How to become admin in your ECO server

To assign yourself as admin in Eco, you'll need to create configuration file on the server called Users.eco.

This file will not normally exist on a fresh install of the game Eco, but they do provide a "template" file that can be copied and altered. This template file contains all the .json code needed for the working config file you will need to create.

Finding the Users.eco file

Head to the File Manager and into the Configs directory. Once in the "Configs" folder, find the file Users.eco.template.

Preparing the Users.eco file

We HIGHLY recommend that the User.eco.template file not be directly edited. Make a copy of it, and edit that. This file is in .json format, and there are very precise rules for the formatting inside a .json file. It's very easy to make a mistake, and if you leave the User.eco.template file, you can always make another copy of it and start over again.

To make a copy easily, select the file by clicking the box to the left of it's name. Then click the "Copy" button near the top of the file manager window. In the white box that appears above the file manager, select "up one folder." Then just move up one folder in the file manager, and there will be the new copy of Users.eco.template ready to be edited.

Alternately, you can just download the file and edit it on your own home computer, then re-upload (but this actually takes longer then just moving the file).

Editing the Users.eco file

Next, you will need to edit the file and add the Steam64IDs of any players you wish to be admin.

Select the file by clicking the box to the left of it's name, and then click on the "Edit" button at the top edge of the file manager. This will open up a text editor, and display what's inside the file.

Inside the copy of Users.eco.template, you should see something like this:

{
	"UseWaste": false,
	"RequireAuthentication": true,
	"AllowDebugCalls": false,
	"WhiteList": {
		"System.String": {
			"$type": "System.Collections.Generic.List`1[[System.String, mscorlib]], mscorlib",
			"$values": []
		}
	},
	"BlackList": {
		"System.String": {
			"$type": "System.Collections.Generic.List`1[[System.String, mscorlib]], mscorlib",
			"$values": []
		}
	},
	"Admins": {
		"System.String": {
			"$type": "System.Collections.Generic.List`1[[System.String, mscorlib]], mscorlib",
			"$values": []
		}
	},
	...

Adding admins to the Users.eco file

Under the Admins section, inside the $values array, you'll need to add your SteamID 64 value. For example:

"Admins": {
	"System.String": {
		"$type": "System.Collections.Generic.List`1[[System.String, mscorlib]], mscorlib",
		"$values": [
			"STEAMID64"
		]
	}
}

If you are adding more then one person as admin, place a comma after the first Steam64ID. You won't need a comma after the last one in the list. If you added three admins to the "$values" array, it would look something like below.

		"$values": [
			"STEAMID64",
			"STEAMID64",
			"STEAMID64"
		]

Validating the .json Syntax

We recommend running this file through a .json parser before saving on your server, as any invalid syntax will cause the server to crash on startup. This step is optional though. There are numerous free parsers available online, as webpages. You just copy and paste the contents of the file into the website, and it will give you a pass or fail on the syntax. Use a search engine for "json parser" or "json validator." If the it fails the check, the parsers will often point out the location of the error (the capabilities of these parsers do vary though). It's often something really simple, like a missing comma, or bracket. Yes, .json is that picky about the formatting rules.

Finalise the Users.eco changes

In order to make the game actually load this file, the name needs to be changed from Users.eco.template to just Users.eco. The .template at the end of the file name will cause the game to completely ignore it unless it is changed.

The last step is to move the newly renamed Users.eco file back into the "Configs" folder. It only looks for files in "Configs", and will ignore them if placed in other folders.

If you downloaded the file to edit it on your own computer, then just re-upload it to the "Configs" folder.

Restart your server, and if the .json syntax is formatted correctly, it will set all the Steam64IDs in the list as admins!

If you need any assistance editing this file, don't hesitate to contact our support team!