How to Install the Deer Isle Map on a DayZ Server

For the standard DayZ Expansion setup, install DeerIsle and its required dependency mods from the Steam Workshop, upload the matching Expansion mission folders to your server’s mpmissions directory, and set the mission template in serverDZ.cfg to Expansion.DeerIsle. After the first start, disable Expansion’s spawn-selection feature unless you have manually configured Deer Isle spawn coordinates.

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What you need before installing Deer Isle

Deer Isle is not only a terrain download. A working server has two separate layers: the Workshop mod files and a mission folder that tells DayZ how to load the terrain, objects and gameplay configuration. Missing either layer can produce a server that starts on the wrong map, stops during startup or rejects players for missing mods.

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Hosted-server requirements

• Administrative access to your host’s Steam Workshop/mod panel.
• FTP access or a web-based file manager for uploading mission folders.
• Access to serverDZ.cfg.
• Permission to restart the DayZ server and inspect its profile directory after the first launch.
• A current DayZ server branch and mission files intended for the same branch and Deer Isle release.

Workshop content for the Expansion method

Add all of the following to the server’s Workshop collection or mod installer. The clients joining the server must be able to download or enable the same set.

Do not assume that installing DeerIsle alone is sufficient. A host panel may display dependencies separately, and some panels require you to add each item explicitly rather than relying on Workshop dependency discovery.

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Install Deer Isle on a hosted Windows server

1. Add the Workshop mods in the host panel

1. Stop the DayZ server if your provider recommends stopping it before changing the mod list.
2. Open the host’s Steam Workshop, mod manager or collection editor.
3. Add DeerIsle, DayZ-Expansion, DayZ-Expansion-Licensed, DayZ-Expansion-Core, DayZ-Expansion-Vehicles, Community-Online-Tools and CF.
4. Save or apply the collection, then let the panel finish downloading each item to the server.
5. Check the generated startup mod list. Every item should be present, with no failed or partially downloaded entry.

The exact panel labels differ between hosts, but the important result is that the server loads the same Workshop content that the mission expects. Keep the mod order generated by the host unless its documentation explicitly requires a different order.

2. Download the matching Expansion mission archive

Workshop mods do not automatically place the correct server mission in your DayZ configuration. Download the latest DayZ Expansion mission archive that matches your current DayZ branch and the installed Expansion release. Extract it on your computer before uploading it.

The extracted archive should contain mission folders, including the Deer Isle mission. Do not upload the compressed archive as a single file and expect DayZ to read it. DayZ needs the extracted folder tree and its files.

3. Upload the mission folders to mpmissions

1. Connect with FTP or open the host’s file manager.
2. Open the server’s main installation directory and locate mpmissions. On a normal hosted Windows installation, this is alongside the server executable and configuration files.
3. Upload the extracted mission folders into mpmissions. Preserve the folder names and internal structure exactly as supplied in the archive.
4. Confirm that the Deer Isle mission folder is directly reachable below mpmissions, rather than accidentally nested inside an extra directory created by the archive extractor.

A common mistake is uploading a folder such as Expansion.DeerIsle as mpmissionsExpansion.DeerIsleExpansion.DeerIsle. If the template is correct but the folder is nested incorrectly, the server cannot find the mission.

4. Point serverDZ.cfg at the Deer Isle mission

Open serverDZ.cfg in the server’s main directory. Find the Missions section and set the DayZ template to Expansion.DeerIsle:

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

Use the exact capitalization and punctuation shown above. Save the file as plain text. Do not place the value in a different configuration file or add a file extension to the template name.

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5. Start once, then disable unsupported spawn selection

Expansion creates parts of its profile directory during startup. If the profile tree does not yet exist, start the server once with the mission selected, allow it to initialize, and stop it cleanly.

Then open:

profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json

Find the EnableSpawnSelection setting and change it from 1 to 0:

"EnableSpawnSelection": 0

The documented Expansion workflow warns that Deer Isle does not support the newer spawn-selection feature without extensive manual coordinate configuration. Leaving it enabled can cause bad coordinates, spawn errors or a broken selection screen. If you later build and verify your own Deer Isle spawn-coordinate configuration, you can revisit this setting; do not enable it merely because the option exists.

6. Restart and verify the result

1. Save serverDZ.cfg and SpawnSettings.json.
2. Restart the server.
3. Watch the startup log or console for mission-loading errors.
4. Join with a client that has every required Workshop mod enabled.
5. Confirm that the loading screen and in-game terrain are Deer Isle, not the previous map.
6. Spawn and move a short distance to verify that the world is not simply loading a mission with missing terrain data.

The installation instructions establish the required configuration, but they do not provide a formal performance benchmark or guarantee a particular startup time. Treat a successful join and correct terrain load as the functional test.

Linux and container deployments

A self-managed Linux server or container uses the same underlying idea but normally describes it with environment variables rather than a graphical host panel. ServerZ’s community-map model identifies three items that must agree: the map files, a mission path inside those files and a matching template value.

Map variables that must match

The V5.9 directory in that example was the current folder when the documentation was written. Map repositories can change their version directories, so inspect the repository before deployment rather than copying an old path indefinitely.

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Container deployment checklist

1. Choose the map repository or Workshop source and record its current version folder.
2. Set MAP_URL to that source.
3. Set MISSION_PATH to the exact mission directory inside the downloaded files.
4. Set TEMPLATE to the mission’s matching template name.
5. Set the mod list, including CF and Deer Isle; include the Expansion dependencies if you are using the Expansion mission rather than an empty/native mission.
6. Expose the UDP ports required by the container. The documented example uses UDP 2304 and 27017.
7. Start the container and inspect its log for a missing path, repository checkout failure or template mismatch.

Do not combine the Linux example’s empty.deerisle template with the hosted Expansion template unless the mission files actually support that combination. Expansion.DeerIsle belongs to the Expansion mission workflow; empty.deerisle belongs to the separate map-file example.

Offline or local installation

The offline workflow uses a mission folder in the local DayZ installation rather than a hosted server’s mpmissions directory.

1. Subscribe to DeerIsle in Steam.
2. Launch the DayZ launcher and allow Steam to finish downloading the map.
3. Use the latest stable or experimental game version supported by the mission package. Do not mix a mission from one branch with a different server branch without checking compatibility.
4. Extract the offline mission package.
5. Place the extracted ExpansionCOM.DeerIsle folder inside the DayZ Missions folder.
6. Launch the local scenario using the matching game and mod content.

This folder name and location are for the documented offline package. They are not a replacement for the hosted-server path and template: a hosted server still needs its mission under mpmissions and a server configuration that selects it.

Which installation method should you use?

Understand the three different mission names

Several names appear in installation instructions, and confusing them is a frequent source of failed starts. Expansion.DeerIsle is the hosted DayZ Expansion template placed in the Missions section of serverDZ.cfg. It must match the corresponding folder under mpmissions. The Linux example uses empty.deerisle, which is a separate native or empty mission supplied by that map-file package. It is not an alternate spelling of the Expansion template. Finally, the offline package uses a local folder named ExpansionCOM.DeerIsle inside the game’s Missions directory. That name is specific to the local scenario and should not be copied into a hosted server’s configuration.

Before starting, write down which workflow you are following and use only its mission path, folder name and template. Mixing one workflow’s map files with another workflow’s template can look like a mod problem even when every Workshop item is installed correctly.

Preflight checks that prevent most failed starts

• Compare the DayZ stable or experimental branch on the server with the branch expected by the mission archive.
• Check the extracted archive locally so you know the exact top-level folder name before uploading it.
• After uploading, browse into the server’s mpmissions directory and verify that the mission folder is not doubled by an extra extraction directory.
• Copy the template spelling directly from the mission folder name rather than retyping it from memory.
• Keep a copy of the original configuration files before editing them, especially serverDZ.cfg and the Expansion settings JSON.
• Have one test client finish all Workshop downloads before attempting to connect. A client that is still updating can report a misleading missing-mod error.

These checks separate file-layout errors from genuine mod or game-version incompatibilities. That makes the first restart easier to diagnose and gives you a clean rollback point if an update changes the folder structure.

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Troubleshoot the most common failures

The server starts on the wrong map

• Open serverDZ.cfg and verify that the DayZ template is exactly Expansion.DeerIsle for the Expansion workflow.
• Check that the mission folder is below mpmissions, not in the server root or an extra nested directory.
• Restart after saving the file; a running process will continue using its previous mission.
• If you are using a container, verify that MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE identify the same map version.

Clients report missing mods

• Compare the server’s loaded mod list with the client’s enabled list.
• Install every Expansion component listed above, including CF and Community-Online-Tools.
• Allow Steam or the launcher to complete downloads rather than joining while an item is still updating.
• Remove duplicate or obsolete copies if the launcher is loading two versions of the same Workshop item.

Spawn selection gives errors or unusable coordinates

Set "EnableSpawnSelection": 0 in profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json, restart and test again. Deer Isle’s documented Expansion setup is not ready for the newer spawn-selection feature without extensive coordinate configuration.

The server reports a mission-path error in a container

Check the three values as one unit: MAP_URL must provide the directory named by MISSION_PATH, and TEMPLATE must match the mission inside that directory. A valid URL with an old path is still a broken deployment.

The server or client has a version mismatch

Confirm that the DayZ stable or experimental branch, Deer Isle release and Expansion mission archive are intended to work together. The local/offline instructions explicitly distinguish stable and experimental versions; switching branches without replacing the mission files can create startup or join failures.

Updating Deer Isle safely

1. Record the currently working DayZ branch, map release, mission-folder name and mod list.
2. Back up serverDZ.cfg, the mpmissions folders and profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json.
3. Update the Workshop items through the host panel or your controlled deployment process.
4. Download the mission archive or repository version that matches the updated map and Expansion components.
5. Compare the new mission folder name with the template in serverDZ.cfg. Update the template only when the new package requires it.
6. For containers, update MAP_URL, MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE together instead of changing only one variable.
7. Restart during a maintenance window and test with a client whose mods have finished updating.

Never overwrite a working installation without a rollback copy. If an update fails, restore the previous mission folder, mod versions and configuration as a set; mixing old mission files with new map binaries is a common source of misleading errors.

Final verification checklist

• DeerIsle and all required dependency mods are installed on the server.
• Clients have the same required Workshop content.
• The extracted mission folders are in mpmissions.
• serverDZ.cfg uses template="Expansion.DeerIsle"; for the Expansion setup.
• The profile exists after the first start.
• EnableSpawnSelection is set to 0 unless you have configured valid Deer Isle coordinates yourself.
• A restart completes without mission, mod or path errors.
• A test client loads Deer Isle and can spawn into the terrain.

Frequently Asked Questions

What mission file do I need for Deer Isle on a hosted Expansion server?

Use the Deer Isle mission folder from the matching DayZ Expansion mission archive, upload it below mpmissions, and select it with template="Expansion.DeerIsle"; in serverDZ.cfg. Do not substitute the local ExpansionCOM.DeerIsle folder or the container example’s empty.deerisle template.

Which mods must players install?

For the documented Expansion setup, install DeerIsle, DayZ-Expansion, DayZ-Expansion-Licensed, DayZ-Expansion-Core, DayZ-Expansion-Vehicles, Community-Online-Tools and CF on both server and clients. A client missing any required item can be rejected even when the server itself starts normally.

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Why does my Deer Isle server spawn me incorrectly?

Expansion’s newer spawn-selection feature is not ready for Deer Isle without extensive coordinate configuration. After the first server start creates the profile tree, set "EnableSpawnSelection": 0 in profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json, restart and test again.

Can I use empty.deerisle with Expansion.DeerIsle?

Only if the mission files explicitly support that combination. They belong to different workflows: Expansion.DeerIsle is the hosted Expansion mission, while empty.deerisle is used by the separate Linux map-file example. Mixing them usually creates a mission-path or template mismatch.

Where should the mission folder go on a hosted server?

Place the extracted mission folder directly under the server’s mpmissions directory, alongside the other mission folders. Check that extraction did not create a duplicate path such as mpmissionsExpansion.DeerIsleExpansion.DeerIsle.

What should I check when a container cannot find the mission?

Verify MAP_URL, MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE together. The URL must download the directory named by the mission path, and the template must match the mission inside that directory. Also check that the repository’s version folder has not changed; the example’s V5.9 path may be replaced by a newer directory.

Do I need special network settings for a Linux container?

The documented ServerZ example exposes UDP ports 2304 and 27017. Use the ports required by your container definition and confirm that the host firewall and service mapping expose the same values.

Is there a guaranteed startup time or performance level after installation?

No formal performance benchmark is established by the installation instructions. Verify the practical result instead: the server completes startup, loads Deer Isle terrain, accepts a client with matching mods and allows a normal spawn.

The Bottom Line

Install the Deer Isle and Expansion Workshop content on both sides, upload the matching mission folders under mpmissions, select Expansion.DeerIsle in serverDZ.cfg, and disable Expansion spawn selection unless you have configured Deer Isle coordinates. For containers, keep MAP_URL, MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE tied to the same map version.

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