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Quick start

This page takes you from zero to a running server in a few minutes. It assumes nwm is installed.

1. Create a server​

nwm server create dev

nwm downloads SteamCMD if needed, installs the nanos world dedicated server into ~/.nwm/servers/dev and registers it under the name dev. Want a different folder or port?

nwm server create dev --dir ./server --port 7777 --display-name "My dev server"

2. Add a game mode​

Install the sandbox game mode from the vault and enable it in Config.toml:

nwm package install sandbox --enable

--enable knows that sandbox is a game mode and sets game.game_mode. Script packages and C modules are added to game.packages instead.

3. Start it​

nwm server start

The server runs in your terminal until you press Ctrl+C. To run it in the background:

nwm server start -d
nwm server logs -f
nwm server stop
You rarely need to type the server name

When you leave out the name, nwm picks the server whose folder you are in, or the only server you have. Most commands also have short aliases: nwm s start -d is the same as nwm server start --detach.

4. Describe it as a recipe​

Once your server grows, put its setup into a recipe so you can rebuild or share it:

mkdir my-server && cd my-server
nwm recipe init --name @you/my-server
nwm recipe add package sandbox enable
nwm recipe add use postgres
nwm recipe edit

nwm recipe edit opens an interactive editor with tab completion for commands, store packages, service presets and config keys. Then build a fresh server from it:

nwm server create staging --recipe .
nwm server start staging

This installs the server, the sandbox package and a Postgres container with a generated password, and writes DATABASE_URL to the server's .env.

Where to go next​