How to Run a FiveM Server Using Docker

Deploy a reliable FiveM server with Docker Compose: install, configure server.cfg, open ports, persist data, and manage updates.

This guide is part of our complete FiveM server management hub, covering everything from initial setup to scaling your community.

TL;DR

• Install Docker Engine + Docker Compose v2 on Ubuntu. (Docker Documentation)
• Create a project folder, add .env (set LICENSE_KEY, SERVER_NAME, ports) and a minimal compose.yaml.
• Start with docker compose up -d; watch logs with docker compose logs -f.
• Edit data/server.cfg (hostname, endpoints, resources); restart the container.
• Open firewall for 30120/TCP+UDP and 40120/TCP (txAdmin). txAdmin’s default port is 40120. (Cfx.re Docs)
• Always run the container with stdin/tty enabled to avoid crashes. (GitHub)

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Prerequisites

• OS: Linux Ubuntu 22.04+ (notes for macOS/Windows below).
• Hardware: 2+ vCPU, 4–8 GB RAM (more for heavy resources), SSD recommended.
• Docker: Install Docker Engine and Compose v2 from official docs. (Docker Documentation)
• FiveM License Key: Generate in the Cfx.re portal (Keymaster). Keep it secret. (support.cfx.re)
• Firewall/NAT: Ability to open/forward ports 30120 (TCP+UDP) and optionally 40120 (TCP). (Cfx.re Docs)
• (Optional) A domain/subdomain for txAdmin.

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Architecture overview

One container runs FXServer using the spritsail/fivem image. Data is bind-mounted to persist server.cfg, resources, and logs. Ports 30120/TCP+UDP are exposed to players; 40120/TCP exposes txAdmin when enabled. A healthcheck can probe http://127.0.0.1:30120/info.json. (GitHub)

+-------------------- Docker Host (Ubuntu) --------------------+
|  /home/fivem/data  -->  /config   (in container)            |
|  /home/fivem/txData --> /txData   (txAdmin data)            |
|                                                            |
|  Exposed: 30120/tcp+udp  [FXServer]  |  40120/tcp [txAdmin] |
|  Healthcheck: GET 127.0.0.1:30120/info.json                 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

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Quick Start (copy-paste)

1) Create a project folder

# Optional: dedicated system user and directories
sudo useradd -r -m -d /home/fivem -s /usr/sbin/nologin fivem || true
sudo mkdir -p /home/fivem/{data,txData}
sudo chown -R "$USER":"$USER" /home/fivem
cd /home/fivem

2) Create .env

cat > .env <<'EOF'
# === REQUIRED ===
LICENSE_KEY=REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_CFX_KEY

# Convenience (used by ports mapping below)
FXSERVER_PORT=30120
TXADMIN_PORT=40120

# Not read by the image directly; use it when editing server.cfg
SERVER_NAME="My Docker FiveM"

# Optional: if omitted, default config generation sets a random RCON password
RCON_PASSWORD=
EOF

3) Minimal compose.yaml (pin a tag)

Smallest working setup using the upstream image. Uses tty+stdin to prevent crash. (GitHub)

# compose.yaml
services:
  fivem:
    image: spritsail/fivem:stable
    container_name: fivem
    environment:
      - LICENSE_KEY=${LICENSE_KEY}
      # Optional toggles (see table below):
      # - NO_DEFAULT_CONFIG=1   # required if you want to use txAdmin
      # - NO_LICENSE_KEY=1      # if you put the key in server.cfg instead
      # - NO_ONESYNC=1          # disable OneSync in default config
      # - RCON_PASSWORD=${RCON_PASSWORD}
    volumes:
      - ./data:/config         # server.cfg, resources, logs
    ports:
      - "${FXSERVER_PORT}:30120/tcp"
      - "${FXSERVER_PORT}:30120/udp"
    tty: true                  # prevent startup crash (equiv. to -t)
    stdin_open: true           # prevent startup crash (equiv. to -i)
    restart: unless-stopped

Start it:

docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f

4) Extended variant (txAdmin, healthcheck, limits)

# compose.extended.yaml
services:
  fivem:
    image: spritsail/fivem:stable
    container_name: fivem
    environment:
      - LICENSE_KEY=${LICENSE_KEY}
      - NO_DEFAULT_CONFIG=1       # enable txAdmin (no default +exec)
      # - NO_LICENSE_KEY=1        # if storing key in server.cfg
      # - RCON_PASSWORD=${RCON_PASSWORD}
    volumes:
      - ./data:/config
      - ./txData:/txData          # persist txAdmin data
    ports:
      - "${FXSERVER_PORT}:30120/tcp"
      - "${FXSERVER_PORT}:30120/udp"
      - "${TXADMIN_PORT}:40120/tcp"  # txAdmin Web UI (default 40120)
    tty: true
    stdin_open: true
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "wget -qO- http://127.0.0.1:30120/info.json >/dev/null 2>&1"]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 5
      start_period: 30s
    # Basic resource knobs for standalone Compose (not Swarm 'deploy')
    cpus: 2
    mem_limit: "6g"
    ulimits:
      nofile:
        soft: 1048576
        hard: 1048576
    restart: unless-stopped

If wget is unavailable in the image, remove the healthcheck or replace with a TCP probe. txAdmin persists under /txData, port 40120 is its default. (GitHub)

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Configuration & Persistence

• On first run, defaults are written to the bind mount ./data (container path /config). Edit ./data/server.cfg and restart the container. (GitHub)

Typical server.cfg bits:

# data/server.cfg
# Network endpoints (leave 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces)
endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"
endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"

# Server name
set sv_hostname "My Docker FiveM"

# License key (use this only if NOT using LICENSE_KEY env)
# sv_licenseKey "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_CFX_KEY"

# Example: ensure a basic resource
# ensure chat

Directory layout (host):

/home/fivem
├─ data/            -> /config     (server.cfg, resources/, logs/)
└─ txData/          -> /txData     (txAdmin profiles & DB)

Backups

• Bind-mount backup:

tar -C /home/fivem -czf fivem-backup_$(date +%F).tgz data txData

• If you switch to named volumes, back up like:

docker run --rm -v fivem_data:/data -v "$PWD":/backup busybox \
  sh -c 'tar -czf /backup/fivem_data_$(date +%F).tgz -C / data'

Environment variables (from spritsail/fivem)

Name	Purpose	Example
LICENSE_KEY	Required FiveM server license key to start FXServer	LICENSE_KEY=xxxxx
RCON_PASSWORD	RCON password used when creating default configs; random 16-char if unset	RCON_PASSWORD=strongpass
NO_DEFAULT_CONFIG	Disable default +exec so txAdmin can manage the server	1
NO_LICENSE_KEY	Don’t read key from env; keep it in server.cfg	1
NO_ONESYNC	Disable OneSync in default configs	1

These env vars and paths /config, /txData, plus the need for -ti are defined by the upstream image. (GitHub)

Secret handling: Prefer NO_LICENSE_KEY=1 and put sv_licenseKey in server.cfg with correct file permissions if you don’t want the key in the container env. (GitHub)

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Networking & Security

Required ports

Purpose	Port	Proto
Player connections / API	30120	TCP+UDP
txAdmin Web UI (optional)	40120	TCP
Legacy master (rarely needed)	30110	UDP

FiveM defaults to 30120; txAdmin’s default is 40120. (GitHub)

UFW examples (Ubuntu)

sudo ufw allow 30120/tcp
sudo ufw allow 30120/udp
sudo ufw allow 40120/tcp   # only if you enable txAdmin
sudo ufw reload

nftables (example ruleset extract)

sudo nft add table inet filter
sudo nft add chain inet filter input '{ type filter hook input priority 0; policy drop; }'
sudo nft add rule inet filter input ct state established,related accept
sudo nft add rule inet filter input iif lo accept
sudo nft add rule inet filter input tcp dport {30120,40120} accept
sudo nft add rule inet filter input udp dport 30120 accept

Least privilege & secrets

• Run on a hardened host; avoid mapping extra capabilities; don’t run Docker as root user on the host.
• Keep RCON enabled only if needed; protect txAdmin with strong credentials and restrict access at the firewall.
• If you use SELinux-based distros (not Ubuntu), add :Z/:z to bind mounts to fix context issues.

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Updates & Rollbacks

Update to latest pinned tag

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Pin by digest (immutable)

# Pull and discover the digest of the current tag
docker pull spritsail/fivem:stable
docker inspect --format='{{index .RepoDigests 0}}' spritsail/fivem:stable
# Use the printed value in compose, e.g.:
# image: spritsail/fivem@sha256:abcdef...

Rollback

• Change the image reference back to the previous tag/digest and docker compose up -d.
• Keep recent image digests with docker image ls --digests.

The image provides stable and latest tags; prefer stable for fewer surprises. (GitHub)

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Monitoring & Maintenance

• Status: docker ps, docker compose ps
• Logs: docker compose logs -f
• Stats: docker stats fivem
• Healthcheck: Polls info.json; remove/adjust if tooling missing. (Cfx.re Docs)
• Disk: docker system df, prune old images if needed.
• Backups: Cron the tar command in “Configuration & Persistence”.

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Troubleshooting

• Invalid license key: Verify in Cfx.re portal and ensure only one server is using the key. (support.cfx.re)
• Ports already in use: sudo ss -lntup | grep 30120; stop conflicting service or change FXSERVER_PORT.
• Can’t reach txAdmin: Open 40120/TCP or change port; confirm NO_DEFAULT_CONFIG=1. (Cfx.re Docs)
• Container exits on start: Ensure tty: true and stdin_open: true are set. (GitHub)
• Time/DNS issues: Ensure host time sync (systemd-timesyncd/chrony) and working DNS (/etc/resolv.conf).
• SELinux denials (non-Ubuntu): Use :Z/:z on bind mounts or adjust contexts.
• info.json/players.json blocked: Some convars or proxies can affect these endpoints; confirm server responds on GET /info.json. (Cfx.re Docs)

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Performance Tips

• CPU/Memory: Pin CPUs and set memory limits (see extended compose).
• Storage: Use SSD/NVMe; keep resource packs optimized; avoid huge, uncompressed assets.
• Networking: Keep latency low; ensure host isn’t CPU throttled; prioritize UDP 30120.
• Host kernel: Reasonable defaults work; advanced sysctls (net.core.*mem_max) can be tuned if you know your workload.
• Logs: Use log rotation (as in extended example).

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macOS / Windows notes

• macOS (Docker Desktop): Bind-mounted file I/O is slower than native Linux; consider Docker Desktop’s Synchronized file shares for better performance and ensure the folder is shared in settings. (Docker Documentation)
• Windows (WSL2): Published ports are reachable via localhost on Windows; exposing to LAN can require extra configuration depending on mode. Prefer hosting on Linux for public servers. (Docker Documentation)

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Clean Uninstall

# Stop and remove the container (keep data)
docker compose down

# Remove container + anonymous networks + images (keeps bind-mounted data)
docker compose down --rmi local --remove-orphans

# If you used named volumes (not in this guide), list and remove explicitly:
# docker volume ls
# docker volume rm <volume_name>

To delete all data, remove the bind-mounted directories:

sudo rm -rf /home/fivem/data /home/fivem/txData

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FAQ

Can I host multiple servers on one host?
Yes. Use separate project directories, different FXSERVER_PORT/TXADMIN_PORT, and distinct bind mounts. txAdmin supports per-profile data in /txData. (Cfx.re Docs)

How do I change the server name/IP shown in the list?
Edit sv_hostname in data/server.cfg. The IP/port comes from your published ports and NAT config.

Can I restart automatically on crash?
Yes. restart: unless-stopped in Compose; also consider systemd timers for watchdogs.

Where are backups located?
Where you create them—e.g., fivem-backup_YYYY-MM-DD.tgz in your working directory. See the backup commands above.

How do I enable txAdmin?
Set NO_DEFAULT_CONFIG=1, bind-mount /txData, and open 40120/TCP. (GitHub)

Do I need 30110 open?
Rarely. It was used for legacy listing; modern setups typically only need 30120 and txAdmin’s 40120 if used. (Cfx.re Community)

How do I move the server to another machine?
Copy data/ and txData/ to the new host, recreate the same Compose file, and start.

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Links & Credits

• Upstream image: spritsail/fivem (env vars, paths, usage, txAdmin notes, -ti requirement). (GitHub)
• Docker:
  • Install Docker Engine on Ubuntu. (Docker Documentation)
  • Install Docker Compose v2 (Linux plugin). (Docker Documentation)
  • Sharing local files with containers (volumes vs bind mounts). (Docker Documentation)
  • Cfx.re / FiveM:
    • Create a server registration (license) key. (support.cfx.re)
    • txAdmin docs (default port 40120; data path). (Cfx.re Docs)
    • Proxy/connection flow (/info.json). (Cfx.re Docs)

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