Royalgamerz
Pillar guide11 min read·updated

How to Install Carbon on a Rust Server (Step by Step)

Carbon is the modern Rust modding framework. Installing it is a file extraction plus a first-boot check — but the exact file layout and the 'remove Oxide first' step trip people up. Here's the clean process for both self-hosted and game-host servers.

Carbon is a drop-in modding framework for Rust — the successor to Oxide for most servers. It compiles C# plugins at runtime and implements the Oxide API, so the vast majority of existing plugins work. This guide gets it installed correctly the first time. For the framework decision itself, see Carbon vs Oxide.

Before you start

  • A working Rust dedicated server (vanilla is fine — Carbon layers on top).
  • File access to the server root — FTP, your host's file manager, or local disk.
  • If you currently run Oxide: remove it first. Delete the Oxide managed files and the RustDedicated_Data/ManagedOxide overrides. You'll move your plugins into Carbon's folder shortly.

Self-hosted: install Carbon manually

  1. Stop the server.
  2. Download the latest production Carbon build for Windows or Linux from the official Carbon releases page (match your server OS).
  3. Extract the archive into the server root — the same folder as RustDedicated.exe / RustDedicated. It adds a carbon/ folder and a small loader (HarmonyMods / doorstop files).
  4. Start the server.

You should now have this layout:

file structure
<server root>/
├─ RustDedicated.exe
└─ carbon/
├─ plugins◂ put your .cs plugins here
├─ configs
├─ data
├─ lang
└─ logs
Carbon lives alongside RustDedicated.exe — extracting the archive anywhere else is the most common install mistake.

Game host: install Carbon

Most paid hosts make this easier than self-hosting:

  • One-click: many panels list Carbon as a mod manager option — select it, the panel handles the files.
  • Manual via FTP:if there's no one-click, stop the server, upload the extracted Carbon files to the server root over FTP exactly as in the self-hosted steps, and start it.

Verify the install

Start the server and in the console run:

c.version      # prints the Carbon build — proof it loaded
c.plugins      # lists loaded plugins (empty is fine on a fresh install)
carbon — c.version
> c.version
Carbon v2.x.x [Production] — protocol matches
> c.plugins
0 plugins loaded.
A healthy fresh install: a version string and an empty plugin list. If c.version is an unknown command, the loader didn't take.

If c.versionis an unknown command, Carbon's loader didn't take — re-extract the archive over the server root and make sure the loader files landed next to RustDedicated, not in a subfolder.

Add your first plugins

Drop .cs files into carbon/plugins/— Carbon hot-loads them, no restart needed. If a plugin doesn't appear, work through Carbon plugins not loading. Need plugin recommendations? The directory lists well-tested ones with Carbon compatibility verdicts.

Keeping Carbon updated

Carbon ships a build for every monthly Facepunch update — running an outdated Carbon against an updated game breaks plugins. The safe monthly process is in how to update Carbon. The full end-to-end path from empty box to live modded server is the Rust server setup guide.

◢Frequently asked

Questions & answers

▸Do I need to remove Oxide before installing Carbon?
Yes. Running both at once causes conflicts. Remove the Oxide/uMod files first, then install Carbon. Your plugins move into carbon/plugins/.
▸Can I install Carbon on a rented game host?
Usually yes — most hosts either have a one-click Carbon option or let you upload files via FTP. If your host locks the file system entirely, you may be limited to their supported framework.
▸How do I know Carbon installed correctly?
Start the server and run c.version in the console. A version string means Carbon loaded. If the command is unknown, the harmony/doorstop loader isn't in place — re-extract the archive over the server root.
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