Rust mods: how to install Oxide plugins on your server

Rust mods run on Oxide (uMod). Install the framework in the server root, drop the .cs plugins into oxide/plugins, tweak their settings in oxide/config, then hand out rights with oxide.grant. After every force wipe, update Rust first, then Oxide. On Fly-Serv, Oxide installs in one click.

Here is the whole procedure in order, with the exact folders and commands to copy.

In brief

• Oxide is the framework. Rust mods are C# plugins (.cs) that the server compiles itself.
• Plugins go in oxide/plugins and load on the fly, with no restart.
• Without a permission, most plugin commands reply "You don't have permission". Give permissions to a group, not to players one by one.
• After a force wipe, the order is: backup, Rust update, Oxide update, plugin check.
• Players don't install anything on their side.

Oxide, uMod and plugins: what to know before you start

Oxide, now sold under the uMod brand, is the framework you add to a Rust server so that it can load extensions. The plugins are .cs files that the server compiles when it loads them. Oxide relies on Harmony, the code-patching library it ships with. This guide sticks to Oxide, because it is the one almost every tutorial assumes.

Everything happens server-side. Your players join with the normal game and download nothing.

Tags describe your server in the browser and are set through the server.tags variable. The official Facepunch tag list gives the accepted values. Oxide flags the server as modded by default ("Modded": true in oxide/oxide.config.json). Leave that value alone: kits, teleports and gather-rate changes all alter the gameplay.

How do you install Oxide/uMod on a Rust server?

There are two routes: one click in a panel, or the manual procedure.

One click from FlyPanel

Open FlyPanel, go to the mods and frameworks section, pick Oxide/uMod, install it, then restart the server. Next, open the live console: the Oxide loading line should appear, and the oxide/ folder should exist in your files.

When you order, you also set the seed, the map size and up to 200 players. It all lives on the Rust Server Hosting: Rent your Rust server from €8.99/mo page.

Manual installation (dedicated server or VPS)

If you run your own machine or a Pterodactyl VPS, here is the routine:

1. Stop the server.
2. Update RustDedicated (Steam app 258550) with SteamCMD:

   ./steamcmd.sh +force_install_dir /srv/rust +login anonymous +app_update 258550 validate +quit
   

3. Download the Oxide.Rust build for your operating system (Windows or Linux) from the Rust page on umod.org, the official repository.
4. Extract the archive into the server root and agree to overwrite the files in RustDedicated_Data/Managed.
5. Restart, then type oxide.version in the console.

The classic mistake is a Windows build dropped onto a Linux server. The server starts, but Oxide never loads.

Where do you put Rust mods? The Oxide plugin folders

On first start, Oxide creates its folder tree next to the executable:

Folder	Contents
oxide/plugins	The .cs plugins: this is where you drop your files
oxide/config	The .json settings, generated the first time a plugin loads
oxide/data	Persistent data (kits, clans, homes and so on)
oxide/lang	Translations, handy for switching a plugin into your players' language
oxide/logs	Oxide's logs and error reports

Loading happens on the fly: drop the file in and the plugin compiles and starts without a restart. To drive everything from the console:

oxide.plugins
oxide.load PluginName
oxide.unload PluginName
oxide.reload PluginName

To change a setting, edit the .json in oxide/config, then run oxide.reload. Never edit the .cs itself, because your change would vanish with the plugin's next update. When a plugin refuses to start, the console shows a compilation error, and the detail is in oxide/logs.

How do you give permissions to Oxide plugins?

A permission is a label (kits.use, for example) that you attach to a player or a group. Oxide provides at least the default group (every player) and admin. The cleanest method is to create groups, give them the permissions, then put players in them.

oxide.grant user 76561198000000000 kits.use
oxide.grant group default kits.use
oxide.revoke group default kits.use
oxide.group add vip
oxide.usergroup add 76561198000000000 vip
oxide.show perms
oxide.show user 76561198000000000

Use the SteamID64 rather than the username, which is easy to get wrong. The o. alias works too (o.grant).

Take a concrete case: a starter kit for everyone and a VIP kit for a handful of players. Give kits.use to the default group, create the vip group, assign it the VIP kit permission, then add your players with oxide.usergroup add. Removing a VIP takes a single command.

Don't confuse these with ownerid and moderatorid. Those are native Rust commands that grant in-game admin rights, not plugin permissions. The exact name of a permission is on the plugin's page, in the .cs file (search for RegisterPermission) or via oxide.show perms.

Why do Rust mods stop working after a force wipe?

The force wipe lands on the first Thursday of the month, with Facepunch's monthly update. According to the wipe tracker, it goes live at 7 pm UK time. Facepunch is a UK studio, so the update follows UK clock time, in summer and winter alike.

The update replaces the game files that Oxide had modified. The result: Oxide is no longer loaded, or no longer compatible with the new version. On top of that, you have to wait for the matching Oxide build to be published, and that doesn't always come out at the same moment as the patch.

The symptoms rarely vary: no Oxide line at startup, unknown oxide.* commands, or plugins throwing errors after an API change.

The wipe erases the map. Blueprints depend on your configuration. As for oxide/data, each plugin decides: some purge their data at wipe, others keep it.

How do you update Oxide after a Rust update?

Follow this order and don't skip steps:

1. Back up oxide/config, oxide/data and the map. On Fly-Serv, the Backup option costs +€1.99/month; see the pricing and options (Backup, advanced Anti-DDoS).
2. Update Rust. On a manual setup, run app_update 258550 validate again, which also restores the original files.
3. Reinstall or update Oxide: one click in FlyPanel, or the latest Oxide.Rust build extracted into the root.
4. Update the plugins flagged with errors.
5. Read the console, then test your key commands (kit, teleport) before you open the doors to players.

Don't announce the reopening for 7 pm sharp: leave a margin for stubborn plugins. Wipe nights also attract attacks, which is why Anti-DDoS protection comes included.

Good habits for a stable modded Rust server

• Add plugins one at a time, watching the console each time.
• Avoid overlapping features: two teleport plugins always end up treading on each other.
• Keep an eye on CPU load. Rust leans mostly on a single core and every plugin has a cost; the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and its V-Cache help you keep up.
• Keep a copy of oxide/config and oxide/data.

To pick your plugins, see the best mods for a Rust server. If you also run a survival server on another game, here is how to install mods on a DayZ server.

Frequently asked questions

Do players need to install mods to join a modded Rust server?

No. Oxide plugins work on the server side only. Players connect with the normal game and download nothing.

Does a Rust server running Oxide appear in the Modded category?

Not automatically. The tags shown for your server depend on the server.tags variable you set; see the official Facepunch tag list.

Do I need to restart the server after adding an Oxide plugin?

No. Drop the .cs file into oxide/plugins and it loads on the fly. To apply a modified setting, oxide.reload PluginName is enough.

Are uMod plugins for Rust free?

Many plugins in the official uMod repository are free, but some are paid. You only pay for your server hosting, unless you choose a paid plugin.

Is Oxide the only mod framework you can use on a Rust server?

On Fly-Serv, Oxide/uMod is the framework offered in one click in FlyPanel. It is also the oldest, with the most documentation and the largest choice of plugins.

Is plugin data wiped at a force wipe?

Not automatically. The wipe erases the map, but oxide/data depends on each plugin. Some purge their data at wipe, others keep it: read their documentation and back up first.

Launch your modded Rust server tonight

Before your next wipe, do a dry run: install Oxide, add a single plugin, give its permission to a group and test the command. On the first Thursday of the month, you will know how to read your console and react quickly.

For that, Rust Server Hosting: Rent your Rust server from €8.99/mo has everything you need. Oxide/uMod installs in one click, the live console and logs point to the faulty plugin, and Anti-DDoS is included. Delivery takes under 60 seconds, with no commitment. We'll handle the rest.