Why do Zomboid Servers almost always fail to actually download the mod again when folder deleted?

[karmic knoll]

So client side there is zero problem. You want to reinstall a mod to get fresh files since steam won't update it properly? Unsub and resub.
Your files outdated, and the server boots correctly and fetches the latest? You just install it from the menu when connecting to server.

Now you want to delete a folder to force a reinstall of a mod in the dedicated server's workshop? Good luck
Either you wait a dozen minutes or so for it to figure out how to do it while it spams the log of attempts to download, or it just flat out won't download the mod with the error attached no matter how many times you delete the scuffed download/temp folder, and the only solution is it literally magically works randomly when it wants to (has happened twice), OR you delete the .acf and download/verify the ENTIRE modlist on the server again.

And often, even if you aren't actively using a mod in the loaded modlist, and you want to clean up old unused mods in the server folder (because it doesn't clean it up by itself), you'll find it sneakily reinstalls these unused mods again.

Half vent, half question for solution.
Trying to playtest these testing branches of a mod on the workshop and can't even get to that point because of Steam.

[tacit valve]

As far as I know, its because you are manually deleting the folder without letting Steam do it

If in the Client you unsubscribe from a mod, Steam basically marks the mod as removed from its database, then removes the files

When resubscribing, it adds it back and downloads it

But if you simply delete the files, Steam still think the mod is there based on its database, so it gets very confused when you launch the server and it finds the files arent there

Its why its best to also delete the database and have Steam recreate it, its the .acf files in the workshop folder

[karmic knoll]

Yeah the .acf is the solution as mention for server deletion but is there really no other way for singular mod removals?

If I have a modlisst of like 250, and it's giving me grief for 1 mod (cuz it's pretty random, sometimes it will do the 5-10 minute download attempt and then finally work, other times it will just insta fail like the pic) , deleting the .acf forces a reinstall/verify integrity of everything

For testing something it's relatively easy enough ; temporarily moving the existing .acf out and then generating a new one based on like <10 active test mods, that doesn't take long
But I have like 50 old unused mods leftover in the server folder I want to delete, but it keeps sneak downloading majority of them back too 🙁

[tacit valve]

It really shouldnt "sneak" download them if you removed them from your server settings

Can you specify which ones it is sneak downloading and can you send the server logs + server settings so I can confirm they are not there?

[karmic knoll]

They don't apply into the server if that's what you mean, like they're not injecting themselves into the modlist, but I'll find that a mod I used in the past (so is in the servers workshop folder) but am not using currently, still exists in the server workshop. This makes sense, as the server doesn't have the same kind of unsubscribe feature.

But when I manually delete such a mod that I'm no longer using, often I find that the files are downloaded back again. This occurred with Definitive Zombies B42 from last memory, but has occurred with a handful.

Again It's not active or being used in the server, the files just appear in the server's workshop folder again despite deleting it prior

If I delete everything, and then delete the .acf, I'll get a clean 1:1 populated folder with only what's on the current modlist. Which makes me think that the .acf is still keeping old mod IDs in there despite not being used in the active sandbox modlist

[tacit valve]

I would have to check the settings and logs to confirm that really, since Steam cannot just download the mods without being explicitly told to

So could you answer which mod does it and share the logs and settings?

[karmic knoll]

Sure I'll clean up leftover mods tmr when I got some spare time and see what comes back
This time of night about time my friends want to play

[karmic knoll]

well, I have my logs but it (as expected since its like sneakily bringing it back for whatever reason) the two folders I recently deleted, ID: 3623232173 3477049576 (PhunZones & PhunSprinters TEST branches) brought themselves back when I started my server; though Authentic Z (long unused for over a week now) didn't return thankfully.

the two highlighted folders I manually deleted prior to starting the server, and removed them from the sandbox modlist ofc since I reverted back to the main branch (33888... 353268...) equivalents in the modlist/installation. I also of course don't have the two test branch mods installed on client anymore

However as you can see (it's 1:24AM now) they brought themselves back during server startup

they do not exist in the active server modlist settings (these PhunX listings are the main branches) nor do they exist in the client subbed items

I searched for 34770 & 36232 during/after server startup in the console however as said there's no entries of attempts to download, they are just.. back

But over time and enough attempts deleting they will not come back (as is seen by deleting a long-unused Authentic-Z folder leftover, that one didn't come back)

it also doesn't exist (using 34770... ID) when looking in the server.ini directly, which proves it's removed from the active server modlist

and also, proof of deletion:
(12:49am)

see, im not crazy!! 🤣

[tacit valve]

Hm, that is certainly interesting, it could be a problem with how the new beta handles mods. This might be good to report as a bug:
https://theindiestone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/43261-read-here-first-bug-reporting-guideformatting

I assume the reproduction steps are simply adding a mod, then removing it from the server and deleting its folder? Then it gets auto installed on the next launch, even though it shouldnt

The mods themselves should not be loaded, so even if the folders are back, it shouldnt cause any issues, other than maybe taking a bit of extra space

[karmic knoll]

yes, that's correct, from what i can tell whenever this has happened the mods aren't secretly loading/injected into the server. It's just restoring the folder for some reason (not restoring from recycle bin, i mean just downloading it without any logging etc)

as far as reproduction, it worked instantly in this case, but sometimes it doesn't. I don't exactly know what the trigger is, since as mentioned I tested 3 mods here - 2 removed simply an hour/two hours prior, and then 1 that had been lingering in the folder for over a week (Authentic Z). Auth Z's folder did not return, but the other two (PhunZombies/Zones Test Branch) returned