Rust Oxide/uMod Plugin Guide

Oxide (also known as uMod) is the standard modding framework for Rust servers. It enables thousands of community-created plugins that add admin tools, economy systems, teleportation, chat features, and much more. This guide covers installation, essential plugins, and configuration.

What is Oxide/uMod?

Oxide is an open-source modding framework that hooks into the Rust dedicated server, providing an API for C# plugins to modify and extend server behavior. Nearly every modded Rust server runs Oxide.

Key features:

• >Plugin system - Load, unload, and reload C# plugins without restarting the server
• >Permission system - Granular control over who can use what features
• >Configuration - JSON-based config files for every plugin
• >Hooks - Extensive API hooks into Rust's game systems
• >Active community - Thousands of free plugins on umod.org

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Installing Oxide on Your Rust Server

Windows Installation

Your server directory should now include:

rust_server/
├── RustDedicated.exe
├── RustDedicated_Data/
│   └── Managed/
│       ├── Oxide.Core.dll
│       └── Oxide.Rust.dll
├── oxide/
│   ├── plugins/          # Plugin .cs files go here
│   ├── config/           # Plugin config JSON files
│   ├── data/             # Plugin data storage
│   ├── logs/             # Oxide logs
│   └── lang/             # Plugin language files
└── [other server files]

Linux Installation

# Stop the server
sudo systemctl stop rust

# Download and extract Oxide
cd /home/rustserver/rust_server
curl -L -o Oxide.Rust.zip "https://umod.org/games/rust/download"
unzip -o Oxide.Rust.zip
rm Oxide.Rust.zip

# Set correct permissions
chown -R rustserver:rustserver /home/rustserver/rust_server/oxide
chmod -R 755 /home/rustserver/rust_server/oxide

# Start and verify
sudo systemctl start rust

Check the console or logs for Oxide loaded.

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How Oxide Plugins Work

Oxide plugins are individual C# source files (.cs) placed in oxide/plugins/. When the server starts or when you load a plugin manually, Oxide compiles the .cs file on the fly and executes it.

oxide/
├── plugins/
│   ├── NTeleportation.cs     # Plugin source files
│   ├── Economics.cs
│   └── BetterChat.cs
├── config/
│   ├── NTeleportation.json   # Auto-generated config files
│   └── Economics.json
├── data/                      # Plugin persistent data
├── logs/                      # Oxide logs
└── lang/en/                   # Language/translation files

Installing a Plugin

Plugin Management Commands

Essential Plugin Categories

Admin Tools

Vanish - Become completely invisible to players and AI while monitoring your server. umod.org

AdminRadar - See all players, resources, and entities through walls. Filter by entity type with configurable range. umod.org

PlayerAdministration - Comprehensive player management GUI. View stats, inventory, location. Ban, kick, and mute from a visual interface. umod.org

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Teleportation

NTeleportation - The definitive teleportation plugin. Provides home, TPR (teleport request), and town/warp systems with configurable cooldowns and daily limits. umod.org

Example configuration in oxide/config/NTeleportation.json:

{
  "Home": {
    "HomesLimit": 3,
    "Cooldown": 120,
    "DailyLimit": 5,
    "CheckFoundation": true
  },
  "TPR": {
    "Cooldown": 60,
    "DailyLimit": 10
  }
}

HomeSystem - A simpler alternative if you only need home teleportation.

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Economy

Economics - Core economy plugin providing a virtual currency system with deposit, withdraw, and transfer commands. API for other plugins. umod.org

ServerRewards - Reward players with points for kills, farming, play time. Configurable point multipliers for VIP groups. umod.org

Shop - In-game GUI shop for buying and selling items using Economics or ServerRewards balance.

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Chat

BetterChat - Overhaul the chat system with groups, colors, titles, and formatting. umod.org

{
  "Chat Format": "{Title} {Name}: {Message}",
  "Default Group": {
    "Title": "[Player]",
    "TitleColor": "#55aaff",
    "NameColor": "#ffffff"
  }
}

ChatFilter - Automatically filter profanity with customizable word lists and regex support.

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Protection

ZoneManager - Define zones on the map with custom rules (no PvP, no building, no decay). umod.org

TruePVE - Comprehensive PvE rule management. Block player damage, configure raid protection, allow zone-specific PvP areas. umod.org

NoDecay - Control or disable building decay rates per material and building tier. umod.org

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Quality of Life

QuickSmelt - Speed up smelting with configurable multipliers per item. umod.org

InstantCraft - Remove or reduce crafting times with permission-based speeds.

Backpacks - Extra inventory accessible with a button press. Configurable size per permission group. umod.org

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Map Plugins

RustIO Live Map - Real-time web-based map showing players, monuments, and structures in a browser.

LustyMap - In-game minimap overlay with monument labels and friend markers. umod.org

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Anti-Cheat Supplements

While Rust includes EAC (Easy Anti-Cheat), additional plugins help catch edge cases:

• >Anti-NoClip - Detect players exploiting noclip glitches
• >NoRecoil Detection - Flag players using recoil scripts
• >Spectate - Enhanced spectator mode for watching suspected cheaters

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Plugin Configuration

Every plugin generates a JSON config file in oxide/config/ on first load. To modify settings:

Tips:

• >Use valid JSON syntax -- a missing comma prevents the plugin from loading
• >Back up config files before editing
• >Use jsonlint.com to validate your changes

Plugin Permissions System

Oxide includes a powerful permission system controlling access to plugin features.

Core Permission Commands

Default Groups

• >default - All players belong to this group automatically
• >admin - For server administrators

Creating Custom Permission Groups

# Create groups
oxide.group add vip
oxide.group add moderator

# Set group titles and rank
oxide.group set vip "[VIP]" 1
oxide.group set moderator "[MOD]" 2

# Grant permissions
oxide.grant group vip nteleportation.home
oxide.grant group vip nteleportation.tpr
oxide.grant group moderator vanish.use
oxide.grant group moderator adminradar.use

# Add a player to a group
oxide.usergroup add 76561198012345678 vip

Permission Examples by Plugin

NTeleportation:

oxide.grant group default nteleportation.home
oxide.grant group vip nteleportation.homeslimit.5

Backpacks:

oxide.grant group default backpacks.use
oxide.grant group default backpacks.size.12
oxide.grant group vip backpacks.size.24

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Updating Plugins

After updating: review changelogs for new config options and test on a staging server before deploying to production.

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Troubleshooting Plugin Conflicts

Plugin fails to compile:

Config errors:

Performance issues:

Common Plugin Dependencies

Recommended Plugin Combinations

Vanilla+ (Lightly Modded)

PvE Server

Creative / Build Server

Conclusion

Oxide/uMod transforms a vanilla Rust server into a fully customizable experience. Start with a small set of essential plugins, then expand based on your community's needs.

Best practices:

• >Install plugins one at a time and test before adding more
• >Back up your oxide/ directory before making major changes
• >Read plugin documentation thoroughly before configuring
• >Monitor server performance as you add plugins
• >Keep both Oxide and plugins updated to their latest versions