RedM server setup: server.cfg and txAdmin

A RedM server is the same FXServer binary FiveM uses, started with set gamename rdr3 in server.cfg so that it serves Red Dead Redemption 2 clients instead of GTA V ones. It uses the same Cfx.re licence key system, the same port 30120 over TCP and UDP, the same txAdmin on 40120, and the same resource model - but resources must declare game 'rdr3' in their manifest, the natives are different, and the ecosystem of frameworks, maps and tools is smaller and younger. If you have run a FiveM server, most of what you know applies; this guide covers what is the same, what is different, and the handful of lines that decide whether a RedM server starts at all.

What RedM is#

RedM is Cfx.re's multiplayer modification for the PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2, built on the same platform as FiveM. Players launch it from the RedM client, which requires a legitimate copy of RDR2 on PC through Steam, the Rockstar Games Launcher or the Epic Games Store. The server side is FXServer: it hosts resources - folders of Lua, JavaScript or C# - and tells connected clients which ones to download and run.

What that means for a server owner:

• Your server has no game content of its own. Like FiveM, a bare RedM server is an empty world. Roleplay servers are FXServer plus a framework (VORP or RSG, mostly) plus a long list of resources.
• Almost all of the operational knowledge transfers from FiveM. server.cfg syntax, ACE permissions, txAdmin, OneSync, resource folders, the HTTP endpoint for downloads - all identical. FiveM server setup with txAdmin and FiveM server.cfg explained apply line for line except where this post says otherwise.
• The scripting surface is different. RDR2's natives are not GTA V's natives, many are less documented, and resources written for FiveM do not run on RedM without being rewritten.

What you need

• A licence key from the Cfx.re portal (formerly keymaster), the same as for FiveM. The key is issued to your Cfx.re account, not to your host.
• FXServer artifacts. The same downloads as FiveM, from runtime.fivem.net/artifacts/fivem/, Linux or Windows. There is no separate RedM server binary. Take the recommended build; FiveM server artifacts covers choosing and updating builds.
• One port, TCP and UDP. 30120 by default, plus 40120 TCP if you use txAdmin's web interface.
• A database for any framework. VORP and RSG both store characters, inventories and money in a MySQL-compatible database, reached through oxmysql.
• Memory and CPU in the same range as a FiveM roleplay server - see the sizing table below.

server.cfg for RedM#

A minimal RedM configuration, with the lines that differ from FiveM marked:

endpoint_add_tcp "0.0.0.0:30120"endpoint_add_udp "0.0.0.0:30120"# These two lines make it a RedM serverset gamename rdr3sv_enforceGameBuild 1491set onesync onsv_maxclients 32sv_hostname "Black Water Roleplay | Whitelisted"sets sv_projectName "Black Water RP"sets sv_projectDesc "Serious western roleplay"sets tags "roleplay, western, vorp"sets locale "en-GB"sv_scriptHookAllowed 0set sv_endpointPrivacy trueensure mapmanagerensure chatensure spawnmanagerensure sessionmanager-rdr3ensure hardcapexec secrets.cfg

`set gamename rdr3` is the line that matters. Without it the server starts as a FiveM server, advertises itself to GTA V clients, and RedM players cannot join. It has to be set before the server finishes starting, so it belongs near the top of the file, and changing it needs a full restart.

`sv_enforceGameBuild` works as it does on FiveM, except the numbers are RDR2 builds rather than GTA V ones. The known values are 1311 (the base build), 1355, 1436 and 1491. Higher builds give access to content from later RDR2 updates; the client downloads the matching game data the first time it joins. Check Cfx.re's documentation for the current list rather than trusting a number from an old guide, including this one.

OneSync. RedM servers run with OneSync, and current frameworks assume it, so set it on. Everything OneSync and player slots says about culling, routing buckets and entity lockdown applies to RedM too.

`sessionmanager-rdr3` is the RedM version of the session manager from the default server data. Using the FiveM sessionmanager on a RedM server is a common copy-paste mistake from FiveM guides, and the result is players stuck loading.

`sv_licenseKey` goes in secrets.cfg or wherever you keep it, never in a file you share. Everything about keys in FiveM escrow and asset licensing applies equally to RedM: escrowed RedM resources are tied to the account that owns the key.

Resource manifests for RDR3#

Every RedM resource declares which game it targets. A resource written for RedM looks like this:

fx_version 'cerulean'game 'rdr3'rdr3_warning 'I acknowledge that this is a prerelease build of RedM, and I am aware my resources *will* become incompatible once RedM ships.'lua54 'yes'client_scripts { 'client/*.lua' }server_scripts { 'server/*.lua' }

The rdr3_warning line is required, and it must be exactly that sentence; a resource without it, or with it reworded, will not start on a RedM server. It has been there since RedM's early days and is still expected.

A resource meant for both games uses games { 'gta5', 'rdr3' } instead of game, and still needs the warning. That is typical for libraries and server-side utilities - chat, database bridges, permission tools - whose code does not touch game natives. Anything with client code that calls natives, draws UI in the world, or spawns entities needs to be written for RDR3 specifically.

Natives and scripting differences#

RDR2 has its own set of natives, the engine functions resources call. Many are documented through community projects rather than by Rockstar or Cfx.re - the femga rdr3_discoveries repository is the best-known collection - and a significant number are still called by hash rather than by name:

-- RedM: many natives are called by their hashCitizen.InvokeNative(0x283978A15512B2FE, PlayerPedId(), true) -- set random outfit variation

Practical consequences:

• Expect less documentation. Things that are a one-line search on FiveM can be an evening of reading on RedM.
• Prompts, not text. RDR2 uses its prompt system for interactions (the "hold E" style UI), and RedM resources build on it rather than on 3D text, which changes how interaction loops are written.
• Performance rules are the same. One main thread on the server, client frame time on the client. resmon and the profiler work on RedM, and every loop pattern in FiveM server performance applies.

Maps, interiors and other assets

Streaming works on RedM the way it does on FiveM: files in a resource's stream folder are sent to every player on first join and cached, and FXServer warns about oversized assets at startup. The general advice in FiveM MLOs and streaming assets about trimming textures and avoiding name collisions carries over.

What differs is the tooling and the supply. RDR2's asset formats are close relatives of GTA V's but not identical, the modelling and map-editing tools have less coverage for them, and the market for RedM maps and interiors is a fraction of FiveM's. Expect to choose from fewer options, and check that any map you buy states which RDR2 game build it needs and which framework, if any, its scripts expect.

Custom horses, clothing and weapons follow the same pattern: possible, smaller ecosystem, and worth testing on a copy of the server before your players meet them.

Frameworks: VORP and RSG#

Like FiveM, a RedM roleplay server is built on a framework that provides characters, inventories, money and jobs. The two in wide use are:

• VORP, the longest-established RedM framework, with a large set of resources built around vorp_core.
• RSG, a newer framework derived from QBCore and familiar to anyone who has run a QBCore FiveM server.

They are not compatible with each other; resources are written for one or the other. VORP and RSG compared covers the choice, their database requirements and how their resources are organised. Older guides mention RedEM:RP, which you will still see referenced but which is not where new servers start.

Both need a database, reached through oxmysql with a connection string in server.cfg - set with set, never sets, because sets publishes the value. The database side works exactly as on FiveM; FiveM databases and oxmysql covers the connection string, schema imports and slow queries.

First run with txAdmin#

txAdmin ships with the artifacts and supports RedM. Start FXServer without a config and it prints a PIN and opens its web interface on 40120. Create the admin account, then either point txAdmin at an existing server-data folder or use the deployer with a recipe. Community recipes exist for VORP and RSG setups; check that a recipe is maintained and targets the current framework version before running it, because an outdated recipe installs an outdated server.

The daily features are the same as on FiveM: scheduled restarts with in-game warnings, a player database with bans across identifiers, whitelisting, a live console, and the performance chart. If you deploy by hand instead, the order of ensure lines matters the same way it does on FiveM: database bridge, libraries, framework core, then everything that depends on it.

Permissions and daily administration

ACE permissions are identical to FiveM's: add_ace grants a group a permission, add_principal puts a player identifier into a group, and txAdmin's admin accounts are a separate list that governs the web panel and the in-game menu. Use the license identifier for permanent admins, keep the list in a file server.cfg executes, and keep it short. If you whitelist through Discord roles, the setup in FiveM Discord whitelist and permissions works unchanged on RedM.

The routine jobs are the same as on any roleplay server:

• A scheduled restart every six to twelve hours, announced in game. Frameworks and FXServer both accumulate state over long uptimes; restart schedules that help covers choosing the hour.
• A database backup before each restart or at least nightly. Characters, horses, money and inventories all live in the database, not in the server's files.
• A backup of `server-data` before every resource or framework update, kept until the update has run through a busy evening.
• A look at the console after each restart, from the first line, so a resource that has started failing is caught before players report it. Reading the console is about which lines matter.

Ports and connecting#

Both halves of 30120 must be reachable. With TCP closed, players never get past downloading resources; with UDP closed, they connect and sit on a loading screen. Game server ports explained covers testing a port from outside.

Players join through the RedM server browser, or by pressing F8 in the RedM client and typing connect your-address:30120. The server appears in the browser once the licence key validates and the TCP endpoint is reachable from outside.

Sizing a RedM server#

RedM servers are sized like FiveM roleplay servers. Memory follows the number of resources and the state they hold; CPU is dominated by the server's main thread, so a fast core matters more than many.

RDR2's world is large and its ambient population is heavier than GTA V's in many areas, so entity counts deserve attention early; OneSync population settings and per-bucket controls work as on FiveM. Slot limits also follow FiveM's rules: without a Cfx.re subscription tier on the account, slot counts have historically been capped, and the real limit is your resources' cost per player. How many players fit on a server covers the general reasoning.

Troubleshooting#

RedM players cannot see the server, FiveM-style errors in the console. set gamename rdr3 is missing or set too late. Put it near the top of server.cfg and restart the whole server.

A resource refuses to start. The manifest says game 'gta5', or the rdr3_warning line is missing or altered.

Players load forever after connecting. sessionmanager from FiveM instead of sessionmanager-rdr3, or a framework resource erroring during character load. Read the console while someone joins.

Players are told to change their game build. sv_enforceGameBuild is set to a build their RDR2 does not have yet, or to a GTA V build number by mistake.

A ported FiveM script errors on the client. It is calling GTA V natives. It needs rewriting for RDR3.

The server will not start with a licensing error. The key is invalid, revoked, or not the one you think is in the config.

FAQ#

Is a RedM server different software from a FiveM server?

No. It is the same FXServer binary from the same artifacts, started with set gamename rdr3. The differences are in configuration, resources and natives, not in the server program.

Do I need a separate licence key for RedM?

You need a licence key from the Cfx.re portal, created the same way as for FiveM. Each server needs its own key, and the key decides which account's escrowed resources the server may run.

Can I use FiveM scripts on RedM?

Only scripts with no game-specific client code, such as some libraries and server utilities, marked with games { 'gta5', 'rdr3' }. Anything that calls game natives must be written or ported for RDR3.

Which game build should a RedM server enforce?

The current one listed in Cfx.re's documentation; 1491 has been the most recent for a long time. Higher builds unlock later RDR2 content and players download the game data on first join.

Do players need to own Red Dead Redemption 2?

Yes. RedM requires a legitimate PC copy of RDR2 from Steam, the Rockstar Games Launcher or the Epic Games Store. The server itself does not need the game installed.