In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to download and install HLDS using SteamCMD on both Windows and Linux. HLDS is the dedicated server application for games like Counter-Strike 1.6, Half-Life, and Team Fortress Classic. We’ll cover both operating systems separately.

Prerequisites

• Basic knowledge of using a terminal (Linux) or command prompt (Windows).
• Sufficient disk space (at least 2 GB recommended).
• Firewall access to the port you’ll be hosting on (default: 27015).

Windows Installation

Step 1: Download and Extract SteamCMD

1. Download SteamCMD.
2. Extract it to a folder, e.g. C:\steamcmd.

Step 2: Run SteamCMD

1. Navigate to your SteamCMD folder.
2. Run steamcmd.exe (it will update itself).

Step 3: Set Installation Directory

force_install_dir C:\hlds

Step 4: Log in to SteamCMD

login anonymous

Step 5: Install HLDS

app_update 90 validate

(Run this command again if files are missing.)

Step 6: Install Additional Mods (Optional)

app_set_config 90 mod tfc
app_update 90 validate

Step 7: Launch HLDS

hlds.exe -console -game valve +sv_lan 0 +maxplayers 22 +map undertow

Linux Installation

Step 1: Install SteamCMD

• Debian/Ubuntu:

  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install lib32gcc1 steamcmd

• Fedora:

  sudo dnf install steamcmd

Step 2: Run SteamCMD

steamcmd

Step 3: Set Installation Directory

force_install_dir ./hlds

Step 4: Log in to SteamCMD

login anonymous

Step 5: Install HLDS

app_update 90 validate

Step 6: Launch HLDS

./hlds_run -game valve +sv_lan 0 +maxplayers 22 +map undertow

Optional: Create a Launch Script

Create a file named server.sh:

#!/bin/bash
./hlds_run -console -game valve -port 27015 -autoupdate +map crossfire +maxplayers 24

Troubleshooting

• Missing files: Run app_update 90 validate again.
• Port issues: Open port 27015 in your firewall.
• Server won’t start: Double-check your install directory path.

Next Steps

You now have a working HLDS installation! From here, you may want to:

• Install mods like AMX Mod X or MetaMod.
• Edit server.cfg to set your server name, rcon password, and other settings.

For more, see the official SteamCMD documentation.