For AI agents: the complete documentation index is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/llms.txt, the full documentation bundle is available at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/llms-full.txt, and this page is available as Markdown at https://docs.ovhcloud.com/en/guides/bare-metal-cloud/virtual-private-servers/game-panel-quick-start-rust.md.

Deploy a Rust server on the Game Panel

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Learn how to deploy a Rust server on the OVHcloud Game Panel, track the installation, and join your server from the Rust client.

Objective

The OVHcloud Game Panel lets you deploy a Rust server with automated installation and port configuration.

This guide explains how to deploy and connect to a Rust server on the OVHcloud Game Panel.

Requirements

Instructions

Step 1 — Access the Game Panel

Log in to your OVHcloud Game Panel. From the left-hand menu, go to the Game Servers section and click Add Game Server.

Step 2 — Create a Rust server

Select Rust from the game list. You can use the search field at the top of the window to find it faster. A configuration window opens.

Selecting Rust from the game list in the Game Panel

Step 3 — Configure the Rust server

In this section, you can set a name for your server in the Server Name field.

An RCON Password is also generated automatically. It is used by the game's RCON system to administer the server remotely. Click Regenerate to obtain a new one, or replace it with a password of your choice (at least 8 characters). You can change it again once the server is installed.

Warning

Make sure you keep this password in a secure place. Anyone who knows it can run administration commands on your server.

You can expand Advanced Settings to adjust options such as ports binding, volumes, environment variables and resource limits. The defaults are suitable for most game servers.

Rust server configuration form with the server name and advanced settings
Info

If this is your first Rust server on the Game Panel and the default ports are available, all required ports are configured automatically. No manual setup is needed. The Rust image uses three ports: 28015/UDP (Game), 28017/UDP (Steam Query) and 28082/TCP (Rust+ companion app). If these ports are already taken by another game server, the Game Panel assigns free host ports instead.

Step 4 — Launch the installation

Click Install to launch the installation. The deployment starts and a progress window tracks the following stages:

  1. Pulling container image.
  2. Preparing server files.
  3. Creating container.
  4. Starting container.

Step 5 — Monitor the installation

Once the container has started, a confirmation window is displayed. Click Open Logs / Console to follow the installation progress in real time. You can also open it at any time with the Log/Console button on your server.

Confirmation window with the Open Logs / Console button

The console displays the installation steps, then the download of the Rust server files via SteamCMD, with a progress percentage.

Rust server installation logs in the Game Panel console
Warning

The Rust server files represent a download of several gigabytes. The server keeps the Installing status for the whole download, then while the game world is generated. Refer to the console to follow the actual progress.

Step 6 — Verify the server is running

Confirm the server status is Running and that CPU and RAM activity is visible. You can use the Log/Console and Settings controls to manage the server, and the Stop and Restart controls to change its power state.

Rust server with Running status and CPU and RAM activity

Step 7 — Confirm installation is complete

Once the download is complete, the console displays the startup of the Rust server, then the generation of the game world (height map, biomes, monuments). This step can take several minutes.

The status may briefly display Unhealthy while the server finishes starting up and does not yet answer the health check. This is expected during a first installation.

The server status changes to Running once the world is generated and the server is listening. Your Rust server is then ready to accept connections.

Step 8 — Retrieve connection information

Once your server is started, copy the IP address and port from the Connection column of the Game Servers list. Use the copy button to copy them to the clipboard.

Step 9 — Join your server in Rust

To join your server from the Rust client:

  1. Launch Rust.
  2. Press the F1 key to open the game console.
  3. Enter the following command, replacing IP and PORT with the values from the Connection column:
client.connect IP:PORT

Configure the game settings

The Game Config section lets you adjust the main settings of your Rust server without editing the configuration files by hand:

SettingDescription
Server nameThe name displayed in the in-game server browser.
Gamemodevanilla, Softcore, Hardcore or Primitive.
Map typeProcedural Map, Barren, Hapis Island or Savas Island.
Map seedThe seed used to generate a procedural map.
Map sizeThe size of the generated map.
Player limitThe maximum number of simultaneous players.
Save intervalThe interval between two saves of the game world.
Tick rateThe server refresh rate.

Additional options, such as the server description, the PvE mode or the fall damage, are available in the server.cfg configuration file, in the same section.

For advanced configuration, use the File Manager to edit the Rust configuration files directly.

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