How to Troubleshoot Common Problems on Your The Bus Server

If your server does not show up in the server list, players cannot join or the server no longer starts after an update, the cause is usually one of a few typical problems. This guide shows you the most common problems, their cause and the matching solution.

Important

Create a backup before every change to your server. This way you can always return to the last working state.

Check the log first

Almost every problem leaves traces in the server output. The console in the dashboard shows the content of the log file /TheBus/Saved/Logs/TheBus.log live – including all warnings and errors. The last lines before a crash are usually the important ones.

Note

On our servers, the console only shows the server output and does not accept commands. As Owner or Admin, you enter commands in the in-game chat.

To download the full log:

1. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

2. Download the log
   Open the /TheBus/Saved/Logs/ folder and download the TheBus.log file.

Tip

When you create a support ticket, include the matching error message from the console or the log right away – this way the team can help you much faster.

Server does not appear in the server list

Symptom: Your server is running, but you cannot find it in the public server list in the game.

Cause: If the Serverliste (server list) field in the settings is set to 0, your server is hidden from the public server list.

Solution:

1. Open the dashboard
   Open the dashboard of your server.

2. Open the settings
   Navigate to Settings.

3. Enable the server list
   Set the Serverliste field to 1.

4. Restart the server
   Save the setting and restart your server.

Tip

Regardless of the server list, your players can always join directly. Since Early Access Update 3.0, servers can be found via their ID instead of the IP address: on startup, the console shows the message Server can be reached with the GUID with the GUID of your server. How to join with it is shown in Join Server.

Players cannot join

Symptom: Your server is visible in the list or reachable via GUID, but players cannot join it.

Cause: Typical reasons are:

• Different versions: After an update, the server and the game run different versions.
• Server password set: If a password is entered in the Server Passwort (server password) field in the settings, players have to enter it when joining.
• Missing DLC: If your server runs a DLC map such as Hamburg (Hamburg City DLC) or a DLC is required for joining, all players need to own this DLC.
• Console instead of PC: The Bus multiplayer is only available on PC. Players on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S cannot join a server.

Solution:

1. Open the dashboard
   Open the dashboard of your server.

2. Open the settings
   Navigate to Settings.

3. Check Auto Update
   Check whether the Auto Update field is set to 1. Only then is your server updated automatically on every start.

4. Check the password
   Check the Server Passwort field. Share the password with your players or leave the field empty if your server should be reachable without a password.

5. Restart the server
   Save the setting and restart your server so that it is brought to the current version.

6. Update the game
   All players also have to bring their game to the current version in Steam.

7. Check DLCs
   Check which DLCs are active or required on your server, see Activate DLC and Add DLC Map.

Note

Mods that are installed on the server and are also needed on the player side must be installed by all players as well. More on this in Add Mods.

Server crashes or does not start after an update

Symptom: Your server crashes shortly after starting or no longer starts after an update.

Cause: Common triggers are:

• Mods that do not match the version: The Bus marks mods built with a different minor game version as "potentially incompatible". After an update, such mods can cause problems.
• Error in ServerSettings.cfg: The /TheBus/Settings/ServerSettings.cfg file is in JSON format. A single missing or extra comma can prevent the settings from being read correctly.

Solution:

1. Check the log
   Read the last lines before the crash in the console or the log. They often tell you which file or which mod causes the error.

2. Check the last changed file
   If you edited ServerSettings.cfg shortly before the problem, check its content with a JSON formatter such as JSONLint. If in doubt, undo your change.

Test without mods

If you cannot find the cause, start your server without mods as a test. If it then runs stably, the problem lies with a mod.

1. Stop the server
   Stop your server via the dashboard.

2. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

3. Move the mods out
   Create a folder in the main directory of your server, e.g. mods-test, and move the content of the /TheBus/Mods/ folder into it.

   Warning

   Do not delete the mods, only move them. This way you can put them back after the test.

4. Start the server
   Start your server via the dashboard and watch the console.

5. Put the mods back one by one
   If the server runs stably, stop it, put one mod back into /TheBus/Mods/ and start the server again. Repeat this for each mod until you find the mod that causes the crash.

Tip

Check in the Steam Workshop whether there is an updated version of the affected mod for the current game version.

Server does not run smoothly

Symptom: Your server stutters, or buses and traffic do not move smoothly.

Cause: The more traffic is on the map, the more the server has to calculate – a lower traffic density can help.

Solution:

1. Check the performance
   As Owner or Admin, enter the following command in the in-game chat:

   /tickrate

   The server then writes its tickrate to the log every 10 seconds. You can see the values live in the console of the dashboard.

2. Lower the traffic density
   Lower the traffic density on your server, see Change Traffic.

3. Remove uncontrolled buses
   If there are many unused buses on the map, remove all buses that are currently not controlled by a player with /clearBusses. More on this in Spawn Bus.

Settings are reset after a restart

Symptom: You changed the server name, passwords, max players or the visibility in the server list in the game or directly in ServerSettings.cfg, but after a restart the old values are back.

Cause: On every start, the dashboard writes the values from Settings into the /TheBus/Settings/ServerSettings.cfg file. The keys serverName, serverPassword, adminPassword, listServerAsPublic and maxPlayerCount are overwritten in the process.

Solution:

1. Open the dashboard
   Open the dashboard of your server.

2. Open the settings
   Navigate to Settings.

3. Change the values
   Change the values in the Server Name, Server Passwort, Admin Passwort, Maximale Spieler or Serverliste fields.

4. Restart the server
   Save the setting and restart your server.

Note

The dashboard does not overwrite any other entries of ServerSettings.cfg. More on this in Configure Server.

GUID does not work

Symptom: Players cannot reach your server via the GUID shown in the console.

Cause: In versions before version 1.1 (June 2026), a wrong server GUID was shown on first start. If your server still runs an older version, e.g. because Auto Update is set to 0, this bug can occur.

Solution:

1. Open the dashboard
   Open the dashboard of your server.

2. Open the settings
   Navigate to Settings.

3. Enable Auto Update
   Set the Auto Update field to 1 so that your server is brought to the current version.

4. Restart the server
   Save the setting and restart your server.

5. Read the GUID again
   Read the GUID from the Server can be reached with the GUID message in the console again and use it to join, see Join Server.