Over the past few months, I've been dedicating myself to both managing a simple server on Linux and making some mods. For now, this guide will be server-only.
Below is a script that I use to start my server, where I define a folder where all my mods will be (/md) and the server is restarted every 6 hours.
- File: start_server.sh
#!/bin/bash
# ===== CONFIGURATION =====
PROTON_DIR="$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Proton 9.0 (Beta)"
PROTON_RUN="$PROTON_DIR/proton"
SERVER_DIR="$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/DayZServer"
SERVER_EXE="DayZServer_x64.exe"
SCRIPT_DIR="$SERVER_DIR/script_server_linux"
MOD_ID_FILE="mod_ids.txt"
SERVER_MODS='-serverMod=servermod'
SERVER_PORT='-port=2302'
SERVER_CPU='-cpuCount=2'
SERVER_OTHERS='-dologs -adminlog -netlog -freezecheck'
CONFIG="-config=serverDZ.cfg"
PROFILES="-profiles=profiles"
# ===== PREPARE MOD LIST =====
MODS_SUBDIR="mods/"
if [ ! -f "$SCRIPT_DIR/$MOD_ID_FILE" ]; then
echo "❌ File mod_ids.txt not found!"
exit 1
fi
MODS_ID=$(<"$SCRIPT_DIR/$MOD_ID_FILE")
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID//\"/}" # Remove quotes
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID// /}" # Remove spaces
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID//$'\n'/}" # Remove newlines
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID//$'\t'/}" # (Optional) Remove tabs
MODS_PARAM_TEMP=""
IFS=';' read -ra IDS <<< "$MODS_ID"
for id in "${IDS[@]}"; do
MODS_PARAM_TEMP+="${MODS_SUBDIR}${id};"
done
if [[ -z "$MODS_PARAM_TEMP" ]]; then
echo "⚠️ No mod was loaded, check the mod_ids.txt file"
exit 1
fi
# ===== Remove last semicolon =====
MODS_PARAM_TEMP="${MODS_PARAM_TEMP::-1}"
MODS="-mod=${MODS_PARAM_TEMP}"
echo "✅ All mods have been formatted."
# ===== PREFIX AND REQUIRED VARIABLES =====
STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH="$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata"
STEAM_COMPAT_CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH="$HOME/.steam/steam"
export STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH
export STEAM_COMPAT_CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH
# ===== CLEANUP LOGS =====
echo "🧹 Deleting .RPT, .log and .mdmp files in: $SERVER_DIR/profiles"
rm -f "$SERVER_DIR"/profiles/*.RPT "$SERVER_DIR"/profiles/*.ADM "$SERVER_DIR"/profiles/*.log "$SERVER_DIR"/profiles/*.mdmp
echo "✅ Cleanup completed."
# ===== EXECUTION =====
cd "$SERVER_DIR" || { echo "❌ Could not enter server directory."; exit 1; }
echo "🚀 Starting DayZ server with Proton..."
"$PROTON_RUN" run "./$SERVER_EXE" $CONFIG $PROFILES "$MODS" "$SERVER_MODS" "$SERVER_PORT" "$SERVER_CPU" "$SERVER_OTHERS" &
SERVER_LAUNCH_PID=$!
if ! kill -0 "$SERVER_LAUNCH_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
echo "❌ Failed to start server with Proton."
exit 1
fi
# Wait a bit for the process to start
sleep 5
# Capture all real process PIDs (children of Proton)
SERVER_PIDS=$(pgrep -u "$USER" -f "$SERVER_EXE")
# Check if PID was successfully captured
if [[ -n "$SERVER_PIDS" ]]; then
echo "✅ Server started with PIDs: $SERVER_PIDS"
else
echo "❌ Could not capture the server PID."
fi
# ===== TIME UNTIL NEXT RESTART =====
# Get current hour and minute
nowHour=$((10#$(date +%H)))
nowMin=$((10#$(date +%M)))
echo "Current time: $nowHour:$nowMin"
# Convert current time to minutes since midnight
totalNowMins=$((nowHour * 60 + nowMin))
echo "Minutes since midnight: $totalNowMins"
# Restart interval (every 6 hours = 360 minutes)
interval=360
# Calculate next restart time in minutes since midnight
nextRestart=$(( (totalNowMins / interval + 1) * interval ))
# Adjust for end of day (1440 minutes)
if [ "$nextRestart" -ge 1440 ]; then
nextRestart=1440
echo "Adjusting to midnight restart: $nextRestart"
fi
# Calculate remaining minutes until next restart
waitMins=$((nextRestart - totalNowMins))
echo "Remaining minutes: $waitMins"
# Convert to seconds
waitSecs=$((waitMins * 60))
echo "Next restart in $waitMins minutes ($waitSecs seconds)."
# Wait until next restart
sleep "$waitSecs"
# Shutdown processes (adjust based on real process name)
echo "Shutting down server..."
if [[ -n "$SERVER_PIDS" ]]; then
echo "🛑 Shutting down the following PIDs: $SERVER_PIDS"
kill $SERVER_PIDS
sleep 2
for pid in $SERVER_PIDS; do
if ps -p "$pid" > /dev/null; then
kill -9 "$pid"
fi
done
else
echo "⚠️ No server process found to terminate."
fi
echo "$(date +%T) Server restarting..."
# Wait 10 seconds before restarting
sleep 10
# ===== Restart =====
exec "$SCRIPT_DIR/start_server.sh"
Below is a shortcut to run the server start script. This shortcut can be placed on the desktop and then executed with just two clicks. Note: You'll need to update your .desktop file to match the path to the start_server.sh script.
- File: start_server.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Start Server
Comment=Executar script .sh
Exec=gnome-terminal -- bash -c "~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/DayZServer/script_server_linux/start_server.sh; exec bash"
Icon=utilities-terminal
Terminal=true
Type=Application
I also created a script to check from time to time if there has been an update to any mod, and if so, I will be notified on my server's discord channel.
- File: mod_update_checker.sh
#!/bin/bash
# ===== CONFIGURATION =====
SERVER_DIR="$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/DayZServer"
SCRIPT_DIR="$SERVER_DIR/script_server_linux"
MOD_ID_FILE="mod_ids.txt"
MODS_ID=$(<"$SCRIPT_DIR/$MOD_ID_FILE")
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID//\"/}" # Remove quotes
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID// /}" # Remove spaces
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID//$'\n'/}" # Remove line breaks
MODS_ID="${MODS_ID//$'\t'/}" # (Optional) Remove tabs
IFS=';' read -ra IDS <<< "$MODS_ID"
WEBHOOK_URL="" # add your discord webhook URL here
CACHE_FILE="$HOME/.cache/dayz_mods_update_check"
mkdir -p "$(dirname "$CACHE_FILE")"
touch "$CACHE_FILE"
echo "🚀 Starting continuous check for Steam Workshop mod updates..."
echo "⏱️ Interval: every 10 minutes"
echo "📅 Start: $(date)"
echo "------------------------------------------"
while true; do
echo "🔄 Checking for updates... ($(date))"
for id in "${IDS[@]}"; do
[[ -z "$id" ]] && continue # skip empty entries (like the last one)
MOD_URL="https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=$id"
HTML=$(curl -s "$MOD_URL")
# Extract mod name
MOD_NAME=$(echo "$HTML" | grep -oP '<div class="workshopItemTitle">.*?</div>' | sed -e 's/<[^>]*>//g' | xargs)
# Extract last updated date
UPDATED_DATE=$(echo "$HTML" | grep -oP '<div class="detailsStatRight">.*?</div>' | sed -e 's/<[^>]*>//g' | sed -n '3p' | xargs)
# Convert date to Unix timestamp
if [[ -n "$UPDATED_DATE" ]]; then
UPDATED_DATE_EN=$(echo "$UPDATED_DATE" | sed -e 's/jan\./Jan/' -e 's/fev\./Feb/' -e 's/mar\./Mar/' -e 's/abr\./Apr/' \
-e 's/mai\./May/' -e 's/jun\./Jun/' -e 's/jul\./Jul/' -e 's/ago\./Aug/' \
-e 's/set\./Sep/' -e 's/out\./Oct/' -e 's/nov\./Nov/' -e 's/dez\./Dec/')
# Remove commas and "@"
UPDATED_DATE_CLEAN=$(echo "$UPDATED_DATE" | sed -E 's/,//g; s/@//g' | xargs)
# If the year is already present
if [[ "$UPDATED_DATE_CLEAN" =~ [0-9]{4} ]]; then
DATE_TO_PARSE="$UPDATED_DATE_CLEAN"
else
CURRENT_YEAR=$(date +%Y)
# Move time to the end: e.g. "28 Feb 8:02am" -> "28 Feb 2025 8:02am"
DATE_TO_PARSE=$(echo "$UPDATED_DATE_CLEAN $CURRENT_YEAR" | awk '{print $1, $2, $4, $3}')
fi
# Convert to timestamp
MOD_TIMESTAMP=$(date -d "$DATE_TO_PARSE" +%s 2>/dev/null)
else
MOD_TIMESTAMP=0
fi
# Check if conversion was successful
if [[ -z "$MOD_TIMESTAMP" ]]; then
echo "⚠️ [$id] $MOD_NAME — Failed to convert date: '$UPDATED_DATE' (processed: '$DATE_TO_PARSE')"
fi
# Load saved timestamp
LAST_TIMESTAMP=$(grep "^$id:" "$CACHE_FILE" | cut -d: -f2)
# Update check
if [[ -z "$LAST_TIMESTAMP" ]]; then
echo "📌 [$id] $MOD_NAME — First check, updated on: $UPDATED_DATE"
if [[ "$MOD_TIMESTAMP" -gt 0 ]]; then
echo "$id:$MOD_TIMESTAMP" >> "$CACHE_FILE"
fi
elif [[ "$MOD_TIMESTAMP" -gt "$LAST_TIMESTAMP" ]]; then
echo "✅ [$id] $MOD_NAME — HAS BEEN UPDATED! New date: $UPDATED_DATE"
sed -i "s/^$id:.*/$id:$MOD_TIMESTAMP/" "$CACHE_FILE"
# Send Discord notification
curl -s -X POST "$WEBHOOK_URL" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d @- <<EOF
{
"username": "DayZ Mod Watcher",
"content": "🧩 **Mod updated!**\n📌 Name: **$MOD_NAME**\n🆔 ID: \`$id\`\n📅 Updated on: $UPDATED_DATE\n🔗 $MOD_URL\n@everyone"
}
EOF
else
echo "⏸️ [$id] $MOD_NAME — No changes since: $UPDATED_DATE"
fi
sleep 2 # Delay between requests
done
echo "🕔 Waiting 10 minutes until next check..."
echo "------------------------------------------"
sleep 600
done
I've also created a shortcut to run the update checker script. This shortcut can be placed on your desktop and run with just two clicks. Note: You'll need to update your .desktop file to match the path to the mod_update_checker.sh script.
- File: checker_update.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Update Checker
Comment=Executar script .sh
Exec=gnome-terminal -- bash -c "~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/DayZServer/script_server_linux/mod_update_checker.sh; exec bash"
Icon=utilities-terminal
Terminal=true
Type=Application
To simplify the project, all mods are in one folder, rather than at the project root. Similarly, to keep track of which mods are active and which ones I need to load and verify, I created a mod_ids.txt file to centralize its usage for all scripts in use.
3484013890;
2646817942;
2030913708;
2143128974;
1870524790;
1710977250;
1827241477;
3325269593;
1559212036;
1646187754;
3094539419;
2545327648;
2276010135;
2792982069;
2291785308;
3427626164;
2828486817;
1828439124;
1797720064
I wrote a python script for a discord bot, which aims to monitor the server status, as well as the number of players online, and this information is displayed in the bot's status.
import discord
import asyncio
import a2s
TOKEN = ""
SERVER_ADDRESS = ("177.xxx.xxx.234", 27016)
intents = discord.Intents.default()
client = discord.Client(intents=intents)
async def update_status():
while True:
try:
info = a2s.info(SERVER_ADDRESS, timeout=3.0)
online_players = info.player_count
max_capacity = info.max_players
server_name = info.server_name
status_msg = f"✅ {online_players}/{max_capacity} - {server_name[:40]}"
await client.change_presence(activity=discord.Game(name=status_msg))
except Exception as e:
print(f"Error fetching server info: {e}")
await client.change_presence(activity=discord.Game(name="❌ Server offline"))
await asyncio.sleep(60)
@client.event
async def on_ready():
print(f'Bot connected as {client.user}')
client.loop.create_task(update_status())
client.run(TOKEN)
- prerequisite for the script:
- pip install -U discord.py
- pip install python-a2s
- python3 bot.py
