Admin FAQ

This page is designed to help admin and staff perform routine server tasks. Take note if you are a regular user that you will not have access to any of these commands or debug mode while on our server!

## Commands

Below is a list of commands admins might use regularly. If you're using the in-game chat console, add a forward slash before the command i.e. `/stoprain` . Omit the slash for the PZ Web Console.

## PZ Game Panel

The PZ Game Panel is a way for us to remotely manage server operation. Use the link in our #mod\_faqs channel on Discord to sign in! The first screen you'll see is below. Click "Server Management" then "Game Servers".

   Once you've done that, the main panel appears!

### Restarting the Server

Sometimes you may need to restart the server for one reason or another. Whether it's due to greater than normal lag/desync, or you've made an update to the modpack which requires a restart to apply. Follow these steps:

* On the next screen, choose "Restart with Messages" and confirm.
* The server will give players two warnings - one at 10 minutes, the next at 5 - before rebooting. The process takes about 15-20min total, from beginning the graceful restart to the server coming back online.
* **In Case of Emergency:** If the server needs a restart urgently (no one can sign in, crash, etc), just click Restart instead of More and give it 5 minutes to reboot. Make sure you jump over to the Web Console after clicking Restart to watch for any errors if you're having issues keeping the server online.

## Whitelist and Ban Procedures

New players accepting Discord invites will automatically land in the #staging channel. Wait for them to page @staff before reaching out.

### Whitelisting New Users

#### On Discord

* Use this command in the `#whitelisting` channel: `?whitelist username`
* Double check that the user's role was changed to `survivor` and that they were removed from `new survivor`.

#### In-Game

1. **Request a username** via DM they'll use in-game.
2. **Generate a 12 character password** here and provide it to them.
3. **Login to the control panel** at the link given in #mod\_faqs.
4. Click "Web Console" in the navigation pane.
5. Enter the command: `adduser username password`.
6. **Let the user know they've been whitelisted and prompt them to change password** using `/changepwd oldpassword newpassword` in-game.

### Banning Rulebreakers

#### On Discord

* Use `?ban username` or right-click their name in the members list and select "Ban User"

#### In-Game

1. **Immediately stop activity** by using `/ban username` in the chat window
2. **Find the player's Steam ID** in the Database window of the admin panel
3. Use `/banid steamID` in the chat window to **completely ban their Steam account** from connecting again

## Debugging and Solving In-Game Issues

Sometimes players will have issues in-game that require an admin/mod to solve. Using debug mode and admin menus are invaluable for these tasks.

### Finding Log Files

When you see a script error in the bottom right (red text in a little box), you can find out its contents by browsing to your Zomboid Logs folder.

* **Default Windows location:** `C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Zomboid\Logs`

The debug logs containing script errors will have filenames ending in `DebugLog`, where the leading sets of digits represent the date and 24 hour time. Open the file in a text editor such as Notepad and copy/paste the contents to pastebin and share the link.

#### Joining the Server in Debug Mode

The process for entering debug mode on our server is almost identical to the SP process:

* Open your Steam Library and right-click on Project Zomboid in the list. Select "Properties."
* Make sure you're on the "General" tab and enter `-debug` as a launch option.
* On the main menu, press "F11" and UNCHECK "Break On Error. Otherwise your game *will* crash.
* Join the server on an admin account. Regular users will be refused connection if their game is in debug mode.