How to Install Oxide on a Rust Dedicated Server (Windows and Linux)

To install Oxide on a Rust dedicated server, stop the server, download the Oxide.Rust package for your operating system (Windows or Linux), extract it into the server root so it overwrites the files in RustDedicated_Data/Managed, start the server, and run oxide.version in the console to confirm the install. Oxide only works when its build matches the Rust build on the server, so repeat the process after every Rust update that replaces game files.

What the installer actually does

Oxide is not a separate program. The release archive contains modified and additional .NET assemblies (DLL files) that go into RustDedicated_Data/Managed, next to the game's own assemblies. The patched game assemblies call into Oxide at the points where hooks fire, for example inside StorageContainer.PlayerOpenLoot for CanLootEntity. On first start Oxide creates its oxide folder tree in the server root.

Consequences:

• Oxide is installed per server, not per player. Clients need nothing.
• Oxide depends on the game version. A new Rust build with a stock Oxide from the previous build will usually fail or run without hooks.
• Updating the game files can overwrite the patched assemblies, which silently turns the server back into a vanilla one.

Before you start

• A working Rust dedicated server, installed with SteamCMD (app ID 258550) or through your host's panel, that has been started at least once.
• Access to the server files (remote desktop, SFTP/SSH, or the hosting file manager).
• The server fully stopped. Extracting over a running server can leave locked or half-written files.
• A backup of the server folder, or at least of the oxide folder if you already have one.

Check which Rust build the server runs. The console prints it on start, and the Oxide download page lists the Rust version each build targets. Use the release built for that version.

Install on Windows

1. Stop the server and close the console window.
2. Download the Oxide.Rust Windows archive from the official Oxide (uMod) downloads page. Pick the release that matches your Rust build. Avoid unofficial mirrors, since you are putting executable code on your server.
3. Open the server root, the folder that contains RustDedicated.exe.
4. Extract the archive into that folder with "overwrite existing files" enabled. The archive is laid out so its RustDedicated_Data folder merges into the existing one.
5. Confirm that RustDedicated_Data\Managed now contains files whose names start with Oxide. (such as Oxide.Core.dll and Oxide.Rust.dll).
6. Start the server with your usual launch script.

Install on Linux

1. Stop the server process.
2. Change to the server root, the directory containing the RustDedicated executable.
3. Download the Oxide.Rust Linux archive, either on your PC and uploaded over SFTP, or directly on the machine with wget or curl using the link from the downloads page.
4. Extract it over the server root, for example:

cd /home/rust/server
unzip -o Oxide.Rust-linux.zip

The exact file name depends on the release, and the Linux build is normally a zip. Use -o so existing files are overwritten without prompts.

5. Make sure the files belong to the same user that runs the server. If you extracted as root, fix ownership:

chown -R rust:rust /home/rust/server

6. Start the server as usual.

Windows and Linux builds are different packages. Using the Windows archive on a Linux server, or the reverse, is a common reason for an install that appears complete but does nothing.

What you should see after the first start

On the first successful start Oxide creates these folders in the server root:

Next, install your first plugin by following how to install Rust plugins.

Verify the installation

Open the server console (or RCON) and run:

oxide.version

A working install answers with the Oxide version and the Rust version. If the command is unknown, Oxide is not active. Two more checks:

oxide.plugins
oxide.show groups

oxide.plugins lists loaded plugins (empty on a fresh install). oxide.show groups should list the default groups default and admin. A full list of commands is in Oxide console commands.

To confirm that plugins really compile and load, drop a small plugin into oxide/plugins. Oxide prints Loaded plugin <Title> v<Version> by <Author> on success. There is no separate "compiled successfully" line. If compilation fails you get Error while compiling <PluginName>: followed by numbered messages, and the file is skipped while others still load. See debugging Rust plugins for reading these.

Set up your first admin permissions

Oxide permissions are separate from the in-game owner/moderator status. To grant a permission to a player or group:

oxide.grant user <name|steamid> <permission>
oxide.grant group admin <permission>
oxide.usergroup add <player> admin

Details are in Oxide permissions and groups.

Updating Oxide after a Rust update

Rust updates monthly (force wipe) and in between with smaller patches. Each update that changes the game's assemblies can break the matching Oxide build.

A safe routine:

1. Update the server files with SteamCMD or your host's panel.
2. Before starting, download the Oxide.Rust release for the new Rust build.
3. Extract it over the server root with overwrite.
4. Start the server and run oxide.version.
5. Check the console for plugin errors; some hooks change between builds. See fix Rust plugins after an update and the monthly hook change reports.

If a Rust update ships and no matching Oxide build exists yet, wait for the Oxide release rather than forcing an older one. Running a mismatched build is the most frequent cause of broken servers right after a patch day.

For a wipe-day sequence that includes this step, see the wipe day plugin checklist.

Common failures

Version mismatch

Symptoms: the server crashes at startup, the console shows exceptions about missing methods or types, oxide.version is unknown, or plugins never load. Cause: the Oxide build targets a different Rust build than the one installed. Fix: update Rust, then extract the Oxide release for that build. If you intentionally run an older Rust branch, use the Oxide release for that branch.

Partial or failed extract

Symptoms: errors about missing Oxide.* assemblies, no oxide folder after the first start, or Oxide loads but some features are missing. Causes:

• The server was running while you extracted, so some files were locked.
• The archive was extracted into a subfolder (for example Oxide.Rust/RustDedicated_Data) instead of the server root.
• Extraction was interrupted, or antivirus quarantined a DLL.

Fix: stop the server, delete the wrongly placed folder, extract again into the root with overwrite, and check that the Oxide.* DLLs exist in RustDedicated_Data/Managed.

Wrong platform package

Symptoms: nothing changes after installing. Check that the Windows archive was used on Windows and the Linux archive on Linux.

Permissions on Linux

If the server user cannot write to the oxide folder, the folders may be missing or configs fail to save. Set ownership to the server user as shown above.

Plugin errors that are not install problems

Once oxide.version works, the install is fine. Messages like Error while compiling or Failed to call hook are plugin problems. Start with failed to initialize plugin or could not load plugin: no plugin found. A plugin built for a different framework can also fail, see is a uMod plugin, not an Oxide plugin.

Switching between Oxide and Carbon

A server runs either Oxide or Carbon, not both, because both patch the game assemblies. Carbon loads Oxide plugins and accepts the oxide.* console commands, so most plugins keep working after a switch. Carbon uses its own folders: carbon/plugins, carbon/configs, carbon/data, carbon/lang and carbon/logs. For a comparison, read Oxide vs Carbon.

Oxide to Carbon

1. Stop the server and back up the oxide folder.
2. Restore clean game files, for example by validating the server install with SteamCMD, so the Oxide-patched assemblies are replaced by vanilla ones.
3. Extract the Carbon release for your platform over the server root, following Carbon's own instructions.
4. Copy plugins to carbon/plugins, and move configs and data to the corresponding Carbon folders if they are not picked up automatically.
5. Start the server and check oxide.version and the plugin list.

Carbon to Oxide

1. Stop the server and back up the carbon folder.
2. Validate the server files to restore vanilla assemblies.
3. Extract the Oxide.Rust release over the server root.
4. Copy plugins into oxide/plugins and configs and data into oxide/config and oxide/data.
5. Start and verify with oxide.version.

Skipping the validation step leaves the old framework's patches in the assemblies, which is a typical source of startup errors after switching.

Quick checklist

• Server stopped before extracting.
• Correct OS package, matching the installed Rust build.
• Extracted into the server root with overwrite, not a subfolder.
• Files owned by the server user on Linux.
• oxide.version answers after start.
• Reinstall Oxide after any update that replaces game files.

When the framework is running, you can write your own plugins. How to make a Rust plugin walks through the first one, or you can create one with the plugin generator.