How to Fix Mod Case Sensitivity on Project Zomboid

If your Project Zomboid server loads some mods but not others, or fails to start the world with a script or file error, the cause is often file name case sensitivity on the Linux server.

Why This Happens

Windows treats TestingHi.png and testinghi.png as the same file, but Linux treats them as two different files. Most mod authors develop on Windows, so a mod may reference animsets when the actual folder is AnimSets. On Windows it works; on a Linux server the file cannot be found.

Spotting the Problem

The server console usually shows an error along these lines:

zombie.world.WorldDictionaryException: World loading could not proceed, there are script load errors...
java.io.FileNotFoundException: .../media/scripts/modname_items.txt (No such file or directory)

or an animation error:

AnimNode.Parse threw an exception reading file: .../AnimSets/...
FileNotFoundException: .../animsets/... (No such file or directory)

Notice that the two paths differ only by letter case.

How to Fix It

Option A: Enable the Panel's Case Fix (Easiest)

Many panel hosts provide a one-click fix. Check your panel's server settings for a Fix Mod Case Sensitivity toggle (often under advanced or startup options) and enable it, then restart the server.

Option B: Create Lowercase Symlinks

This leaves the mod files untouched and points a lowercase name at the real, capitalised file or folder:

1. Connect with SFTP and locate the mod's folder in the server's Workshop or Mods directory.
2. For each file or folder that fails to resolve, create a lowercase symlink pointing at it. For example, a folder named AnimSets needs a symlink called animsets pointing to it.
3. Restart the server and check the console for the error.

Option C: Rename the Files

Renaming the affected files or folders to the exact case the mod expects also resolves it. Note that a mod update may overwrite your rename, so you may need to reapply it.

If That Is Not the Cause

Before assuming a case problem, check that both mod keys are set correctly in servertest.ini. Mods need:

• WorkshopItems - the numeric Steam Workshop IDs, separated by semicolons.
• Mods - the text mod IDs from each mod's mod.info file, separated by semicolons.

Setting only one of the two is the most common reason mods fail to load. See Install Mods.