Can FiveM run on Linux?

Yes. The server has native Linux builds; download fx.tar.xz from the Cfx runtime server’s Linux artifacts and run ./run.sh.

Which Linux distribution should I use?

Ubuntu LTS or Debian are the common, well-documented choices.

Should I run FiveM as root?

No. Create a dedicated user; a compromised resource then cannot take over the whole machine.

How do I keep the server running after I close SSH?

Use a systemd service (or screen/tmux for quick tests).

Which ports does a Linux FiveM server need?

30120 TCP and UDP for players, and 40120 TCP for txAdmin (restrict it to your IP).

FiveM Linux Server Setup (Ubuntu/Debian): Artifacts, txAdmin, systemd

Linux is the most common home for FiveM servers on a VPS or dedicated machine: it is free, stable and light. The setup is a handful of commands — download the artifacts, run txAdmin once, and make the server start by itself. This guide uses Ubuntu or Debian and a dedicated user so the server never runs as root.

Short answer: Install xz-utils and curl, create a fivem user, download the latest recommended Linux artifacts (fx.tar.xz) from the Cfx runtime server, extract them, and run ./run.sh to start txAdmin on port 40120. Open ports 30120 TCP/UDP (and 40120 for txAdmin, ideally restricted) in the firewall, then create a systemd service so the server restarts on boot and crash.

#Step 1: prepare the machine

As root (or with sudo)

apt update && apt -y upgrade
apt -y install xz-utils curl git screen
adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" fivem
su - fivem

#Step 2: download the artifacts

The Linux builds are listed on the Cfx runtime server under build_proot_linux. Copy the link of the latest recommended build’s fx.tar.xz.

As the fivem user

mkdir -p ~/server && cd ~/server
curl -L -o fx.tar.xz "<paste the fx.tar.xz link of the recommended build>"
tar xf fx.tar.xz
rm fx.tar.xz
ls   # you should see run.sh and alpine/

#Step 3: first run and txAdmin

bash

cd ~/server
./run.sh

txAdmin starts and prints its address and a PIN. Open http://<your-server-ip>:40120, enter the PIN and complete the setup — see the txAdmin setup guide. txAdmin keeps its own data (admins, player database, settings) in a txData folder; the path is printed in the console when it starts.

#Step 4: the firewall

ufw example (as root)

ufw allow 22/tcp
ufw allow 30120/tcp
ufw allow 30120/udp
# txAdmin only from your own IP:
ufw allow from <your.home.ip> to any port 40120 proto tcp
ufw enable

Port details and why each is needed are in ports and firewall.

#Step 5: start on boot with systemd

/etc/systemd/system/fivem.service

[Unit]
Description=FiveM server (txAdmin)
After=network-online.target mariadb.service
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
User=fivem
WorkingDirectory=/home/fivem/server
ExecStart=/home/fivem/server/run.sh
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

As root

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now fivem
journalctl -u fivem -f   # follow the output

#Updating artifacts

Download the new fx.tar.xz next to the old one.
Stop the service, move the old alpine/ and run.sh aside, extract the new archive.
Start the service and check the console; roll back by restoring the old files if needed.

Which build to choose and why “recommended” matters is in artifacts and updates.

Setting up a FiveM server on Linux