Option 1: by hand
The server is BeamMP's own program, BeamMP-Server, a free download from its GitHub releases (BeamMP/BeamMP-Server): about 12 MB, with builds for Windows, Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 and Debian 12 and 13. It needs no copy of BeamNG.drive: each player brings their own game.
- Download the build for your system from github.com/BeamMP/BeamMP-Server/releases, and on Linux make it executable (chmod +x).
- Run it once: it writes a ServerConfig.toml next to itself and stops, because there is no AuthKey yet.
- Get a free AuthKey at keymaster.beammp.com and paste it into AuthKey in ServerConfig.toml.
- Set Name, Map, MaxPlayers and Private, then start the server again.
- Open port 30814 for both TCP and UDP in your firewall, and forward it on your router if you host at home.
ServerConfig.toml
| Key | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| AuthKey | (empty) | Your key from the Keymaster. Without it the server will not start |
| Name | BeamMP Server | The name in the server list |
| Description | BeamMP Default Description | The text under the name in the list |
| Tags | Freeroam | Search tags, comma separated |
| Map | /levels/gridmap_v2/info.json | The map every player loads |
| MaxPlayers | 8 | Players at once |
| MaxCars | 1 | Cars per player |
| Private | true | true keeps the server out of the list |
| Port | 30814 | TCP and UDP |
| AllowGuests | true | Players without a BeamMP account |
| ResourceFolder | Resources | Where mods (Client) and plugins (Server) live |
Every key can also come from an environment variable (BEAMMP_NAME, BEAMMP_MAP, BEAMMP_AUTH_KEY and so on), and an environment variable wins over the file.
Mods and plugins
- Resources/Client: mods as .zip files. The server sends every one of them to every player who joins.
- Resources/Server: Lua plugins, one folder each.
Option 2: Docker
runonflux/beammp-server-flux, our image (source on GitHub, RunOnFlux/beammp-server-flux), runs BeamMP-Server unmodified under a supervisor. It writes ServerConfig.toml from environment variables (BEAMMP_AUTH_KEY, BEAMMP_NAME, BEAMMP_MAP, BEAMMP_MAX_PLAYERS, BEAMMP_MAX_CARS, BEAMMP_PRIVATE, BEAMMP_ALLOW_GUESTS, BEAMMP_DESCRIPTION, BEAMMP_TAGS, GAME_PORT) and follows BeamMP's stable releases by itself.
- Mount /mnt/beammp/data on a volume for your files (settings, mods, plugins, bans, backups) and /mnt/beammp/server for the downloaded builds and logs.
- Without an AuthKey it waits and says where to get one, instead of restarting in a loop.
- It ships a small plugin, FluxAdmin, for a machine-readable player list, kicks by player id and bans.
Option 3: managed on Flux
Deploy a BeamMP server on the Flux decentralized cloud, on that same image, with the settings as forms, the port opened and routed for you, DDoS protection included, and a dashboard with a live server console, a Maps tab, mods, Lua plugins, bans, a file browser and backups. Plans start at $2.99 a month.
- Pick the 10, 20 or 40-player plan.
- Choose a region close to your players.
- Paste your AuthKey, name the server, pick a map and deploy. It is up within a minute.
- Find the server by name in the BeamMP launcher, or use Direct Connect with the address from the dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
Is the BeamMP server free?
Yes. BeamMP-Server is free and open source (AGPL-3.0), and so is the AuthKey. Players need their own BeamNG.drive and the free BeamMP launcher. What costs money is the machine that runs the server.
Does the BeamMP server run on Linux?
Yes, natively: BeamMP publishes builds for Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 and Debian 12 and 13, for x86_64 and arm64.
Why does my server close after 10 seconds?
It has no AuthKey. BeamMP logs "No AuthKey specified" and closes. Get a free key at keymaster.beammp.com and put it in ServerConfig.toml.