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How to Install COT and CF Admin Tools on a DayZ Server

Set up CF and COT on Windows, Linux SteamCMD, or a managed DayZ panel: load CF first, create the SteamID permissions file, and enable the matching client mods.
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Install Community Framework (CF) before Community Online Tools (COT), load both in the server’s -mod parameter as -mod=@CF;@Community-Online-Tools, and enable the same Workshop mods on every connecting client. After the first successful launch, stop the server, create a SteamID-named permissions file under PermissionsFramework/Players, assign the admin role, then restart. Press Y in game to open the toolbar; END toggles COT, INSERT opens free camera, and H teleports to the viewed location.

The file locations and command-line controls differ slightly between Windows, Linux SteamCMD, and managed control panels, but the dependency order and permissions model are the same. This guide walks through each hosting type and the failures that most often prevent the menu from appearing.

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What CF and COT do

Community Framework (CF) is the library that other DayZ server mods use for shared systems and interfaces. Community Online Tools (COT) is the graphical administration mod built on that framework. The COT Workshop description calls it “the first set of GUI based admin tools created by the developers of DayZ Community Offline Mode.” In practical terms, COT supplies the in-game administrator toolbar, while CF supplies the dependency layer that lets it run.

Because COT requires CF, DayZ must load CF first. Putting COT first, omitting CF, or using a mismatched client copy can leave the server running while the COT interface fails to initialize. Both mods are client/server DayZ mods: the server needs them in its startup configuration and the player’s DayZ client needs matching Workshop versions enabled before connecting.

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What you need before installing

  • A DayZ server you can start and stop cleanly. You need access to its startup parameters and its profile directory.
  • A Steam account or hosting-panel account that can download or expose Workshop content.
  • Community Framework and Community Online Tools downloaded from the Steam Workshop. The COT listing identifies CF as a required item.
  • Client installations with the same two Workshop mods enabled. A player who joins without them can be rejected for a mod mismatch or connect without the expected tools.
  • The administrator’s Steam identifier. The permissions file is named for this identifier, not for a character name or a server nickname.
  • A way to edit files while the administrator is disconnected. The setup guidance specifically recommends keeping the administrator offline while changing permissions.

Installation workflow at a glance

Phase What you do Where it applies
Download Subscribe to or download CF and COT from Steam Workshop. Windows, Linux SteamCMD, and managed panels
Expose files Place or link the folders commonly named @CF and @Community-Online-Tools where the server can read them. Server host
Load dependencies Add -mod=@CF;@Community-Online-Tools, with CF before COT and no spaces around the semicolon. Server startup
Generate profiles Start once, wait for a complete launch, and stop cleanly. Server profile path
Grant access Create a SteamID-named JSON file in PermissionsFramework/Players and assign the admin role. Server profile directory
Test Restart, connect with both mods, press Y, and test the COT controls. In game

Windows or managed-server installation

1. Download both Workshop mods

Subscribe to Community Framework and Community Online Tools in Steam Workshop, or use the download function supplied by your host. Downloading COT alone is not enough: CF is its required dependency. Allow Steam or the panel to finish downloading before copying or exposing either folder to the server.

The conventional directory names are @CF and @Community-Online-Tools. A panel may preserve those names, copy the folders into the server automatically, or offer a mod selector instead of a file manager. If the panel gives you a custom name, use the actual folder name in the startup parameter rather than blindly typing the conventional one.

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2. Put the folders where the server can read them

For a self-hosted Windows server, place both mod directories in the server root or in the location from which your launcher resolves relative mod paths. A typical layout is:

DayZServer
  DayZServer_x64.exe
  @CF
  @Community-Online-Tools
  profiles

The exact root can differ; what matters is that the paths in -mod= resolve to the folders containing the mod data. In a managed panel, the equivalent operation may be an “Install Workshop mod” button, a mod-ID field, or an automatic synchronization job. Confirm that both entries show as installed rather than merely subscribed on your personal Steam account.

3. Add the startup parameter in dependency order

Append this parameter to the server’s command line:

-mod=@CF;@Community-Online-Tools

Use a semicolon between paths and do not add spaces around it. CF must appear first because COT depends on it. If your launch configuration already contains other mods, keep the same semicolon-separated format and place CF before COT, while preserving the order required by any other dependencies.

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On Windows, add the parameter wherever your launcher stores DayZ server arguments: a shortcut target, batch file, service definition, or host-panel startup field. Do not put the value in a client launch option by mistake; it belongs to the server process. Save the configuration and verify that the final command shown by the panel contains both names in the expected order.

4. Enable matching mods on the client

Before connecting, open the DayZ launcher or your mod-management screen and enable CF and COT for the same server profile. The client copies should be current and compatible with the server copies. If the launcher reports a required mod, let it download that item rather than attempting to join without it.

A server can appear healthy in its console while a client-side mismatch blocks the connection or prevents the toolbar from registering. Have every administrator use the same two Workshop items; do not assume that subscribing on the server automatically changes a player’s client.

5. Launch once to create the framework directories

Start the server and let it complete its normal initialization. The first launch creates the profile-side directories used by the permissions framework. Once the server has finished loading, stop it cleanly before editing files. Abruptly terminating the process can leave an incomplete profile tree and makes it harder to tell whether the framework initialized.

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The profiles location is not necessarily the same directory as the executable. If the startup command contains a -profiles argument, that argument determines where the framework writes its folders. If no explicit argument is present, use the location selected by your launcher or panel and verify it rather than guessing.

6. Create the administrator permissions file

Open the profiles directory and navigate to:

PermissionsFrameworkPlayers

Create a JSON file whose filename is the administrator’s Steam identifier. The identifier is the long numeric SteamID associated with the account. Do not use a display name, character name, or server slot number. The COT setup example assigns the roles everyone and admin; follow that schema exactly when entering the roles in the JSON file supplied by the setup guide.

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Keep the administrator disconnected while creating or changing this file. Save it with a .json extension, check that Windows has not silently appended .txt, and ensure the file is inside PermissionsFramework/Players under the active profiles path. If your host panel exposes a separate “profile directory” setting, use that directory’s PermissionsFramework/Players folder, not a similarly named folder in the server root.

7. Restart and test the controls

Start the server again after saving the permissions file. Connect with CF and COT enabled, then use the following controls:

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Key Function Expected result
Y Open the toolbar The COT toolbar appears in the game interface.
END Toggle COT COT’s administration interface is enabled or hidden.
INSERT Toggle free camera The camera can be detached for inspection.
H Teleport to the viewed location Your character is moved to the position being viewed.

Test with a low-risk action first. If the toolbar opens but administrative actions are missing, the mod is present but the permissions file is not granting the expected role, is in the wrong profile directory, or was edited while the account was still connected.

Linux installation with SteamCMD

Bohemia Interactive’s Linux example uses SteamCMD to install the DayZ server, downloads Workshop item 1559212036 for CF and 1564026768 for COT, and starts the server with -profiles=profiles. The item IDs are useful when a Linux host or script asks for numeric Workshop identifiers instead of names.

Download and expose the Workshop content

Follow the Linux server guide’s SteamCMD workflow to download both item IDs into the server’s Workshop content location. SteamCMD may place the downloaded data in a numbered directory rather than directly in the DayZ server root. Make the folders available to the server using the paths or symlinks shown in Bohemia’s Linux instructions, with the resulting server-visible names @CF and @Community-Online-Tools (or the exact names you reference in the command line).

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Do not change the dependency relationship when adapting the paths. A symlink is only a path convenience; it does not remove the requirement that CF load before COT.

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Start the Linux server

Use the Linux executable and pass the profile directory explicitly. A shell treats an unquoted semicolon as a command separator, so quote or escape the mod value when invoking it. For example:

./DayZServer -profiles=profiles "-mod=@CF;@Community-Online-Tools"

If your folders are elsewhere, replace the mod values with the paths that resolve from the server’s working directory. The important checks are that -profiles=profiles points to the directory you intend to maintain and that CF precedes COT in the semicolon-separated value.

Create Linux permissions

Start the server once, allow the framework to create its profile directories, and stop it. Then create the SteamID-named JSON file at:

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profiles/PermissionsFramework/Players

Assign the everyone and admin roles using the COT setup guide’s JSON structure, keep the administrator offline while editing, and restart the process. The same Y, END, INSERT, and H controls apply after the client connects with both mods.

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Using a managed control panel

A managed host usually automates the file-copy portion but cannot change the underlying dependency model. Look for a Workshop-mod installer, a mod-ID field, or a startup-parameter editor. Install CF and COT through the panel, confirm both are listed as active, and inspect the generated command line for -mod=@CF;@Community-Online-Tools in that order.

Panels differ in how they expose profiles. Some provide a file manager rooted at the profile directory; others have a separate “Configuration,” “Profiles,” or “Server files” area. Locate the directory actually passed by -profiles (or the panel’s equivalent setting), start the server once, stop it, and then create PermissionsFramework/Players below that location. If the panel offers an administrator-permission form, verify that it writes a SteamID-named JSON file and grants admin; otherwise create the file manually.

Ask the host which side is responsible for Workshop updates and key files. A panel may update mod content automatically, while a self-managed installation leaves downloads, folder placement, startup arguments, and file permissions to you. After an automatic update, retest the client’s matching mod versions before bringing administrators online.

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Self-hosted server versus managed panel

Concern Self-hosted Windows or Linux Managed control panel
Startup parameters Full control over batch files, services, shell quoting, -mod, and -profiles. Convenient editor, but the provider may restrict syntax or reorder fields.
Workshop files You download, update, copy, and, on Linux, link the folders yourself. The panel may install or synchronize items automatically.
Permissions path Direct access to the profile tree and JSON file. Depends on the panel’s file manager and its configured profile directory.
Updates and keys You are responsible for keeping server content and any required key files aligned. The provider may handle updates, but you must confirm when they run and what they replace.
Recovery You can inspect every folder and command, but troubleshooting is your responsibility. Less file control, with provider support and one-click restarts as the trade-off.

Choose self-hosting when you need unrestricted access to scripts, symlinks, and profiles. Choose a panel when automatic Workshop handling and a graphical restart workflow matter more than low-level control. In either case, retain a copy of the working startup parameters and permissions file so an update can be checked against a known-good configuration.

Troubleshooting by symptom

COT does not appear at all

  • Open the effective server command line and confirm it contains -mod=@CF;@Community-Online-Tools, with CF first and no spaces around the semicolon.
  • Check that both mod folders exist where those paths resolve. A panel’s installed-mod list is not proof that the server process can read the folders.
  • Enable the same CF and COT Workshop items on the client. A missing or different client version can prevent the tools from loading.
  • On Linux, check shell quoting or escaping around the semicolon; otherwise the shell can interpret the second path as a separate command.

The toolbar opens, but administrator actions are unavailable

  • Confirm the JSON filename is the administrator’s Steam identifier and that it ends in .json.
  • Verify the file is under the active profiles/PermissionsFramework/Players path, not an unused folder beside the executable.
  • Check that the file grants the admin role in the setup guide’s format. The everyone role alone does not provide administrator permissions.
  • Disconnect the administrator, save the file, and restart the server before testing again.

The profile folders never appear

Inspect the actual -profiles argument or the hosting panel’s profile-directory setting. The framework creates its directories beneath that location, which may be outside the server root. Start once and wait for initialization before concluding that the folders were not created.

Linux starts differently from Windows

Use SteamCMD and the Linux paths or symlinks described in Bohemia Interactive’s Linux guide. Keep the same Workshop IDs, dependency order, profile-directory check, and permissions-file procedure. The main command-line difference is shell handling of the semicolon in the -mod value.

Only some players can join

Compare the client’s enabled Workshop list with the server’s active list. Every connecting client needs matching CF and COT versions. Have the affected player update or re-enable both items, then reconnect after the server has finished loading.

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Operational checklist

  1. CF and COT are downloaded from Workshop and visible to the server.
  2. The server root or configured mod location contains, or links to, @CF and @Community-Online-Tools.
  3. The startup parameter is -mod=@CF;@Community-Online-Tools with CF first and no spaces around the semicolon.
  4. Clients have matching Workshop mods enabled before connecting.
  5. The server has completed one launch and clean shutdown.
  6. The active profiles directory contains PermissionsFramework/Players.
  7. The administrator’s SteamID-named JSON file grants the admin role.
  8. The administrator was disconnected during edits and the server was restarted afterward.
  9. Pressing Y opens the toolbar; END, INSERT, and H perform their documented functions.

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