To install a native Harmony mod on a Rust server, stop the server, place the mod’s .dll in a HarmonyMods folder beside RustDedicated.exe, start the server, and run harmony.load <Mod Name> in the server console. This is Rust’s native Harmony path; it is different from installing an Oxide/uMod plugin or using Carbon.
The important qualification is compatibility. Facepunch describes its Rust.HarmonyMods project as “Serverside harmony mods for Rust, aimed at staging servers currently.” Treat every DLL as version-sensitive, follow the author’s supported Rust branch, and verify the server log instead of assuming that an uploaded file loaded successfully.
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What a Harmony mod is and where it belongs
A Harmony mod is a server-side .NET assembly that changes Rust’s behavior by applying Harmony patches. A native Rust Harmony installation does not use an oxide/plugins directory and does not require an Oxide or Carbon framework. The DLL is loaded through Rust’s Harmony command system.
The required location is a folder named HarmonyMods in the Rust server root, alongside RustDedicated.exe. “Server root” means the installation directory containing the dedicated-server executable, not the Rust client directory on your personal computer and not an arbitrary folder exposed by a hosting panel.
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Keep the distinction clear:
- Native Harmony: a Harmony mod DLL goes in
HarmonyModsand is loaded withharmony.load. - uMod/Oxide: a separate plugin framework with its own installation and plugin-management commands. Its documented Rust installation command is
umod install rust -P; its plugins belong to that framework’s directories, not toHarmonyMods. - Carbon: a separate Rust framework built around Harmony. Carbon can run Oxide-compatible plugins and documents its own reload workflow, including
carbon.reload. A Carbon installation is not the same as placing a native DLL in Rust’sHarmonyModsfolder.
Before downloading anything, identify which of these three formats the mod author supports. A file described as an Oxide plugin is not automatically a native Harmony DLL, and a Carbon plugin is not installed by guessing at the native folder structure.
Check compatibility before changing the server
Harmony patches are tightly coupled to the Rust server code they target. A Rust update can change method names, signatures, field layouts, or intermediate language in ways that make an otherwise valid DLL fail. Read the mod’s release notes and supported Rust branch or build before uploading it.
Do not assume that a mod works on a production server merely because it downloads or starts on a test installation. Facepunch’s reference Rust.HarmonyMods project is explicitly aimed at staging servers currently. That wording is a compatibility warning: use a staging or test instance first, and promote the change only after the mod author confirms support for your current branch.
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Check these items:
- The mod is explicitly a server-side Harmony DLL for Rust.
- The release lists your Rust branch or build range.
- The author states whether the DLL is intended for staging, production, or both.
- Any required configuration file, dependency, or load order is documented.
- Your host gives you write access to the server root and access to the live server console.
Managed hosts may rename their file-manager sections or hide the executable, but the underlying requirements do not change: you need a writable HarmonyMods directory beside the dedicated-server executable and a way to enter or view server-console commands and logs.
Prepare a safe installation
Back up the server
Back up the server files and identity before adding a patching DLL. Preserve the world data, configuration, startup parameters, and any identity or authentication files your operation relies on. A backup gives you a rollback path if the server will not start or the mod changes gameplay in an unexpected way.
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Download the DLL from the mod author’s release page and retain the release notes with it. Do not rename the file unless the author specifically instructs you to do so; some loaders and documentation use the original assembly name when diagnosing a failure.
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Use a staging copy when possible
A staging copy should use the same Rust branch, startup arguments, and relevant configuration as production. Test player connection, map loading, server commands, and the mod’s advertised behavior there first. This is especially important for Harmony because a patch can fail during startup rather than when a player first triggers the affected feature.
Stop the server before touching the DLL
Use the host panel’s Stop action or stop the service through your service manager. Wait until the process has exited and the console no longer reports active shutdown work. Never replace, overwrite, or delete a Harmony DLL while RustDedicated.exe is running.
Step-by-step: install a native Harmony DLL
- Obtain the correct release. Download the Harmony mod DLL from its author and read the supported Rust branch, dependencies, configuration instructions, and expected mod name. If the release is marked for staging only, do not treat it as a production-ready build.
- Back up the installation. Copy the server files and identity data you would need to restore the previous state. Record the current Rust build and startup settings.
- Stop Rust. Stop the server from the hosting panel or service manager. Confirm that the dedicated-server process is no longer running.
- Open the server root. In the host file manager or over your file-transfer method, open the directory that contains
RustDedicated.exe. Do not use the Rust client’s installation directory. - Create or open
HarmonyMods. The folder name is case-sensitive in documentation and should be written exactly asHarmonyMods. It must be besideRustDedicated.exe, not insideoxide/plugins, a configuration directory, or a client folder. - Upload the DLL. Place the author’s
.dlldirectly inHarmonyMods. Keep the supplied filename unless the mod’s instructions say otherwise. Do not upload a ZIP file and expect Rust to load the compressed archive. - Start the server. Start the service and wait until the console is usable and the normal startup sequence has progressed far enough to accept commands.
- Load the mod by name. In the server console, run
harmony.load <Mod Name>. Replace the placeholder with the exact mod name expected by that release. The command’s display name may not be identical to the DLL filename, so use the author’s documentation and console output rather than guessing. - Read the log. Confirm that the console reports the mod loading. Check for dependency errors, missing-method errors, patch failures, or exceptions. An uploaded file is not proof that the assembly loaded or that every patch applied.
- Apply the mod’s configuration. If the release supplies a configuration file or server variables, follow those instructions only after the assembly has loaded. Restart or reload only when the author documents that operation.
- Test on the server. Connect with a test account, exercise the affected behavior, and watch the console for errors. Compare the result with the mod’s release notes rather than assuming that a quiet console means every feature works.
How loading and unloading works
Loading
The documented load command is:
harmony.load <Mod Name>Use the release’s expected name exactly, including spaces or capitalization where applicable. If the console says the mod cannot be found, first verify the folder and then verify the name. Do not repeatedly issue variations of the command while the server is still reporting a startup exception; stop and inspect the first meaningful error.
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Unloading
To remove a loaded Harmony mod from the command system, use:
harmony.unload <Mod Name>Unloading is not a substitute for safely changing files. If you are removing or replacing the DLL, stop the server, disable or delete the file while the process is offline, then restart and use the documented unload command when appropriate. Follow the mod author’s removal procedure if it differs.
A host guide states that loaded mods persist across restarts. Therefore, do not assume that a restart alone unloads a mod. Record which mods are loaded, and explicitly unload or remove one when your maintenance plan requires it.
When not to hot-change a DLL
Do not overwrite, rename, or delete a Harmony DLL while Rust is running. Carbon.RSM warns that changing DLLs in a live process can produce Invalid IL exceptions and eventual crashes. Even when a file manager permits the operation, the running process may still hold the old assembly in memory or encounter a partially changed file. Stop the service first, make the file change, and start it again.
Choosing native Harmony, uMod/Oxide, or Carbon
The right installation path is determined by the mod format and the operational features you need, not by which framework name appears most often in server guides.
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| Option | What you install | Compatibility focus | Configuration and reload | Ecosystem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native Harmony | A Rust server-side Harmony .dll in HarmonyMods |
Exact Rust branch and the patch targets used by the DLL; Facepunch’s reference project is currently staging-oriented | Use the mod’s own files and harmony.load/harmony.unload; capabilities vary by release |
Depends on individual Harmony mod authors; not automatically compatible with framework plugins |
| uMod/Oxide | The uMod/Oxide Rust framework and its plugins | Framework build, Rust branch, and plugin compatibility | Managed through the framework’s plugin and console system; do not place plugins in HarmonyMods |
Large, established plugin-oriented ecosystem with its own documentation and support conventions |
| Carbon | The Carbon Rust framework and Carbon-compatible content | Carbon version, Rust branch, and compatibility of the selected plugin or patch | Carbon documents its own commands, including carbon.reload; native Harmony procedures do not automatically apply |
Built around Harmony and able to run Oxide-compatible plugins, subject to the plugin and Carbon version |
Choose native Harmony when the author specifically ships a native Harmony DLL and you want the smallest installation path. Choose uMod/Oxide when the software is distributed as an Oxide plugin and depends on that framework. Choose Carbon when you deliberately want Carbon’s framework, its Harmony-based architecture, and its documented compatibility layer. Installing a framework merely to load a DLL can add an unnecessary dependency; installing a native DLL into a framework directory can leave it invisible.
Folder and command examples
A conventional native installation looks like this:
RustDedicated.exe
HarmonyMods/
ExampleHarmonyMod.dllAfter the server starts, the console command uses the release’s mod name:
harmony.load ExampleHarmonyModTo unload that named mod:
harmony.unload ExampleHarmonyModThe example name is illustrative. Replace it with the name specified by the actual release; do not assume that every DLL exposes its filename as its command name.
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The server says the mod is not found
- Confirm the server is stopped while you inspect or change files.
- Verify that
HarmonyModsis in the server root besideRustDedicated.exe. - Make sure the file is a DLL, not a ZIP archive or a DLL nested in another directory.
- Check that you are looking at the server installation, not a client installation.
- Ensure you did not place the file in
oxide/plugins; that directory is for the uMod/Oxide framework. - Use the exact mod name expected by the release when running
harmony.load.
The load command fails
Read the complete console error, including the first exception and any referenced dependency. A wrong display name, missing dependency, unsupported Rust branch, or failed patch can all look like a generic load failure. Recheck the release notes and do not claim the mod is installed merely because the upload completed.
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Stop the server and compare the installed DLL’s supported branch with the updated server branch. Do not replace the DLL while the process is running. Roll back to the backed-up server state if necessary, then obtain a release that explicitly supports the new branch or remove the incompatible mod. A Harmony patch compiled against older code may fail before the server reaches a usable console.
You see Invalid IL errors or repeated crashes
Undo any live file replacement first: stop the server, restore the known-good DLL or remove the changed assembly, and start again. Carbon.RSM documents Invalid IL exceptions and eventual crashes as a risk when DLLs are changed while the server is running. Once the server is stable, test the replacement on staging before attempting another production change.
The mod loads but its behavior is absent
- Confirm the log reports a successful load rather than only finding the file.
- Check whether the mod requires a configuration file, permission, console variable, map condition, or player action.
- Verify that another mod or framework is not changing the same Rust method.
- Check the author’s supported branch and known issues for your exact release.
- Test with a controlled scenario and watch the console while reproducing the problem.
The host panel does not show a folder named HarmonyMods
Create it in the directory that contains RustDedicated.exe, provided your account has write access. Some managed hosts expose an application root, server files area, or instance directory rather than calling it “server root.” If the executable is hidden and the panel does not provide file access, ask the host for the correct path and a server-console method; do not create a similarly named folder inside an unrelated configuration directory.
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Use this checklist for each installation or update:
- ☐ The mod is a native Harmony DLL, not an Oxide plugin or a Carbon-specific package.
- ☐ The release supports the server’s current Rust branch and states whether it is staging or production oriented.
- ☐ A backup of server files, identity data, and current configuration exists.
- ☐ The server process is stopped before any DLL is uploaded, replaced, renamed, or deleted.
- ☐ The DLL is directly inside the server-root
HarmonyModsfolder besideRustDedicated.exe. - ☐ The server starts without an early exception.
- ☐
harmony.load <Mod Name>uses the release’s exact expected name. - ☐ The console confirms loading and shows no dependency or patch errors.
- ☐ The mod’s configuration and test procedure have been applied.
- ☐ Any removal or replacement uses the author’s procedure and an offline file change.
What to document for future maintenance
Keep a small change record containing the DLL filename, release date or version, supported Rust branch, expected Harmony name, configuration changes, load order, and the date it was installed. Record whether the mod is loaded persistently and how it was removed. This turns a future Rust update into a controlled compatibility check instead of a guess at which file changed.
Also record the framework boundary. A server may contain native Harmony mods, uMod/Oxide plugins, or Carbon-managed content, but each item should be listed with its loader and directory. That prevents an operator from moving a file between HarmonyMods, oxide/plugins, and Carbon directories simply because all three are described as “mods.”
Final decision
For a native Rust Harmony mod, the reliable sequence is: verify the release and Rust branch, back up the server, stop Rust, place the DLL in HarmonyMods beside RustDedicated.exe, start the server, run harmony.load <Mod Name>, and verify the console log. Use harmony.unload <Mod Name> for an explicit unload, and never alter a Harmony DLL while the server process is live. If the package is an Oxide plugin or a Carbon package, use that framework’s installation and reload system instead of the native Harmony path.
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