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Install DarkRP either through the Steam Workshop or by uploading the official GitHub files, then set the server’s active gamemode to darkrp. Keep jobs, settings, entities, and other server-specific edits in the separate darkrpmodification addon so DarkRP updates do not overwrite your work.
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What DarkRP is and how its files are organized
DarkRP is Garry’s Mod’s non-serious roleplay gamemode. It supplies the roleplay framework—jobs, entities, money-related systems, player commands, and default settings—while a separate customization addon is intended for the changes that make one server different from another.
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Think of a working installation as two layers:
- DarkRP core: the gamemode itself, installed in Garry’s Mod’s
gamemodesdirectory. - darkrpmodification: the addon containing your settings, jobs, entities, and other custom content.
Do not put server-specific edits directly into DarkRP’s core Lua files. Updates can replace those files, removing changes that were made there. The darkrpmodification project exists to provide a safer place for customization.
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Choose Workshop or GitHub before you begin
Both routes install the same gamemode, but the day-to-day administration is different. Use the comparison below to choose before changing the server.
| Consideration | Steam Workshop | GitHub/manual upload |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Add the DarkRP Workshop item to the collection loaded by the dedicated server. | Download or clone the official repositories and upload the folders yourself. |
| Update control | Convenient synchronization through the collection and the host’s Workshop handling. | You decide when to download, replace, or retain a particular copy. |
| Panel support | Often convenient on managed panels, although the exact collection workflow varies by provider. | Requires a panel file manager, FTP/SFTP access, or another way to upload server files. |
| Rollback | Depends on what versions the host and Workshop workflow let you retain. | More straightforward when you keep a backup of the previous folders before replacing them. |
| Direct file access | Not required for the basic Workshop deployment. | Required to place the gamemode and customization addon in the correct directories. |
Workshop is usually the simpler choice when a control panel already supports collections. Manual installation is preferable when you need explicit control over which files are present, want a local backup for rollback, or your host does not provide a reliable Workshop workflow. The official project supports both.
Prepare the server safely
Make these decisions and safeguards before installing anything:
- Stop the server. Uploading or replacing gamemode files while the process is running can leave a partial or inconsistent installation.
- Back up the current server. Preserve the existing files and configuration so you can restore them if the new gamemode fails to load.
- Decide how the map will be supplied. A DarkRP server normally uses an roleplay-oriented map; an
rp_-prefixed map is a common matching choice. If you use Workshop deployment, the selected map must be available through the collection or the host’s normal content workflow. - Confirm you can edit the launch settings. You will need either a control-panel gamemode field or access to the server command line.
Do not add unrelated addons during the first boot. A clean first start makes console errors much easier to associate with DarkRP rather than with another addon.
Install DarkRP with the Steam Workshop
1. Add the official Workshop item
In the server’s Workshop collection editor, add DarkRP Workshop item 248302805. The collection is the list of Workshop content that the dedicated server is instructed to load.
2. Add a compatible map
Add the map your server will use when the host requires Workshop content to be declared in the same collection. A roleplay map with an rp_ prefix is a common starting point, but the map must match the collection and the server’s map setting.
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3. Save the collection and restart
Save the panel’s collection configuration, apply any required Workshop setting, and restart the server. Panel interfaces differ: some ask for a collection ID, while others provide a collection editor. Follow the field names shown by your host rather than assuming that every panel uses the same menu.
4. Confirm the load in the console
Watch the startup console. Check that the Workshop collection is processed, DarkRP is discovered as a gamemode, and the selected map starts without a load error. If the server reaches the map but behaves like Sandbox, the launch gamemode has not been set correctly; fix that setting before adding addons.
Workshop deployment reduces file handling, but it does not remove the need to verify the panel’s behavior. A host can expose collection settings differently, and a collection that loads DarkRP without the required map can still produce an unusable server.
Install DarkRP by downloading or cloning from GitHub
1. Obtain both official projects
Download or clone the official DarkRP repository and the separate darkrpmodification repository. DarkRP alone gives you the gamemode; the modification repository provides the supported location for your server’s custom settings and content.
2. Place the gamemode folder
Upload the complete DarkRP gamemode so its resulting location is:
garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/gamemode/init.luaThe important detail is the folder name and nesting. The directory immediately under gamemodes must be named darkrp, and the gamemode’s init.lua must be inside its gamemode subdirectory.
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3. Rename an extracted archive when necessary
Archives often extract to a directory named DarkRP-master. Rename that directory to darkrp before uploading it. If you leave the archive name unchanged, the expected gamemode path will not be present even though all the files appear to have uploaded.
4. Place the customization addon
Upload the separate project as:
garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/Do not merge its files into the DarkRP gamemode folder. It is an addon and belongs under addons, alongside other addons.
5. Check for accidental extra nesting
A common archive mistake is an extra directory level, such as gamemodes/darkrp/DarkRP-master/gamemode/init.lua. The server expects the gamemode directory directly inside the folder named darkrp. Correct the folder structure before starting the process.
6. Keep a copy for rollback
Before replacing an older manual installation, copy the existing DarkRP and darkrpmodification directories to a dated backup location. Manual deployment gives you greater control over updates and makes it possible to return to the previous files if a new copy fails at startup.
Set the server to use DarkRP
Installing files is not enough: the dedicated server must be told which gamemode to launch.
Control-panel method
- Open the server’s startup, command-line, or gamemode settings.
- Find the field labeled Gamemode or an equivalent startup option.
- Enter
darkrpas the value. Do not use the display name “DarkRP” if the panel expects the internal folder name. - Select the intended map, preferably an appropriate
rp_map for the initial test. - Save the settings and restart the server.
Command-line method
Add this launch argument to the server command line:
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+gamemode darkrpPlace it with the other startup arguments, save the command line, and restart. The setting must be present on every launch unless your panel stores it separately and re-applies it automatically.
Verify the result
After the restart, inspect the console and join the server. A successful start should use DarkRP rather than Sandbox and should load the selected map. If the map opens but DarkRP features are absent, check the gamemode value and the folder structure before changing configuration files.
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Make server-specific changes in darkrpmodification. This separation is the central maintenance rule for DarkRP: update the core when needed, while retaining your own addon files.
Global settings
Settings are commonly edited in:
lua/darkrp_config/settings.luaUse this area for the configuration values exposed by the modification project rather than editing equivalent files inside DarkRP itself.
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Custom and changed jobs are commonly defined in:
lua/darkrp_customthings/jobs.luaKeep job definitions together in the customization addon. This makes it easier to identify your changes, back them up, and carry them forward when DarkRP’s core files change.
Entities and other custom content
Entities and other custom things have their own files within the same darkrpmodification addon. Use the file organization supplied by that project rather than placing custom Lua files randomly in the core gamemode.
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Why core edits are fragile
Direct edits to DarkRP’s own files may appear to work immediately, but a later update can replace them. When that happens, jobs, settings, or behavior changes made in the core disappear. Keeping changes in darkrpmodification makes the update boundary clear: DarkRP is replaceable; your addon is yours to preserve and update.
First-start validation checklist
Run this check before installing additional addons or inviting players:
- Confirm the server was stopped during file replacement and restarted after the changes were saved.
- Confirm the gamemode directory and customization addon are in the locations described above, with no extra archive directory in between.
- Confirm the startup value is
darkrp, notsandboxor another gamemode. - Confirm the selected map is installed and available through the same content method used by the server.
- Read the startup console from the beginning and note any DarkRP or Lua load errors.
- Join once as an administrator and test a basic job or roleplay interaction before adding more content.
Testing in this order isolates the base installation. If you add several addons first, an error from one of them can obscure whether DarkRP itself loaded correctly.
Troubleshoot the most common installation failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The server starts in Sandbox | The launch setting is missing, misspelled, or still set to another gamemode. | Set the control-panel field to darkrp or add +gamemode darkrp, save, and restart. |
| DarkRP does not appear as an available gamemode | The folder is not named darkrp, or the gamemode is nested one directory too deeply. |
Check that the gamemode’s init.lua is at the expected path and remove any extra archive directory. |
| The Workshop collection loads but the map does not start | The map is absent from the collection or is unavailable through the host’s content workflow. | Add the compatible map where the host requires it, select that map in the startup settings, and restart. |
| Jobs or settings are missing after an update | Changes were made in DarkRP core files and were replaced, or the modification addon is in the wrong directory. | Move server-specific changes into the appropriate darkrpmodification files and verify that the addon is under garrysmod/addons. |
| Startup console reports Lua or load errors | A file is incomplete, incorrectly nested, or an additional addon is conflicting with the clean installation. | Stop the server, compare the folders with the expected structure, restore the backup if necessary, and retest without extra addons. |
| Clients cannot use the selected map or content | The server’s Workshop collection or map distribution is not available to clients in the way the host expects. | Confirm the collection and map are enabled for the dedicated server and that the host’s client-content procedure has been followed. |
Updating and rolling back DarkRP
Workshop installations
Workshop installations are convenient when your host keeps the collection synchronized. Before accepting an update, preserve your configuration and darkrpmodification files separately. If the panel offers no version history, your own backup is the practical rollback point.
Manual installations
For a GitHub-based installation, decide when to download or clone a newer copy instead of replacing files automatically during an active session. Stop the server, back up the current DarkRP folder, upload the replacement, and verify the expected path before restarting. Keep the darkrpmodification addon intact unless you are deliberately changing it.
After every update
Restart into the same map, read the console, and test the settings and jobs that matter to your community. If the new core fails, stop the server and restore the dated DarkRP backup rather than editing random core files to compensate.
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Workshop or GitHub: which should you use?
Choose Workshop when your panel has dependable collection support and you value convenience over fine-grained file control. Choose GitHub/manual upload when you need direct access, predictable folder contents, explicit backups, or a clear rollback process. In either case, the maintenance rule is the same: launch darkrp, keep customization in darkrpmodification, and validate the console before layering on more addons.
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