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How to Install the LAWS Mod on a Garry’s Mod Server

Install a LAWS addon on a Garry’s Mod server with the correct Workshop collection or manual folder method, configure client downloads separately, and verify DarkRP laws commands without guessing an unknown Workshop ID.
Length10 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Install a Workshop version of the LAWS/DarkRP addon by placing it in a Steam Workshop collection and launching the dedicated server with +host_workshop_collection <collection_id>. Garry’s Mod downloads and mounts that collection when the server starts. If your release is a loose archive, extract its real addon folder to garrysmod/addons/<addon_name>/ and restart instead. Do not use resource.AddWorkshop as a substitute for either method: that function sends Workshop content to connecting clients, but it does not install an addon on the server.

“LAWS” is not a uniquely identifiable package name in the available documentation. Before following a version-specific instruction, obtain the maintainer’s current Workshop page or release archive and its numeric ID. The commands described below also cover DarkRP’s built-in laws feature, which exposes /addlaw, /removelaw, /placelaws and /resetlaws.

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Identify what you are installing

Garry’s Mod servers can load an addon in two fundamentally different ways: Steam Workshop collection mounting or direct placement in the server’s garrysmod/addons directory. The correct procedure depends on the format supplied by the LAWS maintainer.

A Workshop item

A Workshop release has a Steam page and a numeric Workshop item ID. The item may be added to a collection that your dedicated server loads at startup. This is normally the easier option for a server that needs repeatable updates, because the collection is the central list of content the server should fetch.

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A loose archive

A ZIP or other download from a maintainer is a manual installation. It must contain a real addon directory with the Lua and content folders expected by Garry’s Mod. The archive’s name is not necessarily the addon’s name; inspect the extracted folders rather than copying the outer archive directory blindly.

DarkRP’s built-in laws entity

DarkRP itself documents a laws entity and its commands. That feature is distinct from any separately packaged addon that might be called “LAWS.” The stock implementation allows up to 12 laws, creates a laws-board entity with /placelaws, and sends the current laws to players as they join. If your goal is only the standard DarkRP laws board, check whether your server already includes it before adding another package.

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Prepare the dedicated server

Make changes while the server is stopped, or schedule a restart after the change. Keep an administrator console or service panel available so you can read startup messages. A conventional Garry’s Mod dedicated-server installation uses Steam application ID 4020; server configuration files are normally under garrysmod/cfg. Those details describe the server environment, not a LAWS-specific dependency.

Collect the information you need

  • The exact Workshop item page and numeric item ID, or the maintainer’s release archive.
  • The Workshop collection ID that the server will load, if you are using the collection method.
  • The DarkRP gamemode and the administrator account or console access needed to test commands.
  • A recent backup of the server’s garrysmod directory and configuration files, so you can remove the addon cleanly if it conflicts with another script.

Do not guess a Workshop ID from a search result or from a similarly named addon. If the maintainer has not supplied an unambiguous current page or archive, stop and request that information from the server owner; an invented ID can make the server download the wrong content.

Method 1: install through a Workshop collection

Use this method when the LAWS release has a Workshop page. The collection is what the server consumes; merely subscribing to an item from a client account does not configure a dedicated server.

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  1. Open the addon’s Workshop page. Copy its numeric Workshop item ID. Confirm that the description identifies the release as the LAWS package you intend to run.
  2. Create or edit the server’s Workshop collection. Add the LAWS item to that collection. Keep the collection limited to the addons the server actually needs so that startup downloads remain predictable.
  3. Record the collection ID. The collection has its own numeric ID, which is different from the ID of the LAWS item inside it.
  4. Add the collection parameter to the server launch command. A typical command-line fragment is:
+host_workshop_collection <collection_id>
  1. Start the dedicated server. At startup, Garry’s Mod downloads the collection and mounts the downloaded addons. Leave the console visible until the Workshop and mount messages have completed.
  2. Restart after collection edits. When you add, remove or replace an item, restart the server so it performs a fresh download and mount cycle. A running process will not reliably pick up a changed collection merely because the web page was edited.
  3. Connect and test in DarkRP. Join after startup has settled, verify that the laws board or addon content is present, and run the command checks described below.

What to check in the console

Look for messages indicating that the intended collection was requested, its items were downloaded or already available, and the addons were mounted. A successful process does not necessarily prove that every client asset is available; server mounting and client delivery are separate checks.

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Method 2: install a loose addon manually

Choose manual placement when the maintainer distributes files rather than a Workshop item, or when you need direct control over a fixed release. Manual installation gives you that control, but updates and rollback become your responsibility.

  1. Stop the server. Copy the release archive to a temporary location outside the live addon directory.
  2. Extract the archive. Inspect the resulting folders. Find the directory that directly contains the addon’s expected Lua and content directories.
  3. Remove an unwanted wrapper level. A common archive layout is <release>-main/<addon_name>/. Garry’s Mod needs the actual addon directory at the next level, not an extra GitHub-style wrapper.
  4. Copy the real addon directory. Place it at:
garrysmod/addons/<addon_name>/

The folder immediately below addons should be the addon itself. Do not leave the files buried at garrysmod/addons/<release>-main/<addon_name>/ unless that outer directory is itself the intended addon structure.

  1. Preserve the supplied directory structure. Do not rename Lua folders, move content files individually, or merge two releases into one directory. If the archive contains a readme with a required folder name, follow that name.
  2. Start or restart the server. Garry’s Mod scans the addons directory during startup. Read the console for Lua errors or indications that the addon was skipped.
  3. Connect as a test player. Confirm both the gameplay behavior and any models, materials or sounds supplied by the release.

Confirming the path on disk

From the server installation root, the expected pattern is:

garrysmod/addons/<addon_name>/

If that path exists but the addon still does not load, compare its contents with the maintainer’s archive. A correctly named folder containing an incomplete extraction is functionally the same as a missing addon.

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Server installation versus client downloads

Many “it works for me but not for players” reports come from mixing these two jobs. The server must load the addon so its Lua code and entities exist. Clients may separately need Workshop files for models, materials or sounds.

Using resource.AddWorkshop

When players need an explicit client download, place the call in a server autorun Lua file. Facepunch documents garrysmod/lua/autorun/server/workshop.lua as the typical location, or the equivalent server autorun path inside a legacy addon.

resource.AddWorkshop("<workshop_id>")

Replace the placeholder with the numeric Workshop ID for the content clients must download. Restart the server after creating or changing the file. This function adds an item to the client download list; it does not mount or install the addon for the server. The server still needs the Workshop collection or the manual addon folder described above.

When to use the collection for client content

If the required content is already part of the server’s Workshop collection, clients may receive it through the collection workflow used by the server. If players still see missing assets, treat client delivery as an independent problem: verify the relevant Workshop item IDs and the server’s autorun configuration instead of copying server files into a client’s game directory.

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Test the DarkRP laws feature

Run these checks only on a server that is actually running DarkRP and on a player with the appropriate role or permissions.

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  • /placelaws places the laws-board entity.
  • /addlaw <text> adds a law. In the stock implementation, this command is restricted to the Mayor role.
  • /removelaw <number> removes a numbered law. This is also restricted to the Mayor in the stock implementation.
  • /resetlaws resets the current law list.

Add and remove a test entry, inspect the board, reconnect a player, and confirm that the current list is delivered on join. Keep the 12-entry limit in mind when testing a full list; attempting a thirteenth entry should not be treated as proof that installation failed.

Verification checklist after installation

  1. Confirm that the launch command contains the intended Workshop collection ID, or that the manual addon directory exists exactly under garrysmod/addons/<addon_name>/.
  2. Read the startup console for Workshop download and addon-mount activity.
  3. Join the server with a client and check that the laws board or LAWS-specific interface appears.
  4. On DarkRP, execute the four documented commands with a permitted test character.
  5. Check that laws persist during the session, that a newly joining player receives the current list, and that the board can be placed.
  6. Inspect the client for missing models, materials or sounds. If only visual or audio assets are missing, investigate client Workshop delivery separately from server mounting.
  7. Record the exact release, Workshop item ID, collection ID and installation date in the server’s maintenance notes. This makes a later rollback reproducible.
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Troubleshooting by symptom

The server starts, but the addon does not load

For a Workshop installation, verify the collection ID in the launch command and confirm that the LAWS item is actually a member of that collection. Restart after correcting either value. For a manual installation, inspect the directory depth and move the real addon folder out of any extra archive wrapper. Then restart and look for Lua errors or mount messages.

Players connect but see missing models, materials or sounds

This indicates a client-content delivery issue unless the server console also reports that the addon failed to mount. Add the required Workshop IDs to the server autorun client-download file, or ensure the content is included in the server’s Workshop collection. Remember that resource.AddWorkshop affects downloads to clients; it does not repair a missing server-side addon.

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The law commands do nothing

Confirm that the active gamemode is DarkRP, not another role-play framework, and test with the role and permissions expected by the implementation. In stock DarkRP, the Mayor restriction applies to /addlaw and /removelaw; /placelaws and /resetlaws are DarkRP commands. A separately packaged LAWS addon may change names or permissions, so consult that package’s own documentation when its behavior differs.

The board appears, but the wrong laws or no laws are shown

Check that you are testing the same server instance whose files or collection you edited. Verify the law list with an authorized Mayor, then reconnect a second player to test the join-time update. Do not exceed the stock 12-entry limit while diagnosing list behavior.

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The exact LAWS Workshop item cannot be identified

Do not install a similarly named item on guesswork. Ask the server owner or maintainer for the current Workshop page, numeric item ID or release archive. Once that identity is confirmed, apply the Workshop or manual procedure that matches its distribution format.

Choosing between Workshop and manual installation

Consideration Workshop collection Manual addon folder
Update handling Central collection membership makes coordinated updates easier; restart to download and mount changes. Administrator downloads, replaces and verifies each release manually.
Repeatability The launch parameter documents which collection the server should load on each startup. The filesystem is the source of truth; record the exact archive and folder contents.
Server installation Collection mounting installs and mounts the server addon at startup. Copying the real addon directory under garrysmod/addons installs it locally.
Client content Collection membership can be part of the delivery plan, but missing assets still require a client-side check. Client Workshop delivery must be configured separately when players need Workshop assets.
Rollback Remove or replace the item in the collection, then restart; keep the former collection state recorded. Restore the backed-up addon directory or archive, then restart.
Control over files Less direct control over the downloaded copy. Direct control over the exact files and release version.

Use the collection route when the maintainer supports Workshop and you want centralized updates across restarts. Use manual placement when no Workshop release exists or when a fixed archive must be audited and retained. In either case, keep the server-side installation decision separate from the client-download decision.

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Removing or rolling back the addon

Workshop rollback

Stop the server, remove the LAWS item from the collection or restore the previous collection membership, and start again with the same +host_workshop_collection parameter. Verify in the startup console that the unwanted item is no longer mounted. If another addon depends on it, removing the item may produce new errors, so review the collection as a whole.

Manual rollback

Stop the server and move the LAWS directory out of garrysmod/addons rather than deleting your only copy. Restore the backed-up version if you are reverting an update. Start the server and test DarkRP before declaring the rollback complete.

Final pre-launch checklist

  • The package identity is confirmed by a current Workshop page or maintainer archive.
  • The chosen installation method matches that package’s distribution format.
  • The Workshop collection ID is present in the launch command, or the real addon directory is directly under garrysmod/addons.
  • The server has been restarted after every collection or file change.
  • Startup output shows the expected download and mount activity.
  • Client downloads have been configured independently where models, materials or sounds require them.
  • DarkRP commands have been tested with the correct role and permissions.
  • The 12-law stock limit has been accounted for.
  • A backup and a record of the working release are available for rollback.

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