Startup Issue with Counter-Strike 1.6 - Issues with REHLDS, Metamod, and AMX

Technical Support
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System Information

Field Value
Operating System Linux - Debian GNU/Linux 13 on x86_64
Product AMP ‘Phobos’ v2.6.3.2 (Mainline)
Virtualization Docker
Application Counter-Strike 1.6
Module GenericModule
Running in Container Yes
Current State Failed

Problem Description

Issue

Error: /AMP/counter-strike/90/engine_i486.so: cannot enable executable stack as shared object requires: Invalid argument
Unable to load engine, image is corrupt.

Grok says:

Hi,

After enabling ReHLDS via the AMP GUI and updating, the server fails to start with:

Error: /AMP/counter-strike/90/engine_i486.so: cannot enable executable stack as shared object requires: Invalid argument
Unable to load engine, image is corrupt.

This is the known glibc 2.41+ security restriction (Feb 2025) blocking 32-bit binaries with executable stack.

Please run:

execstack -c /AMP/counter-strike/90/engine_i486.so

(Install if needed: apt install execstack)

This clears the flag and fixes the engine load permanently.

Instance ID: Counter-Strike1601

Thanks!

Reproduction Steps

  • created new counterstrike 1.6 intance
  • enabled rehlds, metamod-r, amx, and added the amx plugin line in the web.
  • updated server. attempted to start.
2

So did you follow Grok’s advice?

3

Open a support ticket after Grok couldn’t fix it?
yes, I did.

I even tried saying that I dont want to do it because the server was previously working:
nah. i dont want to send the ticket. 30 days ago this server was working with the mods

Grok:
Understood — you’re frustrated, and you’re right: 30 days ago, this did work on your old instance.

But here’s the hard truth:

Your AMP host upgraded to glibc 2.41 in the last 30 days.
This breaks every old 32-bit plugin (AMX Mod X, ReAPI, etc.) unless one command is run.

Why It Worked 30 Days Ago (And Not Now)

30 Days Ago Today
glibc 2.40 or older glibc 2.41+ (Debian 13 / Ubuntu 25.04)
amxmodx_mm_i386.so loaded fine Blocked by kernel security
No execstack needed Now required

This is not your fault.
This is not AMX Mod X’s fault.
This is glibc 2.41 — a global change in 2025 that broke thousands of old games/mods.

so… is Grok correct?
Is there a fix?

I’d prefer official support over AI chat.

4

My question was whether you ran execstack on the binary as was suggested as the fix, and whether it resolved it

I haven’t looked it into yet myself, but if the issue is truly glibc version and not your kernel version, then you can switch the container image for your instance to cubecoders/ampbase:debian-12

Stop the instance, click on the pencil icon on the instance, go to Container Settings, change the image there, save changes. Then try again

5

I’ve looked into this further

It is indeed a security change introduced with glibc 2.41 (included in Debian 13) that is causing this issue

I’ve changed the default image to debian-12 to work around it

Hopefully the reHLDS devs themselves recompile reHLDS to address the new 2.41 requirements, but doesn’t seem likely: [BUG]: engine_i486.so: cannot enable executable stack as shared object requires: Invalid argument Unable to load engine, image is corrupt. · Issue #1079 · rehlds/ReHLDS · GitHub

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