This repository provides a safe container image for the Arma Reforger game server. It is designed to be used with Docker Compose, making it easy to set up and manage your game server environment.

Requirements

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• 6GB RAM
• 4 Core CPU

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/RouHim/arma-reforger-container-image.git
cd arma-reforger-container-image
mkdir -p config/ data/ profiles/ mods/
chmod -R 777 config/ data/ mods/ profiles/
cp example.config.json config/config.json # Adjust the config file as needed
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Installation

Once Docker and Docker Compose are installed, clone this repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/RouHim/arma-reforger-container-image.git
cd arma-reforger-container-image

Before starting the server, create the required folder structure, and adjust the permissions:

mkdir -p config/ data/ mods/ profiles/
chmod -R 777 config/ data/ mods/ profiles/

The chmod command is recommended to avoid permission issues. The main reason is, that the user in the container, most likely differs from the user on the host.

The folders are listed above, and their purpose is as follows:

• config: Contains the server configuration files.
• data: Contains the game server data which is downloaded from Steam.
• mods: Contains the downloaded mods for the game server.
• profiles: Contains the server profiles.

Configuration

The server is configured using a json file, located in the config folder and by using environment variables.

Config File

The default configuration file to be used is called config/config.json. An example configuration file is provided in the repository.

So the first thing you need to do is to copy the example configuration file to config/config.json:

cp example.config.json config/config.json

The full documentation for the configuration values can be found here.

Environment Variables

All environment variables are optional and can be set in the docker-compose.yml file.

Environment Variable	Description	Default Value	Example Value
MAX_FPS	The max server FPS	60	120
ADDITIONAL_STARTUP_ARGS	Used to pass additional startup parameters to the server. Check this link for a list of available startup parameters.	`` (empty string)	-nds 1
FAST_BOOT	If set to true, the server will skip update and validation of the server files on every boot.	false	true
STEAM_USERNAME	Steam account username (empty = use anonymous login)	`` (empty string)	myuser
STEAM_PASSWORD	Steam account password (required if STEAM_USERNAME is set)	`` (empty string)	mypassword
STEAM_GUARD_CODE	Steam Guard 2FA code (optional; if set, passed to SteamCMD login)	`` (empty string)	ABC12

Authentication

By default this image uses login anonymous when running SteamCMD.

Some dedicated servers (or private/beta branches) require an authenticated Steam account to download. In that case set:

• STEAM_USERNAME
• STEAM_PASSWORD

If Steam Guard (2FA) is enabled for the account, set STEAM_GUARD_CODE at container start.

Notes:

• Steam Guard codes expire quickly (typically ~30 seconds). If the container is restarted, you may need to provide a new code.
• Credentials passed via environment variables can be visible via docker inspect and similar tooling. Prefer Docker/Kubernetes secrets for production, and avoid baking credentials into images.
• SteamCMD script parsing is whitespace-based; usernames/passwords containing spaces may not work reliably.

Usage

To start the Arma Reforger server, navigate to the cloned repository's directory and use Docker Compose:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

This will pull the latest image and start the server in detached mode.

When starting the server for the first time:

• The server will download the latest version of the game from Steam to the data/ folder.
• All mods configured in the config/config.json file will be downloaded to the mods/ folder.

To restart the server after making changes to the configuration, use the following command:

docker compose restart

To check the server logs, use the following command:

docker compose logs -f

Update

To update the server, just restart the container. The server checks for updates and validates on every boot per default.

To skip update and validation of the server files on every boot, set the FAST_BOOT env variable to true.

Resources

• SteamDB: https://steamdb.info/app/1874900/
• Config File: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_Reforger:Server_Config
• Guide: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_Reforger:Server_Hosting
• Startup Parameter: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_Reforger:Startup_Parameters
• Built from: https://github.com/RouHim/arma-reforger-container-image
• Built to: https://hub.docker.com/r/rouhim/arma-reforger-server