Commands

Commands are a fundamental aspect of managing a Rust server. They allow you to manipulate the server, users, gameplay, and even the Oxide system itself in various ways. This document aims to provide you with an overview of how to use commands in your Rust server and some common commands that will help you manage your server effectively.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with this guide, ensure that you have Moderator or administrator permissions on your Rust server. If you are not already an admin or moderator on your server, you can grant yourself these permissions. Here are the steps to do this:

1. First, you need your Steam64ID. You can get this by going to a site like SteamID.io, entering your steam profile URL, and copying the steamID64.
2. Navigate to the users.cfg file. This will be in the same location as your server's server.cfg file, which is in the /server/my_server_identity/cfg/ directory (replace my_server_identity with your server's identity).
3. Open users.cfg with a text editor, and add a new line in the following format: ownerid "YourSteamID64" "Your Name" "Optional Reason". Replace YourSteamID64 with your actual Steam64ID, Your Name with your actual username, and Optional Reason with the reason you're adding this person as an admin (this can be anything and is not displayed in-game).
4. Save and close the file. Next time you start your server, you'll be an admin!

Alternatively, you can use the ownerid command in the server's console followed by the user's Steam64ID, name, and optional reason.

For more details, you can refer to this Rust Admin Setup Guide.

Accessing the Console

In Rust, there are two main types of consoles that you can access - the in-game F1 console and the server console.

1. In-game F1 Console: This console can be accessed in-game by pressing the F1 key. Once open, you can type commands and press Enter to execute them.

2. Server Console: If you are running the server on your own machine or have access to the server console via your game hosting provider, you can type commands directly into this console.

Note: Depending on your server setup, you might be accessing the server console via RCON (remote console). This allows you to send console commands from a separate device or application, such as RustAdmin or rcon.io.

Command Types and Handling

Oxide uses a sophisticated command handling system called Covalence, which provides cross-game compatibility. There are two primary types of commands:

1. Chat Commands: These are entered in the game chat and typically start with a prefix like / or !. The specific prefixes that trigger chat commands are configurable in the Oxide configuration.

2. Console Commands: These are entered directly in the console (F1 menu or server console) and don't require a prefix.

When executing commands, Oxide intelligently parses the input to handle:

• Arguments with spaces: You can use quotes to include spaces in an argument, e.g., oxide.grant user "Player Name" permission.name
• Global prefixing: Console commands can use the global. prefix to ensure they're processed by Oxide rather than the game, e.g., global.oxide.version

INFO

Command Processing

When a command is executed, Oxide:

1. Determines if it's a chat or console command based on context and prefixes
2. Parses the command and its arguments
3. Checks if the user has permission to use the command
4. Passes the command to the appropriate handler
5. Returns feedback to the player based on the command result

All commands and permissions in Oxide are handled in a case-insensitive manner, so OXIDE.VERSION and oxide.version are treated as the same command.

Common Server Commands

While this guide is primarily focused on Oxide and plugin commands, it's essential to be familiar with some basic server commands that you'll use often as an admin:

• say "message": Broadcasts a message to all players in the server.
• kick "name": Kicks a player from the server.
• ban "name" "reason": Bans a player from the server, providing a reason.
• server.save: Manually saves the server.

NOTE

To execute these commands, you must have admin or moderator permissions on the server.

Oxide Commands

Oxide commands are specific to the Oxide plugin system. They allow you to control various aspects of Oxide and the plugins you have installed. Oxide commands are executed in the same way as server commands - either through the in-game F1 console or the server console.

Here is a list of common Oxide commands that you will find useful in managing your server and its plugins:

• oxide.version: This command shows the version of Oxide being used on the server.
• oxide.reload PluginName: This command will unload and then load the specified plugin. This is useful when you have updated a plugin's configuration and need the changes to take effect.
• oxide.load PluginName: This command will load the specified plugin if it's not already loaded.
• oxide.unload PluginName: This command will unload the specified plugin.

In addition to plugin management, Oxide provides an additional permissions system for managing permissions on your server:

• oxide.group add "Group Name": This command creates a new group with the specified name.
• oxide.usergroup add "Username" "Group Name": This command adds the specified user to the specified group.

NOTE

More information on Oxide Permissions can be found in the Oxide Permissions Docs.

Each plugin can come with its own set of commands. For instance, if you have a plugin called "MyPlugin", it might have a command called "myplugin.mycommand". To allow a user to run this command, you would need to give them the necessary permission using the Oxide permissions system:

oxide.grant user Username myplugin.mycommand: This command gives the specified user permission to run the command myplugin.mycommand. Ensure you're familiar with your plugins' commands as they will help you configure and manage the plugin.

Command Callbacks and Security

Behind the scenes, Oxide uses a system of command callbacks to process commands. When a plugin registers a command, it provides a callback function that is executed when the command is used. This callback receives:

• The player who executed the command
• The command name
• An array of arguments passed to the command

For security purposes, Oxide also supports command filtering, which can prevent malicious commands from being executed. Plugins can implement filters that validate commands before they're processed.

Cross-Game Command Support

One of the powerful features of Oxide's Covalence command system is that it allows plugins to be compatible across different games. Developers can create plugins that register commands using the Covalence API, and these commands will work the same way regardless of whether the server is running Rust, Hurtworld, or any other supported game.

This cross-game functionality is particularly useful for:

• Server owners who run multiple types of game servers
• Plugin developers who want to create plugins that work on different games
• Communities that operate across multiple games and want consistent command syntax

Troubleshooting Commands

If you're experiencing issues with commands:

1. Check permissions: Ensure the user has permission to use the command
2. Try using the global prefix: If a command isn't recognized, try prefixing it with global.
3. Verify syntax: Check that you're using the correct syntax, especially for commands with multiple arguments
4. Check console output: The server console may provide error messages explaining why a command failed
5. Ensure the plugin is loaded: Commands from plugins are only available when the plugin is loaded

For complex command issues, server logs are often the best source of diagnostic information.