Installation Guide

Complete guide to installing and configuring Nights Software resources on your FiveM server.

Table of contents

📋 Prerequisites
🚀 Standard Installation Process
🔧 Configuration Best Practices
🚨 Common Installation Issues
🔄 Update Process
1. Updating Existing Resources
2. Configuration Migration
🧪 Testing & Verification
1. Pre-Production Checklist
2. Testing Environment
📞 Support Resources
🔒 Security Considerations
📊 Performance Optimization
1. Resource Management
2. Server Optimization

📋 Prerequisites

Before installing any Nights Software resource, ensure you have:

✅ FiveM Server - Running and accessible
✅ Recommended Gamebuild: 3323
✅ Recommended Artifacts: 17000
✅ FTP Access - File transfer protocol, in binary transfer type mode, access to your server
✅ Server.cfg Access - Ability to modify server configuration
✅ Basic FiveM Knowledge - Understanding of resource management
✅ Discord Bot - For Discord-related resources (see Discord API)

🚀 Standard Installation Process

Step 1: Purchase & Download

Purchase the resource from Nights Software Store
Download paid resources via CFX Portal
Download free resources via the received e-mail (from Tebex) containing a download link.

Note: Resources may take a few minutes to appear in the CFX Portal after purchase.

Step 2: File Preparation

Download the ZIP file to your local machine
Extract the ZIP file to a temporary folder
Verify all files are present (config, fxmanifest.lua, etc.)

Step 3: File Transfer

Critical: Always use binary transfer mode to prevent file corruption!

Open your FTP client (FileZilla, WinSCP, etc.)
Set transfer mode to Binary
Navigate to your server’s resources folder
Upload the entire resource folder
Verify file permissions (usually 644 for files, 755 for folders)

Step 4: Server Configuration

Open your server.cfg file
Add the ensure line:
```
ensure resource_name
```
Save the configuration file

Step 5: Resource Configuration

Navigate to the resource’s config folder
Open config.lua in a text editor
Configure according to the resource’s documentation
Save the configuration file

Step 6: Server Restart

Restart your FiveM server
Check the txAdmin (server) console for any errors
Check F8 console for any errors
Verify the resource is running properly

🔧 Configuration Best Practices

File Transfer Protocol

FTP Client	Binary Mode Setting
FileZilla	Transfer → Transfer Type → Binary
WinSCP	Session → Preferences → Transfer → Binary

Server.cfg Organization

Organize your server.cfg for better maintainability:

# ========================================
# CORE RESOURCES
# ========================================
ensure oxmysql
ensure night_discordapi

# ========================================
# GAMEPLAY RESOURCES
# ========================================
ensure night_natural_disasters
ensure night_objectives
ensure night_garage_system

# ========================================
# UTILITY RESOURCES
# ========================================
ensure night_easy_zones
ensure night_loading_screen

Configuration File Structure

Most resources follow this or a similar structure:

resource_folder/
├── fxmanifest.lua
├── config/
│   └── config.lua
├── client/
│   └── client.lua
├── server/
│   └── server.lua
└── nui/
    └── images/

🚨 Common Installation Issues

Parsing Errors

Symptoms: Errors in F8 console about syntax or parsing Solution:

Ensure files were transferred in binary mode
Check for file corruption
Verify all files are present

Resource Not Found

Symptoms: “Resource not found” error in server console Solution:

Verify resource name in server.cfg matches folder name exactly
Check resource folder is in the correct location
Ensure fxmanifest.lua exists and is valid

Permission Errors

Symptoms: “Permission denied” or access errors Solution:

Set file permissions to 644 (files) and 755 (folders)
Check server user has read access to resource folder
Verify ownership of files

Dependency Errors

Symptoms: “Dependency not found” or missing exports Solution:

Install required dependencies first
Check load order in server.cfg
Verify dependency versions are compatible

🔄 Update Process

Updating Existing Resources

Backup your current configuration
Download the new version
Replace files (keep your config if compatible)
Test on a development server first
Update production server

Configuration Migration

When updating, check for:

New configuration options
Deprecated settings
Breaking changes in the changelog

🧪 Testing & Verification

Pre-Production Checklist

✅ Resource loads without errors
✅ All features work as expected
✅ Configuration is properly set
✅ Dependencies are satisfied
✅ Performance is acceptable
✅ No conflicts with other resources

Testing Environment

Recommended Setup:

Separate development server
Same configuration as production
Regular testing of new features

📞 Support Resources

Documentation

Resource-specific guides - Check individual resource pages
Video tutorials - Available on YouTube

Community Support

Discord Community - Join our Discord
Community Tutorials - User-created installation videos
Peer Support - Help from other server administrators

Professional Support

Store Support - Contact through Tebex store
Priority Support - Available for premium customers

🔒 Security Considerations

File Permissions

Set appropriate file permissions
Don’t expose sensitive configuration
Use environment variables for secrets

Configuration Security

Keep bot tokens secure
Don’t share configuration files publicly
Use strong passwords for database connections

Server Security

Keep FiveM server updated
Use firewall rules appropriately
Monitor server logs regularly

📊 Performance Optimization

Resource Management

Load only necessary resources
Monitor resource usage
Optimize configuration settings

Server Optimization

Adequate server specifications
Proper network configuration
Regular maintenance schedules