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Freedom251 › Blog › game server hosting

How to Add the Imperial Plugins Loader to OpenMod

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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Install the Imperial Plugins Loader as a vendor-specific manual deployment, not as a normal OpenMod package. Put ImperialPlugins.Loader.dll and K4os.Compression.LZ4.dll in /Servers/unturned/OpenMod/Plugins, place the Windows or Linux native binary in a sibling /Servers/unturned/OpenMod/native directory, start the server once to generate configuration, enter your key and product name, then restart. If the loader reports that it is not whitelisted, request approval in the Imperial Plugins dashboard and restart again after approval.

The procedure below follows the loader instructions published by Sparked Host on 22 December 2022 and OpenMod’s documented plugin behavior. File names, dashboard controls, whitelist rules and product dependencies can change, so compare the current Imperial Plugins download archive and the product page with these steps before changing a production server.

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What you need before installing

Server access and the correct download

You need file-management access to the Unturned server, permission to stop and start its service, and access to the Imperial Plugins account that owns the product. Obtain the paid product, or otherwise obtain the product package through Imperial Plugins, then use the product page’s Download control. The loader archive is not installed through OpenMod’s package command.

Keep a copy of the downloaded archive until the server has started successfully. It contains two sections that serve different purposes: a Plugins directory for managed .NET assemblies and a Native directory for the platform-specific native loader. Do not merge the native file into the managed plugin directory.

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Confirm the operating system

Use the Windows binary on a Windows server and the Linux shared object on a Linux server:

Server platform Native file to install Destination
Windows ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.dll /Servers/unturned/OpenMod/native
Linux ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.so /Servers/unturned/OpenMod/native

The managed assemblies go in the same OpenMod Plugins directory on either platform. On Linux, preserve the lowercase native directory name exactly; hosting panels and scripts can treat differently cased names as separate directories.

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Back up existing files and configuration

Before copying anything, stop the service if your panel supports a graceful stop and back up the OpenMod directory, especially any existing Imperial Plugins configuration. A backup gives you a recovery point if a newer archive changes a file name or if an incomplete upload leaves the server with only one part of the loader.

Install the loader files manually

1. Upload the managed DLLs

  1. Extract the Imperial Plugins archive on your computer or in the hosting panel’s file manager.
  2. Open the archive’s Plugins folder.
  3. Upload ImperialPlugins.Loader.dll to /Servers/unturned/OpenMod/Plugins.
  4. Upload K4os.Compression.LZ4.dll to that same Plugins directory.

Both files are required for the managed loader deployment described by the host guide. The destination is the server’s OpenMod plugin directory, not the game’s root folder and not a product-specific subfolder.

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2. Create the native directory

  1. Navigate to /Servers/unturned/OpenMod.
  2. Create a new directory named native directly inside it.
  3. Do not create native inside Plugins; it must be a sibling of Plugins.

Your resulting layout should look like this:

/Servers/unturned/OpenMod/Plugins/ImperialPlugins.Loader.dll
/Servers/unturned/OpenMod/Plugins/K4os.Compression.LZ4.dll
/Servers/unturned/OpenMod/native/ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.dll   (Windows)
/Servers/unturned/OpenMod/native/ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.so    (Linux)

Only the file matching the server operating system belongs in native. Do not upload both platform binaries as a substitute for selecting the correct one.

3. Check the upload before starting

  • Verify that the two managed files are immediately inside OpenMod/Plugins.
  • Verify that the native file is immediately inside OpenMod/native.
  • Check that the file names have not gained an extra extension such as .dll.zip after extraction.
  • On Linux, make sure the panel did not rename the shared object or place it in a Windows-only archive subfolder.

If your panel has separate permissions for files and directories, ensure the OpenMod process can read all four files. The loader-specific instructions do not establish a universal permission value, so follow your host’s standard read permissions rather than applying an unsafe blanket permission.

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Start once to generate the loader configuration

The first start is intentional: the loader needs to run before you can complete its configuration.

  1. Start the Unturned server service.
  2. Wait for OpenMod to finish loading and inspect the console or server log for the loader’s startup messages.
  3. Stop the service after the initial startup has created the loader configuration.
  4. Open the generated configuration and fill in the Imperial Plugins key and product name supplied with your purchase.
  5. Save the file without changing YAML indentation or replacing quoted values with incompatible syntax.
  6. Start the service again.

OpenMod stores plugin-specific YAML under plugins/<plugin id>. OpenMod’s configuration documentation warns that newly introduced fields are not always added to an existing YAML file. If a current loader release documents a field that is missing, edit the YAML manually; if the file is malformed or belongs to an older release, stop the server, retain a backup, and delete the file so OpenMod can recreate it on the next start. Do not delete a configuration file before preserving a copy of the key and product information.

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The exact key field names and product-name value are supplied by Imperial Plugins and can vary by release. Use the labels in the generated file or the current product instructions rather than inventing additional settings.

Complete whitelist activation

A successful second start does not necessarily mean the product is authorized. The loader may report that the plugin is not whitelisted. Whitelisting is handled in the Imperial Plugins dashboard, not by moving the DLLs to another OpenMod directory.

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  1. Sign in to the Imperial Plugins dashboard associated with the purchased product.
  2. Open the whitelist or approval area identified for that product.
  3. Submit the required whitelist request, supplying the server or product details requested by the dashboard.
  4. Wait for the developer to approve the request.
  5. After approval, restart the entire server service.

If the loader still reports a whitelist failure after approval, confirm that the configured product name and key belong to the same Imperial Plugins account and product. Check the startup log for a spelling or parsing error, then contact the product developer with the relevant log lines. Re-uploading the same DLLs will not replace a missing vendor approval.

Install product-specific prerequisites separately

The loader is only the common installation layer. Each Imperial Plugins product can add OpenMod packages, database requirements or a configuration-branch selection. Read the individual product page before launching the product in production.

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Example: Hitman

The Hitman product page lists these OpenMod commands:

openmod install SilK.Unturned.Extras
openmod install OpenMod.EntityFrameworkCore.MySql

Its instructions also tell administrators to select the openmod branch in Imperial Plugins configuration. Install those dependencies and apply the branch setting only when the current Hitman instructions still require them; they are not universal Imperial Plugins Loader prerequisites.

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Example: DropBoxes

The DropBoxes product page likewise lists OpenMod dependency commands and requires a MySQL connection string. Obtain the current connection-string format and required package names from that product page. Do not copy Hitman’s dependencies or database settings into DropBoxes unless its own documentation says to do so.

Why product pages matter

  • Dependency package IDs can change independently of the loader.
  • A product may require a database while another does not.
  • Configuration branches and required product-name values are product-specific.
  • A loader that starts correctly can still fail when its dependent product is missing.
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Restart the server instead of using openmod reload

OpenMod’s general documentation says that ordinary plugins can be installed manually or with openmod install <package id>, then applied with openmod reload. The same reload operation is documented for applying plugin updates and removals.

ImperialPlugins Loader is the important exception. Hosting guidance warns that using openmod reload with this loader is not recommended and that the entire server must be restarted. A second host article gives the same instruction. Use a full service restart after the initial installation, after entering the key, after whitelist approval, and after loader updates.

Change Normal OpenMod plugin guidance ImperialPlugins Loader deployment
Install or update plugin files openmod reload can apply the change Stop and start the entire server service
Remove plugin files Reload is documented to apply removal Use a complete server restart
First loader configuration Not applicable Start once to generate YAML, edit it, then restart
Whitelist approval Not applicable Restart after the developer approves the request

A reload can leave native components in the original process, which is why the loader-specific guidance calls for a full restart. Schedule that restart during a maintenance window and warn players before stopping an active server.

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Choose a manual or hosting-panel workflow

Both approaches can work, but the deciding issue is whether the panel exposes the exact directory structure and provides a reliable full restart.

Consideration Direct file-manager or SFTP installation Hosting-panel workflow
Exact file placement Usually gives precise control over OpenMod/Plugins and the sibling native directory. Convenient, but panel templates may hide or rename directories.
Create the native directory You can create native exactly where required. Works only if the panel permits custom folders under OpenMod.
Generated YAML access Easy to inspect and back up after the first start. Depends on whether the panel exposes OpenMod’s configuration files.
Restart handling Requires you to stop and start the service deliberately. Convenient if the panel’s Restart control performs a real process restart.
Whitelist requests Dashboard access is separate from file access. Still requires the Imperial Plugins dashboard; the panel cannot approve a vendor whitelist.

Do not select a one-click OpenMod installer merely because it supports ordinary NuGet packages. OpenMod’s NuGet path is appropriate for standard plugins, while this loader requires two managed files, one native file and a vendor activation sequence.

Troubleshoot by symptom

The loader does not appear in the OpenMod log

  • Check that ImperialPlugins.Loader.dll is directly inside OpenMod/Plugins.
  • Check that the file was not uploaded into a nested extracted folder.
  • Confirm that K4os.Compression.LZ4.dll is present beside it.
  • Restart the whole server instead of trying openmod reload.

The server reports a missing native component

  • Confirm that OpenMod/native exists as a sibling of OpenMod/Plugins.
  • Use ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.dll only on Windows and ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.so only on Linux.
  • Check capitalization and spelling, especially on Linux.
  • Verify that the panel uploaded the native file itself rather than the archive containing it.

The configuration file was not created

  • Allow the server to finish a complete startup before stopping it.
  • Review the startup log for an earlier plugin-load error.
  • Confirm that OpenMod can write its plugin configuration directory.
  • If an old or malformed YAML file exists, back it up and let OpenMod recreate it, then enter the key and product name again.

The plugin says it is not whitelisted

  • Submit the whitelist request in the Imperial Plugins dashboard.
  • Wait for developer approval; a local file change cannot grant approval.
  • Restart the entire service after approval.
  • Check that the configured key, account and product name match the product you downloaded.

The product starts but features fail

Recheck the product’s own prerequisites. For example, a product may need an OpenMod dependency, a MySQL provider, a connection string or a specific configuration branch even though the common loader is installed correctly. Follow that product’s current instructions rather than adding unrelated packages.

Updating or removing the loader safely

Treat an update as another full deployment. Stop the service, back up the existing loader files and YAML, replace the managed and matching native binaries from the new archive, then start the server and inspect the log. If the new release adds configuration fields, update the YAML manually or recreate it according to the release instructions. Restart again after saving changes.

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For removal, stop the service first, back up the configuration, remove the loader DLLs and the native binary, and start the server to confirm that no dependent product is still configured to load them. OpenMod’s generic documentation describes reload for ordinary plugin removal, but the loader-specific guidance calls for a complete restart.

Final installation checklist

  • The current Imperial Plugins product archive was downloaded from its product page.
  • ImperialPlugins.Loader.dll and K4os.Compression.LZ4.dll are in /Servers/unturned/OpenMod/Plugins.
  • The matching ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.dll or ImperialPluginsNativeLoader.so is in /Servers/unturned/OpenMod/native.
  • The server was started once to generate the loader configuration.
  • The Imperial Plugins key and product name were entered in the generated configuration.
  • A full server restart was performed after editing the configuration.
  • Any vendor whitelist request was submitted and approved, followed by another full restart.
  • The individual product page was checked for dependencies, database settings and configuration-branch requirements.
  • The startup log shows the loader and product initializing without missing-file or whitelist errors.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

game server hostingImperial PluginsOpenModplugin installationUnturned server

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