Host a server

1. Create the server

   In Linode's Cloud Manager, create a Linode with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, in the region closest to your players. Choose the Linode 8 GB shared plan (4 CPUs, 8 GB memory) or larger: a full 64-player battle held 60 ticks per second on it in our tests. Add your SSH key, then log in:

   ssh root@SERVER_IPCopy

   Replace SERVER_IP here and below with your Linode's IPv4 address.

2. Update it and open the game port

   The game port is 18451, over UDP for play and TCP for the server's details.

   On the server

   Copy

   apt update && apt -y upgrade
   ufw allow OpenSSH
   ufw allow 18451/udp
   ufw allow 18451/tcp
   ufw --force enable

   Using a Linode Cloud Firewall as well? Allow the same ports there.

3. Add a service account and Node.js

   The server runs as its own user, on Node.js 24 from nodejs.org, checked against its published checksum.

   On the server

   Copy

   useradd --system --home-dir /var/lib/bfeserver --shell /usr/sbin/nologin bfeserver
   install -d -m 755 /opt/bfeserver
   install -d -m 700 -o bfeserver -g bfeserver /var/lib/bfeserver
   cd /tmp
   NODE_URL=https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v24.x
   NODE_ARCH=$(uname -m | sed 's/x86_64/x64/; s/aarch64/arm64/')
   NODE_FILE=$(curl -fsSL $NODE_URL/SHASUMS256.txt | grep -o "node-v[0-9.]*-linux-$NODE_ARCH.tar.xz" | head -1)
   curl -fsSLO "$NODE_URL/$NODE_FILE"
   curl -fsSL $NODE_URL/SHASUMS256.txt | grep " $NODE_FILE\$" | sha256sum -c -
   install -d /opt/bfeserver/node
   tar -xJf "$NODE_FILE" -C /opt/bfeserver/node --strip-components=1
   /opt/bfeserver/node/bin/node --version

4. Copy your game to the server

   On your PC

   Copy the folder Steam or GOG installed the game into, the one that holds GameData, to /opt/bfeserver/retail. It's about 3 GB. Don't create the destination folder first. Run the command for your copy:

   Steam, from Linux (Steam installs the game through Proton)

   Copy

   rsync -a --info=progress2 "$HOME/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Star Wars Battlefront (Classic 2004)/" root@SERVER_IP:/opt/bfeserver/retail/

   Steam, from Windows (PowerShell)

   Copy

   scp -r "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Star Wars Battlefront (Classic 2004)" root@SERVER_IP:/opt/bfeserver/retail

   GOG, from Linux (installed with Heroic)

   Copy

   rsync -a --info=progress2 "$HOME/Games/Heroic/Star Wars - Battlefront/" root@SERVER_IP:/opt/bfeserver/retail/

   GOG, from Windows (GOG Galaxy, PowerShell)

   Copy

   scp -r "C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games\Star Wars - Battlefront" root@SERVER_IP:/opt/bfeserver/retail

   Installed it somewhere else? In Steam, right-click the game and choose Manage, then Browse local files. In GOG Galaxy, choose the settings button beside Play, then Manage installation and Show folder. GOG's offline installer uses C:\GOG Games unless you chose another folder. Then, back on the server, let the server's user read it:

   On the server

   Copy

   chmod -R a+rX /opt/bfeserver/retail
   ls /opt/bfeserver/retail

   You should see GameData in the list.

5. Install the updater from the latest release

   The server comes from the same signed releases as the desktop app. Its updater is inside the Linux package, so take it from there without installing the app.

   On the server

   Copy

   cd /tmp
   GET=https://get.battlefronteternal.com/downloads/latest
   DEB=$(curl -fsSL $GET/SHA256SUMS | grep -o "battlefront-eternal_[^ ]*_$(dpkg --print-architecture)\.deb")
   curl -fsSLO "$GET/$DEB"
   curl -fsSL $GET/SHA256SUMS | grep " $DEB\$" | sha256sum -c -
   install -d /opt/bfeserver/update-bootstrap
   dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile "$DEB" | tar -x -C /opt/bfeserver/update-bootstrap --strip-components=6 "./opt/Battlefront Eternal/resources/host-runtime/update"
   ln -sfn /opt/bfeserver/update-bootstrap /opt/bfeserver/update

   The checksum line must print OK.

6. Tell it how to update

   This sets the release channel, where your game is, and the server it manages, with its ports and memory limit.

   On the server

   Copy

   cat > /etc/bfeserver-update.json <<'EOF'
   {
     "channel": "development-preview",
     "retail": "/opt/bfeserver/retail",
     "jobs": 2,
     "instances": [
       {
         "name": "main",
         "unit": true,
         "healthPort": 18450,
         "gamePort": 18451,
         "memoryMax": "2800M"
       }
     ]
   }
   EOF

7. Set up your server

   Name it, describe it and choose its playlist. This one plays six battles from both eras. The configuration reference has every map and setting.

   On the server

   Copy

   cat > /var/lib/bfeserver/config.json <<'EOF'
   {
     "name": "My Battlefront Eternal server",
     "description": "Classic battles from both eras. Bots fill both teams.",
     "location": "Atlanta, US",
     "engine": "/opt/bfeserver/engine",
     "data": "/opt/bfeserver/game-data",
     "maxPlayers": 64,
     "rotation": [
       "swbf1/nab2:rep:conquest",
       "swbf1/hot1:imp:conquest",
       "swbf1/kas2:rep:conquest",
       "swbf1/tat2:imp:conquest",
       "swbf1/bes2:rep:conquest",
       "swbf1/end1:imp:conquest"
     ],
     "onlineNoticeAccepted": true,
     "relayPolicy": "never",
     "honorGlobalBans": true
   }
   EOF
   chown bfeserver:bfeserver /var/lib/bfeserver/config.json
   chmod 600 /var/lib/bfeserver/config.json

   Listing your server publicly. "onlineNoticeAccepted": true puts your server in the in-game browser, and means you accept the online notice: online play processes your IP for connectivity and abuse prevention. Independent hosts and relays process connection metadata. Location sharing remains off. Set it to false for a private server players join by address or over LAN.

8. Start it

   This installs the services and starts the first update. The update downloads the newest release, prepares your server's game data from your copy, checks every battle in your playlist, then starts the server.

   On the server

   Copy

   /opt/bfeserver/node/bin/node /opt/bfeserver/update/server.js --install-units
   systemctl start --no-block bfeserver-update.service
   journalctl -fu bfeserver-update

   On a Linode 8 GB the first run took about five minutes: a 142 MB download, then four minutes preparing the game data. It's ready when the log says main: running and the version. Press Ctrl + C to stop watching.

9. Check it's up

   On the server

   Copy

   systemctl status bfeserver --no-pager
   curl -s http://127.0.0.1:18450/healthz

   From your PC, curl http://SERVER_IP:18451/info shows what players see. Then open Battlefront Eternal, choose MULTIPLAYER, and find your server in the INTERNET list. You can also join it by address with DIRECT CONNECT.

Maps and eras

The side picks the era: rep or cis for the Clone Wars, imp or all for the Galactic Civil War. All 30 battles:

The server is free software under GPL-3.0: read its source.