Ark server hangs at startup after installing Structures Plus mod

[TheInternetIsReal]

Not sure if Ark, arkmanager or Structures Plus is the culprit here, but my server won't start when I simply try to install this mod via arkmanager.

This is how I've recreated the issue:

1. Tell ark/arkmanager to install the structures plus mod: sudo vi /etc/arkmanager/instances/main.cfg ark_GameModIds="731604991"
2. Install the mod with arkmanager:

   $ arkmanager installmods
   Running command 'installmods' for instance 'main'
   Downloading mod 731604991 ... Mod 731604991 downloaded
   Copying files to /home/XXXX/ARK-Staging/Mods/731604991
   Mod 731604991 installed

3. Start arkmanager:

   $ arkmanager start
   Running command 'start' for instance 'main'
   The server is now running, and should be up within 10 minutes

   Ark never starts:

   $ arkmanager status
   Running command 'status' for instance 'main'
   Server running:   Yes 
   Server PID:   13447 
   Server listening:   No 
   Server build ID:   5454412 
   Server version:   313.5 

   Ark Logs show the absence of a full start:

   [2020.08.29-20.24.27:740][  0]ARK Version: 313.5
   [2020.08.29-20.24.27:740][  0]PID: 13447
   [Random Warnings]

   Instead of this:

   [2020.08.28-03.22.44:384][  0]ARK Version: 313.5
   [2020.08.28-03.22.44:384][  0]PID: 12287
   [Random Warnings]
   [2020.08.28-03.23.09:920][  0]Primal Game Data Took 24.93 seconds
   [2020.08.28-03.23.12:460][  0]SteamSocketsOpenSource: gethostname failed ()
   [2020.08.28-03.23.12:460][  0]gethostbyname failed ()
   [2020.08.28-03.23.24:100][  0]Server Initializing with BattlEye Anti-Cheat Protection. If you do not wish to use BattlEye, please launch with -NoBattlEye
   [2020.08.28-03.23.24:101][  0]BattlEye successfully started.
   [2020.08.28-03.23.24:102][  0]bEnableMeshBitingProtection is True
   [2020.08.28-03.23.48:344][  0]Server: "XXXXX" has successfully started!
   [2020.08.28-03.23.57:683][  0]Commandline:  "TheIsland?RCONEnabled=True?RCONPort=32330?SessionName=XXXXXX?Port=7778?QueryPort=27015?ServerPassword=XXXX?ServerAdminPassword=XXXXXX?MaxPlayers=70?ServerPVE=False?allowThirdPersonPlayer=0?alwaysNotifyPlayerJoined=1?alwaysNotifyPlayerLeft=1?bAllowFlyerCarryPvE=1?DayCycleSpeedScale=0.5?DayTimeSpeedScale=0.75?NightTimeSpeedScale=1.5?ShowMapPlayerLocation=true?DifficultyOffset=1.00000?OverrideOfficialDifficulty=6.0?TamingSpeedMultiplier=1?PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=0.75?PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=0.75?PlayerCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier=4?DinoCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier=10?HarvestHealthMultiplier=4?HarvestAmountMultiplier=2?ResourcesRespawnPeriodMultiplier=20?ItemStackSizeMultiplier=1.5?Banlist=http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt?kickIdlePlayersPeriod=1800?ShowFloatingDamageText=true?Duration=10?Message=High AF?ShowMapPlayerLocation=true?ClampItemStats=true?ItemStatClamps[1]=19800?ItemStatClamps[3]=19800?AllowAnyoneBabyImprintCuddle=true?ShowFloatingDamageText=true?DinoDamageMultiplier=1.20?DinoResistanceMultiplier=0.80?RandomSupplyCratePoints=true?ItemStatClamps?listen" -crossplay -crossplay
   [2020.08.28-03.23.57:683][  0]Full Startup: 74.40 seconds (BP compile: 0.00 seconds)
   [2020.08.28-03.23.57:683][  0]Number of cores 1

   This also returns no results: /ARK/ShooterGame/Saved$ grep 731604991 -r .

and /var/log/arktools/arkserver.log shows this:

2020-08-29 22:24:43: [main] 2020-08-29 22:24:43: start
2020-08-29 22:24:43: [main] 2020-08-29 22:24:43: Running /home/XXXX/ARK/ShooterGame/Binaries/Linux/ShooterGameServer TheIsland\?RCONEnabled=True\?RCONPort=32330\?SessionName=Testy\ Boy\?Port=7778\?QueryPort=27015\?ServerPassword=XXXX\?ServerAdminPassword=XXXXX\?MaxPlayers=70\?ServerPVE=False\?GameModIds=731604991\,731604991\?allowThirdPersonPlayer=0\?alwaysNotifyPlayerJoined=1\?alwaysNotifyPlayerLeft=1\?bAllowFlyerCarryPvE=1\?DayCycleSpeedScale=0.5\?DayTimeSpeedScale=0.75\?NightTimeSpeedScale=1.5\?ShowMapPlayerLocation=true\?DifficultyOffset=1.00000\?OverrideOfficialDifficulty=6.0\?TamingSpeedMultiplier=1\?PlayerCharacterWaterDrainMultiplier=0.75\?PlayerCharacterFoodDrainMultiplier=0.75\?PlayerCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier=4\?DinoCharacterHealthRecoveryMultiplier=10\?HarvestHealthMultiplier=4\?HarvestAmountMultiplier=2\?ResourcesRespawnPeriodMultiplier=20\?ItemStackSizeMultiplier=1.5\?Banlist=http://arkdedicated.com/banlist.txt\?kickIdlePlayersPeriod=1800\?ShowFloatingDamageText=true\?Duration=10\?Message=High\ AF\?ShowMapPlayerLocation=true\?ClampItemStats=true\?ItemStatClamps\[1\]=19800\?ItemStatClamps\[3\]=19800\?AllowAnyoneBabyImprintCuddle=true\?ShowFloatingDamageText=true\?DinoDamageMultiplier=1.20\?DinoResistanceMultiplier=0.80\?RandomSupplyCratePoints=true\?ItemStatClamps\?listen
2020-08-29 22:24:43: [main] 2020-08-29 22:24:43: Server PID: 21244
2020-08-29 22:24:44: [main] [S_API FAIL] SteamAPI_Init() failed; SteamAPI_IsSteamRunning() failed.
2020-08-29 22:24:44: [main] Setting breakpad minidump AppID = 346110
2020-08-29 22:24:46: [main] /usr/local/bin/arkmanager: line 1189: 18831 Killed                  "$arkserverroot/$arkserverexec" "$arkserveropts" "${arkextraopts[@]}"

[TheInternetIsReal]

I realized I needed to run arkmanager enablemods 731604991 (jesus christ, way too many steps to enable a mod but that's a different issue), but it's still hanging. This: /etc/arkmanager/instances/main.cfg now has this: arkmod_731604991=game but the game still crashes and there is no sign of: ActiveMods=731604991 existing in: /ARK/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini

[TheInternetIsReal]

I finally tried manually settings ActiveMods=731604991 in /ARK/ShooterGame/Saved/Config/LinuxServer/GameUserSettings.ini and the same hang occurs. Looks like it might be an ark and structures+ issue due some unknown reason atm.

If I removed the mod files and leave the ActiveMods= line in, the server starts as well. Must be a mod issue?

[klightspeed]

Does it still occur if you remove the 731604991 directory in the mods directory, and use the server's -automanagedmods option (either using arkflag_automanagedmods=true in the arkmanager config, or using --arkopt,-automanagedmods when running arkmanager) to update the mods, does it still crash?

[TheInternetIsReal]

@klightspeed I just fixed it. I didn't realize S+ was abandoned. It didn't say that anywhere on its steam page. Anyways, this is the new fork/replacement: and it works: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1999447172.

It would be nice to know "why" ark crashed in the logging but I'm not sure if that's possible in any way.

[klightspeed]

It would be nice to know "why" ark crashed in the logging but I'm not sure if that's possible in any way.

Ask Wildcard for better logging for their server?

[TheInternetIsReal]

Well, to get some use of out this here is a request: Is it possible to use one command to install and enable mods? Say, installmod also enables by default and warns the user to disable it if that's what they didn't want (which I doubt is very often).