Project Zomboid has a native Linux build, is Steam Deck Verified and runs its dedicated server on Linux. Here is how to set it up, tune it and host it, plus what developers can learn from how The Indie Stone does Linux. Updated November 2026. Part of our Linux games list.
Yes. No Proton needed on a Linux desktop.
Verified since 2023.
Java, with its own Java runtime bundled in the game folder. Nothing extra to install.
Native Linux server through SteamCMD (app 380870).
Supported as an opt-in JVM option.
Ships on Linux on the same day as Windows and macOS, on both Stable and Unstable branches.
Flawless. Install from Steam and play.
Pass. Native Linux build with its own bundled Java runtime.
Pass. Verified since 2023.
Pass. Native Linux dedicated server through SteamCMD (app 380870).
Pass. Build 42 ships on Linux the same day as Windows and macOS, on both the Stable and Unstable branches.
Four out of four. Project Zomboid was the first game on our list, and the one the others are compared with.
~/Zomboid.legacy41.Do not force Proton on a Linux desktop. The native build is the one The Indie Stone tests.
The client reads its Java settings from a JSON launcher file in the game folder (Steam > Manage > Browse local files). Its vmArgs list holds the memory flags.
-Xms1800m and -Xmx2048m, about 2 GB.
Stay near the default, or add up to 1 GB if you need it.
4 GB (-Xmx4096m) is a common setting.
4 to 8 GB, only if you measure a need.
-Dzomboid.wayland=1.vmArgs list of the JSON launcher file, not in Steam launch options.Starts in debug mode. Handy for modders.
Lower resolution and fewer effects for weak GPUs.
Turns off audio.
Runs without Steam.
Moves the Zomboid data folder.
Chooses where mods load from: workshop, steam, mods.
Joins a server directly. Add +password if it has one.
JVM options (-Xmx, -D...) go before the -- separator; game options go after it.
Verified, and it runs well with a few changes.
1280 × 800, VSync off, in-game cap 60 FPS (90 on OLED), zoom 90%.
Anti-aliasing, bloom and shadows low or off; particles low; weather medium; texture compression and multi-core rendering on.
60 FPS limit, 60 Hz, 8 W TDP, half-rate shading off.
About 55 to 60 FPS in hordes, driving and rain with these settings, versus 35 to 55 on defaults.
About 4 to 5 hours on LCD and 6 to 7 on OLED, versus 2.5 to 3 on defaults.
steamcmd +force_install_dir /opt/pzserver +login anonymous +app_update 380870 validate +quit. You do not need to own the game../start-server.sh -servername myserver, and stop with quit.Full walkthrough in hosting a server.
Fixed in 42.20 for Linux and Mac.
Turn it on with the JVM option above.
Use Proton Experimental.
Verify game files, then restart Steam.
Lower weather effects, or wait a few seconds for it to settle.
Project Zomboid keeps all of your own data in one folder in your home directory, which makes backups easy.
| What | Where |
|---|---|
| Saves | ~/Zomboid/Saves/, one folder per game mode, then one per world |
| Local mods | ~/Zomboid/mods/ |
| Server settings | ~/Zomboid/Server/: servertest.ini and servertest_SandboxVars.lua for the default server name |
| Last session log | ~/Zomboid/console.txt, the first thing to read when something breaks |
| Older logs | ~/Zomboid/Logs/ |
| Workshop downloads | ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/workshop/content/108600/ |
To back up everything, close the game and copy the whole ~/Zomboid folder. If you use the Flatpak version of Steam, the Workshop folder sits under ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam instead.
Mods work the same on Linux as on Windows: they are files the game loads, not programs for one operating system.
legacy41 branch for an old modded save.Mods= line and the Workshop IDs on the WorkshopItems= line of servertest.ini. Players download them when they join.Some mods include Java code that replaces parts of the game. Java runs with your user’s rights, so only install Java mods from authors you trust. See our news on The Indie Stone’s advice.
Every one of these updates reached Linux on the same day as Windows. Full details are in our patch notes and news.
legacy41.~/Zomboid/mods and test with -debug.Lesson for developers: ship a bundled runtime, keep the server headless and scriptable, and support Wayland as an opt-in first.
Yes. It has a native Linux build on Steam, so Proton is not needed on a Linux desktop.
Yes, since 2023.
Yes. The dedicated server installs through SteamCMD with an anonymous login and runs from start-server.sh.
Yes, as an opt-in. Add -Dzomboid.wayland=1 to the JVM options in the launcher JSON file.
In ~/Zomboid/Saves/, one folder per game mode. Copy the whole ~/Zomboid folder to back up saves, mods and server settings together.
No. Build 42 needs mods made for it. Keep old modded worlds on the legacy41 branch.
~/Zomboid/console.txt holds the log of the last session.
Added November 2026: file locations from the native Linux build; Workshop app ID 108600; mod steps from the Steam Workshop and the in-game Mods menu.