How to Install Oxide or Carbon on Your Rust Server

Plugins are what turn a vanilla Rust server into a 2x server with kits, teleports and shops. None of them run on their own: Rust needs a modding framework first. Your panel installs one in a single click, and this page explains which to pick.

1Open the Framework Page

• Log in to your game panel and click your Rust server.
• Click Framework in the left menu under GAME SERVER.
• The line under the heading tells you what you are on now, for example Currently running Vanilla.

2Choose a Framework

• Vanilla is the unmodified server. No plugin loader, and the best compatibility with a fresh Rust update. This is where every server starts.
• Oxide is the classic framework. Its ecosystem on umod.org is the largest in Rust, and almost every plugin you find is written for it.
• Carbon is a drop-in replacement that runs the same Oxide plugins with faster startup and lower memory use.

If you are not sure, pick Oxide. It is the one every plugin author targets and every guide assumes.

3Switch

• Press Switch on the framework you want.
• Switching restarts the server, so do it when nobody is playing.
• When the server comes back, the Rust Plugins page stops warning you and lets you install.

4Install Your Plugins

• Go to Rust Plugins in the left menu and install what you want. See how to install plugins.
• Plugins land in the framework's own folder, so switching between Oxide and Carbon later keeps them.

Good to Know

• A Rust update can break your framework. When Facepunch patches Rust, Oxide and Carbon need their own update before the server starts properly again. This is normal, it is usually resolved within hours, and it is the price of running modded.
• Force wipes are the risky moment. Monthly force wipes ship a Rust update, so a modded server often cannot start straight away on force wipe day. Plan for it rather than being surprised by it.
• Going back to vanilla is one click. Switch to Vanilla and the plugin loader is gone. Your plugin files stay where they are, so switching back later picks up where you left off.

Finished

Your server has a modding framework and is ready for plugins. Next, install some, and set your server tags so players filtering for modded servers can find you.