ReSkate Server Linux: Native Deployment Guide

Since v1.0.8, every ReSkate release ships a native x86_64 Linux dedicated-server build, so a Linux host no longer needs Wine, Proton, or a Windows virtual machine. Download ReSkateServer-Linux-<version>.tar.gz from GitHub Releases (as of v1.1.3, checked 2026-10-07), extract it, run ./ReSkateServer once to generate ReSkateServer.json, set name and admins, and restart — your lobby appears in the in-game server browser. ReSkate ships new versions every few days, so treat each version number below as a snapshot that this page updates as releases land.

Official source: ReSkate on GitHub — Server/README-linux.md documents the native Linux port (contributed by juan), while Server/README.txt remains the authority for every config field and admin command. The community walkthrough How to host a ReSkate server (skatemods, non-official) covers the same flow with a Linux section and third-party tooling notes.

Header photo: a real-world skateboard still life used as decoration. The Linux server itself is a headless console program — it renders nothing, so there is no server screenshot to show.

The v1.0.8 Milestone: No Wine Required

Before v1.0.8, Linux hosting meant wrestling the Windows executable through Wine. The v1.0.8 release (ported by juan) ended that: the Linux archive is the same headless lobby server as a native x86_64 binary. Like its Windows sibling, it needs neither the game nor Steam on the host, and players connect over Steam relay with no router ports to open. New to hosting? Read the server setup walkthrough first — this page covers only Linux specifics and build differences.

Trust note, carried on every install-type page here: the host needs no game files, but every skater needs their own free Steam copy of skate. — ReSkate never ships the game (see the install guide). This site is an independent unofficial fan project with no ties to EA, Dingo-Shenanigans, or Thunderstore.

Download and First Run

Only ever download from ReSkate Releases. As of v1.1.3 the Linux asset is ReSkateServer-Linux-1.1.3.tar.gz — note the .tar.gz suffix, because the server manual still writes .zip, which is outdated for the Linux flavor.

tar -xzf ReSkateServer-Linux-1.1.3.tar.gz
cd ReSkateServer-Linux-1.1.3
./ReSkateServer

The archive already contains everything beside the binary: the Steam libraries (libsteam_api.so, steamclient.so, and friends), a world-layers.json for time-of-day sync, and a systemd unit. Source builders get the libraries via setup-linux-server-libs.sh instead. Substitute your group's version for 1.1.3 — players and server must run the exact same release (the version history tracker tells you which is current).

The first launch writes ReSkateServer.json next to the binary. Stop the server, open that file in any text editor, and set at least these two fields, keeping everything else at defaults:

{
  "name": "Friday Night Skate Club",
  "admins": ["<your-SteamID64>"]
}

Find your numeric SteamID64 by pasting your Steam profile URL into steamid.io. Names must be 1–64 characters using letters, digits, spaces, and - _ [ ] ( ) only. Start the server again and type status in its console to confirm the name, map, player count, and current join code. Shared behavior worth knowing: the server signs in to Steam anonymously and gets a fresh Steam ID — and therefore a new join code — on every start, so players always find you by searching the server name in the browser under Multiplayer, as described in our multiplayer guide.

Linux vs Windows: The Full Difference Table

Everything after first boot — maps, votes, voice, bans, anti-cheat checks — is platform-independent and documented field by field in the server config and admin command reference.

Run It as a systemd Service

A server that dies when your SSH session closes is not a server. The archive ships a reskate-server.service unit: copy it to /etc/systemd/system/, then enable and start it:

sudo systemctl enable --now reskate-server

Check on it with the service logs (ReSkateServer.log in the server folder plus the systemd journal) — when something breaks, that log file is the first thing to read.

Stay on the Same Version as Your Players

The strictest rule in ReSkate hosting is the version rule: players and server must run the exact same ReSkate release, or they cannot skate together. On Windows the server mostly handles this itself with auto_update; on Linux that job is yours.

Custom Maps and World Layers on Linux

Custom-map hosting works exactly like on Windows. Copy the map's mod folder from a game's Mods directory into a Mods folder next to the server binary — the server only reads its reskate-levels.json registration, so it never needs the map data itself — then set map to the map's name (for example "bbcity") or switch live with map <name>. Every player must have the same map mod installed to join, so link it in your welcome message. One Linux-only caveat from the table above: if you need to regenerate world-layers.json with --export-world-layers, do that export on a Windows machine first (Linux cannot read the CAS data), then copy the resulting file next to the Linux binary.

Third-Party Helpers: Manager Panel and Docker

• ReSkate Manager by xThrasherrr (GPL-3.0) is a single program that starts your ReSkate servers, keeps them up to date, and gives your staff a web panel to run them. It runs on Windows, on Linux, and in Docker, and manages several servers side by side, each in its own folder with its own ports.
• docker-reskate-server is a community Docker image that takes its settings as environment variables. Note its networking warning: it uses host networking, because Steam's relay breaks behind bridge NAT.

Server hosts also trade tips in the ReSkate Discord.

FAQ

Does the Linux server need Wine, Proton, Steam, or the game?

No to all four. Since v1.0.8 it is a native x86_64 binary; the host needs only the extracted archive.

My Windows friends updated and now cannot join my Linux box. What broke?

Almost certainly the version rule, not your network. The Windows build may have self-updated while your Linux folder stayed behind. Compare version numbers, then folder-swap the server to match.

Global bans do nothing on my Linux server. Why?

The ban list is fetched over HTTP, and the Linux build shells out to curl for that. Install curl on the machine and restart — the fetch runs at startup and every 10 minutes.

Should I use the manager panel or Docker instead of the raw binary?

They are legitimate community options for multi-server hosts, and both are unofficial. For a single lobby with friends, the raw binary plus systemd is simpler; reach for the panel or the image when you outgrow that.