How to host an Assetto Corsa server

To set up an Assetto Corsa server, first connect your Steam account in OuiPanel, then let the installation download the official Kunos server. The name and the passwords live in the variables, while the track, the cars and the sessions live in the cfg/server_cfg.ini and cfg/entry_list.ini files. This guide walks through each step in OuiPanel, the OuiHeberg game panel, up to your first race. It assumes you already ordered a server from our Assetto Corsa server hosting plans. It covers Assetto Corsa, the first game, not Competizione.

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Connect your Steam account

The Assetto Corsa server is an official tool from Kunos Simulazioni, published on Steam. Steam only delivers it to accounts that own the game. The server is therefore downloaded with your Steam account, without you giving your password. Steam Guard stays on, and OuiPanel stores no credentials.

1. Log in to OuiPanel at dash.ouipanel.com and open your Assetto Corsa server.

2. In the side menu, open the Steam tab.

3. Click Connect my Steam account. A QR code appears.

4. On your phone, open the Steam app. Tap the Steam Guard icon, the shield, then Scan a QR code. Scan the code and approve the sign-in.

5. Back in OuiPanel, click Install / update.

Only the server owner can connect a Steam account, and that account must own Assetto Corsa. Until an account is connected, the installation waits and the tab says so in a message.

The Kunos server only contains the data files of the cars and tracks. Your players need the game on their own PC, with the DLCs of the content you use.

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Start the server for the first time

The server runs on Linux, without any compatibility layer. It is very light, about 30 MB, and has not changed since 2018. So there is no update to wait for at startup.

1. In the side menu, open the Console.

2. Wait for the installation started from the Steam tab to finish.

3. Click Start, then wait for the Running state.

According to logs published by the community, the server writes "Server started" in the console, then tries to register in the Kunos server list. This registration depends on the HTTP port, described below.

If the console says the acServer file is missing, the installation did not happen. Go back to the Steam tab and run it again after connecting your account.

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Set the name and the passwords

The variables read at startup are in Configuration › Server Settings, in the Environment Variables block. Confirm a field with the check mark on its right, then restart the server.

Variable	Purpose
Server name	Name shown to players, "Serveur Assetto Corsa OuiHeberg" by default, 45 characters at most
Server password	Password asked from players. Leave the field empty for an open server
Admin password	Password for the /admin command, generated by OuiPanel when the server is created, from 8 to 40 characters
HTTP Port	Port for the server list and Content Manager, assigned when the server is created. It cannot be changed

At each start, OuiPanel writes these values into cfg/server_cfg.ini, on the NAME, PASSWORD, ADMIN_PASSWORD, UDP_PORT, TCP_PORT and HTTP_PORT lines. Change these settings in the variables, because an edit in the file would be overwritten.

Your server uses two ports. The main port, shown in OuiPanel, carries the game over TCP and UDP. The next port, shown in HTTP Port, carries the HTTP exchanges with the game and with the server list.

The help text under Server password mentions Telnet. It does not apply to Assetto Corsa. This field really is the password asked from players.

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Choose the track, the cars and the sessions

The track, the allowed cars, the number of drivers, the sessions and the weather are set in cfg/server_cfg.ini. OuiPanel leaves it alone, apart from the lines listed above, and a reinstall keeps this file.

1. In the Console, stop the server with Stop.

2. In the side menu, click File Manager, then open the cfg folder.

3. Click server_cfg.ini. The "Editing server_cfg.ini" window opens.

4. Change the values, then click Save.

5. Start the server from the Console.

The settings of the [SERVER] section

[SERVER]
TRACK=magione
CONFIG_TRACK=
CARS=bmw_m3_e30;ks_toyota_gt86
MAX_CLIENTS=18
REGISTER_TO_LOBBY=1
PICKUP_MODE_ENABLED=1
LOCKED_ENTRY_LIST=0

These are the most useful keys, with example values. The file shipped by Kunos contains others, such as driving aids, tyre wear and damage.

Setting	Effect
TRACK	Folder name of the track in content/tracks, for example ks_nordschleife
CONFIG_TRACK	Layout of the track, when it has several. Leave the value empty otherwise
CARS	Allowed cars, by their folder name in content/cars, separated by ;
MAX_CLIENTS	Number of drivers. It cannot exceed the number of slots in entry_list.ini, nor the number of pit boxes of the track
REGISTER_TO_LOBBY	At 1, the server asks to be listed in the game's public list. At 0, it stays private
PICKUP_MODE_ENABLED	At 1, each player takes a free car on arrival. This is the recommended mode for a public server
LOCKED_ENTRY_LIST	At 1, only drivers whose Steam GUID is in entry_list.ini can join

The [PRACTICE], [QUALIFY] and [RACE] sections set the sessions. Each has a length in minutes, TIME, and an IS_OPEN key that allows or refuses joining during the session. The race counts laps, with LAPS. A missing section is a session that does not take place.

Most official Kunos tracks have 24 pit boxes, some fewer. A modded track may have more. The server never accepts more drivers than pit boxes.

Every car in CARS needs at least one slot in entry_list.ini. An inconsistent file prevents startup, and this is the most common mistake on a new server.

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Prepare the grid in entry_list.ini

The cfg/entry_list.ini file describes each slot on the grid. It is edited the same way as server_cfg.ini, with the server stopped. OuiPanel never rewrites it, and a reinstall keeps it.

[CAR_0]
MODEL=bmw_m3_e30
SKIN=
SPECTATOR_MODE=0
DRIVERNAME=
TEAM=
GUID=
BALLAST=0
RESTRICTOR=0

[CAR_1]
MODEL=ks_toyota_gt86
SKIN=
SPECTATOR_MODE=0
DRIVERNAME=
TEAM=
GUID=
BALLAST=0
RESTRICTOR=0

• Sections are numbered without gaps, from [CAR_0] to the last slot.

• MODEL is the car's folder name, the same as in CARS. An empty SKIN lets the player pick their livery.

• GUID reserves the slot for one driver by their 17-digit Steam ID. Leave the value empty for a free slot.

• BALLAST adds weight in kilograms, and RESTRICTOR limits the engine as a percentage.

Content Manager, the community launcher, can write both files from its Server tab. You can prepare your server there, then copy the file contents into OuiPanel. The guide How to add mods to an Assetto Corsa server details this method for modded cars and tracks.

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Join the Assetto Corsa server

Each player needs Assetto Corsa on PC, in its Steam version, with the DLCs of the cars and tracks your server uses. The console versions of the game cannot join these servers.

With REGISTER_TO_LOBBY=1 and the HTTP port reachable, the server should appear in the game's list and in Content Manager's list, under the name set in the Server name variable. This registration has not been verified on our servers yet.

1. Launch Assetto Corsa, then open the online mode.

2. Look for your server by its name in the server list.

3. Pick a free car, enter the password if you set one, then go out on track.

In Content Manager, the Online tab also lets you add a server by its address. Enter your server's IP followed by the HTTP Port, for example 203.0.113.10:3001. This is the surest way to find it, even if it is not in the public list yet.

If you set a password, give it to your drivers along with the server name.

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Back up and reinstall without losing your settings

An Assetto Corsa server has no world to save. What matters are your two settings files, the blacklist.txt ban list, the race results in the results folder and the mods you uploaded.

The Backups page of OuiPanel creates an archive of these files with Create backup. Steam's download files are excluded, which keeps it light.

A reinstall from the Steam tab, with the Install / update button, re-checks the server files with your account. It rewrites neither cfg/server_cfg.ini, nor cfg/entry_list.ini, nor blacklist.txt, nor the results folder.

You can also copy these files to your computer over SFTP, with the guide How to connect via SFTP with FileZilla.

To kick a driver or move to the next session, read the guide Assetto Corsa admin commands.

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If the server does not start

The OuiPanel console shows the server log. Read its last lines first.

Symptom	Solution
The console says acServer is missing	Connect your Steam account in the Steam tab, then run the installation again
The installation downloaded nothing	The connected account must own Assetto Corsa. Check it in that account's Steam library
The server stops right after starting	Check that every car in CARS has a slot in entry_list.ini, that the sections are numbered without gaps and that the track folder exists in content/tracks
The name or a password goes back to the old value	These values come from the OuiPanel variables. Change them in Environment Variables
The server does not appear in the game's list	Check REGISTER_TO_LOBBY=1, wait a minute or two after startup, then try adding it by address with the HTTP Port
A player cannot join	They are missing the car or the track, or the matching DLC. All slots for their car may also be taken

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Need help?

Open a ticket from Tickets › Open a Ticket, or from the Contact support tile at the bottom of your server's page in the client area. You can also ask your question on the OuiHeberg Discord.

Open a ticketDiscord