Installing a Rust server with Oxide (uMod) on a Linux VPS

Rust is one of the most demanding games to host: a large persistent map, thousands of objects built by players, mandatory updates every month. This guide installs a dedicated Rust server on a Linux VPS, with the Oxide plugin framework (also called uMod), automatic start-up and an update procedure.

1. Which VPS for Rust

Memory is the critical resource. It mostly depends on the map size and the amount of building, which only grows until the next wipe.

Disk matters too: the server weighs several tens of gigabytes and loads a lot of data at start-up. NVMe storage noticeably shortens launch time. See our NVMe VPS.

2. Install SteamCMD

SteamCMD is Valve's command-line tool that downloads game servers. On Ubuntu 24.04, it is in the multiverse repository and needs the 32-bit architecture:

add-apt-repository -y multiverse
dpkg --add-architecture i386
apt update
apt install -y steamcmd unzip

Accept the Steam licence when it appears. On Debian 12, first enable the non-free section of the repositories. Then create the user that will run the server:

adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" rust

3. Install the server

su - rust
steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/rust/server +login anonymous +app_update 258550 validate +quit

258550 is the Steam ID of the Rust dedicated server. The download is several gigabytes.

4. Launch script

Create /home/rust/server/start.sh:

#!/bin/bash
cd /home/rust/server
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$(pwd)/RustDedicated_Data/Plugins/x86_64
exec ./RustDedicated -batchmode -nographics \
  +server.ip 0.0.0.0 +server.port 28015 +server.queryport 28017 \
  +rcon.ip 0.0.0.0 +rcon.port 28016 +rcon.password "A_LONG_PASSWORD" +rcon.web 1 \
  +server.identity "main" +server.level "Procedural Map" \
  +server.seed 12345 +server.worldsize 3500 +server.maxplayers 100 \
  +server.hostname "My Rust server" +server.description "Server hosted in France" \
  +server.saveinterval 600

chmod +x /home/rust/server/start.sh

The seed and worldsize determine the map: change the seed to get a different map at the next wipe. The map and world saves are stored in server/main/, after the name given to server.identity.

5. systemd service

cat > /etc/systemd/system/rust.service <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=Rust server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
User=rust
WorkingDirectory=/home/rust/server
ExecStart=/home/rust/server/start.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=30
TimeoutStopSec=120
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now rust
journalctl -u rust -f

The first start generates the map and can take several minutes. The server is ready when the log says Server startup complete.

6. Ports

ufw allow 28015/udp comment 'Rust game'
ufw allow 28017/udp comment 'Rust list'
ufw allow from YOUR_IP to any port 28016 proto tcp comment 'Rust RCON'

Connect to the console with a web or desktop RCON tool, such as RustAdmin. See configuring UFW.

7. Install Oxide (uMod)

Oxide adds plugin support: kits, teleportation, clan management, protections. Download the Linux build of Oxide for Rust from umod.org, then unzip it into the server folder with the server stopped:

systemctl stop rust
cd /home/rust/server
sudo -u rust wget -O oxide.zip "LINK_TO_THE_LINUX_BUILD_ON_UMOD"
sudo -u rust unzip -o oxide.zip && rm oxide.zip
systemctl start rust

On start-up, Oxide creates the oxide/ folder. Drop plugins, which are .cs files, into oxide/plugins/: they are compiled and loaded automatically, without a restart. Their configuration appears in oxide/config/.

8. Updates and wipes

Facepunch releases a mandatory update on the first Thursday of every month. On that day, clients can no longer join a server that is not up to date, and the map must be reset: this is the "forced wipe". Procedure:

systemctl stop rust
sudo -u rust /usr/games/steamcmd +force_install_dir /home/rust/server +login anonymous +app_update 258550 validate +quit
# reinstall Oxide (step 7)
# map wipe: delete the identity's .map and .sav files
sudo -u rust rm -f /home/rust/server/server/main/*.map /home/rust/server/server/main/*.sav*
systemctl start rust

Also deleting the player.blueprints.*.db files resets the blueprints players have learned, a "blueprint wipe", which many servers only do every other time. Back up the oxide/data/ folder if your plugins store data there that you want to keep, then send everything off the server: see backups with Borg.

The date of the next forced wipe, the countdown and calendar export are on our Rust wipe calendar (in French).

Frequently asked questions