Rust Oxide/uMod Plugins Guide 2025

Oxide/uMod is the most popular plugin framework for Rust servers, enabling extensive customization through thousands of community plugins. This guide covers installation, configuration, and management of plugins to create unique server experiences.

Oxide/uMod Installation

Automatic Installation (Recommended)

# Download latest Oxide for Rust
wget https://umod.org/games/rust/download -O oxide.zip

# Extract to server directory
unzip oxide.zip -d /path/to/rust/server/

# Alternative: Use oxide.mod installer
./RustDedicated -oxide

# Verify installation
ls -la /path/to/rust/server/oxide/
ls -la /path/to/rust/server/oxide/plugins/

Windows Server Installation

1. Download oxide.zip from umod.org
2. Extract to Rust server root directory (where RustDedicated.exe is located)
3. Run server once to generate configuration files
4. Access Oxide web panel (if enabled) at http://server-ip:28016

Manual Installation

# Manual file placement
1. Copy Oxide.Rust.dll to /oxide/
2. Copy oxide directory structure:
   - /oxide/config/           # Configuration files
   - /oxide/data/             # Plugin data storage
   - /oxide/lang/             # Language files
   - /oxide/plugins/          # Plugin DLLs
   - /oxide/plugins/rust/     # Rust-specific plugins
   - /oxide/logs/             # Plugin logs

# Verify file structure
/path/to/rust/server/
├── RustDedicated.exe
├── oxide/
│   ├── Oxide.Rust.dll
│   ├── config/
│   ├── data/
│   ├── plugins/
│   └── logs/

Plugin Management

Finding and Installing Plugins

Using Oxide Plugin Manager (OPM)

# Install OPM (if not included)
curl -L https://github.com/OxideMod/OPM/releases/latest/download/opm -o opm
chmod +x opm

# Search for plugins
./opm search "economics"

# Install plugin
./opm install Economics

# Update all plugins
./opm update --all

# Remove plugin
./opm remove Economics

# List installed plugins
./opm list

Essential Plugin Categories

Economy & Shops

Plugin	Description	Configuration File
Economics	Complete economy system with currency	Economics.json
Shop UI	User-friendly shop interface	ShopUI.json
PlayerPoints	Reward points system	PlayerPoints.json
Vending Machines	Enhanced vending machine features	VendingMachine.json
ATM System	Banking and ATM functionality	ATM.json

Player Management

Plugin	Description	Key Features
Friends	Friend system with permissions	Share tools, build permissions
Clans	Clan system with territories	Clan wars, shared resources
Kits	Starter kits and reward kits	Timed kits, permission-based
Teleportation	TPA, home, and warp systems	Cooldowns, costs, permissions
Player Database	Enhanced player data tracking	Playtime, statistics, history

Server Enhancement

Plugin	Description	Performance Impact
AutoDoors	Automatic door opening/closing	Low
BetterChat	Enhanced chat features	Very Low
Death Notes	Combat logging and analytics	Low
Grid Spawn Manager	Control entity spawning	Medium
Heli Control	Customize helicopter behavior	Low

Plugin Configuration

Configuration File Structure

{
  "PluginSettings": {
    // Example: Economics plugin configuration
    "Economics": {
      "Settings": {
        "StartingBalance": 1000,
        "CurrencyName": "Scrap",
        "CurrencySymbol": "$",
        "EnableATM": true,
        "ATMCost": 100,
        "InterestEnabled": false,
        "InterestRate": 0.01,
        "InterestInterval": 86400,
        "PayDayAmount": 50,
        "PayDayInterval": 3600
      },
      "Permissions": {
        "economics.use": true,
        "economics.admin": "economics.admin",
        "economics.atm": "economics.atm"
      },
      "Messages": {
        "Balance": "Your balance: {0} {1}",
        "Paid": "You paid {0} {1} to {2}",
        "Received": "You received {0} {1} from {2}",
        "InsufficientFunds": "Insufficient funds!"
      }
    }
  }
}

Essential Configuration Files

1. oxide/config/oxide.json - Core Oxide configuration
2. oxide/config/oxide.lang - Language and message customization
3. oxide/config/oxide.permissions - Permission system configuration
4. oxide/config/oxide.covalence - API and framework settings
5. Plugin-specific .json files - Individual plugin configurations

Permission System

# Oxide Permission Commands
oxide.grant user        # Grant permission to player
oxide.grant group        # Grant permission to group
oxide.revoke user       # Revoke permission
oxide.show user                     # Show user permissions
oxide.usergroup add          # Add user to group
oxide.usergroup remove       # Remove user from group

# Common permission examples
economics.use                                # Use economy system
kit.use.starter                              # Use starter kit
teleport.tpa                                 # Request teleport
clan.create                                  # Create a clan
friends.add                                  # Add friends

Performance Optimization

Plugin Performance Guidelines

Metric	Acceptable Range	Warning Signs	Optimization
Plugin Count	20-50 plugins	80+ plugins	Remove unused plugins
Hook Usage	Minimal hooks	Excessive OnEntitySpawn	Use conditional hooks
Memory Usage	< 500MB total	> 1GB plugin memory	Monitor with oxide.stats
Update Rate	1-5Hz per plugin	20+ Hz updates	Increase update intervals
Database Queries	Async, batched	Synchronous queries	Use Oxide's async API

Monitoring Plugin Performance

# Oxide performance commands
oxide.perf                           # Show plugin performance stats
oxide.stats                          # Detailed plugin statistics
oxide.track start                    # Start performance tracking
oxide.track stop                     # Stop and show results
oxide.plugins find slow              # Find slow-performing plugins
oxide.hooks list             # List hooks used by plugin

# Example output of oxide.perf:
Plugin Name           | Calls/sec | Avg Time | Total Time
---------------------------------------------------------
BetterChat            | 2.1       | 0.4ms    | 12.5s
Economics             | 0.8       | 1.2ms    | 8.7s
AutoDoors             | 15.3      | 0.1ms    | 4.2s
Clans                 | 1.2       | 2.3ms    | 15.8s  # High avg time!

Optimization Configuration

{
  "Oxide": {
    "Performance": {
      "HookTimeWarning": 100,          // Warn if hook takes >100ms
      "MaxHookTime": 500,              // Disable hook if >500ms
      "PluginUpdateRate": 1.0,         // Default update rate (Hz)
      "EntityUpdateRate": 0.5,         // Entity update rate
      "MaxFrameTime": 16.67,           // Max ms per frame (60 FPS)
      "GCCollection": {
        "Enabled": true,
        "Interval": 300,               // Run GC every 5 minutes
        "ForceFull": false
      }
    },
    "Logging": {
      "LogLevel": "Info",              // Debug, Info, Warning, Error
      "LogToFile": true,
      "MaxFileSize": 10485760,         // 10MB max log file
      "MaxArchiveFiles": 5
    }
  }
}

Popular Plugin Setups

PvP Server Setup

# Essential PvP Plugins
1. CombatLog/DeathNotes - Combat analytics
2. BetterChat - Enhanced chat for team coordination
3. RaidAlert - Notifications for base raids
4. TeamManager - Team system with sharing
5. InstaCraft - Faster crafting for PvP focus
6. NoDecay - Disable building decay
7. QuickSmelt - Faster smelting
8. StackSizeController - Custom stack sizes
9. SkinBox - Weapon and skin management
10. AntiOfflineRaid - Protection during offline

Roleplay Server Setup

# Essential RP Plugins
1. Economics - Currency system
2. ShopUI/NPCVendors - Shopping systems
3. Jobs/Professions - Job system with rewards
4. VehicleLicense - Vehicle ownership system
5. BuildingGrades - Enhanced building permissions
6. DiscordChat/ReportSystem - Communication
7. PlayerTitles - Custom titles and ranks
8. EventManager - Scheduled server events
9. Furniture - Additional decorative items
10. Radio - In-game radio system

Minigames Server Setup

# Minigame Plugins
1. Arena - PvP arenas with matchmaking
2. GunGame - Progressive weapon game mode
3. HideAndSeek - Classic hide and seek
4. Race - Vehicle racing system
5. Spleef - Last man standing arena
6. Paintball - Team-based paintball
7. Jail - Prison roleplay minigame
8. MurderMystery - Detective game
9. BattleRoyale - Last man standing
10. Parkour - Jumping/obstacle courses

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Advanced Configuration

Custom Plugin Development Setup

# Development environment setup
1. Install Visual Studio / VS Code with C# extensions
2. Install Oxide.Rust.dll as reference
3. Create plugin template:
   using Oxide.Core;
   using Oxide.Core.Plugins;
   
   namespace Oxide.Plugins
   {
       [Info("MyPlugin", "Author", "1.0.0")]
       [Description("My custom Rust plugin")]
       class MyPlugin : RustPlugin
       {
           void Init() { Puts("Plugin loaded!"); }
           
           void OnPlayerConnected(BasePlayer player)
           {
               SendReply(player, "Welcome to the server!");
           }
       }
   }

4. Compile to DLL and place in oxide/plugins/
5. Test and debug using oxide.reload <plugin>

Web Panel Configuration

{
  "Web": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "Port": 28016,
    "Host": "0.0.0.0",
    "SSL": {
      "Enabled": false,
      "CertificatePath": "/path/to/cert.pem",
      "CertificatePassword": ""
    },
    "Authentication": {
      "Enabled": true,
      "Username": "admin",
      "Password": "secure_password",
      "SessionTimeout": 3600
    },
    "Features": {
      "PluginManagement": true,
      "PlayerManagement": true,
      "ServerControl": true,
      "ConfigurationEditor": true,
      "RealTimeMonitoring": true
    }
  }
}

Database Configuration

{
  "Database": {
    "Provider": "sqlite",  // Options: sqlite, mysql, litedb
    "ConnectionString": {
      "sqlite": "Data Source=oxide/data/oxide.sqlite;Version=3;",
      "mysql": "Server=localhost;Database=oxide;Uid=rust;Pwd=password;Port=3306;",
      "litedb": "Filename=oxide/data/oxide.db;Connection=shared"
    },
    "MySql": {
      "Pooling": true,
      "MaximumPoolSize": 100,
      "ConnectionTimeout": 30,
      "CommandTimeout": 30
    },
    "Backup": {
      "Enabled": true,
      "Interval": 86400,  // Daily backups
      "Retention": 7,     // Keep 7 backups
      "Compression": true
    }
  }
}

Best Practices

Plugin Management

1. Start minimal: Add plugins gradually, testing performance impact
2. Regular updates: Keep plugins updated for compatibility and security
3. Backup configurations: Backup oxide/config/ before major changes
4. Document changes: Maintain changelog of plugin additions/removals
5. Test thoroughly: Test plugins on staging server before production

Performance Optimization

1. Monitor regularly: Use oxide.perf weekly to identify slow plugins
2. Limit hooks: Disable unnecessary event hooks in plugin configs
3. Batch operations: Use timers instead of per-frame updates
4. Memory management: Monitor plugin memory usage with oxide.stats
5. Database optimization: Use indexes and query optimization for plugins

Security Considerations

1. Source verification: Only install plugins from trusted sources
2. Permission auditing: Regularly review oxide.permissions file
3. Web panel security: Use strong passwords and SSL for web interface
4. Regular backups: Backup plugin data and configurations
5. Update promptly: Security patches for plugins and Oxide framework

Next Steps

• Configure Rust server settings
• Optimize Rust server performance
• Learn essential Rust admin commands
• Avoid common admin mistakes
• Browse other game server guides