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Rust setup and plugin guide

For Rust on PC / Steam. Choose Vanilla for the original game, Oxide / uMod for server plugins, or Carbon for compatible plugins and its optional built-in modules. Console Edition cannot join these servers.

Start and connect

Open your service in the billing account, then open the game panel. Wait for installation to finish and press Start. First startup generates the map and can take several minutes. Wait for “Server startup complete”.
Copy the main IP and port from the Console page. In Rust, press F1 and enter the command below with your own address. Use the game port, not the query or Rust+ port.
```
client.connect YOUR-SERVER-IP:GAME-PORT
```
To make yourself an administrator, enter the following in the panel Console with your 17-digit Steam64 ID, then reconnect to the game. The Console already has server privileges.
```
ownerid YOUR-STEAM64-ID "YourName"
server.writecfg
```

Private access and permissions

Rust has no standard join password. For a private group, configure a compatible whitelist plugin or Carbon’s Whitelist module and test it with an unlisted account. Give owner access only to trusted administrators. RCON stays private inside your server; use the panel Console for commands.

Install one plugin at a time

Make a backup in the panel before changing plugins. Read the plugin’s official page, current support reports, required dependencies and permissions. A server plugin normally does not require players to install a mod.
Download the plugin’s original .cs file. In the panel Files tab, upload it to oxide/plugins for Oxide or carbon/plugins for Carbon. Vanilla cannot load these files. Do not upload both frameworks to one server.
Watch the Console for a successful compile and load message. Fix missing dependencies or compatibility errors before adding another plugin. Configuration files are created under oxide/config or carbon/configs; follow the publisher’s exact instructions.
After changing a plugin configuration, reload only that plugin. Replace AutoDoors with the file name without .cs.
```
Oxide:  oxide.reload AutoDoors
Carbon: c.reload AutoDoors
```
Grant only the permissions documented by the publisher. Test the behavior in game with a normal player account as well as an administrator. For removal, unload the plugin first, then remove its file; keep its configuration and data until you are sure you no longer need them.
```
Oxide:  oxide.unload AutoDoors
Carbon: c.unload AutoDoors
```

Plugins to consider

Auto Doors: closes doors after a delay. Changes gameplay convenience; review its default enablement and permission settings.
Admin Logger: records administrator actions. Set Enable Discord Messages (true/false) to false unless you configure a webhook. Empty Exclude List to avoid skipping the publisher’s example accounts, and limit access to the logs.
Gather Manager: changes resource gathering rates, for example a 2× server. Carbon also has a built-in Gather Manager module; use one implementation.
Carbon Whitelist: restricts who can join. Set up the allowed users before enabling it and verify both allowed and denied access.

Plugins are optional and installed separately. The hosting plan includes the selected framework, not a preconfigured plugin bundle. Compatibility can change after a Rust update; check each publisher before upgrading.

On 20 September 2026, Auto Doors 3.3.12 and Admin Logger 2.4.2 passed compilation, loading and reload checks on both Oxide and Carbon. This checks server integration; test each plugin’s gameplay and permissions with your own players before opening your community.

Updates, saves and wipes

The server checks for Steam and framework updates at startup. Plan restarts around Rust updates and review the Console afterward. Oxide and Carbon releases must match the current game.
The world lives in server/rust. A blank checkout seed is generated once and preserved on restart. Changing the seed or map size selects a different world. Back up the world and plugin data before a change.
Rust updates can require a map wipe. ClanNode does not configure an extra automatic wipe schedule. Check Facepunch’s update announcement before restarting after an update; a backup does not make an incompatible old map playable.
Framework migration needs a backup and a clean framework installation. Do not switch by copying Carbon over Oxide or by changing a startup variable on an existing world.