Rust Server Hosting

Why Are My Rust Plugins Not Loading? 10 Common Problems and Fixes

Posted on by Netch Dev
Which framework does your server run?Commands and folders on this page change to match.

Plugin not loading?

Most of the time it’s something you can fix yourself in a couple of minutes: a file in the wrong folder, a missing plugin, a permission nobody has. When the plugin itself is broken, that’s a job for its developer, not you. This guide shows you which is which, on Oxide (uMod) and Carbon.

10Common problems
3Commands to check first

Start with a quick check

Run these in your server console or RCON. They tell you whether the framework is running and whether your plugin loaded at all.

Console commands

  • oxide.versionc.version

    Shows the framework version. If the command isn’t found, the framework isn’t installed or a Rust update removed it. See problem 1.

  • oxide.pluginsc.plugins

    Lists every plugin that loaded. If yours isn’t in the list, it didn’t load.

  • oxide.reloadc.reload MyPlugin

    Tries to load the plugin again and shows any error straight away. Use the file name without .cs.

Copy the error. If the reload prints an error, copy the whole thing and keep it. You won’t need to understand it, but the plugin’s developer will. Missed it? It’s also saved in oxide/logs/carbon/logs/ in your server folder.

The 10 most common problems

Work through them in order. Problems 1 to 3 and 6 to 10 are fixed on your side. Problems 4 and 5 are the developer’s to fix.

1

The framework isn’t running

What you see: no plugins load at all, and oxide.versionc.version returns an unknown command.

Why: Oxide lives inside Rust’s own RustDedicated_Data/Managed folder. Every Rust update replaces those files, so updating the server without updating Oxide removes it. This is the classic cause after the monthly forced wipe.

Why: Carbon wasn’t installed, didn’t start, or is an older build that doesn’t match the current Rust version. Carbon builds are released for each Rust update.

Fix: install the OxideCarbon build made for the current Rust version, then restart. On a game host, turn on the panel’s OxideCarbon auto-update option if it has one, so it updates together with Rust.

2

The file is in the wrong place, or isn’t a .cs file

What you see: nothing. No error, and the plugin isn’t in oxide.pluginsc.plugins.

Why: the framework only reads .cs files placed directly in its plugins folder:

your server folder /oxide/plugins/MyPlugin.cs
your server folder /carbon/plugins/MyPlugin.cs
  • Zip files have to be extracted first. Upload the .cs inside, not the zip.
  • Sub-folders are ignored. plugins/MyPlugin/MyPlugin.cs won’t load.
  • Hidden extensions: Windows can save a download as MyPlugin.cs.txt and show it as MyPlugin.cs. Turn on file name extensions in File Explorer to check.
  • DLL files are extensions, not plugins. They go in RustDedicated_Data/Managedcarbon/extensions, never in the plugins folder.
3

The file was renamed

What you see: the plugin won’t load, often right after you downloaded it a second time.

Why: the file has to keep the exact name it came with, capitals included. Browsers rename repeat downloads to AutoLock (1).cs, and that’s enough to stop it loading.

Fix: rename it back to the original name, and delete any old copies so there’s only one file for each plugin in the folder.

4

A Rust update broke the plugin

What you see: a plugin that worked yesterday shows an error after a Rust update or forced wipe, while your other plugins load fine.

Why: Facepunch changes the game in updates, and plugins that use the changed parts need an update from their developer. Nothing you did caused it, and nothing in your settings will fix it.

Fix: check the plugin’s page for a new version and install it. If there isn’t one yet, contact the developer with the error. If the plugin hasn’t been updated in months, it’s probably abandoned, and it’s time to replace it with one that’s maintained.

ModPulse plugins are tested against Rust’s upcoming updates before they go live, so the fix is often out before the update is. How that works.
5

The plugin has a bug

What you see: an error with the plugin’s name in it that isn’t covered by any of the other problems here, even on a fresh copy of the file.

Why: the problem is in the plugin’s code. That’s the developer’s responsibility, not yours.

Fix: don’t try to edit the plugin. Your changes are lost on the next update, and a small edit can break something else. Download a fresh copy once, in case your file was damaged, and if the error stays, send it to the developer.

6

A required plugin is missing

What you see: an error saying the plugin requires missing dependencies, followed by the name of another plugin, for example ImageLibrary.

Why: some plugins are built on top of others and won’t load without them.

Fix: install the plugin it names in the same plugins folder, then reload yours with oxide.reload MyPluginc.reload MyPlugin. The plugin’s page lists everything it needs.

7

An optional plugin is missing

What you see: the plugin loads with no error, but part of it doesn’t work. Images in its menu are blank, or players can’t pay with points or coins.

Why: optional plugins aren’t checked when the plugin loads. It runs anyway, and the feature that needs the other plugin quietly does nothing.

Fix: read the requirements on the plugin’s page again and look for anything marked optional. Install the ones for the features you use, and check the config is set to use them (for example, which economy plugin to pay with).

8

The config file is broken

What you see: an error about the plugin’s config, usually right after you edited it.

Why: configs live in oxide/config/carbon/configs/. One missing comma, an extra comma after the last setting, or curly quotes from a word processor make the whole file unreadable.

Fix: undo your last edit, or paste the file into a JSON validator to find the bad line. If you can’t find it, move the config out of the folder and reload the plugin: it writes a fresh default config, and you copy your settings back in one at a time. Edit configs in Notepad++ or VS Code, not Word.

9

Nobody has the permission

What you see: the plugin is in the plugin list, but its commands say you don’t have permission, or do nothing for players.

Why: the plugin did load. Most plugins lock their features behind permissions, and new permissions belong to nobody until you grant them, admins included.

Fix: grant the permission to the group that should have it, for example every player:

Grant a permission

  • oxidecarbon.grant group default myplugin.use

    Gives myplugin.use to every player. Use the plugin’s real permission from its page.

  • oxidecarbon.show perms

    Lists every permission your loaded plugins added. If the plugin’s permissions aren’t there, it didn’t load.

Groups, VIP tiers and a command builder are in our full Rust server permissions guide.

10

It doesn’t support Carbon

What you see: a plugin works on Oxide but shows an error on Carbon, or the other way round.

Why: Carbon runs most Oxide plugins without changes, but not every one. Whether a plugin supports both is down to its developer.

  • Run one framework, not both. Remove Oxide when you install Carbon. Your host or a Steam “verify files” restores the original Rust files.
  • Move the folders when you switch. Plugins go from oxide/plugins to carbon/plugins, configs from oxide/config to carbon/configs, and data from oxide/data to carbon/data.
  • Extension DLLs go in carbon/extensions, not in Managed.
  • Check the plugin’s page for Carbon support. If it doesn’t list it, ask the developer before you switch.

Every ModPulse plugin supports both Oxide and Carbon, so you can switch frameworks without replacing them.

Contacting the developer

When the problem is in the plugin itself, the developer is the only one who can fix it properly. A good report gets you an answer faster.

Where to ask

Use the support channel on the page where you got the plugin: its Discord, its support thread or its help page. A developer who’s still active usually lists one. If there’s no way to reach them and no update in months, the plugin is abandoned, and replacing it is quicker than waiting.

What to send

  • The whole error, copied from the console or log.
  • The plugin’s version.
  • Your framework and version, from oxide.versionc.version.
  • What you changed just before it broke: a Rust update, a new plugin, a config edit.

When it’s a ModPulse plugin

If one of our plugins breaks, you don’t have to work it out. Tell us, and we’ll fix it.

Fixed before update day

Facepunch publishes upcoming Rust updates on the staging branch before they go live. We test our plugins there, so fixes are often ready before the update reaches your server.

Support on Discord

Post the error in our Discord and we’ll take it from there. You talk to the people who write the plugins, and you won’t be told to fix the code yourself.

Oxide and Carbon

Every ModPulse plugin supports both frameworks, so a switch from Oxide to Carbon doesn’t mean hunting for replacements.

Know when an update is out. The free Plugin Update Checker checks your server for outdated ModPulse plugins when it starts, and can post the result to your Discord. Download updates from My Account → Downloads.

FAQ

Do I need to restart the server after adding a plugin?

No. Both frameworks watch the plugins folder and load a new or changed .cs file on their own. To retry by hand, use oxide.reload MyPluginc.reload MyPlugin. Restart only after installing or updating the framework itself or a DLL extension.

All my plugins stopped working after the wipe

That’s almost always problem 1: the forced wipe came with a Rust update, and the framework needs updating too. Then check your plugins for updates (problem 4). A map wipe on its own doesn’t stop plugins loading.

Two plugins load, but one of them stops working

They may be clashing over the same thing, which is common with two plugins that do the same job, like two kit plugins. Keep the one you prefer, or turn the overlapping feature off in one plugin’s config. If you’re not sure which two are clashing, ask both developers and send the console output from when it happens.

The plugin loads, then unloads a few seconds later

The plugin stopped itself, usually because a plugin it needs is missing (problem 6) or its config couldn’t be read (problem 8). If neither fits, send the console output to the developer.

Should I try to fix the plugin’s code myself?

No. Your changes are lost on the next update, and a quick edit can cause new problems. Report it to the developer instead. For ModPulse plugins, post it on our Discord.

Plugins that keep working

High performance Rust plugins for Oxide / Carbon, tested on Rust’s staging branch, with support on Discord.