This guide covers how to install the Oxide/uMod or Carbon modding framework on your Rust server, add community plugins, and manage them via the console. For general server configuration and startup variables, see the Rust Server Configuration Guide.

Installing Oxide/uMod or Carbon

Oxide (now maintained as uMod) and Carbon are modding frameworks for Rust that allow you to install community-built plugins. These frameworks add features such as economy systems, custom kits, vote rewards, PvE protection zones, and much more.

You do not need to upload any files manually. The modding framework is installed automatically by setting a single startup variable:

1. Stop your server from the GPanel Console tab.
2. Log in to GPanel and go to the Startup tab.
3. Find the FRAMEWORK variable and set it to:
   • oxide — for Oxide/uMod (the most widely used framework, with the largest plugin library)
   • carbon — for the Carbon framework (an alternative with its own plugin ecosystem)
   • vanilla — to run without any modding framework
4. Start the server. The framework files are downloaded and applied automatically. On first start with Oxide, the oxide/ directory structure is generated.
5. Check the console log for a line such as Loaded plugin Oxide.Core to confirm Oxide is active.

Installing Plugins

Plugins are distributed as .cs (C# source) files. Oxide compiles them on the server at runtime — no pre-compilation is required.

1. Download the plugin .cs file from umod.org or another trusted source.
2. Upload the .cs file to the oxide/plugins/ directory on your server using SFTP or the GPanel file manager. For help with SFTP, see How to Upload Files via SFTP.
3. If the server is running, the plugin will be detected and compiled automatically within a few seconds. You will see output in the console confirming it loaded, e.g. Loaded plugin MyPlugin v1.2.3 by Author.
4. If the server is not running, the plugin will load on next startup.

Oxide Directory Structure

oxide/
  plugins/
    MyPlugin.cs       <- place plugin files here
    AnotherPlugin.cs
  config/             <- auto-generated plugin config files
  data/               <- plugin data files
  logs/               <- plugin log files

Configuring Plugins

Most plugins generate a JSON configuration file in oxide/config/ the first time they load. To customise a plugin:

1. Let the plugin load at least once so it generates its default config file.
2. Stop your server (or note that some plugins support live config reload).
3. Open the plugin's config file in oxide/config/PluginName.json using the GPanel file manager or SFTP.
4. Edit the settings and save the file.
5. Reload the plugin with oxide.reload PluginName or restart the server.

Managing Plugins via Console

These commands can be run from the GPanel console or via an RCON client. For RCON setup, see Rust RCON Access and Admin Commands.

Updating Plugins

To update a plugin to a newer version:

1. Download the updated .cs file from the plugin's page on umod.org.
2. Upload the new file to oxide/plugins/, overwriting the existing file.
3. If the server is running, Oxide detects the file change and automatically recompiles and reloads the plugin. Alternatively, run oxide.reload PluginName.
4. Check the console for any errors. Some plugin updates may require changes to the config file in oxide/config/.

Removing Plugins

To remove a plugin entirely:

1. Run oxide.unload PluginName to unload the plugin while the server is running.
2. Delete the .cs file from oxide/plugins/.
3. Optionally delete the plugin's config file from oxide/config/ and data files from oxide/data/ if you no longer need them.

Popular Plugins

Troubleshooting Plugin Issues

If your plugins are not loading, check the following:

• Confirm Oxide is installed and active. In GPanel's Startup tab, the FRAMEWORK variable must be set to oxide. The console log should show Loaded plugin Oxide.Core during startup.
• Plugin files must be placed directly in oxide/plugins/ with the exact .cs extension. Files in subdirectories or with wrong extensions are ignored.
• Check the console and oxide/logs/ for compilation errors. A plugin with a syntax error will fail to load and the error message will describe the issue.
• Some plugins have dependencies on other plugins (e.g. many shop plugins require Economics). Install all required dependencies first.

For other common server issues, see Rust Server Troubleshooting.

Need Help?

If you run into an issue not covered in this guide, our support team is available to help. Submit a support ticket and include your server ID, a description of the issue, and any relevant console output.