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Freedom251 › Blog › DarkRP

How to Install DarkRP on a Garry’s Mod Server

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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Install DarkRP by adding the official Workshop item to your dedicated server’s collection or by uploading the official files from GitHub. A manual installation must produce garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/gamemode/init.lua; put server-specific jobs and settings in garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/. Finally, select darkrp as the launch gamemode and restart the server.

  • DarkRP gamemode: garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/
  • Customization addon: garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/
  • Launch value: darkrp or +gamemode darkrp
  • Common map choice: an rp_-prefixed map

What DarkRP is

DarkRP is a non-serious roleplay gamemode for Garry’s Mod. It supplies the roleplay rules, jobs, entities and other systems that replace the default sandbox experience. The official project is maintained in the FPtje/DarkRP repository and is distributed through Git and the Steam Workshop. Its README gives the short recommendation: “Please use either git or the workshop.”

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Installation is not complete merely because the files exist on the server. The server also has to start the darkrp gamemode, load a map that the server and clients can access, and keep your custom configuration separate from DarkRP’s core. That separation is what lets you update DarkRP without overwriting your jobs and settings.

Choose Workshop or GitHub

Both methods install the same project, but they suit different server-management workflows. Use the option that matches the access and update controls provided by your host.

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Consideration Steam Workshop GitHub or manual upload
Basic process Add Workshop item 248302805 to the dedicated server’s collection and load that collection. Download or clone DarkRP, then upload it so the expected gamemodes/darkrp path exists.
Direct file access Usually unnecessary, although panel controls differ by provider. Required through FTP, a file manager, Git or another upload method.
Deployment effort Usually quickest on a managed control panel. More steps, but every folder and file is visible for inspection.
Update control The panel and Workshop collection determine when content is synchronized; behavior varies by host. You decide when to download or replace the core files.
Rollback Depends on the versions or snapshots your host and Workshop workflow retain. Backups of the previous folder can be restored directly.
Customization Still belongs in darkrpmodification, not in Workshop-managed core files. Still belongs in darkrpmodification; manual access makes the separation easy to verify.

The official project supports both Git and Workshop. A panel may expose only a collection field, only a file manager, or both, so use the equivalent control your host provides rather than assuming every interface has the same labels.

Prepare the server before installing

Do the file work while the server is stopped. Replacing a gamemode while Lua files are being read can leave a partial installation or confusing console errors.

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  • Make a backup of the current server files, especially any existing gamemodes, addons, configuration and startup settings.
  • Confirm that you can edit the server through its control panel, FTP/SFTP, a file manager or Git.
  • Know which map the server will start. An rp_ map is a common match for DarkRP, but the map must also be available to the server and its clients.
  • Record the current startup command or gamemode value so you can restore it if another mode is currently in use.

Do not delete an existing installation before making the backup. If the new files are nested in the wrong directory, the backup is the fastest way to recover.

Option A: install DarkRP with the Steam Workshop

Workshop deployment is convenient when your dedicated-server host manages collections for you. The Workshop item ID for the official DarkRP project is 248302805.

1. Add DarkRP to the server’s collection

  1. Open the Steam Workshop collection used by the dedicated server in your host’s control panel or collection-management interface.
  2. Add Workshop item 248302805 to that collection.
  3. Save the collection and make sure the server is configured to load it at startup. Some panels use a collection ID field; others provide a Workshop or content section.

The exact labels and synchronization behavior vary by provider. If the panel offers both a collection and an individual Workshop-item field, use the method documented by that panel and avoid configuring the same content twice.

2. Add a compatible map

Add the map you intend to run to the same collection when the host requires collection-based delivery. A DarkRP gamemode without an available map can stop during startup or leave clients unable to join. An rp_-prefixed map is a common starting choice; verify that the selected map is actually installed for the server and available to connecting players.

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3. Restart and inspect the console

  1. Stop the server if it is still running, save the collection changes, and start it again.
  2. Watch the startup console for Workshop download failures, missing map messages or gamemode-loading errors.
  3. After the server reaches its ready state, connect as a client and confirm that the map and DarkRP interface load rather than the sandbox interface.

If the panel reports that the collection loaded but the server still starts in sandbox, the collection and the active gamemode are separate settings. Set the gamemode as described below; Workshop content alone does not select DarkRP.

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Option B: install DarkRP from GitHub

Manual installation gives you direct control of the directory layout and makes it easier to keep a backup of a known-good version. Use the official DarkRP repository, not an unofficial re-upload.

1. Stop and back up the server

Stop the dedicated server and copy the current garrysmod directory or at least the existing gamemodes, addons and configuration folders. Keep the backup outside the live directory so a later upload cannot overwrite it.

2. Obtain the complete DarkRP repository

Download or clone the complete official repository. Do not upload only an individual Lua file: DarkRP expects its full gamemode structure, including its gamemode directory and initialization file.

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3. Create the exact gamemode path

Upload the resulting folder beneath the server’s garrysmod/gamemodes/ directory. The finished path must be:

garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/gamemode/init.lua

If the archive extracts to a directory named DarkRP-master, rename that directory to darkrp before or after uploading. The folder name matters: the server looks for the gamemode directory named darkrp, not the archive’s branch or project name.

4. Install darkrpmodification

Download or clone the separate darkrpmodification project and place it at:

garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/

Do not put this addon inside gamemodes/darkrp. It is a separate addon that supplies the supported location for your server’s custom settings and content.

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5. Check for accidental nesting

A common archive mistake is an extra directory level, such as gamemodes/DarkRP-master/darkrp/gamemode/init.lua. That will not satisfy the expected path. Browse from garrysmod and confirm that gamemodes contains darkrp directly, and that darkrp contains gamemode directly.

Set DarkRP as the active gamemode

After either installation method, select DarkRP in the server startup settings. The value is the lowercase name darkrp.

Using a control panel

  1. Open the server’s startup, command-line or gamemode settings.
  2. Find the gamemode field and enter darkrp, replacing sandbox if that is the current value.
  3. Choose the map you want to start, preferably an available rp_ map for an initial test.
  4. Save the settings and restart the server.

Using a command line

Add this argument to the server’s startup command:

+gamemode darkrp

Keep the argument as part of the startup command used by the dedicated server, then restart after saving it. A one-time console command does not replace the persistent startup setting; the server may revert to its configured mode on the next restart if the command line still specifies another value.

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Confirm the result

Read the startup console before adding other addons. The log should show DarkRP loading rather than a “gamemode not found” error, and the server should change to the selected map. Joining the server is the final check: the player should see DarkRP’s roleplay systems instead of the default sandbox tools.

Configure jobs, settings and entities safely

Use darkrpmodification for changes that belong to your server. The point of this addon is to override or extend defaults without editing DarkRP’s own core files.

Settings

General settings are commonly kept in:

garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/darkrp_config/settings.lua

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Use this location for the configuration values supplied by the modification project. Keep a backup of your edited file so you can compare it with a newer example when DarkRP changes.

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Jobs

Custom jobs are commonly kept in:

garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/lua/darkrp_customthings/jobs.lua

Put job definitions in that file or in the corresponding custom-things structure provided by the project. Avoid placing job code in DarkRP’s own gamemode directory.

Entities and other custom things

Entities and other additions have their own files under the same lua/darkrp_customthings/ area. Follow the existing file organization in the modification addon rather than creating parallel copies inside the core gamemode.

Why core edits are a bad update strategy

Edits made directly to DarkRP’s core files can be replaced when you update the gamemode. Keeping the changes in darkrpmodification lets you replace the core folder while retaining your server-specific work. It also makes troubleshooting clearer: a failure in a custom job can be isolated from the unmodified gamemode.

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Workshop and manual installation: practical decision guide

Choose Workshop when panel convenience matters most

  • Your host provides a reliable Workshop collection field.
  • You want content synchronized through the host’s normal deployment process.
  • You do not need to inspect or replace individual core files regularly.
  • You are comfortable with the panel determining when Workshop content is refreshed.

Still maintain a separate backup of darkrpmodification and your server configuration. Workshop management does not replace backups of your own changes.

Choose GitHub when you need file-level control

  • You have FTP, SFTP, a file manager or Git access.
  • You need to stage an update and preserve a known-good copy for rollback.
  • You want to inspect the exact folder layout and console-related files.
  • Your host’s Workshop integration is limited or unreliable.

Manual installation requires more attention to directory names, but the expected paths make it straightforward to audit.

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Troubleshoot the common failures

The server still starts in sandbox

Check the persistent startup setting first. The gamemode field must contain darkrp, or the command line must include +gamemode darkrp. Restart after changing it. Installing the files or adding a Workshop collection does not, by itself, change the active gamemode.

The console says the gamemode cannot be found

Inspect the manual path from the server root. It must be exactly garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/gamemode/init.lua. Rename an extracted DarkRP-master folder to darkrp, and remove any extra nesting level introduced by the archive. If you used Workshop, check that the collection is assigned to this server and that the host finished downloading it.

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The map is missing or clients cannot join

Verify the map name in the startup setting and ensure the map is available to the server. With collection-based deployment, add a compatible map to the collection when required by the host. A gamemode can load correctly while the selected map remains unavailable.

Custom jobs or settings do nothing

Confirm that the files are under garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/, not inside the core gamemode or an extra nested directory. Check the relevant paths, such as lua/darkrp_config/settings.lua and lua/darkrp_customthings/jobs.lua, and read the console for Lua errors before adding more changes.

Changes disappear after an update

That usually means the change was made in a DarkRP core file or the wrong addon directory. Restore the backup, move server-specific edits into darkrpmodification, and update the core only after the server is stopped. Keep a dated copy of the modification addon so you can compare changes when troubleshooting.

The Workshop panel behaves differently from the instructions

Panel implementations vary. Look for the equivalent collection, Workshop content and startup-gamemode settings, and verify the resulting behavior in the server console. If the panel reports successful synchronization but the files or map are absent, its content deployment has not completed; do not compensate by uploading a second, conflicting copy until you have checked the panel’s documented workflow.

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Updating DarkRP without losing your server

Plan updates as a controlled replacement of the core, not as an edit to a running server.

  1. Stop the server.
  2. Back up the current DarkRP folder, the complete darkrpmodification addon and the startup settings.
  3. For Workshop deployment, confirm which collection version the host will synchronize before restarting.
  4. For a manual deployment, obtain the newer official DarkRP files and replace the core gamemodes/darkrp folder while preserving addons/darkrpmodification.
  5. Check that gamemode/init.lua is still at the expected path and that the startup value remains darkrp.
  6. Start the server and read the console for load errors before reconnecting players.

If the update introduces a problem, stop the server, restore the backed-up core folder and configuration, and start again. Keeping the customization addon separate makes that rollback substantially less disruptive.

Final installation checklist

  • The server was stopped before files were uploaded or replaced.
  • A backup exists outside the live garrysmod directory.
  • DarkRP is installed at garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/.
  • The file garrysmod/gamemodes/darkrp/gamemode/init.lua exists.
  • The customization addon is at garrysmod/addons/darkrpmodification/.
  • The startup gamemode is darkrp, not sandbox.
  • The selected map is installed and available to clients; an rp_ map is a common initial choice.
  • Workshop deployments include the DarkRP item 248302805 and any required map in the server’s collection.
  • Jobs, settings, entities and other server-specific changes are outside the DarkRP core folder.
  • The first restart was checked in the console before additional addons were installed.

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