To install Exile, deploy both sides of the mod: the client @Exile package and the server-only @ExileServer package. You also need a running Arma 3 dedicated server, a MySQL-compatible database containing exile.sql, a correctly matched extDB extension, and an Exile mission PBO whose name matches the server template.
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The safest sequence is to install or update the server with SteamCMD, place the two Exile packages, import the database schema, configure extDB, set the mission and server configuration files, launch with the required -mod and -servermod parameters, and inspect the RPT and extDB logs before inviting players.
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What you need before installing
Prepare the following components before changing any configuration. Keeping them separate makes failures easier to identify.
- An Arma 3 dedicated-server installation updated through SteamCMD. The dedicated-server Steam application ID is
233780. - A Windows or Linux machine with permission to run the server executable, open the game port, and write to the server profile and log directories.
- The Exile client mod, normally installed from the Steam Workshop, and the matching server-side
@ExileServerpackage. - MariaDB or MySQL, with a database and account dedicated to Exile.
- The
exile.sqlschema supplied with your Exile package. - An extDB build whose architecture is compatible with the Arma 3 server executable.
- An Exile mission PBO in the server’s
mpmissionsdirectory. - A BattlEye directory and server configuration files, including
config.cfgandbasic.cfg.
Do not assume a generic Arma 3 server installation is enough. Exile uses persistent database storage, so a server can appear to start while remaining unusable if the database extension has not loaded.
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Install or update the Arma 3 dedicated server
Windows with SteamCMD
Download SteamCMD from Valve, extract it to a location such as C:steamcmd, and create a separate destination for the game server, for example C:arma3server. Run SteamCMD with the dedicated-server application ID:
steamcmd.exe +force_install_dir C:arma3server +login anonymous +app_update 233780 validate +quitWhen the command completes, the destination should contain arma3server_x64.exe and the normal Arma 3 server files. Run the update again whenever you intentionally update the game. Keep the Exile packages and your configuration files outside SteamCMD’s temporary download directory so a later update does not overwrite them.
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Install SteamCMD using your distribution’s supported method, choose a directory such as /opt/arma3, and run:
steamcmd +force_install_dir /opt/arma3 +login anonymous +app_update 233780 validate +quitGive the account that will run the service ownership of the server directory and executable permission for ./arma3server. A typical first launch from that directory is:
./arma3server -port=2302 -world=empty -autoInit 2>&1 | tee profiles/arma3server.logAdd the Exile parameters only after the base executable launches cleanly. This separates a game-server installation problem from an Exile configuration problem.
Install the Exile client and server packages
Client package: @Exile
Install the Exile client mod from the Steam Workshop. The Exile development documentation identifies Workshop item 1487484880. It states: “Downloading @Exile from the Workshop (item 1487484880) does require a real Steam account that owns Arma 3.” The Workshop download belongs on each player’s client and is also commonly copied into the dedicated-server directory so the server can load the mod data.
After installation, verify that the directory is named exactly @Exile, including the at-sign and capitalization. Do not rename it to a map name or merge it into @ExileServer.
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Server package: @ExileServer
Obtain the server package from the same Exile release as the client mod. Place the complete @ExileServer directory beside the Arma 3 executable. It normally contains server configuration files, database-extension files, and the server-side PBOs. The server package is not a substitute for the client Workshop mod: players load @Exile, while the dedicated server starts both @Exile and @ExileServer through different launch parameters.
A simple Windows layout can look like this:
C:arma3serverarma3server_x64.exe
C:arma3server@Exile
C:arma3server@ExileServer
C:arma3servermpmissions
C:arma3serverbattleye
C:arma3serverprofilesOn Linux, use the same relative layout under the directory containing arma3server. Keep one authoritative copy of the server package; duplicate copies are a common source of mismatched PBOs and stale configuration files.
Create the database and import exile.sql
Create a dedicated database account
Run MariaDB or MySQL locally or on a host reachable from the game server. Create a database, for example exile, and a user with permission to create and modify the Exile tables. Restrict the account to the server’s host when your database setup supports host-based grants, and use a unique password rather than a root account.
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The exact SQL syntax varies slightly by MariaDB/MySQL version, but the operation is conceptually:
CREATE DATABASE exile CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'exile'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'use-a-unique-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON exile.* TO 'exile'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;If the database is on another machine, replace localhost with the permitted server address and configure the database service to accept that connection. Do not expose a database port publicly unless your network design requires it and you have restricted access with firewall rules and database grants.
Import the base schema before the first Exile launch
Import the supplied exile.sql file before starting the server for the first time. On Linux, from the directory containing the file:
mysql -u exile -p exile < exile.sqlOn Windows, the same operation can be run from a MariaDB/MySQL client directory:
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mysql.exe -u exile -p exile < C:pathtoexile.sqlEnter the database password when prompted, then confirm that the import created Exile tables. Some Exile packages or add-ons provide additional migration files. Import the base schema first, then apply those migrations in the order documented by that package. Do not repeatedly import the base schema into a live database unless the package explicitly says it is safe; doing so can destroy or conflict with existing data.
Configure extDB3 and avoid architecture mismatches
Use an extension that matches the server executable
The executable architecture and database-extension architecture must be compatible. A 64-bit Arma 3 server paired only with 32-bit extDB2 binaries can fail to load the extension and continue running without a database connection. Use a compatible 64-bit extDB3 build for a 64-bit server, or deliberately run a matching 32-bit stack when your chosen package requires it. Do not mix binaries simply because their filenames look similar.
Check the server executable you intend to launch, the extDB DLL or shared-library files supplied with @ExileServer, and any architecture note included with that extDB release. Remove obsolete extension copies from the active extension directory so the server cannot load an unintended version.
Set the database connection values
Open the extdb-conf.ini file shipped with your extDB package. Preserve its section names and option spelling; different extDB3 releases can present slightly different sample layouts. Set the values for:
- Database host or IP address.
- Database port, normally the port on which MariaDB/MySQL is listening.
- Database name, such as
exile. - Database username.
- Database password.
- The MySQL protocol or driver name required by that extDB3 build.
A common extDB3-style section is shown below as an example of the values that must agree with your database. Use the syntax from your supplied sample file if it differs:
[exile]
Type = MySQL
Name = exile
Username = exile
Password = use-a-unique-password
IP = 127.0.0.1
Port = 3306Save the file where the server package expects it. If extDB logs report an unknown protocol, missing driver, or invalid option, copy the protocol and option names from the extDB sample distributed with your build rather than inventing new names.
Verify the extension before debugging networking
Start the server once with no public announcement and inspect the extDB log immediately. A successful load should show the extension initializing and attempting the configured database connection. An extension-load error points first to architecture, file location, missing runtime libraries, permissions, or an incompatible build; it is not evidence that the game port is blocked.
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Install the mission PBO and make the template agree
Copy the Exile mission PBO for your chosen map into mpmissions. The filename determines the template value the server must use. For example, if the file is Exile.Altis.pbo, the mission template is Exile.Altis; if it is Exile.Namalsk.pbo, use Exile.Namalsk.
Open the server’s config.cfg and locate its mission or template declaration. Set it to the exact PBO-derived name, including punctuation and capitalization. A map PBO that exists on disk but is not selected in the server configuration will produce a missing-mission or mission-selection error. Conversely, a template entry with no matching PBO cannot load a mission.
Keep the mission version compatible with the Exile code and map assets you installed. If a mission package includes custom files or a required add-on, install those files exactly as its instructions specify and make sure every player has the required client content.
Configure the server and launch it
Prepare config.cfg, basic.cfg, profiles, and BattlEye
Place config.cfg and basic.cfg where your launch command will point. Set the server name, password policy, administrator password, mission cycle, and BattlEye settings in the appropriate files. Create a writable profiles directory for RPT, profile, and extension logs. Point the BattlEye parameter at the directory containing the server’s BattlEye configuration and filters.
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Windows batch launch
Create a batch file in the server root. The following command reflects the representative Exile launch layout:
arma3server_x64.exe -mod=@Exile -servermod=@ExileServer [email protected] [email protected] -profiles=profiles -bepath=battleye -port=2302 -world=empty -autoInitIf a path contains spaces, surround that individual path with quotation marks. The -mod parameter loads the client-facing Exile package on the server; -servermod loads server-only content and must not be sent to players. -config and -cfg must point to the files you actually edited, while -profiles and -bepath must point to writable, existing directories.
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Linux launch
From the server directory, use the Linux executable and the same logical parameters:
./arma3server -mod=@Exile -servermod=@ExileServer -config=@ExileServer/config.cfg -cfg=@ExileServer/basic.cfg -profiles=profiles -bepath=battleye -port=2302 -world=empty -autoInit 2>&1 | tee profiles/exile-console.logUse forward slashes on Linux and ensure the service account can read both mod directories and write the profile and log paths. Run the command in a persistent service, terminal multiplexer, or service manager after the first interactive launch has been verified.
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- Stop any older Arma 3 instance using the same port.
- Confirm the database service is running and that the account can log in with the exact host, name, username, and password entered in extDB.
- Confirm the selected mission PBO and template name match character for character.
- Run the launch command locally or through your service manager with
-autoInit. - Wait for the initial startup to finish, then open the newest RPT file in
profilesand the extDB log. - Search the logs for missing PBOs, extension-load failures, SQL authentication errors, schema errors, and BattlEye configuration errors.
- Only after those checks pass, test a local client connection and then make the server reachable to other players.
The RPT is the authoritative record of what the Arma server loaded. The extDB log is the authoritative record of extension and database activity. Reading both before changing router or firewall settings prevents a database failure from being mistaken for a networking failure.
Let players connect
Players need the @Exile client mod enabled in their Arma 3 launcher. They do not need @ExileServer. Their Exile version, map, and any mission-required client add-ons must match the server. A signature or version error usually means the client mod does not match the server’s loaded PBOs, not that the database is unavailable.
For an Internet server, forward the configured game port, such as 2302, according to your router and firewall design. If you use a different port, use that same value in the launch command and in the connection details you give players. First prove that the server reaches the lobby locally; then test from an external connection to distinguish a local firewall, router, or provider issue.
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| Symptom | Most likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The server starts, but Exile reports no database or persistence | extDB did not load, the architecture is wrong, or the connection values are invalid | Read the extDB log; verify 64-bit/32-bit compatibility, extension placement, protocol, host, port, database name, username, and password. |
| Extension-load or missing-DLL error | Incompatible extDB build, missing runtime library, wrong directory, or permissions | Use a build intended for the selected Arma executable, remove stale copies, install required runtime components, and ensure the service account can read the files. |
| SQL access denied or unknown database | Credentials, host grants, database name, or database service are wrong | Log in with the same account outside Arma, verify the account’s permitted host, confirm the schema import, and compare every extDB value with the working login. |
| Mission cannot be selected | The PBO is missing or the template name does not match | Compare the exact filename in mpmissions with the template entry in config.cfg; remove accidental duplicate extensions such as .pbo.pbo. |
| Players are kicked for signatures or missing content | Client and server mod files differ, or a required mission add-on is absent | Update the client @Exile package, verify the server’s PBO set, and install every mission-required client dependency. |
| Server is visible locally but not from the Internet | Firewall, router forwarding, provider filtering, or an inconsistent port | Confirm the launch port, host firewall rule, router forwarding, and external test path only after the RPT and extDB logs are clean. |
| BattlEye errors appear during startup or connection | Wrong BattlEye path, missing filters, or unwritable files | Check -bepath, create the directory if needed, verify permissions, and inspect the BattlEye log for the specific filter or configuration file. |
Self-hosting versus managed hosting
A self-hosted machine or VPS gives you direct control over SteamCMD, the operating system, database service, extension files, restart scripts, and custom PBOs. A managed panel can automate mod installation, database creation, formatting, scheduled restarts, and routine start/stop operations. That convenience does not remove the need to verify Exile version compatibility, extDB architecture, database access, and custom mission support.
| Decision factor | Self-hosted machine or VPS | Managed game-server panel |
|---|---|---|
| File and mod control | Full operating-system and filesystem access; you maintain every package. | Panel-defined access; convenient installers may restrict unusual files or launch arguments. |
| Database access | You install, secure, back up, and upgrade MariaDB/MySQL yourself. | The provider may create and format a database, but confirm credentials, remote access rules, and backup export options. |
| Restarts and backups | You build service units, scripts, schedules, and off-machine backups. | Often supplied through the control panel; verify retention and whether database backups are included. |
| Operating-system access | Direct shell or desktop access for logs, extensions, and diagnostics. | Access may be limited to a web console and file manager. |
| Custom mission PBOs | Normally unrestricted. | Confirm that custom PBO uploads and custom launch parameters are allowed. |
| Player-count performance | Depends on the machine, operating system, network, mission, and server configuration; no universal CPU or RAM figure applies. | Depends on the provider’s hardware allocation and contention; published plan labels are not a substitute for testing your mission. |
| Total monthly cost | Includes the machine, storage, bandwidth, administration time, and backups. | Usually combines a recurring plan with whatever backup, storage, or support charges apply. |
Choose self-hosting when you need unrestricted extensions, shell access, or unusual mission development. Choose managed hosting when automated deployment and routine operations matter more than low-level control, but ask specifically whether the service supports your Exile release, extDB3 architecture, custom PBOs, and database backups.
Maintain the installation safely
- Back up the Exile database before updating the game, Exile package, mission PBO, or database migrations.
- Keep a copy of
config.cfg,basic.cfg,extdb-conf.ini, BattlEye filters, and launch scripts outside the mod directories. - Test updates on a separate instance when possible. A changed mission PBO or extDB build can require a matching client update.
- Keep database credentials private and use a least-privilege account instead of the database administrator account.
- After every update, perform a controlled boot and read both the RPT and extDB logs before opening the server.
Once the client and server packages, mission template, database schema, extDB architecture, and launch paths all agree, Exile is installed. Most persistent startup problems come from one of those interfaces being inconsistent, so compare the files and logs systematically rather than changing several settings at once.
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