ArmA3: Linux Dedicated Server

Where to begin. How about I try to keep the back story brief this time?

So far I have tried running the ArmA 3 linux dedicated server on:

• Debian 7 VM running on a Sun Fire x4140 server
• Ubuntu 12.04 Server VM running on a Sun Fire x4140 server
• Ubuntu 12.04 Server on a PowerEdge 2850
• Ubuntu 12.04 Server on a custom gaming PC: Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P / Phenom II X4 965 black

None of these have panned out. The first three were abysmal in terms of performance. 10+ minutes - 1+ hour start up time, AI that lags literally seconds behind the player. Generally, these servers would start up and have a rating of 10-15 FPS on the server. On the last system, the map loads very fast -- less than a minute. But depending on the scenario the game is unplayable. If playing Domination GITS edit, it's playable and the server floats around 20+ - 30+ FPS. If playing Insurgency ALiVE, the server pegs at 2FPS and the AI lags seconds behind the players. I don't know what to make of this. It's unlike any other experience I've had with ArmA dedicated servers. Previously, they all "just worked" no matter how shitty my server hardware was. Now it seems even relatively recent vintage hardware is not enough.

The time investment of trying to get this far alone has drained most of my motivation to keep tinkering. I'm hoping that by documenting this I can save myself some trouble in the future if I decide to have a second look.