Configure CS:GO server in AWS

Using cloudformation

Make sure you have an AWS account and a VPC with at least on public subnet as well an an ssh keypair; also look up your own IP to enter for the SshAccessFromThisCidrOnly from which the server can be accessed via ssh
Make sure you have a steam account
Make sure the steam account has a phone number attached
Create a game server license for App ID 730

Deploy using AWS console

log into your AWS console
Click this stacklauncher.cloud button
Fill in parameters as needed

Deploy using the CLI

clone this repo

create a parameter file like this called csgo-server-params.json - fill in the values and save ...

[
  {
      "ParameterKey": "SshAccessFromThisCidrOnly",
      "ParameterValue": "x.x.x.x/32"
  },
  {
      "ParameterKey": "CSGOVpcId",
      "ParameterValue": "vpc-12345567890"
  },
  {
      "ParameterKey": "CSGOSubnetId",
      "ParameterValue": "subnet-12345567890"
  },
  {
      "ParameterKey": "SshKeyName",
      "ParameterValue": "my-ssh-key"
  },
  {
      "ParameterKey": "CSGOServerToken",
      "ParameterValue": "STEAMSERVERTOKEN"
  },
  {
      "ParameterKey": "CSGOServerPassword",
      "ParameterValue": "p@ssw0rd"
  },
  {
      "ParameterKey": "CSGOServerName",
      "ParameterValue": "p@ssw0rd"
  }
]

launch the stack via the CLI (you can also do this via the console but then you have to enter the parameters manually)

aws cloudformation create-stack \
  --stack-name csgotest \
  --template-body file://csgo-server.yaml \
  --parameters file://csgo-server-params.json \
  --capabilities CAPABILITY_IAM
aws cloudformation wait stack-create-complete \
  --stack-name csgotest

Server access and config

once the cloudformation stack finishes building you can ssh to the machine and check on installation progress in less /var/log/cloud-init-output.log. Note that the maps download takes a long time.
after the download finishes a CS:GO server should be started automatically. The server should also restart on reboot.
to change the startup configuration edit /home/ubuntu/server-start.sh. In particular you might want to add +sv_tags to make it easier to find your server
to see the server log output check /var/log/csgo.log.

Manually

Follow this: https://medium.com/@alihusseinat/how-to-setup-a-counter-strike-go-dedicated-server-on-aws-5ca80e2acf4f

Changes:

if you are security conscious, build a new VPC to isolate the instance
pick m5.large (t3 is too slow)
50GB of disk space (server download is 28GB)
pick newest ubuntu 20.04 LTS
give it an elastic IP
sudo apt install libsdl2-2.0-0:i386 as per ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#7036 before steamcmd
if shit goes wrong clear the steam cache with rm .steam/appcache/packageinfo.vdf .steam/appcache/appinfo.vdf as per https://www.reddit.com/r/playrust/comments/c3q3zh/error_timed_out_waiting_for_appinfo_update/
fix startup commandline
- as per https://forums.alliedmods.net/showthread.php?t=300773 add a password to startup command
- as per https://forums.alliedmods.net/showthread.php?t=300182 remove -nobots
- as per https://gamebanana.com/gamefiles/4432 change mapgroup to random_classic @reboot /home/ubuntu/csgosv/srcds_run -game csgo -console -usercon +game_type 0 +game_mode 0 +mapgroup random_classic +map de_dust2 +sv_setsteamaccount <your_login_token> +sv_password <password> -net_port_try 1
docs
- https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Counter-Strike:_Global_Offensive_Dedicated_Servers
- https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Command_Line_Options

Notes

sudo -- sh -c 'dpkg --add-architecture i386; add-apt-repository multiverse; apt-get update; apt-get -y dist-upgrade'
sudo apt install libsdl2-2.0-0:i386
# This requires manually accepting steam license ... 
sudo apt-get install -y steamcmd

rudpot / csgo-aws