Start, stop, restart
Launch model
Section titled “Launch model”YARK starts {installDir}/ShooterGame/Binaries/Win64/ArkAscendedServer.exe directly (no .cmd / cmd /c wrapper).
CLI vs INI
Section titled “CLI vs INI”| Concern | Where it lives |
|---|---|
| Map + session name | CLI map URL (token?SessionName=…) |
| Game port | CLI -port= and INI SessionSettings.Port |
| Platform | CLI -ServerPlatform=ALL (unless you set it in extra args) |
| Enabled mods | CLI -mods=id1,id2,… (includes CurseForge map packs) |
| Cluster trio | CLI when both cluster ID and directory are set |
| RCON enable/port | INI only |
| Admin / server password | INI only |
| Query port | INI only |
Example logical command lines:
"TheIsland_WP"?SessionName="MyServer" -port=7777 -ServerPlatform=ALL -mods=123,456"Svartalfheim_WP"?SessionName="MyMap" -port=7777 -ServerPlatform=ALL -mods=962796Custom / modded maps use the same shape: author launch token in the map URL, and the map pack
Project ID on -mods=. YARK does not write ASE ActiveMapMod or obsolete -MapModID=.
See Mods → Maps / custom worlds.
Launch tab
Section titled “Launch tab”The workspace Launch tab is where you edit curated ASA command-line options, Extra arguments, and preview the full command line before Start. Prefer structured toggles for common flags; keep one-off tokens in Extra arguments. A browseable catalog (wiki-sourced metadata) is available from that tab when you need examples.
Map identity checks
Section titled “Map identity checks”Before Start, YARK blocks when a custom map’s linked map mod is missing from the mods list, disabled, or unset. The Launch tab shows a yellow alert for the same cases so you can fix Map / Mods before attempting a boot. Official maps do not use that link.
Ready = RCON, not just a process
Section titled “Ready = RCON, not just a process”After spawn, status stays starting until RCON ListPlayers succeeds on 127.0.0.1 (poll ~3s, timeout up to 10 minutes). Timeout → error and the process is terminated.
Actions
Section titled “Actions”- Check ports against other active servers
- Sync profile networking/passwords into INI
- Spawn the dedicated exe
- Wait for RCON readiness → running
- RCON
SaveWorld+ short wait - RCON
DoExit(force-kill fallback) - Best-effort pre_stop backup (world + players + INI) unless the caller skipped backups
Stop is single-flight; other ops wait or reject while the stop backup runs.
One backend operation under a single lock:
stop (no nested pre_stop) → fail-hard pre_restart backup → start.
If the backup fails, the server stays stopped and start is not called.
Immediate terminate for stuck processes. Confirmed in the UI. Prefer normal stop when possible.
Runtime logs vs native console
Section titled “Runtime logs vs native console”| Mode | What you get |
|---|---|
| Piped (default) | YARK captures process output and tails ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/ShooterGame.log into Runtime |
| Native console on | Separate console window; Runtime is mostly system messages |
Piped mode also appends -log when missing so Unreal is more likely to write disk logs.
Auto-start with YARK
Section titled “Auto-start with YARK”On each server’s Server tab (Startup), you can opt in to Auto-start with YARK (default off). After leave-running reattach finishes, eligible stopped servers start one after another through the normal start path. Inactive profiles, servers already running, and uncertain reattach cases are skipped (with audit events). Settings shows a summary of opted-in profiles. This is separate from Start with Windows.
Move installation
Section titled “Move installation”When a server is stopped and idle, Move installation relocates the install folder: same-drive rename in place, or cross-drive copy with live progress, then verifies, updates the profile path, and removes the previous folder. The install path is read-only in normal server editing — use Move instead of typing a new path.
Common pitfalls
Section titled “Common pitfalls”- Treating “process started” as ready — wait for RCON
- Port clash with another profile
- Expecting rich Runtime logs with native console enabled
- Assuming restart skips backups — it takes a fail-hard
pre_restartsnapshot - Expecting Auto-start to run while the profile is Inactive or still reattaching
- Custom map token without the map pack enabled on Mods (or Map still on an official world)