Rust
Installing plugins is the gateway to your entire Rust modding ecosystem. Almost every plugin tutorial references "install Oxide first," as it is the foundation required for custom features to function on your server.
Oxide vs. Carbon: Which Should You Choose?
Before installing plugins, you need to select a modding framework. You can only have one active at a time, as they cannot be installed together.
- Oxide (uMod): The older, more stable option with the largest established plugin library. It is the absolute industry standard for Rust modding.
- Carbon: A newer, highly optimized alternative. It runs faster, includes a built-in admin panel in-game, and is fully backwards compatible with almost all standard Oxide plugins.
Step 1: Enable Your Framework
You can easily enable Oxide or Carbon directly from your MintServers panel.
- Log into your MintServers game panel and select your Rust server.
- Navigate to the Game Settings tab on the left-hand sidebar.
- Find the Modding Framework option and change it to your preferred choice (Oxide or Carbon).
- Ensure the Regen Server option is disabled so your map is not wiped.
- Go to the Settings tab and click Reinstall Server to apply the framework files.
To verify the installation worked perfectly, go to your Console tab and type oxide.version. The console will reply with the currently installed version number.
Step 2: Install Your Plugins
Method A: Using the Plugin Installer
The easiest way to add plugins is through our built-in tool.
- Navigate to the Rust Plugins tab on your panel sidebar.
- Select the plugins you want to add and click install.
- Restart your server to load them into the game.
Method B: Manual Installation
If you downloaded a custom plugin from a developer website, you can upload it manually.
- In the panel sidebar, go to the Files tab.
- Navigate to the /oxide/plugins/ directory.
- Upload your plugin files (these usually end in .cs) directly into this folder.
- Check if the plugin loaded correctly by typing o.plugins into the server console.
Installing Oxide Extensions (.dll Files)
Some plugins need an Oxide extension to work. Extensions are .dll files named like Oxide.Ext.Discord.dll or Oxide.Ext.RustEdit.dll, and the plugin's download page will say if one is required.
Extensions don't go in your plugins folder. Oxide only loads .cs files from /oxide/plugins/, so a .dll placed there is ignored.
- Stop your server from your MintServers panel.
- Go to the Files tab and navigate to the Managed folder. Follow this path:
- Upload the extension's
.dllfile directly into the Managed folder. - Start your server. Extensions only load when the server boots, so a full restart is required. Watch the Console tab for a Loaded extension line with your extension's name to confirm it worked.
📁 RustDedicated_Data
📁 Managed
The Managed folder also holds Rust's and Oxide's own core files. Upload your extension alongside them, and don't delete, rename, or overwrite anything else in there, or your server may fail to start.
Step 3: Configuring Plugins
Most plugins will generate a configuration file after they are loaded for the first time.
- Go to your Files tab and navigate to the /oxide/config/ directory.
- Find the .json file matching your plugin and click to edit it.
- Save your changes and restart the server, or use the console command oxide.reload PluginName to apply the changes live without restarting.