To add mods to a Terraria tModLoader 1.4 dedicated server, install the server on the same tModLoader branch as your players, generate a modpack in the tModLoader client, copy its install.txt and enabled.json files to the server, install the listed Workshop content, and start the server with the matching enabled set. Every player must use the same tModLoader version and enabled mods or the connection can fail.
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What you need before installing anything
A tModLoader server is a separate installation from the ordinary Terraria server. Plan the server and client setup as one coordinated deployment: choose a tModLoader branch, install that branch on the server, then have every player install the same branch and mod set.
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- A dedicated-server installation: Use the official Dedicated Server Utils management scripts, or the documented 1.4-preview installation flow.
- A tModLoader client: You need the client to create the Workshop modpack metadata.
- A consistent branch and version: The server and all clients must be on the same tModLoader branch/version.
- File access: You must be able to copy
install.txt,enabled.json, and any local.tmodfiles into the location used by the server utilities. - World and server settings: For a headless or unattended machine, prepare a
serverconfig.txtfile so startup does not wait for interactive answers.
The commands below use the shell syntax shown in the Linux documentation. On Windows, run the supplied server scripts from the tModLoader installation directory using the equivalent method supported by that release.
Choose the server installation route
Stable Dedicated Server Utils
The stable utilities provide a management script for installing tModLoader, installing mods, and starting the server. For a Steam-based installation, run:
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./manage-tModLoaderServer.sh install-tml --username your_steam_usernameReplace your_steam_username with the Steam account used for the installation. The same utilities document a GitHub-release route:
./manage-tModLoaderServer.sh install-tml --githubThis management-script layout creates a server directory for the tModLoader installation and a Steam Workshop area. Keep track of the directory containing the management script because that is where the modpack metadata is placed for later installation.
1.4-preview installation flow
The 1.4-preview documentation also describes an installation flow using the preview options, including --install and a --mods-only mode for updating or installing mods without repeating the complete server installation. The documented default locations are:
| Source | Default location documented for the 1.4-preview flow |
|---|---|
| GitHub release | ~/tModLoader |
| SteamCMD | ~/Steam/steamapps/common/tModLoader |
Do not mix files from different branches. If the server is installed from the preview flow, clients must select that same preview branch rather than the stable branch.
Create the modpack in the tModLoader client
Use the client to generate the exact Workshop identifiers and enabled list. Steam Workshop does not identify mods by their display names, so manually typing a list of names is unreliable.
- Open tModLoader.
- Open Workshop.
- Select Mod Packs.
- Choose Save Enabled as New Mod Pack. This captures the mods currently enabled in the client.
- Select Open Mod Pack Folder.
- In the opened folder, locate
install.txtandenabled.json.
The generated files are the hand-off between the client and the dedicated server. Keep both files together. If you change the enabled set later, save a new modpack or regenerate the existing metadata before copying it to the server again.
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Know what each modpack file does
| File | Purpose | What happens if it is missing |
|---|---|---|
install.txt |
Lists Workshop content for the server utilities to install. | No Workshop mods are installed by the management-script workflow. |
enabled.json |
Defines which installed mods tModLoader enables at startup. | No mods are enabled. |
.tmod files |
Local mod packages placed alongside the server files or in the documented management-script location. | The local package is unavailable; it also will not load unless included in enabled.json. |
tmlversion.txt |
Records a specific or legacy GitHub tModLoader version for the utilities. | The utilities use their normal version selection instead of that pinned value. |
enabled.json must include every mod you want enabled, including local .tmod files. Installing a package and enabling it are separate operations.
Copy the modpack files to the server
- Stop the dedicated server if it is running.
- Copy
install.txtfrom the client’s Mod Pack folder into the directory expected by the management script. - Copy
enabled.jsoninto that same documented server or script location. - Copy any local
.tmodfiles there as well, following the layout used by your server utility or container deployment. - Check the filenames carefully. They must be exactly
install.txtandenabled.json, not renamed copies such asinstall (1).txt.
In the management-script layout, the utilities use the server directory for the tModLoader installation and a separate Steam Workshop area for downloaded content. Let the utility manage Workshop files rather than copying files into a guessed Workshop path.
Install and enable the mods
Stable utility command
From the directory containing the stable management script, run:
./manage-tModLoaderServer.sh install-modsThe utility reads install.txt, obtains the Workshop items listed there, and prepares them for the server. It then uses enabled.json to determine what tModLoader should activate. If install.txt is absent, the utility installs no Workshop mods. If enabled.json is absent, it enables none.
1.4-preview mods-only flow
The 1.4-preview documentation provides a --mods-only option. Use that mode when the preview installation needs its documented mod-install operation without repeating the full server installation. Follow the option syntax shipped with the preview utility you installed; do not use stable-script arguments interchangeably with preview arguments.
Verify before starting
- Confirm that every intended Workshop item appears in
install.txt. - Confirm that every intended enabled mod appears in
enabled.json. - Confirm that local
.tmodfiles are present and represented inenabled.json. - Keep the server and client modpack generated from the same enabled state.
Start the dedicated server
You can start from the tModLoader installation directory with:
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./start-tModLoaderServer.shAlternatively, use the management script’s start command. Starting through the same management layout used for installation helps ensure that the server sees the Workshop directory, local packages, and modpack metadata in the expected places.
Use a server configuration for unattended startup
An interactive server can ask for world and server settings at launch. For a machine that starts without a terminal session, copy and edit serverconfig.txt, supplying the world and server settings required by your deployment. Launch with the documented server script and configuration so the process does not stop waiting for input.
Keep the configuration file with the deployment files or container configuration you use for the server. A configuration file controls startup prompts; it does not replace install.txt or enabled.json.
Make every player match the server
Players need the same mods because the multiplayer session must load the same modded content and code on both sides. A client with a missing, extra, disabled, or different-version mod is not equivalent to the server’s enabled set.
- Tell players which tModLoader branch and version the server uses.
- Have each player install that same branch/version in the tModLoader client.
- Give players the modpack or otherwise have them obtain the same Workshop items.
- Have them enable the complete matching set before joining.
- When the server’s modpack changes, distribute the updated set and version together rather than changing one side first.
If clients cannot join, compare the branch/version first, then compare the enabled lists. A player can have a mod installed but still fail to match if it is disabled, while a player with an extra enabled mod also has a different set.
Workshop mods versus local .tmod files
Workshop content
Workshop mods should be represented by the generated install.txt. The file contains Workshop metadata rather than relying on the names shown in the client interface. This is why creating a modpack in the client is safer than reconstructing the list manually from display names.
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Local packages
A local mod can be supplied as a .tmod file with the server files. Place it in the location documented for your server utility or Docker deployment and add it to enabled.json. Merely copying the file does not enable it.
Players also need that local mod package and must enable it. Unlike a Workshop download, a local package does not give the server a Workshop item to retrieve automatically.
Docker deployment
The official 1.4 documentation describes Docker as another deployment route. A container deployment needs the documented Terraria folder, server configuration, world files, enabled.json, install.txt, and any local .tmod files. Mount or copy those files according to the container layout you choose, then keep the same branch/version and enabled set used by the clients.
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Mod updates are coordinated changes, not a server-only maintenance task. The stable utilities support a tmlversion.txt file from a modpack or a TMLVERSION environment variable when you need a specific or legacy GitHub version.
- Decide whether the update changes tModLoader, the mod set, or both.
- Update the server installation or version pin.
- Regenerate or verify the client modpack so
install.txtandenabled.jsondescribe the intended set. - Install the updated metadata on the server.
- Have every player update to the same branch/version and enabled set before reconnecting.
- Back up the world and server configuration before starting the changed deployment.
If you need to roll back, restore the previous tModLoader version, modpack metadata, local packages, and world backup as one consistent set. Rolling back only the executable while keeping newer mod metadata can recreate the mismatch you were trying to fix.
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Troubleshooting common failures
No Workshop mods install
- Check that
install.txtexists in the directory actually read by the management script. - Check the spelling and capitalization of the filename.
- Run the installation command from the expected management-script directory.
- Regenerate the modpack in the client if the file was manually edited or copied from an old set.
Mods install but none load
- Confirm that
enabled.jsonexists beside the metadata expected by the server workflow. - Confirm that it lists every mod intended to run.
- For local packages, confirm both that the
.tmodfile is present and that it is included inenabled.json. - Restart the server after changing the enabled list.
Players cannot join
- Compare the exact tModLoader branch and version on the server and each client.
- Compare enabled mods, not merely installed mods.
- Check for an extra client mod or a missing server mod.
- For a recently changed Workshop set, create a fresh modpack and distribute its metadata rather than relying on display names.
The Workshop list is different from what you expected
Workshop uses its own identifiers, not the visible display names as the authoritative identity. Return to the client’s Workshop → Mod Packs screen, choose Save Enabled as New Mod Pack, and copy the newly generated files. This avoids silently selecting a similarly named or outdated item.
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Prepare and edit serverconfig.txt, then launch with the documented server script or management command. Supplying the configuration removes the interactive world and server prompts that cannot be answered on an unattended host.
Self-hosting or managed hosting?
The modpack procedure is the same conceptually, but the operational responsibility differs.
| Decision point | Self-hosted server | Managed service |
|---|---|---|
| Files and versions | You control the installation directories, scripts, metadata, and version pins. | The provider controls or abstracts some file and version operations. |
| Operating system or Docker | You administer the host or container runtime. | The provider supplies the runtime and its supported controls. |
| Updates and backups | You schedule updates and protect worlds and configuration files. | Check exactly what the service backs up and how version changes are performed. |
| Networking | You configure ports, firewall rules, and reachability. | The service may handle network exposure, subject to its own limits. |
| Cost | Uses your existing machine or hosting infrastructure. | Involves the provider’s recurring hosting charge. |
Choose the route that matches your willingness to administer files, versions, networking, updates, and backups. Whichever route you choose, preserve the same server/client version and modpack discipline.
Final pre-launch checklist
- Server branch and version are recorded.
- Every player has selected that same branch and version.
install.txtcame from a freshly saved client modpack.enabled.jsoncame from the same modpack and includes all intended mods.- Local
.tmodfiles are copied and listed inenabled.json. - The correct stable or preview installation command was used.
serverconfig.txtis ready if the server must start unattended.- World and configuration backups exist before the first modded launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install Workshop mods by copying their display names into a text file?
No. Workshop identification is metadata-based, so create the modpack in tModLoader and copy its generated install.txt instead of reconstructing a list from visible names.
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No. Installation and activation are separate. The mod must be present and included in enabled.json.
Do local .tmod files need to be listed in enabled.json?
Yes. Copy the file to the server’s documented mod location and include it in enabled.json.
What should I do when updating only one mod?
Regenerate or verify the modpack metadata, install the changed set on the server, and have every player update to the same enabled list before joining.
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