Project Zomboid: Analyzing Logs
Logs are your black box flight recorder. When the server crashes or a player reports a bug, the logs tell you exactly what happened—if you know where to look.
1. The Active Log
While the server is running, the active log is usually `server-console.txt`. This shows current stdout/stderr.
2. The Archive
When the server restarts, old logs are moved to the `/Logs/` folder and zipped with a timestamp.
3. Determine the Cause
Look for keywords like STACK TRACE, Out of Memory, or NullPointerException.
Log File Types
- coop-console.txt / server-console.txt: The main output. Shows startup procedure, mod loading errors, and player connections.
- DebugLog-server.txt: Detailed internal game logic. Useful for debugging specific mod lua errors.
- chat.txt: Records all in-game text chat (Global, Safehouse, Faction). Useful for moderation.
- pvp.txt: Logs when players damage each other, useful for investigating "Combat Logging" or RDM claims.
How to Find Crash Errors
- Navigate to
/server-data/Logs/(or just `/Logs` depending on host). - Download the zip file corresponding to the time of the crash (e.g., `12-05-25_14-30.zip`).
- Open `server-console.txt` first.
- Scroll to the very bottom.
- If you see
TerminatedorExit Code 137, it was likely an Out of Memory (OOM) kill. You need more RAM. - If you see a long list of
at zombie.foo.bar..., it was a code crash, likely caused by a mod conflict.
Log Retention
Logs can grow large. Supercraft servers automatically rotate logs, but you should download important ones periodically if you need long-term evidence for moderation.
Trace the error. Host your Project Zomboid server with Supercraft and use our live console viewer to spot errors the moment they happen.