How to Add Mods to Your Left 4 Dead Server

There are two kinds of extensions for a Left 4 Dead server: plugins through Metamod:Source and SourceMod, which run purely server-side, and custom campaigns as VPK add-ons, which every player has to install as well.

Install Metamod:Source

Metamod:Source hooks into the Source Engine and is the foundation for SourceMod.

1. Download Metamod:Source
   Download the current stable version of Metamod:Source for Left 4 Dead as a Linux package (.tar.gz).

2. Stop the server
   Stop your server via the dashboard.

3. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

4. Upload the files
   Extract the archive and upload the addons folder it contains to the following directory:

   /left4dead/
   

   Afterwards the folder /left4dead/addons/metamod/ exists.

5. Replace metamod.vdf
   Open the file /left4dead/addons/metamod.vdf and replace its content completely with this:

   "Plugin"
   {
   	"file"	"../left4dead/addons/metamod/bin/server"
   }
   

6. Start the server
   Start your server and check in the server console with meta version whether Metamod:Source was loaded.

Install SourceMod

SourceMod builds on top of Metamod:Source and provides the plugin environment as well as the admin features.

1. Download SourceMod
   Download the current stable version of SourceMod (currently the 1.12 branch) as a Linux package (.tar.gz).

2. Stop the server
   Stop your server via the dashboard.

3. Upload the files
   Extract the archive and upload the addons and cfg folders it contains via SFTP to the following directory:

   /left4dead/
   

   Existing folders are merged, not replaced. Afterwards the folder /left4dead/addons/sourcemod/ exists.

4. Start the server
   Start your server and check in the server console with sm version whether SourceMod was loaded.

Install plugins

1. Download the plugin
   Download the plugin you want. Ready-to-use plugins come as a .smx file.

2. Stop the server
   Stop your server via the dashboard.

3. Upload the plugin
   Upload the .smx file via SFTP to the following directory:

   /left4dead/addons/sourcemod/plugins/
   

4. Start the server
   Start your server and check with sm plugins list whether the plugin was loaded.

Install custom campaigns

Custom campaigns come as a .vpk file and are installed on the server exactly the way players install them.

1. Download the campaign
   Download the campaign you want as a .vpk file.

2. Connect via SFTP
   Connect to your server via SFTP.

3. Upload the VPK
   Upload the .vpk file to the following directory:

   /left4dead/addons/
   

4. Activate the campaign
   Enter the following command in the server console:

   update_addon_paths;mission_reload
   

   This applies the campaign without a restart. Alternatively restart your server.

Folder structure at a glance

/left4dead/addons/                        <- .vpk files for custom campaigns
/left4dead/addons/metamod.vdf             <- loader file for Metamod:Source
/left4dead/addons/metamod/
/left4dead/addons/sourcemod/
/left4dead/addons/sourcemod/plugins/      <- .smx plugin files
/left4dead/addons/sourcemod/configs/      <- configurations, e.g. admin lists
/left4dead/cfg/                           <- server.cfg and other configurations

Verify the installation

Enter the following commands in the server console: