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Garry's Mod Content Packs

Garry's Mod Guide • Updated Jan 19, 2026

Garry's Mod Content Packs Guide

Essential content packs needed for proper Garry's Mod server functionality.

Why Content Packs Are Needed

Many Garry's Mod maps and addons use content from other Source games. Without these, players see "ERROR" models and missing textures.

Essential Content Packs

Counter-Strike: Source

The most critical content pack. Required for many maps and weapons.

AppID: 240 Mount: cstrike

Team Fortress 2

Provides models, materials, and sounds used by many addons.

AppID: 440 Mount: tf

Half-Life 2 Episodes

Half-Life 2: Episode One - AppID: 380, Mount: episodic Half-Life 2: Episode Two - AppID: 420, Mount: ep2

Portal 2

AppID: 620 Mount: portal2

Installing Content Packs via SteamCMD

Automated Installation

Download games via SteamCMD and mount them automatically:

login anonymous force_install_dir /path/to/gmod_server app_update 4020 validate # Garry's Mod app_update 240 validate # CS:S app_update 440 validate # TF2 app_update 420 validate # Episode Two app_update 380 validate # Episode One

Mount Configuration

Create garrysmod/cfg/mount.cfg:

"mountcfg" { "cstrike" "1" "tf" "1" "ep2" "1" "episodic" "1" "portal2" "1" }

Manual Content Installation

Extracting Content

If you own the games on Steam, you can extract content manually:

1. Install game on your computer 2. Navigate to game folder (e.g., ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Counter-Strike Source\cstrike\) 3. Copy contents to garrysmod/materials/, models/, sound/ 4. Organize by folder structure

Using Workshop Content Packs

Some content packs are available on Steam Workshop:

  • CS:S Content (Workshop ID: 183386500)
  • TF2 Content (Various workshop items)
  • HL2 Content (Various workshop items)

Content Mounting Explained

Mounting tells Garry's Mod to load content from another game folder:

  • Mounted content: Server loads assets from other games
  • Client requirement: Players don't need to own the game
  • Download: Content transfers to players as needed

Troubleshooting

Missing Content Errors

Error: Can't open materials/... Error: Can't open models/...

Solutions:

  • Verify content pack is properly installed
  • Check mount.cfg syntax
  • Ensure file paths are correct
  • Restart server after installing content

Download Issues

Players experiencing slow downloads:

  • Increase net_maxfilesize in server.cfg
  • Use fast download server
  • Compress content with .bz2

Fast Download Setup

Set up a web server for faster content downloads:

sv_downloadurl "http://yourdomain.com/gmod/"

Copy garrysmod/ folder to your web server.

Note: Content from mounted games is automatically downloaded to players when they connect to your server.

Additional Resources

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