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Counter-Strike: Source Docker Container

This Docker container provides a fully configured Counter-Strike: Source game server that automatically downloads and updates the game via SteamCMD, supports file overlaying using OverlayFS, and includes optional SourceMod/MetaMod support.

Quick Start​

services:
  counterstrikesource-scenario:
    image: lancommander/counterstrikesource:latest
    container_name: counterstrikesource-scenario

    ports:
      - 27016:27015/udp
      - 27021:27020/udp
      - 27080:80 # For FastDL support

    volumes:
      - "/data/Servers/Counter-Strike - Source:/config"

    environment:
      STEAM_APP_UPDATE: "true"
      START_ARGS: "-game cstrike -console +map de_dust2"
      INSTALL_SOURCEMOD: "true"

    cap_add:
      - SYS_ADMIN

    security_opt:
      - apparmor:unconfined

    restart: unless-stopped

Configuration Options​

Ports​

The container exposes the following ports:

  • 27015/udp - Main game server port (default). Clients connect to this port to join the server.
  • 27020/udp - SourceTV port (optional). Used for game broadcasting and recording.
  • 80/tcp - HTTP file server port (optional). Used for serving game files to clients (See FastDL).

Port Mapping: In the example configuration, ports are mapped as:

  • 27016:27015/udp - Maps host port 27016 to container port 27015
  • 27021:27020/udp - Maps host port 27021 to container port 27020
  • 27080:80 - Maps host port 27021 to container port 27020

You can customize these mappings based on your network requirements. If you're running multiple servers, use different host ports for each instance.

Volumes​

The container requires a volume mount for the /config directory, which stores:

  • Server/ - Game files downloaded by SteamCMD (auto-created)
  • Overlay/ - Custom files that overlay on top of the game directory
  • Merged/ - OverlayFS merged view (auto-created)
  • Scripts/ - Custom PowerShell scripts for hooks

Example:

volumes:
  - "/data/Servers/Counter-Strike - Source:/config"

The host path can be:

  • An absolute path (Windows: C:\data\..., Linux: /data/...)
  • A relative path (e.g., ./config:/config)
  • A named volume (e.g., css-server-data:/config)

Important: The mounted directory must be writable by the container.

Environment Variables​

VariableDescriptionDefaultRequired
STEAM_APP_UPDATEEnable automatic game updates on startup ("true"/"false")"true"No
START_ARGSArguments used to start the game server"-game cstrike -console +map de_dust2"No
INSTALL_SOURCEMODEnable SourceMod/MetaMod installation ("true"/"false")"false"No
SOURCEMOD_VERSIONSourceMod version to install"1.12.0-git7221"No
METAMOD_VERSIONMetaMod version to install"1.12.0-git1219"No
GAME_MODGame modification directory"cstrike"No

STEAM_APP_UPDATE​

Controls whether SteamCMD updates the game server on container startup.

  • "true" - Automatically download/update the game server
  • "false" - Skip updates (useful for offline operation or faster startup)

Example:

environment:
  STEAM_APP_UPDATE: "true"

START_ARGS​

Arguments passed to the game server executable at startup.

Default:

START_ARGS: "-game cstrike -console +map de_dust2"

Customization Examples:

Basic server with custom map:

START_ARGS: "-game cstrike -console +map de_dust2"

Server with max players and public IP:

START_ARGS: "-game cstrike -console +map de_dust2 +maxplayers 24 +sv_lan 0 +ip 0.0.0.0"

Server with RCON password:

START_ARGS: "-game cstrike -console +map de_dust2 +rcon_password mypassword"

Common Server Parameters:

  • +map <mapname> - Set the starting map (e.g., de_dust2, cs_office)
  • +maxplayers <number> - Maximum number of players (default: 32)
  • +sv_lan 0 - Enable internet play (0 = internet, 1 = LAN only)
  • +ip <address> - Server IP address (use 0.0.0.0 for all interfaces)
  • +port <port> - Server port (default: 27015)
  • +rcon_password <password> - RCON password for remote administration
  • +hostname "<name>" - Server name displayed in server browser

INSTALL_SOURCEMOD​

Enables automatic installation of SourceMod and MetaMod:Source, which provide plugin support and enhanced server administration.

  • "true" - Install SourceMod and MetaMod
  • "false" - Skip SourceMod installation

When enabled, the container will:

  1. Download and install MetaMod:Source (required dependency)
  2. Download and install SourceMod
  3. Place all files in /config/Overlay/cstrike/addons/

Example:

environment:
  INSTALL_SOURCEMOD: "true"

Security Options​

The container requires elevated privileges to use OverlayFS for file overlaying.

cap_add: SYS_ADMIN​

Adds the SYS_ADMIN capability, which is required for mounting OverlayFS. This is the recommended approach as it provides minimal necessary privileges.

cap_add:
  - SYS_ADMIN

security_opt: apparmor:unconfined​

On Ubuntu hosts with AppArmor enabled, you may need to disable AppArmor restrictions for the container. This is often necessary for OverlayFS to function properly.

security_opt:
  - apparmor:unconfined

Alternative Options:

If you prefer less security but simpler configuration, you can use privileged mode:

privileged: true

Note: Privileged mode grants the container extensive access to the host system and is less secure than using cap_add: SYS_ADMIN.

Restart Policy​

restart: unless-stopped

This ensures the container automatically restarts if it stops unexpectedly, but won't restart if you manually stop it.

Other options:

  • no - Never restart
  • always - Always restart, even after manual stop
  • on-failure - Restart only on failure

Directory Structure​

The /config directory contains the following structure:

/config/
├── Server/              # Game files from SteamCMD (auto-created)
│   └── cstrike/         # Counter-Strike: Source game directory
├── Overlay/             # Custom files overlay (your modifications)
│   └── cstrike/
│       ├── addons/      # SourceMod/MetaMod installation location
│       │   ├── sourcemod/
│       │   │   ├── plugins/     # Place .smx plugin files here
│       │   │   ├── configs/     # SourceMod configuration files
│       │   │   └── ...
│       │   └── metamod/
│       ├── maps/        # Custom maps
│       ├── cfg/         # Server configuration files (server.cfg, etc.)
│       └── ...
├── Merged/              # OverlayFS merged view (auto-created)
├── .overlay-work/       # OverlayFS work directory (auto-created)
└── Scripts/
    └── Hooks/           # Custom PowerShell scripts for hooks

SourceMod Configuration​

Installing Plugins​

Once SourceMod is installed, add plugins by placing compiled .smx files in:

/config/Overlay/cstrike/addons/sourcemod/plugins/

Example:

# Copy plugin to the overlay directory
cp my_plugin.smx "/data/Servers/Counter-Strike - Source/Scenario/Overlay/cstrike/addons/sourcemod/plugins/"

# Restart the container to load the plugin
docker restart counterstrikesource-scenario

SourceMod Configuration Files​

Place SourceMod configuration files in:

/config/Overlay/cstrike/addons/sourcemod/configs/

Common configuration files:

  • admins_simple.ini - Admin user configuration
  • core.cfg - Core SourceMod settings
  • database.cfg - Database configuration (if using database features)

Server Configuration​

Place server configuration files in:

/config/Overlay/cstrike/cfg/

Example server.cfg:

hostname "My Counter-Strike: Source Server"
sv_lan 0
maxplayers 24
rcon_password "your_rcon_password"

OverlayFS​

The container uses Linux OverlayFS to merge the base game files with your custom files:

  • Lower layer: /config/Server (base game files from SteamCMD)
  • Upper layer: /config/Overlay (your custom files)
  • Merged view: /config/Merged (where the game server runs from)

Benefits:

  • Replace files without modifying the base installation
  • Add custom content (maps, plugins, configs)
  • No file copying required - OverlayFS is a union filesystem
  • Easy updates - base game files can be updated without losing customizations

If OverlayFS cannot be mounted (e.g., missing privileges), the container will fall back to using /config/Server directly and log a warning.

Troubleshooting​

Container Won't Start​

  1. Check logs:

    docker logs counterstrikesource-scenario

  2. Verify permissions: Ensure the mounted volume is writable:

    # Linux
    chmod -R 755 "/data/Servers/Counter-Strike - Source/Scenario"

    # Windows
    # Ensure the directory has proper permissions in Windows

  3. Check security options: Ensure cap_add: SYS_ADMIN is set, or use privileged: true

Game Server Not Starting​

  1. Verify START_ARGS: Check that START_ARGS contains valid server arguments:

    START_ARGS: "-game cstrike -console +map de_dust2"

  2. Check server directory: Verify that game files were downloaded:

    docker exec counterstrikesource-scenario ls -la /config/Server/cstrike

  3. Review server logs: Check container logs for server startup messages and errors

SourceMod Not Loading​

  1. Verify installation: Ensure INSTALL_SOURCEMOD: "true" is set (with quotes in YAML)

  2. Check installation directory:

    docker exec counterstrikesource-scenario ls -la /config/Overlay/cstrike/addons/sourcemod

  3. Verify MetaMod: Check that MetaMod is installed:

    docker exec counterstrikesource-scenario ls -la /config/Overlay/cstrike/addons/metamod.vdf

  4. Check server console: Look for SourceMod loading messages in the container logs

OverlayFS Warnings​

If you see warnings about OverlayFS:

  1. Verify capabilities: Ensure cap_add: SYS_ADMIN is present in your docker-compose.yml

  2. Check AppArmor: On Ubuntu, add security_opt: apparmor:unconfined

  3. Alternative: Use privileged: true (less secure but simpler)

Port Already in Use​

If you get port binding errors:

  1. Check for existing containers:

    docker ps -a

  2. Use different ports: Change the port mapping in docker-compose.yml:

    ports:
      - 27017:27015/udp  # Use a different host port

  3. Stop conflicting containers:

    docker stop <container-name>

Permission Errors​

The container runs as a non-root user. If you encounter permission errors:

  1. Check file ownership:

    docker exec counterstrikesource-scenario ls -la /config

  2. Verify volume mount: Ensure the host directory is accessible and writable

  3. Review logs: Check container logs for specific permission error messages

Advanced Usage​

Custom Hooks​

You can create custom PowerShell scripts that execute at various points in the container's lifecycle. Place scripts in:

/config/Scripts/Hooks/{HookName}/

Available hooks:

  • PreSteamInstall - Before SteamCMD runs
  • PostSteamInstall - After SteamCMD completes
  • PreInstallSourceMod - Before SourceMod installation
  • PostInstallSourceMod - After SourceMod installation

Example hook script (/config/Scripts/Hooks/PostSteamInstall/10-CustomSetup.ps1):

Write-Host "Running custom setup..."
# Your custom commands here

HTTP File Server​

The container includes an optional HTTP file server (port 80) for serving game files to clients. This is useful for fast downloads of custom maps and content.

The file server is configured via environment variables:

  • HTTP_FILESERVER_ENABLED - Enable/disable the file server
  • HTTP_FILESERVER_WEB_ROOT - Root directory for file serving
  • HTTP_FILESERVER_FILE_PATTERN - Pattern for files to serve

Multiple Server Instances​

To run multiple Counter-Strike: Source servers on the same host:

  1. Use different container names:

    container_name: counterstrikesource-server1

  2. Use different ports:

    ports:
      - 27016:27015/udp
      - 27021:27020/udp

  3. Use different volume mounts:

    volumes:
      - "/data/Servers/Counter-Strike - Source/Server1:/config"

  4. Use different maps/names:

    environment:
      START_ARGS: "-game cstrike -console +map cs_office +hostname 'Server 1'"

Additional Resources​