Project Zomboid Server on Vultr VPS Runbook

The instance is currently a basic type running an AMD processor. It has 16 Gb of memory, 80 Gb of disk space (SSD), 4 vCPUs, and is running Ubuntu 22.10. The software powering the server is the PZ dedicated server application that is downloaded directly from Steam. Steam is installed on the box. OpenSSH (Secure Shell) is installed. Firewall rules (UFW) restrict access to the box and only allow certain IP addresses to remotely access the server for either SSH or PZ connection. TMUX is used for terminal multiplexing to facilitate administration of the PZ server config.

The server can be accessed remotely using any lcoal SSH client. A private key is needed to access the server. This will be provided to whoever requires access. To access the server from a Windows instance, do the following:

1. Download the Key file in this repository. Place it somewhere safe on your computer
2. Open up Command Prompt via Win+R and type cmd
3. Type ssh root@whiteforestinfosec.xyz -i <path_to_key_file>
4. Connection to the server is established

Once logged into the VPS, you should be greeted by the Ubuntu Welcome message. You will be logged in as root. In order to access the TMUX session setup for administration of the PZ server, do the following:

1. Type tmux attach -t 0 (alternatively, you can hit the up arrow key two times)
2. You will enter the TMUX session which has two panes open. The pane on the top is for system monitoring, the middle pane is where the configuration files for the Zomboid game are. The pane on the bottom is the active PZ Server console which can be used to save, quit, execute events, or interact with the PZ game world in any number of ways.
3. To switch between these windows, hit CTRL+b simultaenously and use either the up or down arrow key after hitting CTRL+b

To reboot the PZ server, do the following:

1. Enter the PZ Server console
2. Type save
3. Type quit
4. Hit the up arrow key, or type ./start-server.sh -servername two_frank
5. Hit enter
6. The server will initiate the startup sequence
7. Once you see DISCORD DISABLED and/or SERVER STARTED the server startup is complete

Most of the server settings can be found in the two_frank.ini file located at /home/pzuser/Zomboid/Server. You will need to open the file with a text editor and manually edit the values contained within. For a list of server options, see the PZ Wiki. To edit the settings and mods used by the server, do the following:

1. If not already, switch to the middle window pane using CTRL+b and the up/down arrow key
2. Type nano two_frank.ini and hit enter or hit the up arrow key a couple of times
3. You are now in the Nano text editor. Use the arrow keys to navigate. You can edit text like you normally would in Microsoft Word for example. Use CTRL+up or down arrow to navigate faster.
4. For editing mods:
   1. Locate the Mods= line
   2. Append the MOD NAME to the end of the list, with a semi-colon
   3. Locate the WorkshopItems= line
   4. Append the WORKSHOP ID to the end of the list, with a semi-colon
   5. Once complete, hit CTRL+x and hit Y to save changes
   6. Restart the server
5. For Editing any other game settings:
   1. Locate the setting you want to change
   2. Change the value accordingly
   3. Hit CTRL+x and Y to save changes
   4. Restart the server

To exit the server and close your remote session, do the following:

1. Hit CTRL+b and then d to detach from the TMUX session
2. type exit
3. You have closed connection to the server

Digital Ocean uses a loopback address on the network interface. For some reason, this causes a conflict with the PZ server networking setup, preventing players from succesfully establishing connection to the server. I have manually deleted the interface entry from the OS. However, in the event of a VPS restart, the interface will come back online and must be manually deleted again. To delete it, do the following:

1. Type ip a sh to view and confirm presence of loopback (10.10.0.6/16)
2. Type ip a delete 10.10.0.6/16 dev eth0
3. Type ip a sh to confirm deletion