Server Setup

You'll need

A Sons of the Forest dedicated server you can stop, start and upload files to. On Steam it's the free Sons Of The Forest Dedicated Server tool (SteamCMD app 2465200).
RedLoader 0.8.6: RedLoader.zip from RedLoader's GitHub releases page.
MPAC, from its page on SOTF-Mods.
A Steam account to sign in to the dashboard. It becomes the server's owner.

Will this work on my server?

Windows server on your own PC or VPS	YES Works out of the box.
Linux server (runs the game through Wine)	ONE EXTRA SETTING Needs `WINEDLLOVERRIDES`, covered in step 01.
Rented server from a hosting company	ASK YOUR HOST Only if they allow RedLoader. Many don't. Choose I rent a server below: step 01 is checking with them.

WHERE DOES YOUR SERVER RUN?

Install RedLoader on the server

RedLoader is what lets the server load mods. It goes into the server's own folder, the one that has SonsOfTheForestDS.exe in it.

Stop the server if it's running.
Extract RedLoader.zip straight into the server folder. Extract the contents, not a folder containing them. See the check below.
Windows only: install the .NET 6.0 Desktop Runtime (x64) and the Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x64) on the server machine, if they aren't there already.
Linux only: start the server with this environment variable set, for example in your start script:

export WINEDLLOVERRIDES="version=n,b"

SonsOfTheForestDedicatedServer/ ├─ SonsOfTheForestDS.exe ├─ _Redloader/ ← new ├─ dobby.dll ← new └─ version.dll ← new

CHECKThree new items sit right next to SonsOfTheForestDS.exe: the _Redloader folder, dobby.dll and version.dll.

CAREFULIf you see a RedLoader folder with those three inside it, the zip went one level too deep. Move them up next to SonsOfTheForestDS.exe.

Start the server once, then stop it

On its first run, RedLoader sets itself up and creates the folders mods live in.

Start the server the way you normally do, and wait until it's fully up.
Stop it again.

SonsOfTheForestDedicatedServer/ ├─ Mods/ ← new: mods go here ├─ UserData/ ← new: mod settings are saved here └─ _Redloader/

CHECKThe server folder now has a Mods folder and a UserData folder.

Add MPAC

MPAC is one file plus a small folder. Both go into Mods.

Open the MPAC download.
Copy MPAC.dll and the MPAC folder into the server's Mods folder.

Mods/ ├─ MPAC.dll └─ MPAC/ └─ manifest.json

CHECKMPAC.dll sits directly in Mods, next to the MPAC folder.

CAREFULDon't put MPAC.dll inside the MPAC folder, or RedLoader won't find it.

Check with your host first

MPAC runs on RedLoader, and some hosts don't allow it, or can only run certain versions. A two-minute question now saves you setting everything up for nothing.

Look in your control panel for a mods, mod manager or RedLoader option. If there is one, note which RedLoader version it installs.
If there isn't, or you're not sure, send your host's support this message:

MESSAGE TO YOUR HOST Hi, I'd like to run a server-side mod on my Sons of the Forest server. Can I install RedLoader 0.8.6 on it (the _Redloader folder, dobby.dll and version.dll next to SonsOfTheForestDS.exe)? If the server runs on Linux, it also needs the environment variable WINEDLLOVERRIDES="version=n,b". Can you set that for me? The server will also need to make outgoing HTTPS connections to dash.mpac.games.

CHECKYour host has said yes, or your panel installs RedLoader 0.8.6 for you.

CAREFULIf your host says no, MPAC can't run on that server. Don't try to work around it: a server that won't start can cost you your world.

Install RedLoader on your server

Use your host's one-click option if it has one. Otherwise you'll upload the files yourself, through the panel's File Manager or with an FTP program like FileZilla or WinSCP (the login details are in your panel).

Stop the server in your control panel.
One-click option: install RedLoader from the panel, then skip to step 03.
Uploading it yourself: extract RedLoader.zip on your PC, then open your server's files and find the folder that has SonsOfTheForestDS.exe in it. It's usually the first folder you see, sometimes inside one named after the game.
Upload the three extracted items into that folder:

your server's main folder/ ├─ SonsOfTheForestDS.exe ├─ _Redloader/ ← upload ├─ dobby.dll ← upload └─ version.dll ← upload

CHECKThe File Manager shows _Redloader, dobby.dll and version.dll right next to SonsOfTheForestDS.exe.

CAREFULUpload the folder's contents, not a zip. Most File Managers can't run a .zip, and a folder uploaded inside another folder won't be found.

Start it once, then add MPAC

The first start lets RedLoader create its folders. MPAC then goes into the new Mods folder.

Start the server in your panel, wait until it's fully up, then stop it again.
In the File Manager, check that Mods and UserData folders have appeared next to SonsOfTheForestDS.exe.
Upload MPAC.dll and the MPAC folder into Mods:

Mods/ ├─ MPAC.dll └─ MPAC/ └─ manifest.json

CHECKMPAC.dll sits directly in Mods, next to the MPAC folder.

CAREFULNo Mods folder after the first start means RedLoader didn't load. Go back to step 02, or ask your host to check it.

From here on, the steps are the same whether you run your own server or rent one.

Start the server and check the log

The log shows whether MPAC loaded, and MPAC creates its files on this start.

Start the server and wait until it's fully up.
Open _Redloader/Latest.log in the server folder and look for these lines: On a rented server, open it in the File Manager, or download it. Some panels also show these lines in their console.

Multiplayer Anti-Cheat v1.0.0 (MPAC) … Running on a dedicated server: manage MPAC from the web dashboard … MPAC: web dashboard link code saved to …\Mods\MPAC\dashboard_code.json Installed 7 game event hooks

MPAC has now created these files in the server folder:

FILE	WHAT IT'S FOR
Mods/MPAC/dashboard_code.json	Your one-time link code, used in step 05. Deleted automatically once the server is linked.
Mods/MPAC/dashboard_key.txt PRIVATE	The server's password for the dashboard. Never share it or delete it: if it's lost, the server has to be linked again.
Mods/MPAC/menu_admins.txt	An optional list of staff for the in-game menu. See step 08.
UserData/MPAC.cfg	Every MPAC setting. You'll normally change these on the dashboard instead.

CHECKAll four log lines are there, and so is dashboard_code.json.

CAREFULNo MPAC lines at all, or no link code? Stop here and see Troubleshooting. Nothing after this step will work until these show up.

Link it to your dashboard

Linking makes your Steam account the server's owner, so you can run it from any browser. The server connects out to the dashboard, so there are no ports to open.

Open Mods/MPAC/dashboard_code.json. The code is the linkCode line:

{ "linkCode": "MPAC-7K3Q-X9TD", "howTo": "Sign in at the dashboard with Steam and enter this code …" }

Go to dash.mpac.games and click SIGN IN THROUGH STEAM.
Under LINK A SERVER, type the code exactly as shown, including MPAC-, then click LINK SERVER.

CHECKThe server appears in your list as Dedicated server, shows as online, and you're its Owner. dashboard_code.json disappears from the server.

CAREFULWhoever enters the code first becomes the owner, so keep it to yourself. Each code works once and lasts 24 hours. If it expires, restart the server for a new one.

Add your staff OPTIONAL

Give your moderators their own access, each with only what they need. They sign in with their own Steam accounts.

Open your server on the dashboard and go to the Staff tab.
Paste their SteamID64 or Steam profile link, pick a level, and click ADD.

Viewer

Sees players, flags, warnings and settings. Can't change anything.

Moderator

Can also kick, exempt players and clear warnings.

Admin

Can also ban and change MPAC's settings.

Owner

You. Everything, plus the Web Dashboard switches that set what staff may do.

CHECKEach staff member signs in at dash.mpac.games and sees your server in their list.

Choose your checks

Everything is set on the dashboard's Settings tab, and changes apply to the running server straight away.

Each category has a Category Setting: Disabled turns its checks off, MPAC Defaults uses MPAC's recommended values, and Custom lets you set your own.
For your first few days, set detections to Log Only and look over the Flags tab, so you can see what MPAC catches before it punishes anyone.
When you're happy, switch the checks you trust to Punish, and pick Kick, Ban or the Warning System under Punishments.

CAREFULYou can also edit UserData/MPAC.cfg by hand, but only while the server is stopped. A running server saves over your changes.

RENTING?Some hosts wipe or replace files when they update or reinstall the game. Keep a copy of Mods/MPAC/dashboard_key.txt and UserData/MPAC.cfg on your PC, and put them back if they ever disappear.

Use the menu in game OPTIONAL

Staff can open the MPAC menu while they play on your server: players, flags, warnings and settings, the same as the dashboard.

The staff member installs RedLoader and the same version of MPAC in their own game.
They join your server and press TAB.

Everyone on your dashboard's Staff tab can already use it. If you don't use the dashboard, list people in Mods/MPAC/menu_admins.txt instead, one per line:

76561198000000000 admin 76561198000000001 moderator

CHECKThe menu opens and shows your server's players. Changes to menu_admins.txt apply within a few seconds, with no restart needed.

CAREFULOnly your staff need MPAC in their own game. Everyone else plays as normal, with nothing to install.

Troubleshooting

Find what you're seeing, then follow the fix.

There are no MPAC lines in the log

Check that _Redloader, dobby.dll and version.dll sit directly next to SonsOfTheForestDS.exe (step 01).
Check that MPAC.dll is directly in Mods, not inside the MPAC folder (step 03).
Windows: make sure the .NET 6.0 Desktop Runtime and Visual C++ Redistributable are installed.
Linux: make sure WINEDLLOVERRIDES="version=n,b" is set in the same place that starts the server.

dashboard_code.json never appears

Open UserData/MPAC.cfg with the server stopped, and find dashboard_behavior. If it says "Disabled", change it to "MPAC Defaults".
Start the server again and look for web dashboard link code saved in the log.
The server needs to reach dash.mpac.games over the internet (HTTPS). Check that a firewall isn't blocking outgoing connections.

My rented server won't start after adding RedLoader

Remove _Redloader, dobby.dll and version.dll in the File Manager so the server can start again.
Send your host the message from step 01 and ask them to install RedLoader 0.8.6 for you, or confirm it's supported on your server.

The dashboard says the code is invalid or expired

Codes work once and last 24 hours. Restart the server to get a new one, then enter it straight away. Copy it from the file rather than typing it, to avoid mixing up similar-looking characters.

The dashboard shows the server as offline

Check that the server is running and has loaded a world. Then check the log for lines mentioning the web dashboard: they say whether it can't connect, or whether the server was unlinked.

I lost dashboard_key.txt

The server will register as a new server and write a new link code. Link it again (step 05). You can remove the old entry from your dashboard.

A staff member presses TAB and nothing happens, or it says the server doesn't run MPAC

They need RedLoader and MPAC installed in their own game, and their MPAC version has to match the server's.
They need to be on your dashboard's Staff tab, or listed in menu_admins.txt.

Staff see "Only the server owner can change this"

That's expected. On a dedicated server, the Web Dashboard switches (what staff are allowed to do) can only be changed by the server's owner.

Set up MPAC on your server.