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How to Install the Deer Isle Map on a DayZ Server

A complete guide to installing Deer Isle on hosted, Windows, Linux container, and offline DayZ setups—including required mods, mission paths, Expansion.DeerIsle configuration, spawn settings, and fixes for common errors.
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To run Deer Isle on a DayZ server, install the map and its required Workshop dependencies, add the matching DayZ Expansion mission files to mpmissions, set the mission template to Expansion.DeerIsle in serverDZ.cfg, and disable Expansion’s spawn-selection feature unless you have configured Deer Isle spawn coordinates yourself. Restart the server and make sure every client loads the same mod set.

The two parts of a Deer Isle installation

Deer Isle is not enabled by selecting a single map file. A working installation has two separate layers:

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  • Workshop content: the terrain, Expansion components, and utility dependencies that the server and players load.
  • Mission content: the mission folder and template that tell DayZ which terrain and gameplay configuration to start.

A server can have the Deer Isle Workshop item installed and still load Chernarus if its mission template is unchanged. Conversely, a correct template cannot work if the server or connecting players are missing the required Workshop content.

What you need before changing files

  • Administrative access to the DayZ server control panel or its files.
  • Permission to install Steam Workshop items on the server.
  • FTP or file-manager access for uploading mission folders on a hosted server.
  • The current DayZ Expansion mission archive that matches your DayZ branch and map release.
  • A local copy of serverDZ.cfg, so you can restore the previous mission setting if necessary.
  • A client installation that can subscribe to and load the same Workshop dependencies.

Keep the server and clients on the same stable or experimental DayZ branch. The offline workflow documentation specifically distinguishes stable and experimental versions; mixing branches is a common cause of version and mission incompatibility.

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Hosted-server installation with DayZ Expansion

The following procedure matches the common control-panel workflow documented for managed DayZ servers.

1. Add every required Workshop item

Open the host’s Steam Workshop or mod-management panel and add the complete set below. Do not add only the terrain: the Expansion mission expects the related Expansion components and support libraries.

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Workshop item Purpose in this setup
DeerIsle The Deer Isle terrain and map data.
DayZ-Expansion The Expansion mod package used by the mission.
DayZ-Expansion-Licensed Licensed Expansion assets required by the package.
DayZ-Expansion-Core Core Expansion functionality.
DayZ-Expansion-Vehicles Vehicle content referenced by the Expansion setup.
Community-Online-Tools Administrative and utility functions used by the configuration.
CF Community Framework dependency.

Most control panels expose an ordered mod list. Save the list after adding all seven entries, then allow the host to download or update them before editing the mission. The same dependencies must be installed and enabled on clients.

2. Download the matching mission archive

Download the latest DayZ Expansion mission archive from the Expansion project’s published files. Extract it on your computer rather than uploading the compressed archive unless your host explicitly supports remote extraction. The archive contains mission folders; those folders are separate from the Workshop mod downloads.

Choose a mission release that supports the DayZ branch currently selected by the server. If the server is on an experimental branch, use mission files intended for that branch rather than assuming the stable files will work.

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3. Upload the mission folders to mpmissions

  1. Stop the DayZ server so files are not being read while you replace them.
  2. Open the server’s top-level mpmissions directory with FTP or the host file manager.
  3. Upload the extracted mission folders into mpmissions. Preserve each folder name and its internal directory structure.
  4. Confirm that the Deer Isle mission folder is directly beneath mpmissions, not nested inside an extra folder created by the archive extractor.

A typical mistake is uploading missions/Expansion.DeerIsle/... so that the actual folder ends up one directory too deep. The server can only resolve a mission when the path and template name correspond to the directory layout supplied by the archive.

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4. Set the mission template in serverDZ.cfg

Open serverDZ.cfg and find the class Missions section. Set the DayZ template to Expansion.DeerIsle:

class Missions {
    class DayZ {
        template='Expansion.DeerIsle';
    }
}

Some configuration editors require double quotes around the template value. In that case, retain the file’s existing syntax and change only the value to Expansion.DeerIsle. Do not rename the mission folder to a different spelling or add a file extension to the template.

Citadel’s hosted-server instructions express the same change this way: “Where it says Mission: change that to Expansion.DeerIsle – then save the file in the top left.” Save the configuration before starting the server.

5. Boot once, then disable unsupported spawn selection

Expansion’s newer spawn-selection feature is not ready for Deer Isle without extensive manual coordinate configuration. If the server profile tree does not yet exist, start the server once and let it create the profile directories. Stop it again before editing the setting.

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  1. Open profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json.
  2. Find the EnableSpawnSelection setting.
  3. Change its value from 1 to 0.
  4. Save the JSON file without changing its punctuation or surrounding settings.
{
  "EnableSpawnSelection": 0
}

With the feature disabled, players use the spawn behavior supported by the Deer Isle mission instead of being sent to unconfigured or invalid coordinates. If you deliberately build a custom coordinate set later, you can revisit this setting, but the documented installation does not enable it.

6. Restart and verify the result

  1. Start the server after saving both serverDZ.cfg and SpawnSettings.json.
  2. Watch the startup log for a successful mission load rather than a fallback to the previous map.
  3. Connect with a client that has the complete Workshop list enabled.
  4. Confirm that the terrain is Deer Isle, the player receives a valid spawn, and no required-mod prompt appears.

The installation guides document the configuration steps, not a guaranteed frame rate, uptime figure, or formal performance benchmark. Treat a successful map load and a clean client connection as configuration checks, not as a performance test.

Client setup and mod-load order

Every player must subscribe to or otherwise install the same Workshop dependencies used by the server: DeerIsle, the four DayZ Expansion packages listed above, Community-Online-Tools, and CF. A player who has the map but lacks Expansion Core, or who has an older version cached locally, can receive a missing-mod or version-mismatch error before reaching the server.

  • Have the player close DayZ and the launcher before subscribing to missing items.
  • Let Steam finish each download or update.
  • Use the launcher’s mod list to enable the same items the server loads.
  • Remove stale duplicate copies if the launcher reports two versions of one dependency.

Do not troubleshoot a client’s connection by changing the server’s mission template. First establish that the client and server are loading the same Workshop content, then investigate mission or profile settings.

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Linux or container deployment

Self-managed Linux deployments separate the same three concepts—map files, mission path, and template—but express them as container variables. ServerZ’s Deer Isle example uses the following values:

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Variable Example value What it controls
MOD_LIST [1559212036,1602372402] Workshop IDs for CF and Deer Isle in the example.
MAP_URL https://github.com/johnmclane666/Deerisle-Stable.git Repository from which the map and mission files are obtained.
MISSION_PATH /install/223350/maps/Deerisle-Stable/V5.9/empty.deerisle Absolute path to the mission directory inside the downloaded map files.
TEMPLATE empty.deerisle Mission template name that matches the directory at the end of the path.
UDP ports 2304 and 27017 Example network ports opened for the service.

The example identifies V5.9 as the current folder in that repository at the time of its documentation. Map repositories can change their folder names, so inspect the repository before deployment and update MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE together.

ServerZ summarizes the dependency relationship as follows: “To run a community-made map as one of your services, you need three things: the map’s files (via MAP_URL or a workshop ID), a MISSION_PATH pointing at the map’s mission folder inside those files, and a matching TEMPLATE value.” If any one of the three points to a different release or directory, the container can download the map successfully and still fail to start the mission.

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Container deployment checks

  1. Confirm that the repository checkout contains the exact directory named by MISSION_PATH.
  2. Verify that the final directory name and TEMPLATE are identical, including capitalization and punctuation.
  3. Use Workshop IDs that represent the versions your server image supports.
  4. Open the configured UDP ports in the host firewall and cloud security group.
  5. Restart the container after changing any map, mission, or template variable.

Local or offline installation

The offline workflow is different from a hosted server because the mission is placed in the local DayZ installation rather than on a remote mpmissions directory.

  1. Subscribe to DeerIsle in Steam.
  2. Start the DayZ launcher and allow Steam to download the map.
  3. Use the latest stable or experimental game version appropriate to the mission files.
  4. Extract or locate the ExpansionCOM.DeerIsle folder supplied by the offline package.
  5. Place that folder inside the DayZ Missions folder.

This local folder name is not the same as the hosted Expansion template. Do not copy the offline folder name into a hosted server’s serverDZ.cfg unless the particular mission package explicitly documents that template.

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Choosing a deployment method

Method Best fit Advantages Trade-offs
Managed host control panel Administrators who want provider-managed Workshop downloads and file tools. Mod installation, FTP, and restarts are usually exposed in one interface; the Expansion template is straightforward to select. You depend on the host’s panel labels, file permissions, and update timing.
Windows server with FTP Owners comfortable editing serverDZ.cfg and JSON files directly. Full visibility of mpmissions, profiles, and logs. You must manage uploads, backups, version matching, and Workshop updates yourself.
Linux container Operators who already automate services and image deployments. Map URL, mission path, template, and ports can be defined reproducibly. A path or repository-version mismatch prevents startup even when downloads succeed.
Local offline mode Testing or playing without a public hosted service. No remote server administration; mission files live in the local DayZ installation. It is a separate layout and does not validate a hosted server’s mpmissions or profile settings.

Troubleshooting Deer Isle startup problems

The server starts on Chernarus or another map

  • Open serverDZ.cfg and verify that the DayZ template is exactly Expansion.DeerIsle.
  • Check that the mission folder is directly under mpmissions.
  • Confirm that the server restarted after the file was saved.
  • Remove accidental duplicate mission directories created during extraction.

If the template is correct but the map still does not load, inspect the startup log for a missing mission path or a mod-loading error before changing unrelated settings.

Clients report missing mods

Compare the server’s enabled list with the client’s launcher list. The required set is DeerIsle, DayZ-Expansion, DayZ-Expansion-Licensed, DayZ-Expansion-Core, DayZ-Expansion-Vehicles, Community-Online-Tools, and CF. Install and update every item on both sides. A client that joins with only DeerIsle enabled cannot satisfy an Expansion mission’s dependencies.

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Players spawn at bad coordinates or spawn selection throws errors

Stop the server and set EnableSpawnSelection to 0 in profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json. This is the documented workaround for Deer Isle when no custom spawn-coordinate configuration has been created. Check that the edited file belongs to the active profile, then restart.

The profile directory or JSON file does not exist

Start the server once with the required mods enabled so Expansion can create its profile tree. Stop it cleanly, then edit the generated file. Searching for a file before the first successful initialization often leads administrators to edit an unused directory.

A container reports a mission-path error

  • Check that MAP_URL points to the repository or release that actually contains the mission.
  • Check every directory component in MISSION_PATH, including the map version folder.
  • Ensure TEMPLATE matches the final directory name exactly.
  • Make sure the map URL, mission path, and template all refer to one map release rather than mixing versions.

The server or clients report a version mismatch

Align the DayZ branch, map release, Expansion mission archive, and Workshop downloads. The local/offline instructions explicitly support stable and experimental branches; selecting one branch for the server and another for the client is not a valid compatibility test.

Updating Deer Isle without breaking the mission

  1. Record the currently working Workshop versions, mission archive version, template, and spawn setting.
  2. Stop the server and back up serverDZ.cfg, the active mission folder, and profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json.
  3. Update the Workshop items as a complete set rather than updating only DeerIsle.
  4. Download mission files compatible with the updated DayZ and Expansion versions.
  5. Replace the mission folders while preserving the required folder depth under mpmissions.
  6. Recheck Expansion.DeerIsle and the spawn-selection value before restarting.
  7. Test with one client first, then let other players update their Workshop content.

For containers, pin or record the repository revision when reproducibility matters. If a repository changes from one version directory to another, update MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE as a pair instead of changing only one variable.

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Final pre-launch checklist

  • DeerIsle and all six listed dependencies are installed on the server.
  • Clients have the same Workshop items enabled and fully updated.
  • Mission folders are directly under mpmissions.
  • serverDZ.cfg uses Expansion.DeerIsle.
  • profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json has EnableSpawnSelection set to 0 unless custom coordinates are configured.
  • The DayZ branch and mission files match.
  • Container deployments use mutually consistent MAP_URL, MISSION_PATH, and TEMPLATE values.
  • The server has been restarted and tested with a fully updated client.

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