# Migrating from a Garry's Mod Server to s&box (/docs/sbox/migrating-from-gmod) s\&box is Facepunch's spiritual successor to Garry's Mod, but the dedicated server is a fresh codebase on .NET, not Source Engine 1. If you've been running GMod servers for years, most of your operator instincts still apply — but several specific things you used in GMod either don't exist in s\&box or work very differently. This page maps the GMod-side concept to its s\&box equivalent (or to "this no longer exists, here's why"). Quick summary [#quick-summary] | Garry's Mod | s\&box | Notes | | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `server.cfg` | **Doesn't exist** | All operator config is launch flags + `users/config.json`. | | `+gamemode sandbox` | `+game facepunch.sandbox` | Idents are `org.name` lowercase; see [Finding Game Packages](/docs/sbox/finding-game-packages). | | `+map gm_flatgrass` | Second arg to `+game` | `+game facepunch.sandbox garry.flatgrass`. | | `hostname "My Server"` ConVar | `+hostname My Server` | Launch flag, not a ConVar. | | Steam Workshop addons | Game packages on [sbox.game](https://sbox.game) | Single packages, no addon folder, no GMA files. | | `addons/` folder | **Doesn't exist** | Packages are streamed from sbox.game; no manual install. | | RCON | **Doesn't exist** | Use the panel **Web Console** instead. | | `users.txt` (ULX/etc.) | `users/config.json` | Same idea, JSON instead of plaintext. See [User Permissions](/docs/sbox/user-permissions). | | `sv_cheats 1` | ConVar with `Cheat` flag | The flag exists in `Sandbox.ConVarFlags`; gamemodes opt in. | | GSLT (game server login token) | `+net_game_server_token` | Same concept, same Steam page. See [Server Token](/docs/sbox/server-token). | | ConVar discovery (`find ...`) | Limited / gamemode-defined | s\&box doesn't have GMod's massive ConVar surface; see below. | | Map cycle / mapvote | Gamemode-defined | No engine-level rotation; some gamemodes implement their own. | What carries over (in spirit) [#what-carries-over-in-spirit] **The server-as-host-of-a-gamemode mental model.** You still pick a gamemode, pick a map, give it a name, run it, players join. The vocabulary changed but the workflow is recognizable. **SteamCMD installs the binary.** App ID changes (`4020` for GMod → `1892930` for s\&box), but the `app_update ... validate +quit` flow is the same. See [Install the Server](/docs/sbox/install-server). **Steam-account-based admin.** You still gate admin actions on a player's Steam ID. The file is JSON instead of `ulx_groups.txt`-style, and the permission concept is "claims" instead of "ranks," but the idea is the same: list the SteamID64s that get to do things. **GSLT-style persistent server identity.** s\&box's `+net_game_server_token` plays the same role as GMod's GSLT — keep your server's Steam ID stable across restarts so favourites work. What doesn't carry over [#what-doesnt-carry-over] **No `server.cfg`.** Don't go looking for one. The entire operator surface is three launch flags (`+game`, `+hostname`, `+net_game_server_token`), one JSON file (`users/config.json`), and a branch choice (public vs staging). That's it. Anything beyond that is configured by the gamemode itself, not by you. See [Gamemode vs Operator Config](/docs/sbox/gamemode-vs-operator-config) for the full split. **No `addons/` folder.** GMod's "drop a folder full of Lua/GMA files in and restart" model doesn't exist. s\&box loads exactly one game package at a time (the one you set with `+game`), and that package brings everything with it. If you used to layer DarkRP + a bunch of weapon addons + a custom map pack, in s\&box that would be one package authored by someone, with all those features built in. **No Workshop.** sbox.game replaces it. There's no separate "subscribe to addons" UI — players who join your server stream the game package from sbox.game's cloud automatically. **No RCON.** There's no documented RCON protocol for s\&box at time of writing. If you used RCON for remote admin, the panel's **Web Console** is the closest equivalent — it's a live in-browser console while the server is running. Programmatic remote admin doesn't exist yet. **No giant ConVar list.** GMod exposes thousands of ConVars; s\&box exposes very few engine-level ones, and gamemodes define their own narrow set. Don't expect a `cl_updaterate` or `sv_friction` to tweak. The engine's `NetworkingSettings.UpdateRate` (the rough equivalent of tickrate) is set by the gamemode, not by you. **No legacy Source map formats.** GMod loaded BSPs from CSS, HL2, etc. directly. s\&box maps are sbox.game packages and don't accept arbitrary BSPs from old games — though Facepunch has been adding mount paths for some Source content. If you were planning a "let's import our CSS map collection" weekend, check the gamemode's docs for what it accepts. Translating a typical GMod launch line [#translating-a-typical-gmod-launch-line] Old GMod-style: ``` srcds.exe -console -game garrysmod +map gm_flatgrass +maxplayers 16 +gamemode sandbox +host_workshop_collection 12345 +hostname "My GMod Server" ``` s\&box equivalent: ``` sbox-server.exe +game facepunch.sandbox garry.flatgrass +hostname "My s&box Server" ``` What you lose: `+maxplayers` (gamemode-controlled now), workshop collection (single package only), `srcds` flags. What you gain: a dramatically smaller config surface to maintain. What about my GMod admins file? [#what-about-my-gmod-admins-file] Pull the SteamID64s out of your `users.txt` / ULX config and drop them into `users/config.json` with whatever claims your s\&box gamemode recognises. Defaults are `kick`, `ban`, `restart`. If the gamemode supports custom claims (`economy.refund`, `world.edit`, etc.), check its docs. See [User Permissions](/docs/sbox/user-permissions). Should I move my community over yet? [#should-i-move-my-community-over-yet] s\&box is in active development. The dedicated server is real and runs, but the platform is still pre-release in places — `+net_game_server_token` only fully works at release, the gamemode ecosystem is much smaller than GMod's, and tooling like RCON/admin dashboards doesn't exist yet. Most operators are running s\&box servers for testing and friend groups, with their main GMod server still up. Plan accordingly. Related Guides [#related-guides] * [Install the Server](/docs/sbox/install-server) * [Launch Parameters](/docs/sbox/launch-parameters) * [User Permissions](/docs/sbox/user-permissions) * [Server Token](/docs/sbox/server-token) * [Gamemode vs Operator Config](/docs/sbox/gamemode-vs-operator-config) * [Finding Game Packages](/docs/sbox/finding-game-packages)