Factorio Headless Server

A Docker image for running a Factorio headless server with automatic updates and mod management.

Quick Start

docker run -d \
  --name factorio \
  -p 34197:34197/udp \
  -p 27015:27015/tcp \
  -v /path/to/factorio:/factorio \
  your-image-name:latest

This will create a new Factorio server with default settings. The server will be available on port 34197 (UDP) with RCON access on port 27015 (TCP).

Features

• Automatic Updates: Checks for and installs the latest Factorio version
• Space Age DLC Support: Toggle Space Age DLC and related mods
• Persistent Storage: All saves, configs, and mods are stored in a volume
• RCON Support: Remote console access for server management
• Configurable Save Management: Load latest save, specific saves, or generate new ones
• Scenario Support: Run custom scenarios
• Whitelist/Banlist Support: Player access control

Environment Variables

Server Configuration

Variable	Default	Description
PORT	34197	Game server port (UDP)
RCON_PORT	27015	RCON port (TCP)
LOG_LEVEL	info	Logging level (debug, info, warning, error)
VERSION	stable	Factorio version channel (stable, experimental)
FACTORIO_DIR	/opt/factorio	Internal Factorio installation directory
DLC_SPACE_AGE	true	Enable/disable Space Age DLC and related mods
LOAD_LATEST_SAVE	true	Load the most recent save file
SAVE_NAME	_autosave1	Specific save file to load (without .zip extension)
GENERATE_NEW_SAVE	false	Generate a new save instead of loading existing
SERVER_SCENARIO	""	Load a specific scenario instead of a save
PRESET	""	Map generation preset when creating new saves
USER	factorio	Username for running the server
GROUP	factorio	Group name for running the server
PUID	845	User ID for file permissions
PGID	845	Group ID for file permissions
MOUNT_DIR	/factorio	Main volume mount point for persistent data
TOKEN	""	Factorio.com authentication token for public servers

Volume Structure

The container expects a volume mounted at /factorio with the following structure:

/factorio/
├── saves/          # Save files (.zip)
├── config/         # Server configuration files
│   ├── server-settings.json
│   ├── server-whitelist.json
│   ├── server-banlist.json
│   ├── server-adminlist.json
│   ├── map-gen-settings.json
│   ├── map-settings.json
│   ├── rconpw      # Auto-generated RCON password
│   └── config.ini
├── mods/           # Mod files and mod-list.json
└── scenarios/      # Custom scenarios

Usage Examples

Basic Server

docker run -d \
  --name factorio \
  -p 34197:34197/udp \
  -p 27015:27015/tcp \
  -v factorio-data:/factorio \
  your-image-name:latest

Server with Custom Settings

docker run -d \
  --name factorio \
  -p 34197:34197/udp \
  -p 27015:27015/tcp \
  -e SAVE_NAME="my-world" \
  -e DLC_SPACE_AGE=false \
  -e LOG_LEVEL=debug \
  -v factorio-data:/factorio \
  your-image-name:latest

Load Specific Scenario

docker run -d \
  --name factorio \
  -p 34197:34197/udp \
  -p 27015:27015/tcp \
  -e SERVER_SCENARIO="my-scenario" \
  -e PRESET="rich-resources" \
  -v factorio-data:/factorio \
  your-image-name:latest

Experimental Version

docker run -d \
  --name factorio \
  -p 34197:34197/udp \
  -p 27015:27015/tcp \
  -e VERSION=experimental \
  -v factorio-data:/factorio \
  your-image-name:latest

Docker Compose

version: '3.8'

services:
  factorio:
    image: your-image-name:latest
    container_name: factorio
    ports:
      - "34197:34197/udp"
      - "27015:27015/tcp"
    environment:
      - SAVE_NAME=my-world
      - DLC_SPACE_AGE=true
      - LOG_LEVEL=info
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
    volumes:
      - factorio-data:/factorio
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  factorio-data:

Configuration Files

Server Settings

The server will automatically create default configuration files if they don't exist. You can customize these by placing your own files in the /factorio/config/ directory:

• server-settings.json - Main server configuration
• server-whitelist.json - Player whitelist
• server-banlist.json - Banned players
• server-adminlist.json - Server administrators
• map-gen-settings.json - World generation settings
• map-settings.json - Game difficulty and behavior settings

RCON Password

The RCON password is automatically generated and stored in /factorio/config/rconpw. You can retrieve it with:

docker exec factorio cat /factorio/config/rconpw

Mod Management

Mods should be placed in the /factorio/mods/ directory. The mod-list.json file will be automatically managed for Space Age DLC mods based on the DLC_SPACE_AGE environment variable.

Space Age DLC Mods

When DLC_SPACE_AGE=true, the following mods are automatically enabled:

• elevated-rails
• quality
• space-age

Building

To build the image yourself:

git clone <repository-url>
cd factorio-headless
docker build -t factorio-headless .

Logs

Server logs are available through Docker:

# View server output
docker logs factorio

# Follow logs in real-time
docker logs -f factorio

The container also creates log files at:

• /var/log/factorio/access.log - Server access logs
• /var/log/factorio/error.log - Server error logs
• /app/factorio.log - Manager application logs

Troubleshooting

Server Won't Start

1. Check the logs: docker logs factorio
2. Verify volume permissions match PUID/PGID
3. Ensure the game port (UDP) is not blocked by firewall

Can't Connect to Server

1. Verify port mapping: -p 34197:34197/udp
2. Check if server is running: docker exec factorio ps aux
3. Verify RCON access: telnet <server-ip> 27015

Permission Issues

If you encounter permission issues, ensure the PUID and PGID environment variables match your host user:

docker run -d \
  -e PUID=$(id -u) \
  -e PGID=$(id -g) \
  # ... other options

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test with Docker
5. Submit a pull request

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.