How to Move an Avorion Galaxy to a Dedicated Server

To move an Avorion galaxy to a dedicated server, copy your galaxy's folder from %APPDATA%\Avorion\galaxies\<GalaxyName>\ (Windows) or ~/.avorion/galaxies/<GalaxyName>/ (Linux) and upload the whole folder into the server's galaxy data path. Then start the server with --galaxy-name set to the folder's exact name. The folder already holds server.ini, modconfig.lua and all sector and player data. It works when the server is on the same branch (public or beta) and has the same mods.

What you can and cannot move

What goes where

Press Windows + R, paste %APPDATA%\Avorion\galaxies and press Enter. Each galaxy is a folder with the name you gave it when you created it. Copy only the galaxy folder, not your whole Avorion folder: the other files there hold settings for your PC's hardware.

Before you start

• Close Avorion on the PC that hosted the galaxy, so every sector is saved.
• Back up the galaxy folder. Long running galaxies are big, so zip it.
• Match the branch. If you played on the beta branch, set the server to beta, and every player must be on it too.
• List your mods. Check modconfig.lua in the galaxy folder. The server reads the same file, so the mods come with it.
• Rename the folder if it has spaces. Deep Space Alliance becomes DeepSpaceAlliance. See the gotcha below for why.

Step 1: Start the server once and stop it

Let the server start so it creates its data folder, then stop it. On GamezServers it makes galaxy/Avorion/ (the default Galaxy Name) with a starter server.ini. Back that up or delete it if you do not need it.

Step 2: Upload the galaxy folder

Upload your galaxy folder into galaxy/, so you end up with galaxy/DeepSpaceAlliance/ and its server.ini directly inside. Not galaxy/galaxies/DeepSpaceAlliance/, and not the galaxy files loose in galaxy/. Use SFTP (FileZilla or WinSCP) for anything big, it is far more reliable than a browser upload.

Step 3: Set the galaxy name and admin

On a self run server, the command line looks like this:

./bin/AvorionServer --galaxy-name DeepSpaceAlliance --datapath galaxy --admin 76561198000000000

On GamezServers, set Galaxy Name to the folder's exact name, capitals included, and put your SteamID64 in Your Steam ID so you get admin rights. Start the server and wait for Server startup complete in the console.

Step 4: Join and check

Players use Join via IP with the address and port shown in the panel. Clients download the server's mods automatically when they connect. Fly to your home sector and check your ships and stations before inviting everyone.

The gotcha: spaces in the galaxy name

Avorion takes the galaxy name on the command line. On panels that put it there without quotes, as ours does, a name with a space is read as two arguments: the server sees Deep, finds no galaxy with that name, and quietly generates a brand new galaxy. Your upload is still sitting in galaxy/, untouched, which is why it looks like the move failed for no reason.

Rename the folder to one word, such as DeepSpaceAlliance, before uploading, and use exactly that in Galaxy Name. The galaxy is identified by its folder, so a rename with the server stopped is safe.

The second thing to know is which settings win. Our panel passes max players, difficulty, collision damage, save interval, same start sector, threads, server name and public listing on the launch line every time the server starts, so change those in the panel. Deeper rules that have no panel field stay in the galaxy's server.ini, and those edits stick as long as you make them with the server stopped. Running ./bin/AvorionServer --help lists every launch option.

What happens to players

Player data lives in the galaxy folder and is tied to each player's Steam account, so people who flew in that galaxy before usually log back in to their own ships, stations and money. The person who hosted keeps theirs too, as long as they join with the same Steam account. Alliances and their shared assets are saved in the galaxy as well.

Common problems

• Server makes a brand new galaxy: Galaxy Name does not match the folder, it contains a space, or the folder is nested one level too deep.
• Disconnected with a mod mismatch: the server's mod list changed. Players restart Avorion so it downloads the new set.
• Version mismatch on join: the server and players are on different branches. Set the beta branch everywhere, or nowhere.
• Admin commands do not work: your SteamID64 is missing from Your Steam ID, or you did not restart after adding it.
• Lag after the move: an old, widely explored galaxy keeps many sectors active. Raise Threads, or move up a plan.

Moving it to GamezServers

On an Avorion server from GamezServers, you upload the galaxy over SFTP (login in Settings) or in the file manager, which also does zips, extract and downloading a file from a link straight to the server. Set Galaxy Name and Your Steam ID, and click Backup before replacing anything. Stations keep producing while you are offline, without anyone's PC on. For server.ini and mods in depth, see how to host an Avorion server.

FAQ

Where are Avorion galaxies saved?

In %APPDATA%\Avorion\galaxies\ on Windows and ~/.avorion/galaxies/ on Linux, one folder per galaxy.

Do my Workshop mods come with the galaxy?

The list does, because modconfig.lua sits inside the galaxy folder. The server downloads those mods and sends them to players when they connect.

Will I keep my ships when I move to a server?

Usually yes. Player data is stored in the galaxy folder by Steam account, so join with the same account you played on.

Why does my Avorion server keep making a new galaxy?

The galaxy name does not match the folder exactly, or it contains a space that splits it on the command line. Use a one word folder name.