diff --git a/modserver/globals.sh b/modserver/globals.sh
index d731057..8daff50 100644
--- a/modserver/globals.sh
+++ b/modserver/globals.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,45 @@ die() {
 	errmsg "$*"
 	exit 1
 }
+isnum() {
+	case $1 in
+		''|*[!0-9]*)
+			exit 1
+			;;
+		*)
+			exit 0
+	esac
+}
+isempty() {
+	for arg in "$@" ; do
+		# exit in error if file
+		if [ -f "$arg" ] ; then
+			exit 1
+		elif [ -L "$arg" ] ; then
+			# if is a symlink, check what it points to
+			# note: this only checks one-link level deep
+			if [ -d "$(readlink "$arg")" ] ; then
+				exit 0
+			else
+				exit 1
+			fi
+		elif [ -d "$arg" ] ; then
+			:
+		else
+			# is not a directory or a link to a directory
+			exit 1
+		fi
+
+		# there should be a way to make this be builtins only
+		# using printf and glob expansions, look into later
+		if /bin/rmdir "$arg" 2>/dev/null ; then
+			/bin/mkdir -p "$arg"
+			exit 0
+		else
+			exit 1
+		fi
+	done
+}
 mount_dayz_network_drive() {
 	if ! is_network_drive_mounted ; then
 		sudo mkdir -p /mnt/dayz
diff --git a/modserver/old/update.sh b/modserver/old/update.sh
index 8bdb1c1..e998e42 100644
--- a/modserver/old/update.sh
+++ b/modserver/old/update.sh
@@ -29,53 +29,53 @@
 # }
 
 # args: $1=server_name
-update_mods() {
-	MODS_FILE="$HOME/modlists/$1"
-	REMOTE_MODS_DIR="/mnt/dayz/mods/${1%.txt}"
-	mkdir -p "$REMOTE_MODS_DIR"
+# update_mods() {
+	# MODS_FILE="$HOME/modlists/$1"
+	# REMOTE_MODS_DIR="/mnt/dayz/mods/${1%.txt}"
+	# mkdir -p "$REMOTE_MODS_DIR"
 
-	tempfile=/tmp/mods-to-download.txt
-	:> "$tempfile"
+	# tempfile=/tmp/mods-to-download.txt
+	# :> "$tempfile"
 
-	while read -r mod ; do
-		# skip comments, blank lines
-		case "$mod" in
-			\#*|'')
-				;;
-			*)
-				mod=${mod%%^*}
-				printf "+workshop_download_item $DAYZ_GAME_ID %s\n" "$mod" >> "$tempfile"
-				mkdir -p "$LOCAL_MODS_DIR/$mod"
-		esac
-	done < "$MODS_FILE"
+	# while read -r mod ; do
+	# 	# skip comments, blank lines
+	# 	case "$mod" in
+	# 		\#*|'')
+	# 			;;
+	# 		*)
+	# 			mod=${mod%%^*}
+	# 			printf "+workshop_download_item $DAYZ_GAME_ID %s\n" "$mod" >> "$tempfile"
+	# 			mkdir -p "$LOCAL_MODS_DIR/$mod"
+	# 	esac
+	# done < "$MODS_FILE"
 
-	msg "----------- DOWNLOAD MODS -------------"
-	steamcmd -tcp +login "$STEAM_USER" $(cat "$tempfile" | xargs) +quit || exit 1
-	msg "----------- RENAMING MODS -------------"
+	# msg "----------- DOWNLOAD MODS -------------"
+	# steamcmd -tcp +login "$STEAM_USER" $(cat "$tempfile" | xargs) +quit || exit 1
+	# msg "----------- RENAMING MODS -------------"
 
-	rm -rf "$HOME/mods_to_copy" 2>/dev/null ||:
-	mkdir -p "$HOME/mods_to_copy"
+	# rm -rf "$HOME/mods_to_copy" 2>/dev/null ||:
+	# mkdir -p "$HOME/mods_to_copy"
 
-	:> "$HOME/mods_to_copy/mods.txt"
-	while read -r mod ; do
-		# skip comments, blank lines
-		case "$mod" in
-			\#*|'')
-				;;
-			*)
-				mod_id=${mod%%^*}
-				mod_name=${mod##*^}
-				do_sync "$LOCAL_MODS_DIR/$mod_id"/ "$HOME/mods_to_copy/@${mod_name}"
-				printf '@%s\n' "$mod_name" >> "$HOME/mods_to_copy/mods.txt"
-		esac
-	done < "$MODS_FILE"
+	# :> "$HOME/mods_to_copy/mods.txt"
+	# while read -r mod ; do
+	# 	# skip comments, blank lines
+	# 	case "$mod" in
+	# 		\#*|'')
+	# 			;;
+	# 		*)
+	# 			mod_id=${mod%%^*}
+	# 			mod_name=${mod##*^}
+	# 			do_sync "$LOCAL_MODS_DIR/$mod_id"/ "$HOME/mods_to_copy/@${mod_name}"
+	# 			printf '@%s\n' "$mod_name" >> "$HOME/mods_to_copy/mods.txt"
+	# 	esac
+	# done < "$MODS_FILE"
 
-	msg "----------- SYNCING MODS -------------"
-	do_sync "$HOME/mods_to_copy"/ "$REMOTE_MODS_DIR"
+	# msg "----------- SYNCING MODS -------------"
+	# do_sync "$HOME/mods_to_copy"/ "$REMOTE_MODS_DIR"
 
-	rm "$tempfile" 2>/dev/null ||:
-	rm -rf "$HOME/mods_to_copy" 2>/dev/null ||:
-}
+	# rm "$tempfile" 2>/dev/null ||:
+	# rm -rf "$HOME/mods_to_copy" 2>/dev/null ||:
+# }
 
 update_stock_maps() {
 	msg "----------- UPDATING MAPS -------------"
diff --git a/modserver/update_mods.sh b/modserver/update_mods.sh
index 10a99a6..b094952 100644
--- a/modserver/update_mods.sh
+++ b/modserver/update_mods.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
 # shellcheck disable=1090,2034,2011
+#
+# "should check code directly not $?"
+# shellcheck disable=2181
 # ---------------------------------------------------
 
 # ===================================================
@@ -25,6 +28,7 @@ export MODLISTS="$PWD/modlists"
 export LOCAL_STOCK="$HOME/stock/DayZ"
 export LOCAL_STOCK_GAME="$LOCAL_STOCK/DayZ"
 export LOCAL_STOCK_SERVER="$LOCAL_STOCK/DayZServer"
+export LOCAL_STOCK_MODS="$LOCAL_STOCK/mods"
 
 # ===================================================
 # 03. Mount network drive
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ fi
 # ===================================================
 # 04. Checks
 # ===================================================
-mkdir -p "$LOCAL_STOCK_GAME" "$LOCAL_STOCK_SERVER"
+mkdir -p "$LOCAL_STOCK_GAME" "$LOCAL_STOCK_SERVER" "$LOCAL_STOCK_MODS"
 
 if [ "$USER" != "$STEAMCMD_USER" ] ; then
     die "Current user: '$USER' does not match '$STEAMCMD_USER'"
@@ -93,13 +97,13 @@ update_game() {
 
 # args: $1 = server_modlist.txt to update
 update_mods_for_server() {
-    MODS_FILE="$MODLISTS/$1"
-    REMOTE_MODS_DIR="$REMOTE_MODS_DIR/${1%.txt}"
-    mkdir -p "$REMOTE_MODS_DIR/${1%.txt}"
+    mods_file="$MODLISTS/$1"
+    map_name=${1%.txt}
+    mkdir -p "$REMOTE_MODS/$map_name"
 
     # Create temporary file to list all the mod_id's we are
     # going to download. This speeds up steamcmd and avoids rate limits.
-    tempfile=/tmp/mods-to-download.txt
+    tempfile="/tmp/$map_name-mods_to_download.txt"
     :> "$tempfile"
 
     # load the server_modlist.txt, copying the mod id's we need to update
@@ -113,20 +117,69 @@ update_mods_for_server() {
     #
     while read -r mod ; do
         case "$mod" in
-            \#*|'')
+            \#*|''|' ')
                 ;;
             *)
                 mod=${mod%%^*}
-		if [ -z "$mod" ] ; then
-		    die "mod for $server appears to be empty - syntax error"
-		fi
-		printf "+workshop_download_item $DAYZ_GAME_ID %s\n" "$mod" >> "$tempfile"
-		mkdir -p "$LOCAL_MODS_DIR/$mod"
-	esac
-    done < "$MODS_FILE"
 
-    rm "$tempfile" 2>/dev/null ||:
-    unset tempfile mod
+		# check validity of syntax
+		if [ -z "$mod" ] ; then
+		    die "mod for $map_name appears to be empty - syntax error"
+		fi
+		if ! isnum "$mod" ; then
+		    die "mod $mod for $map_name does not appear to be a number"
+		fi
+
+		printf "%s\n" "$mod" >> "$tempfile"
+		mkdir -p "$LOCAL_STOCK_MODS/$mod"
+	esac
+    done <"$mods_file"
+    unset mod
+
+    msg "----------- DOWNLOADING MODS -------------"
+    # shellcheck disable=2046
+    steamcmd \
+	-tcp \
+        +force_install_dir "$LOCAL_MODS_DIR" \
+        +@sSteamCmdForcePlatformType windows \
+        +@ShutdownOnFailedCommand 1 \
+	+login "$STEAM_USER" \
+	+workshop_download_item \
+	"$DAYZ_GAME_ID" \
+	$(xargs < "$tempfile") \
+	+quit
+
+    msg "exiting - test"
+    exit 1
+
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ] ; then
+	die "Problem downloading mods for $map_name"
+    fi
+
+    msg "------------ RENAMING MODS -------------"
+    mods_to_copy="$LOCAL_STOCK_MODS/mods_to_copy"
+    rm -rf "$mods_to_copy" 2>/dev/null ||:
+    mkdir -p "$mods_to_copy"
+
+    :> "$mods_to_copy/mods.txt"
+    while read -r mod ; do
+	# skip comments, blank lines
+	case "$mod" in
+	    \#*|''|' ')
+		    ;;
+	    *)
+		mod_id=${mod%%^*}
+		mod_name=${mod##*^}
+		do_sync "$LOCAL_STOCK_MODS/$mod_id"/ "$mods_to_copy/@${mod_name}"
+		printf '@%s\n' "$mod_name" >> "$mods_to_copy/mods.txt"
+	esac
+    done < "$mods_file"
+
+    msg "----------- SYNCING MODS -------------"
+    do_sync "$mods_to_copy"/ "$REMOTE_MODS"
+
+    rm -f "$tempfile" 2>/dev/null ||:
+    unset tempfile mod map_name mods_file mods_to_copy mod_name mod_id
 }
 
 main() {