Run a valheim server with Docker Compose:

Folder setup

required folders: - runfiles/UnityPlayer.so - runfiles/valheim_server.x86_64 - runfiles/valheim_server_Data/

Since these files change after every new Valheim release you have to maintain this yourself until there is a better Docker Hub Image.

Copy those files from your [steam folder] after installing Valheim Server via Steam on Linux: [steam folder](file:~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/Valheim dedicated server)

Game World

If you want to use an existing World copy it into the docker volume: valheim_data. Make sure you put them at the right hierarchy. E.g. adminlist.txt, bannedlist.txt, permittedlist.txt and world/ should all be in the same folder level.

Use the Environment Variable WORLD to reference the World file, e.g. "Dedicated" for "Dedicated.db" & "Dedicated.fwl" in the worlds_local/ folder.

An example Game Server folder (using the local default path) looks like this:

ls ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/
adminlist.txt  bannedlist.txt  characters  permittedlist.txt  Player.log  Player-prev.log  prefs  worlds_local
ls ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim/worlds_local/
Dedicated.db

Docker Compose

Set up environment variables

1. Copy compose.yml.example file: cp compose.yml{.example,}
2. Adjust Environment Variables, which are passed to runfiles/start_server.sh
3. docker compose up (requires installation of docker-compose-plugin for docker, not! docker-compose)

Warning: Shutdown only with SIGINT (CTRL+C) to valheim_server.x86_64

Use the provided stop_valheim_server.sh script or manually send kill -2 VALHEIM_PROCESS_ID to the relevant process. Otherwise you might prevent the valheim server from saving the world state into the filesystem on shutdown since docker-compose does not pass on SIGINT to the process.