 7777 and 27015
Port forwarding - Forward these ports on your router to your server's local IP
Verify ports match - .env settings must match your compose.yml and router config
Test locally first - Can you connect using localhost:7777?

Server not appearing in browser

Set SERVER_PUBLIC=true in .env
Ensure QUERY_PORT (27015) is open and forwarded
Consider getting a Steam GSLT token

Save files not working

Set yourself as superadmin: SUPERADMIN_STEAM_IDS=your_steam64_id
Manually save before shutting down: Run Save command in-game
Enable automatic shutdown saves: SAVE_ON_SHUTDOWN=true

Need more help?

Check existing issues: GitHub Issues
Open a new issue with:
- Your .env settings (remove passwords!)
- Output from docker compose logs
- What you've already tried

🤝 Contributing

We love contributions! Whether you're fixing bugs, improving docs, or adding features - you're welcome here.

Ways to contribute:

🐛 Report bugs via GitHub Issues
📝 Improve documentation
💻 Submit pull requests
⭐ Star the project
📢 Share with friends

Development setup:

git clone https://github.com/mbround18/vein-docker.git
cd vein-docker
cp .env.example .env
docker compose up --build -d

Read more: See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines.

💙 Thank You!

Thank you for using this container! We hope it makes hosting your VEIN server easy and enjoyable.

Having a great experience? Consider:

⭐ Starring the repository
🐦 Sharing with your community
💬 Providing feedback

Running into issues? Don't hesitate to open an issue. We're here to help!

Happy gaming! 🎮

Project maintained by: @mbround18
License: See LICENSE
Docker Hub: mbround18/vein-docker

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 15 Commits
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
.vscode		.vscode
scripts		scripts
tests		tests
.dockerignore		.dockerignore
.env.example		.env.example
.gitignore		.gitignore
.python-version		.python-version
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
LICENSE		LICENSE
Makefile		Makefile
README.md		README.md
compose.yml		compose.yml
pyproject.toml		pyproject.toml
renovate.json		renovate.json
uv.lock		uv.lock

License

mbround18/vein-docker

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VEIN Dedicated Server (Docker) 🎮

📑 Table of Contents

🚀 TL;DR

🎯 Getting Started

Prerequisites

Quick Setup

⬆️ Compose Up

⬇️ Compose Down

🔧 Maintenance

Viewing Logs

Updating the Server

Backing Up Your Data

Saving Your World

⚙️ Configuration

Basic Settings

Advanced Settings

Port Configuration

Admin & Superadmin

Server Ownership (Steam GSLT)

🚀 Advanced Usage

Kubernetes with Helm Charts

Custom Docker Compose

INI Configuration

🔍 Troubleshooting

Server won't start

Players can't connect

Server not appearing in browser

Save files not working

Need more help?

🤝 Contributing

💙 Thank You!

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